The Sky that Bonds

by fantasy.x.nothingness

By a chance meeting, she was introduced to the mafia world without knowing the secret of her blood. Now older, a baby hitman claims to turn her into Vongola Decimo. But will the Sky accept its fate? Fem27

24. Rage (In the Blood)

The promised chapter is here!

Can you believe it took 8 years to get to the conclusion of Varia ARC? I'm so sorry! Things were rough back then but through some struggles, I have found the rhythm for me to write that doesn't leave me mentally exhausted. I'm really happy the story has come this far, and it will continue to do so.

Super Long Chapter. Enjoy!

---

.

.

.

"That girl, do you care for her?"

The taste of wine was still the same after 6 long years.

It didn't matter if it was Italian, French or Japanese processed, the taste of grapes with the spike of alcohol was like drinking water to him. It was familiar and grounding. A mockery, as if time had not passed at all when in fact, it did.

Six long years, frozen in that prison.

His open eyes stared at everything happening in that dark, empty room but his mind was far too gone to process the years that went by. One moment he was glaring at the old man with so much ferocity his flames had almost scalded his hands, but the next, the ice was breaking down and releasing him from his confinement.

The stupid loud shark had done it. It took him six fucking long years, but he had done as promised. He had overthrown that bastard Tyr, the fucking traitor. Had increased their armory and division, and kept Varia as a separate association from Vongola, waiting for the right time to attack and free him from his imprisonment.

He never doubted it. If things hadn't gone astray, Squalo should have been the next Varia boss, it was almost decided. But the loud shark had sworn loyalty to him, to follow him as his leader, and so the pieces fell in their favour.

"What is it to you, trash?"

He yawned. The air in Japan was too dense and humid, it was uncomfortable. It put him in a sour mood, one that kept decaying the more his dumb team kept hollering like stupid monkeys. The ice burns on his face itched sometimes, it was annoying.

But no matter how much he wanted to get drunk, the wine kept sliding down his throat like water. His flames ran hotter than average, and so they kept burning the alcohol before it could make effect. And he really wanted to get drunk.

Shooting and breaking glass to pass his boredom, now that the dead shark was out of commission he had no one to entertain him. Bel was smart enough not to cross his path and Viper was licking their wounds after their loss. It made him laugh out loud, Varia kept losing against middle schoolers.

How pathetic.

The brat had chosen well with what little crumbs she had to pick from.

Her Mist was troublesome, and even her Rain had been almost scouted by the loud shark, who kept grumbling that all that talent was going to waste. They have yet to meet her Cloud, but it will be an interesting battle against the Gola Moska, it was something he didn't want to miss. It would be a win to him either way, even if the brat manages to win that battle too, he just wanted to see her face crumble in realization.

Another bottle of wine, another ocean of burning thoughts.

Night has fallen in this boring town, it will be just three more days until their battle against fate and to finally burn everything to the ground. There was no doubt on who will be the winner, but it'll still be amusing to see her try. Seeing her standing there after six long years, tall and defiant, holding fire in her hands and a crown of flames in her head was like seeing a cub learning how to walk.

He knew she was a Sky since the moment they met, but the brat was not fit to wield that power. Not then, and not now. But it happened, and so, here they were.

Fighting, burning and without wine.

"Because if you do, you must...-

He let the empty bottle fall to the ground, not caring about the shards of glass that had accumulated there and threw his head back to the ceiling in boredom.

He will make Leviathan pick the mess up after his humiliating defeat against a five-year-old. How pathetic, indeed. The orders were to give the brat and her pitiful guardians hell through bloody hardships and a Varia Quality defeat. And yet they still managed to overcome the adversity and celebrated as if they were in summer camp.

Will the brat do the same or will the fire consume her first?

...fight back-

His flames were almost roaring at just thinking about it. They were boiling, thirsting to clash with hers in an inferno of Wills. How long can her flames burn? How serious was she? Despite having been trained by a hitman, he knew that wasn't enough to harden her mind.

But he wouldn't give her a moment of respite. He will fight and crush her, push and force her until she fights back and bled the blood that was needed.

Otherwise...-

He closed his eyes and ignored the screams coming from behind the walls. His scars itched, his flames were growling and his mind begged for alcohol that was not there. He could do nothing to sate the thirst down but wait and plot and remember the lost words of a dead man.

He had already laid his pieces in The Game, all that was left, was for the checkmate to occur.

Vongola was going to fall, one way or another.

.

.

.

Monday, 10am

She spent a restful weekend at home. Sleeping back in her bed after a dreadful week did wonders to her sore body. Her hair was clean and her shoulders stopped hurting less from the strain training was causing. That and eating homemade food cooked with love by her mother.

Basil was invited to have hotpot with them on Saturday, and let it be said that eating something hot on a summer afternoon was actually satisfying in a way that made you want to fall asleep right there with no worries chewing on your mind.

Lambo had passed out due to the heat, but Basil and Fuuta surprisingly got along, they spend the remaining afternoon talking about the Japanese culture and everything new they had learnt from it, which left her alone with Ipin, where the little girl tried to teach her some basic Chinese while in return, she taught her some common Italian phrases.

Iemitsu didn't bother them much. He made his appearance, laughed, joked, flirted with her mom, drank beer and fell asleep. In that order.

It was a relatively peaceful day, as was Sunday. She spent it catching up on homework and playing a happy island videogame with the only distress being that her poor island was overrun by weeds and her favourite neighbour wanted to leave. The betrayal! But all casualties were avoided and she fell asleep right away with no ghostly visitors haunting her dreams.

Reborn kept his word and made her do weekly blood tests to keep a record of her blood levels. And despite the anguish and stress she experienced for the past weeks, everything was good. There were no bad omens or red numbers blinking back at her.

So when Monday morning came, she had no trouble waking up early to go training. She still had to keep up the appearance of going to school, but she doesn't know for how long that will last. The final battles were this week, everything was going to end before Friday and after that…

What?

She doesn't know what will happen after that, doesn't want to think about it; tries her very best not to think about depressing what-ifs and imagining worst cases scenarios. It was hard trying to overcome the catastrophic thinking, but once training started and her sessions with Fon overlapped with Reborn's, she was kept busy.

"What is she doing?" Colonnello asked.

"Waiting"

She was standing still at the edge of the cliff, eyes closed and just breathing in. The crown of flames in her head waved in the breeze, silently and quivering gently as they danced in the air along with the fire in her hands. She couldn't see them, that was the point of the exercise, but she could feel them pulsing and making her fingers tremble.

"Is it over?"

"No" Reborn answered.

She breathed, and waited, and thought of endless things while thinking nothing at all. She just let the flames burn for as long as they wanted and focused on the low throbbing resonating through her fingertips to her core and all the way up to her head. It was pulsing, like a tiny heartbeat beating to her own rhythm.

The task was simple, she just needed to harmonize with her own flames and snuff them off at will. It should have been easy, but her flames were pesky and stubborn, and they latched onto her like tiny iron claws that refused to let go. It's been two hours of standing and breathing with the Sky flames alight, and she still couldn't find a trigger to turn them off.

"This is boring, why are we here?"

"You weren't invited, so you can leave"

"You're as impatient as ever, I see" Fon laughed softly, perhaps in a mocking way that was all too familiar with Colonnello because the little soldier was already shooting bullets that Fon easily evaded.

A little far from them was Basil, who was still in awe at seeing three of the famed arcobaleno in one place and 'being civil' to one another, having confided in her that he often tagged along with Lal on reckoning missions, and whenever Colonnello or the spontaneous appearance from Skull happened, it was a recipe for disaster.

And she was not jealous at all that he was free to do missions while she was stuck training and being forced to fight the ghost from her past, on the contrary. She offered her condolences, knowing very well the temper of her old tormentor.

"It's not working" She finally muttered, feeling her legs starting to cramp after standing for so long without moving.

"You're not using enough force"

"I'm trying, they just won't listen to me"

"Have you visualized it in your head?" Fon suggested "Think of the flames in your hands disappearing, project it and make it as real as it is in your thoughts"

"You're only here as a watcher" Reborn chided, and the Storm arcobaleno was wise not to laugh at the threat but Tsuna could feel his amusement rolling in waves.

And she tried to imagine the fire in her hands disappearing into tiny particles of glittering dust, feeling the hot rush abandon her skin as if she had pulled her hands out from a bucket of warm water and think in her head with a cheerful tone 'Thank you for your hard work, you can go now!'. But it didn't work if only, the flames clung harder like a petulant child refusing to be separated from their mother.

It made her wonder, was her subconscious plotting against her?

Why was it so hard to let go? Why did it felt like she was dying every time she lit up the flames yet at the same time, she felt whole as if something had aligned into place.

Ts- … he̴͙̪̓͂̕͜ar me̴͙̪̓͂̕͜?!

Oh, great. The voice was back.

Do̸̡̺͖̾̔n't-...

Why was she hearing voices? Why was she seeing things? Why were flames that came from her hurting to the point of her body breaking down? Things were fine not so long ago, so what exactly triggered all these issues? Day terrors. Night terrors. Walking terrors. Whatever terrors. She just didn't understand.

-..Me̴͙̪̓͂̕͜!

She was prepared for the backlash this time, almost like expecting it despite not knowing if it was the real cause, or maybe it was the influence still of the HDWM that prevent her from panicking or choking on the blood falling slowly down her nose, she simply breathed silently through her mouth and tilted her head so that it wouldn't go down her throat.

But what she wasn't prepared for was when a second voice joined the cacophony in her head.

[Breathe]

"Tsuna?"

She gasped, quietly or harshly, she couldn't discern but she made a sound that made her throat itch and her nose burn. She clenched her eyes shut, and focused just on the wind to try and let the woosh of the air swallow the whispers in her head.

"Gonna jump" She muttered with a stuffy nose "Wash, river"

She didn't wait for an answer, couldn't spare another moment standing alone with her thoughts, didn't want to show them the mess in her face nor the panic in her eyes. Without hesitating, she jumped down the cliff like she has done for the last few days, using her flames to keep her afloat and reducing the inertia as she descended steadily to the ground.

Or as steadily as she could with blood clogging her nose, a pounding headache and whispers mingling with her thoughts. She wanted to puke as soon as she landed, and she couldn't quite hide the stumble in her feet as she approached the riverbank, but she made sure to kneel slowly in case vertigo hit her.

What the hell was happening? Was she losing her mind?

Was this some kind of sickness for Sky users? But Dino was fine, all clumsiness aside. And she was sure that Xanxus didn't have voices in his head telling him to do things. Right? Of course not, she grumbled as she cupped some cool water to clean her nose.

This was getting tiring, not to mention, dangerous. And she couldn't seem to find a pattern as to the cause of the nosebleeds, they just happened. At day, at night. When walking or sleeping. Was there something wrong with her brain? Stress? Were her flames eating her from the inside? Reborn had discarded anemia, but both of them knew her flames were influencing the episodes, the question was just, why?

Why?

She sniffed and breathed and rubbed her nose. The flames in her head crackled silently and reflected a small orange sunset in the water below. It was mesmerizing, the way her orange eyes stared back at her like an icy siren luring her down, but if she were to lean closer, she was sure she would fall for the trap.

How was she going to survive this? Not only was she supposed to fight against her will while preventing an emotional breakdown, but also focusing on not getting hurt, not hurting Xanxus, all the while hearing voices in her head.

What a mess.

.

.

.

Dino has never been more miserable in his life.

If he were to choose between torture, he would love to spend a day with Reborn and his spartan schemes than entertaining a violent boy and trying to teach him some humility.

It wasn't working, first 5 minutes and he was bitten to death.

And it went on for two weeks straight with almost no rest, he had to promise vicious fights to get the boy to let him rest, not to mention, keeping him entertained in a secluded part of the forest while his school was destroyed or else he would barge in and murder everyone. So he had to use all his strength and wits to survive this babysitting.

And he was strong enough to survive that, he was trained by Reborn after all, which is why Kyoya was even more thrilled to beat him. If he held back, the boy would snarl and fight harder, but if he went all out and knocked him down, Kyoya would only rise and demand another fight until the tables reversed.

What a maniac violent boy, and Tsuna got along with him? How the hell did that even happen? But at least she got him to listen? Kinda. It was weird, Tsuna's name was like a trigger on bad days and a bargaining chip on good ones, because it was obvious he wanted to bite her to death but was holding back for one reason or another.

And they were chained. Oh god, they were bound to each other. Though Tsuna hadn't fully accepted the bond, Dino could see the tight grip they had on one another even if they were separated miles away. As ridiculous as it might sound, it was like they were spoken for.

He tried it once, out of pure suicide curiosity, he reached out with his flames and tugged just to see if Kyoya reacted because none of these kids seemed to know what a Harmonization was. Three seconds and he instantly regretted it because his purple flame lashed out like a fierce beast, claws and metal hard enough to draw out blood.

And wow, that was something.

At least he had a cute startled expression, it was better than the usual I-will-Bite-You-To-Death face. Even though he was still -thoroughly- bitten to death.

Picky, that's what Cloud flame users were. They were indomitable, their need to be free and unchained was almost on par with the hunger to be bound to the Sky of their choice. And most often than not, the Sky had to be stronger to subdue and drag the lonely cloud back. And he was not calling Tsuna weak, just, these two looked so incompatible.

But then again, who was he to judge a bond? His own Cloud guardian was a pain in the ass, but he still loved him like a brother in arms. No one could really understand the WHY, except the two persons involved, and no one else had a say in the matter.

So, here he was. Babysitting Tsuna's - reserved - potential Cloud guardian, and he couldn't wait for it to be over. He didn't know who Varia's guardian was going to be, but he was certain Kyoya didn't need any training to win. The main concern was getting the boy to fight for the correct reason and not drift to another confrontation.

He tends to do that, if the fight wasn't worth it or if it was boring, he would go and seek someone else. Worst case scenario was Kyoya going after Xanxus. Which can't happen, because that was Tsuna's fight and responsibility as the Boss candidate, and if a guardian steps in then there's going to be some rules violations and then Vongola will really get involved and make an even bigger mess out of it.

So he was going to be on watch duty until this whole thing blows over and a Sky candidate is chosen. Which brought another source of worry, because Tsuna didn't look healthy the last time they saw one another, and with a few days left for the Sky battle, he knew the stress and worry must be eating her.

He should take her on some relaxing vacations after this, no matter who wins. He might not be close to Xanxus as he was with Squalo, but he knew the Varia leader wouldn't go for the kill to win the battle, or well, he might, but not on this one. He wouldn't kill her, right?

Xanxus and Tsuna, how to describe their relationship? It felt like a lifetime ago since their time in Italy, and he knew there was a lot he didn't know of her adventures but what he knew was enough to placate his worry. Well, some of it. There was no doubt that Tsuna wouldn't leave that fight unscratched, but she will live.

Because to Xanxus, Tsuna was… well, they were family. There was no other word for it. And Family don't kill each other, right? After all, Xanxus did went and rescue Tsuna when she was kidnapped, so he must care for her, right? Right. So he was going to hold on to that faith and pray things solve themselves soon without much heartbreak.

He really couldn't wait for things to be over, to be relieved of his babysitting duty, give Tsuna some comfort and solve Vongola's mystery. There was an unimaginable truth hidden in the darkness. The real reason for the coup d'etat Varia did six years ago, on where the hell has Xanxus been all this time and why Tsuna was made a candidate when the last heir was still alive.

There were still missing pieces from the puzzle, and until they find them, no one will be able to rest.

"Okay, Kyoya. Let's try one more time, rush forwards without killing intent to go for a surprise attack"

"Don't patronise me, herbivore"

There was mud in his shoes, the bruises in his arms were aching and trying to teach this kid not to attack first/think later was like teaching a cat not to use a cardboard box as their new residence. Even Romario had stopped trying to reason for a lunch break, but out of the two of them, his right-hand man was the one who worried the most over the health of the stubborn kid.

So they learned to compromise and bribe the boy to eat and rest when it was getting ridiculous. Which meant more pain and bruises for him and never-ending stress for Romario.

They had moved locations to the floor of the forest instead of the mountain's slope. He wouldn't put it past the boy's violent nature to push him off the edge if he got overly annoyed -or bored-, whichever came first and with his battle so close to date, he was just itching for his promised fight.

So as much as he tried, with the little time they had, there was no way he could drill some patience and self-restraint to the unyielding Cloud, just entertain him from wandering away.

He played with the idea in his head of teaching him how to draw his flame out and coat his weapon with it to boost up his strength, but he was already too powerful for a kid his age, and he didn't want to add more stress to Tsuna if she hadn't accepted the bond with him. He was careful not to step over the line she had drowned, so until then, becoming a practice dummy was all he could be.

He was swallowing his misery and rubbing a sore spot in his arm when he unconsciously turned his eyes up towards the cliffs of the mountains adjacent to their position, and it was in that little moment that something unexpected grabbed his attention.

"Oh look! There's Tsuna!" He pointed out, his smile dimming the more he stared. "Standing on the edge. On fire. And she's jumping, wait, NO!"

He ran, but with such distance, he knew he wouldn't be able to make it on time.

There was terror seizing his body for that one moment, millions of thoughts racing through his mind with the crucial ones being 'God, please no' and 'where the hell was Reborn' and wait- she can fly?

He didn't stop running despite the shock turning into incredulity as he saw Tsuna, who was still on fire, decelerating and floating above the ground effortlessly despite the blood on her face. This had Reborn's trademark all over it, he just knew it. And although he was glad she had equipped a volatile technique for evasiveness in a fight, the worry for her safety was still there.

He couldn't help but feel that something was wrong as if the closer he got the farthest she felt. Tsuna landed, wobbling as she neared the riverbank with a pitiful expression, but any thoughts of help and comfort were kicked out of the window because Kyoya was already stalking his next prey.

Oh dear, it seems like he jinxed his previous thoughts.

.

.

.

Tsuna thanked whoever was in charge of her daily misfortunes that the voices had mellowed out. Her ears were ringing and there was an uncomfortable itch at the back of her head, but at least they had left her alone to lean down and clean her face without succumbing to some nausea attack. She didn't want to puke with an audience, that would be mortifying.

The cool water from the river was a great welcome. Even despite standing still for some hours, she was sweaty and tired, and her skin had a hot layer of shine that made her shiver as she rubbed her hands on it.

And without even realizing it, the HDWM left her. Stupid, stubborn thing, she muttered with grudge. It was doing whatever it pleased and her body was suffering for it. Couldn't it give her one day of rest and another in her control? Fighting Xanxus was going to take everything she had, going at him with bare hands could very well be suicide.

"What are you doing with such indecent clothes? Wounded, no less"

"K-Kyoya?" She squeaked a startled yell, not having sensed him nor her intuition alerting her of his presence "What are you doing here?"

"I asked first" He was standing at the other side of the river, watching her with bored curiosity.

"I'm training"

"And the blood?"

"I… What are you doing here?" She stood slowly, mindfully aware that she was only wearing a hot-pink sports bra and her spandex shorts. Kyoya had already seen her like that, but he made fun of her and she was not in the mood for another tease. Of course, she should have known better.

"Turn yourself on fire"

"What?"

She wasn't given any time because Kyoya dashed forwards, brandishing his tonfas that she barely escaped by ducking and rolling on the ground.

"Wait! Kyoya, stop! I can't-

She almost bit her tongue as she ducked and tried to roll again from the sudden assaults, her chest felt tight as a rush of adrenaline seized her body and she was stuck in the middle of fleeing, dodging and trying to get the hell away from this maniac. A part of her, the part she associated as Reborn's inner voice teasing her from somewhere in the mess inside her head was suggesting that this was the most realistic training she could ever get before her fight.

But she didn't care or listen to those tauntings because she was more focused on not getting bitten to death. Mittens couldn't shield metal, but at least the soft material bounced some friction from blistering her skin when she blocked Kyoya's weapon with her hands and held it tightly in an attempt to keep him in place.

"What are you doing?!" She screamed at him.

"What are you doing?" He asked back.

He pushed back, and her knees almost buckled by the force alone, but she tried to remain standing otherwise she would get a tonfa to the face, and her nose couldn't take another nosebleed. It was stressful, having to think in seconds on what to do next without lingering or hesitating. Reborn has been drilling her to think fast/act fast, but it was still taxing.

So she brought a knee to his right side and forced his hands to the left, making his body lose balance for just that moment but she took advantage of the opening and jumped away. She has gotten better at doing cartwheels, but not somersaults. Her body wasn't that flexible and she didn't want to be a jumping lion no matter how much of a circus show this whole thing was.

But despite that, she kept jumping back because Kyoya followed, stalking with intent to land a hit. It was a little overwhelming, fighting like this out of nowhere, knowing very well that if she were to not be careful, she could gain something worse than a bruised nose. The instincts to flee were more prominent than those of fighting, and it was so obvious, Kyoya got annoyed just by it.

"Fight back, little animal"

"No, you stand down!" She ordered, or tried to as much as she could with a choked breath and fire in her lungs. She kicked his ankle and tried to push him down, but he used the momentum and his strength to roll them, knocking the wind out of her as she landed on the floor with a pained groan.

"You're yielding"

"I'm not!"

"Then you're drifting"

"I'm right here!"

"Are you?"

"You're ridiculous! Get off me" She pushed and kicked, but the muscles in her arms weren't efficient enough to push Kyoya away while she tried to push herself off the floor, they wobbled and buckled and down the floor she went. Again. "Stop- Are you crazy?!"

She grunted in annoyance but it was then when she saw the chain around his neck, where the half of a ring was hanging and swaying like a pendulum, making her eyes almost crossed as she stared at it, stopping her struggle with fight leaving her as the feelings of guilt started to make itself present.

She didn't know if she had a bond with Kyoya. She forgot to ask Fon how she could be certain of it. He did imply of her having some, after all. But whenever she thought about it, she couldn't see anything that would tell her who she was bonded to. She did feel a connection settling in with both Gokudera and Yamamoto, but not the others.

And she has told herself, time and time again, that she wasn't going to let it happen, that she didn't want to drag more people into this dangerous mess and yet… and yet...

"You're pulling away"

She blinked up at Kyoya who was frowning at her and holding back from smacking her with a tonfa. She was confused for a moment, the incomplete Cloud ring kept swaying and Kyoya was sulking over her for running away.

Oh. She thought with a startling realization. Was this what Yamamoto was talking about? The push? And Kyoya felt that? Did he… wanted to… with her?

"You're crazy" She breathed out, unconsciously shaking her head on the dirty floor as she stared wide-eyed at the ruthless boy who refused to mingle with peers and enjoy the silence and solitude. "You don't owe me anymore…. You're free of debt, so why are you still here?"

She barely understood how the bond worked, he couldn't either, but he still wanted to be tied to her? But… but he was, he was Kyoya, free-willed and stubborn, and he hated crowds and noisy people and, and his pride belonged to protecting Namimori from the underground's underlings and he wanted to become a Mafioso?

Was he actually an illusion her intuition couldn't see right through?

"Oi" He growled, bonking the tip of his tonfa on her forehead and making her hiss in pain.

Nope. He was Kyoya, alright.

"You're going to get hurt"

"I'm a carnivore"

"But you hate crowds!"

"I'll bite them to death"

"You're stupid"

And he was giving her the look that meant she was the stupid one, arched eyebrow and all.

"Fine" She huffed and finally managed to sit down when he leaned back but she didn't let him get far and stabbed her finger repeatedly on his chest to make her point "Fine. I'm not running away, I won't. But this doesn't mean you can fight me whenever you like! Boundaries, Kyoya! If you cross it, I'm ghosting you!"

He merely hummed and stood up, making her groan as she stretched her aching legs. She didn't feel any different than before, maybe their bond was already forged and just needed a recharge? Or maybe it was something so familiar to their inner psyche it didn't need a fanfare to acknowledge it.

"Get up, little animal. Your left block is terrible"

She stared at him like an idiot with her head tilted and a confused look on her face, watching as Kyoya brandished his tonfas and readied an attack. She didn't need her intuition to know he wasn't going to hold back.

She was going to be bitten to death.

.

.

.

"Oh my, he has grown up" Fon commented, sighing a nostalgic smile as he peered down below the spectacle of the two kids fighting, or more like Hibari Kyoya viciously attacking a screaming Tsuna.

"Is he yours?" Reborn asked, not at all bothered by his student biting the dust or when his other ex-student joined the scuffle.

"Nephew twice removed. Haven't seen him since he was eight"

"Is Signorina Sawada going to be alright?" Basil asked, nervous and worried for her safety after being on the receiving end of the disciplinary prefect's violent quirks.

"Yeah, what kind of fight was that? Kora!"

"Her Cloud fight"

Despite the trouble she has controlling her flames, Tsuna seems to be accepting the bonds with her guardians without trouble. It was curious, but it clearly was for the better. She seems more grounded and lighter lately, her bonds obviously working and calming her nerves down. But he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps that's what was wrong. After all, there were still two slots empty.

.

.

.

Tuesday, 9pm

She was given an ultimatum.

She needed to perfect the HDWM today, no matter who won or lost the Cloud ring battle, she wasn't going anywhere until she had managed to release the flames on her own command, meaning that she wouldn't be able to go and see Kyoya's match unless she succeeded before the sundown. Which she didn't.

After being bitten to death, she and Dino, who had had enough of babysitting Kyoya, returned to her home for a well-deserved rest and meal. Both of them trusted the violent prefect to win the fight, so they weren't that worried to lose sleep over it. But she still had to beg the blond to go watch the fight in case Kyoya did something stupid like challenge Xanxus to a duel.

Morning came too fast for her taste. She had showered, washed her hair and put on her uniform to meet everyone for breakfast before leaving. The kids were eagerly eating onigiris and miso soup with tofu when she came down, with the new tantrum of the day being that Lambo didn't like tofu and Ipin was trying to make him eat it, all the while Fuuta was stealing his ration of onigiris while the snotty kid was distracted.

"Where's dad?" She had asked her mother after not hearing a snore on her way to the kitchen.

"He was being a silly goose, so I kicked him out" It's what she said, waving her worries away with a strained smile Tsuna had only seen on rare occasions. So obviously something had happened, Iemitsu must probably have had to leave for some Mafia-related case and had made up a ridiculous lie that even her own mother couldn't believe.

She thought of asking Basil about it, if only to appease her mother's worry but her little grudge against her father prevented any further search, so she didn't question it. Not even when the sinking feeling of dread started to grow as the hours went by.

By lunch, she knew she wouldn't make great progress in training so she texted Gokudera to please go in her place and try to do some damage control if things got derailed. She didn't know who Kyoya would fight, but if there wasn't an opponent she was sure he would go on a rampage and fight anyone around. And Dino would be there too, so that appeased her worries a little.

Now, her only concentration was finding harmony with her own flames. She had taken four pills, two in the morning and two in the evening. So far, there hadn't been any headache or fainting spells, so they took advantage of that and ignored any future repercussions. She hadn't been able to will her flames out, but she did manage to overpower Basil and win their mockup battle.

Everything was fine, everything was okay until an orange flash spread over the dark sky.

"What was that?"

"It came from the school grounds" Reborn said, probably to himself because he turned towards the brunette to grab her attention back "Dame-Tsuna, focus"

"Wait" She whispered, mind already gone and eyes not leaving the flare of fire in the sky that was turning dim by smoke "Wait, there's something… something's wrong"

"What do you mean?"

"It's not…" She tilted her head, stared and shivered. Her skin bristled as if she had stepped into a cold November night despite wearing a hoodie, her chest felt tight and the dread that had been accumulating through all the day made itself known in a wailing whisper that rattle her whole body in despair.

Something's terribly wrong.

"Why are you still here!? Kora!" Colonnello's sudden presence made everyone snap their attention to the little soldier, who was practically vibrating and moving back and forth "We have a situation!"

"What?"

"Let's run, go! Come on!"

She didn't look back at Reborn for confirmation, they all just found themselves running down the mountain and following Colonnello's frantic pace. It must have been a spectacle, with her and Basil almost gliding with colourful flames in their heads, but it gave them the speed they needed.

"What is happening?" Reborn asked from her shoulder, holding tight to her hair as he commanded the soldier for answers.

"It was a set-up!" Colonnello gasped as he too took a ride on Basil's shoulder "Lal just contacted me. Her team found plans of war machines at HQ"

"They found Nono?"

"Nono has been here the whole time!"

And wasn't that something?

Vongola Nono was here? Why? Was he here to observe the battles from the sidelines? To enjoy the show? But why keep silent? No, wait. Reborn mentioned it when he gave her the Vongola Ring, that Nono was probably MIA, had been for some time. Xanxus was suddenly alive, Nono was gone and Iemitsu had left on a rushed mission. Was it all connected? It was.

"Casualties?"

"15 from ours, 12 from theirs. Iemitsu was shot, and the Squad was almost overpowered by that thing"

"Master is hurt?!"

"What thing?"

"The Machine. The Gola Moska" Colonnello almost growled "Varia has claimed one! And Nono-

There was another flare in the sky, accompanied by a rumbling that she knew in the depth of her bones didn't belong to a thunder. She frowned and gritted her teeth, pushed her feet to go faster at the urgency around her. But even so, despite the seriousness of the situation, there was something inside of her that was preventing her from jumping and taking flight.

She just kept running.

.

.

.

Tuesday, 8:30 pm

"WHAT HAVE THEY EXTREMELY DONE TO THE TRAINING GROUNDS?!"

"You're too loud! Shut the fuck up!"

"They ruined the courts" Yamamoto expressed with grave sympathy, looking at what used to be the baseball and soccer fields turned bare and empty to accommodate a cage surrounded by barbed wire, with eighth gatling guns circling the fighting stage.

Lussuria, Levi and Belphegor were standing a couple of meters away from them, with Cervello waiting patiently in the middle of the field for the two Cloud guardians to appear. Behind them, a little up the stairs was Chrome, sitting quietly with her bag close to her chest with Ken and Chikusa a little further down. It was nice they had come to cheer them up, though Gokudera had grumbled and cursed their unnecessary presence.

"Okay! Listen up! No matter what happens, we have to win"

"You're all fired up" Yamamoto laughed, making the eyepatch shift on his face "You do know the one fighting is Hibari-san, right?"

"Shut it. The boss is counting on us to calm the fire if things get out of hand"

"Alright! We're EXTREMELY fighting again!"

"We're not fighting anyone unless they hit first!" Gokudera hissed in a quiet but rushed voice "Do you understand? Hit back only if they hit first!"

"Well, here comes the Ace" Yamamoto announced, grinning as Hibari made his way towards the field with Dino and Romario following a couple of steps behind.

"You're crowding, herbivores"

"Yo, Hibari"

"We're here to EXTREMELY support you!"

"Tsuna might run a little late though"

"I already bit the little animal to death"

"You fucking bastard-

"Let's keep it down, kids" Dino hushed them with a stained smile "We have sour company tonight"

At his comment, they all turned in curiosity and unease at the new figure that had appeared on the field. The night did well to hide most of his features, but the tall lamps adorning what used to be the school's sports training grounds shadowed the silhouette with white fluorescent light so that they could see. And there, sitting on a throne made of dark wood and velvety cushions was the one and only Varia leader.

"Xanxus" Gokudera growled quietly.

"Woah, the Enemy Boss is here?"

It was weird, he hadn't graced them with his presence in the previous battles, so why was he here now? Especially on the night where Juudaime wasn't present. She said that she was going to try her best to at least come watch the conclusion of the fight, but not to get his hopes up. Reborn has been a tyrant with her training lately, so there was a huge possibility she wouldn't make it on time.

Meaning that the responsibility as her right-hand man to stop these losers from doing something stupid fell on him.

"Ha, where's your scary-cat Boss? Did she run away?" Leviathan mocked them

"Shishihis, the princess must be taking a nap"

Calm down, calm down. It's the mantra he yelled in his head as he did his absolute best to ignore the tauntings. Any other day he could have screamed back to defend Juudaime's name and honor, but he knew he couldn't fall for the trap now. Getting into a scuffle could get them in trouble and make things more difficult than they already were.

"Both participants ready?" Cervello called, making his team whisper in confusion at not seeing another Varia member. That is, until there was a heavy noise across the field, and from deep within the shadows a huge figure stepped out, moving forwards like a toy soldier marching to war.

"The hell is that thing?"

It was imposing, with its height and structure, there was no way that thing could be human. The gas mask did nothing but surge a sudden feeling of dread, it looked like it came directly from a survival horror video game.

"The field has been prepared. The guns will shoot at any mobile object it detects from within a 20-meter radius" Cervello started explaining the instructions for the fight as both fighters got inside the wired cage.

"Furthermore, there are countless pressure-sensitive mines buried under the ground"

"Once activated, an alarm will sound to immediately set the explosion"

Thank god Juudaime wasn't here, was the only thing he could think. With the level of destruction this battle could cause, part of the school will definitely get destroyed and with the school's perpetrator present, all hell would break loose.

"I just have to bite it to death, right?" Hibari asked, bored and not at all intrigued by the looming figure heavily standing in front of him.

"Oh my god, this idiot" He cursed their luck at being settled with this violent guy in their team.

"Haha, believe in him. Tsuna trusts him"

"Hibari, Fight-OH!"

Juudaime really was a good character judge, only getting close to those who she really could count and depend on. But both Hibari and Mukuro were wildcards, they were undeniably strong, but their eccentricity could be turned against them. They have to be careful.

"Begin!"

In an instant, the machine sprang to life. It flew with propulsors hidden behind it at an alarming speed. It shouldn't have been possible for it to be so fast with the weight it carried, but it practically flew towards its opponent, raising its gauntlet as if to launch some missiles from its fingers like cannons, but Hibari met him halfway.

He merely turned to the side to evade the heavy figure and struck his tonfa down, cutting off completely the arm made up of metal, cables and circuits. The machine tumbled over with the force, and it just so happened to land on a mine, so as soon as it was knocked over, the ground exploded.

Silence reigned other than the crackling of the fire of the bomb, as everyone stared, stunned as Hibari joined both parts of the Cloud ring to form the complete version.

"Who the hell is this guy? A demon?" Levi uttered in astonishment.

"Did we just win?" Yamamoto asked just as incredulous. For a guy who gave his title of the Ace of the team to Hibari, he sure was surprised by how fast the battle ended.

Even Cervello was speechless.

But there was no time for celebration because Hibari had diverted his attention towards another foe.

"Kyoya, no!" Dino groaned in pain, but obviously, his agony was ignored.

"You, king of the monkeys from the monkey island, fight me"

"Ho?" Xanxus smirked but didn't move from his chair as he stared down at the advancing boy.

"Damn it! Hibari, wait!" Gokudera rushed in to stop the crazy maniac from fighting, which made Levi bristle and stalk forwards too.

"What do we do, boss?" Lussuria asked.

"The fight is lost" Xanxus stated in boredom, not at all bothered that they had lost the last guardian battle in less than a minute, but he did stand up to address Hibari "I'm simply picking up the trash"

Dino couldn't step in, he was an outsider. And both Gokudera and Levi couldn't really stop a fight from escalating as Xanxus joined the mined field where the mutilated robotic arm was laying and Hibari waiting.

"Hold it, peasant" Bel tugged Lussuria's coat to stop him from moving too "Our boss seems to be plotting something"

"What do you mean?"

"Shishishi, who knows?" The prince hummed and looked around the field "Maybe Squalo or Mammon must have known..."

"Kyoya, that carnivore is not yours!" Dino yelled from the sidelines, he had warned him a thousand times before the fight not to challenge anyone else but he was hoping for too much.

"Hibari, you're breaking the rules!" Gokudera yelled next, trying to get some sense into the prefect's head. Cervello were still guarding the entrance to the wired cage where Xanxus was headed in, and they turned to stare at him and Leviathan approaching as if judging their next move. Goddamnit The one to throw the first punch will unleash the cataclysm, and the table was not in their favour.

"I'm not fighting you" Xanxus said, plain and simple.

"We'll see"

Of course, Hibari didn't care and launched the first attack, which thankfully didn't hit Xanxus. He was not supporting the Varia's boss, but if their school's maniac lands a hit then it was over. Which seems to be what Hibari was thriving for in a flourish of attacks, viciously trying to beat the other all while effortlessly evading the torrent of bullets the forgotten gatling guns were shooting as they stepped near their range.

Xanxus dodging Hibari's attacks by just moving seemed to be annoying the boy, who pushed further and made him step towards a mine that he easily sidestepped and used the blast to put some distance between the fallen body of the machine.

But then Hibari dashed forwards with deadly intent to strike his opponent down, forcing Xanxus to block the incoming tonfa.

"Oh? You raised an arm" Hibari mocked with bloodthirst rolling in waves as he made the Varia's leader move on instinct. And shit. Xanxus merely blocked the weapon, he wasn't attacking or pushing back, he just stood there without an ounce of fury. And that alone made wariness rise in his gut, because Xanxus was smirking in satisfaction.

There was no warning.

A sudden flare lighted up the skies, almost swallowing the sound-like whistle of something small and fast flying through the air at a fast speed. And with the dying light from above and the lamps surrounding the area, they all could see the blood splattering on the ground.

"Kyoya!" Dino yelled when he recognized a gunshot wound on his thigh.

Hibari stumbled back just as the machine that had been unresponsive stood up, with metal clanking and whirling as it readied its gauntlets to shoot an attack.

Next thing everyone knew, missiles were raining down on them from all sides. They were strong and heavy, lifting soil and rocky dirt as they landed on the ground. And those close to the mines created an even bigger blast enough to shatter the school's windows from that distance.

"Gokudera!" Yamamoto shouted over the explosions as he was the closest to the attacker's source. But him being the most experienced with detonations, he was able to evade the fire and quickly withdraw from the middle of the battle.

"Shit! Step back!" He yelled back, making it his mission to get these idiots out of harm's way as he had promised Juudaime. Yamamoto was still hurt, and knowing the idiot, he would put some self-sacrificing shit to protect someone. He grunted as his own healing wounds were pulled and turned back to see Hibari dealing with the now berserk machine.

"It's shooting all over the place!" Ryohei exclaimed, covering his head when dirt rained down on him.

"Fuck, why aren't they stopping it?!"

"The fight hadn't been called, has it?" Xanxus said, standing among the fire, not caring if his own team got hit by the onslaught.

Was this all his plan? Using that machine as a guardian, set it on rampage and make their injuries seem like an accident? Knowing that if they were to strike back, it could be counted as retaliation. Was Cervello working for Xanxus? Juudaime has made her distaste of those women who have done nothing but put danger on their way very clear.

Shit. He rolled to the left as a missile flew over him and hit the school building behind them, bringing debris and smoke crashing down in a new source of panic. He cursed and looked around, Dino and Romario were stranded, as were Ken and Chikusa. They could do nothing but evade the projectiles without being able to directly help the guardians, otherwise...

Fuck, this was foul play from the very start!

"THEY ARE HITTING BACK!" Ryohei exclaimed over the smoke.

"Then hit them back, idiot!" He roared, pushing Yamamoto away from falling debris and tugging at his shirt to pull him along.

"Xanxus, this is madness!" Dino shouted, but his yell was silenced by the numerous explosions.

"Boss, we need to fall back!"

"Fuck, we shouldn't have come! Why did we even come!?" Ken shouted, jumping and covering his head as the path before them kept being assaulted.

Chrome was holding her trident, vanishing the boulders and debris away from them and turning them into dust, making shields of iron above them as stray bullets fell all over the place, giving way to a safer path. But turning real fire into ice was taking all her effort and concentration, which is why she didn't see the projectile heading her way from behind. But the others did.

They quickly pushed her down, just as a figure stepped over them and redirected the missile away from them.

"Ken, Chikusa!"

"Can't keep our eyes away from you!" Ken snarled, annoyed and agitated.

"You guys okay!?" Ryohei shouted over the fire.

"Did you just punch a rocket?" Chikusa asked, dumbfounded, making the boxer laugh a choked laugh as he had to duck when a boulder flew above him.

"Shishishi, this is chaos! This is freedom, this is-

"Belphegor, move!" Lussuria screeched, his boa scarf torched and hair dusted black by the smoke.

The school was destroyed, the whole place was littered with fire and dark smoke. The air felt dusty, it was filling their lungs with dirt and desperation. Gokudera couldn't attack, his homemade bombs were useless among these detonators. The Mukuro-girl was their only chance as she changed matter and created safety walls to protect them, but it wasn't enough.

Hibari really was incredible, he had to give him that. To hold himself against that insane war machine with a gunshot wound in his leg and burn marks on his arms was crazy. But how long could he last?

He knew that if they wanted to survive the night, they needed to shut that thing down. The question was, how? He tried to come up with an answer as he ran, pulled the idiot out of harm's way and ducked over some stray debris but it was impossible to think among this hell. He kept turning his head all around the place to count the visible people and making sure no one had fallen.

It was there when he saw it.

Amidst the roaring fire, Xanxus stood and smirked as he turned his head to the left.

Gokudera felt her before he heard her yell.

The blazing fire.

"Kyoya!" Tsuna screamed as soon as she saw him fighting "Stop!"

"Tsuna!" Dino shouted, snapping his head back to see her rush into the battlefield, Sky flames crowning her head and hands ignited in orange fire.

"Stop! Kyoya, stop!" She dashed forwards through the smoke and fire, heading straight towards the ongoing battle, jumping and covering her face from the debris raining down.

"Juudaime!"

Basil arrived shortly behind her, shifting paths towards them with yells of retreat and concerns. Any other time he would have marvelled and questioned the blue flame he was porting in his head, but now was not the moment.

"Stop! Stop the fight!"

"Interfering in the battle will grant instant disqualification" Cervello stated, albeit a bit hoarse by the smoke.

"The battle was already manipulated!" She snarled at them, breathing harshly before pointing towards the berserk machine "There's someone in there!"

There was a pause as everyone swallowed her words, turning their heads to the field as the explosions stopped for just five seconds. It was easy to know how long it took, they all could hear their beating hearts in their ears. Five seconds for confusion to mix with relief, only for it to be drowned in fear because, in that short time, the war machine changed targets and focused solely on her.

"Shit"

"Juudaime!"

"Get them back!" She screamed at him - ordered him - before she turned and dashed out of the wired field, away from the mines she had no way of knowing were there but miraculously could.

"Tsuna, don't attack it!" Colonnello shouted in desperation "It can track your energy!"

The machine was already firing compressed beams of fire when she gave Kyoya a look through the black smoke, just one look that lasted a second before she ducked and rolled away, changing to the defensive and drawing the machine away from the side where everyone was making their way to regroup.

It was intense, but she felt the same detachment in her fight against Mukuro, where the only emotion she felt was cold calmness and determination to finish the battle. There was no fear or desperation, even though she knew in a tiny corner of her mind that she was going to be having nightmares with this machine.

Swallowing hard, she slid to a stop and dashed to the other direction, drawing the Gola Moska towards the back of the training courts, almost nearing the wall separating the school grounds from the street outside. How come the police or nearest noisy neighbours weren't approaching to investigate the commotion was something she also thought but shrugged fast in exchange for dodging the incoming missiles. Reborn's training made it easy to evade the deadly projectiles, but running away was something she couldn't really do.

On their mad dash to the school, they had made up a plan. Supposedly, the Gola Moska was supposed to have an emergency switch on its back to shut it down, which this one didn't. So Reborn tasked her with the mission to overwhelm its sensors and try to fry them without harming the person locked inside.

Easier said than done, she grunted in her mind as she went to phase two of the plan and skid to a stop again, only this time changing directions to run towards the looming machine. Never having been more grateful for the HDWM to give her suicide courage, she shot forwards and grabbed the heavy arm of the machine, sending fierce resolve to her hands as she stopped and pulled hard.

She wasn't strong enough to throw the machine over her shoulders, but it was fine. She got the result she wanted by ripping the machinated limb and stopping the fire beams from being shot, that way, the only thing left to worry about was the missile launchers on its back that kept flying like annoying wasps. And if it weren't for that stupid pinecone training all those weeks ago, she wouldn't have been able to dodge.

She still felt her chest tight and skin vibrating by adrenaline, but her mind didn't process that in favour of fueling her flames with as much strength and energy as she could to punch the machine and send it flying to phase number three.

Reborn was telling Dino 'the plan', as he had come to stand on his shoulder the moment the brunette launched herself to the battlefield. Well, it was more a gamble than a plan that they had come up with, with its success relying entirely on Tsuna's adaptability and hyper intuition.

And any other time, if he wasn't so busy protecting these kids and preventing the fire from spreading, he would have cried in joy at the fact that Kyoya had listened to his teachings and had sneaked behind the enemy without an ounce of killer intent, meaning that the Gola Moska hadn't read his presence nor consider him a threat.

Tsuna shot forwards and held the machine as Kyoya struck the back, and with their compressed energy on both sides, they managed to crack open the husk as if it were an eggshell. The missiles stopped raining down, and the metal groaned as the circuits frizzled and its system shut down, making the machine fall apart.

It should have been easier to breathe now that the danger was stopped, if it weren't for the body that fell down.

"Is that…" He uttered in shock.

"Vongola Nono" Basil breathed out, just as shaken.

"Xanxus, what is the meaning of this?!" Colonnello shouted, already making his way with Reborn towards the fallen body bound in wires and blood.

"A gift" He stated, never once looking away from Tsuna through all the fight. And she looked back, orange eyes glaring, staring, trying to understand just what the hell was going on. She didn't even spare a glance at the unconscious man at her feet or when Reborn moved to stand next to her.

"Is he dead?" Dino asked, having run alongside them while being mindful of the still mined field and the active guns. Cervello were hushing between them, but you couldn't trust them to deactivate the sensors now that the fight was over.

"His life energy was sucked out of him. It's how the Gola Mosca was machinated" Colonnello explained as he tried to stop the bleeding inflicted by the wires connected to him "They require fresh flames to function"

"We need an ambulance, quick" Reborn told Dino, who was already calling for one while keeping Tsuna at arm's length because she had that faraway look in her eyes again.

"This is considered treason!"

"S-Stop" There was a weak wet cough alongside a choked intake of breath that made everyone look down at the struggling man trying to keep his eyes open.

"Nono!"

"The one.. a-at fault, it's me" He struggled to say, eyes trembling as he looked around despite Colonnello's reassurances to stay still "Me. It was my weakness… that a-awoke Xanxus from his slumber"

"Slumber?" Tsuna asked with a false innocent voice, her wide orange eyes stared unblinkingly at him, gleaming with a fire threatening to burn him as he met her stare. "You told me he died"

"Tsuna" Reborn warned her, but she merely tilted her head.

"I want the truth…" She whispered in chilling calmness despite the blazing inferno and blood around her.

Everyone else kept quiet out of pure anticipation if the situation were to escalate to the worse. Dino, especially, inched closer and shared a quick look with Reborn, who just merely shook his head and held Leon close in case the brunette became unstable. Kyoya had strayed a little farther back but was also observing with mild interest and keeping Xanxus in his line of sight.

Nono swallowed with difficulty, tired eyes blinking fatigue and pain as he tried his best not to give in to it.

"Six years ago, Varia executed a coup" He coughed "Only we knew. My… the Elite. To prevent an outside war, I had no other choice... but to seal him away"

"What happened?" She asked again, taking a step closer and making her flames flutter silently.

Her answer was another splatter of blood.

"Tsunayuuki" He grimaced once he found his voice "I feared of caging you to the dark world. Your heart… was so pure, so bright. I didn't wish to condemn it" He coughed harshly again, making Colonnello move to aid him but was stopped as he continued "You don't like to fight, but when people important to you are on the line, you clench your fist as a sign of a prayer and fight back. That's why... I choose you, I choose you to become Vongola Decimo"

"Really?" She asked, crouching down so that he could see the shadows her orange crown were making on her face "Or is it because I'm the only one left with Vongola's blood? Because never in my life have you seen me fight for somebody else"

The threat was there, the anger and hostility mixing sweetly with her cold voice. Nono stared at her, body shaking with effort to stay awake and tremors rolling pain all over his nerves as he tried to search her porcelain face for answers and finding none. She relished how the tables had turned.

"You are a Mafia Boss, but you were a father first and you let your sons fight for a bloody power and in the end, neglecting your duty killed them all"

Her eyes gleamed with dark knowledge, shining almost as if laughing at his poor misfortune, mocking him at knowing something that he didn't. It made his body seized over with a different type of pain, because Xanxus had given him the very same stare.

"I'm going to be clear to you" She leaned down to whisper "I hate Vongola, and one day, Decimo or not, I will burn it down and watch it fade from afar"

"Tsunayuuki" He frowned at her.

"Or will you kill me first for not going your way? Which one will it be?" She pulled back to give him one last glare "One more word and you will give me a reason to pray, for you"

She stood up and turned around, not deeming him worthy enough to continue the conversation she knew she wouldn't get. He can keep his dirty secrets to his death bed for all she cares, her intuition was giving her more answers than anyone else could, and it was telling her that he really was the key to this whole mess.

But then again…

"You locked Xanxus, and in his wait with hatred and rage, he plotted revenge to take you down by using Tsuna as a scapegoat" Reborn stated "If Tsuna or the other guardians were to attack and murdered Nono inside, it would have been considered high treason"

"Those who knew about the coup would oppose you" Colonnello continued, glaring at Xanxus "But avenging your father would have gained you absolute trust within the Famiglia. Fuck, if we had been one second late…"

"It was a well laid up trap" Reborn gave Xanxus a dark look "You knew Tsuna would fight that machine after it tried to kill her guardians, didn't you?"

But the Varia leader didn't confirm or deny anything, he only smirked and moved his head to the side.

"Careful Arcobanelo, don't put accusations in your mouth" Cervello interjected, making everyone seethe at the newfound realization.

"Do as you wish. I have already snapped" He leaked a little bit of his annoyance into his killer intent for a few seconds that made the two women step back. "But I will fulfil my promise to Nono and will not fight my student's battle. She, however, can do as she pleases"

And with his permission, Tsuna was free to choose.

She could have drawn back and quit the fight, throw the ring and forget this nightmare ever happened. It was easy, it was simple, they were practically giving her an out on a silver platter. But she didn't. She couldn't. Because they lied to her. Xanxus lied. He hurt her friends and brought war to her family, betrayed her trust, stained their memories and broke her dreams.

He tried to take what was hers.

She was going to take what was his.

"Xanxus, I'll take that ring" She declared as she glared at him without an ounce of regret "I won't let you become Vongola Decimo"

"I will carve your name in Vongola History, as the little bunny who betrayed the Boss" He mocked her with dark amusement, one she returned with a silent sneer.

"She is not alone"

The proclamation came from behind her, flanking her sides in a semi-circle like bishops and knights standing on a board, listening to her command and waiting for the next move. But Tsuna was not their player, because, despite her many warnings and orders, they still moved on their own.

So because in the time they had spent - well, that she had spent antagonising - with Nono, the others had approached, seeing as things had been quieted down, so they all were able to hear her declaration of war and make it theirs.

"Juudaime's Will is our Will"

"My Will is personal" Hibari muttered, furious after having his school destroyed and battle interrupted. There will be no mercy from him.

"You punks want to fight again?" Levi taunted them, his moustache fired on the ends due to the fire and standing next to his leader as did the other Varia.

"Shishishi, sounds fun~"

"Eradicate the traitors"

"Please wait" Cervello rushed to intervene for the first time, quickly stepping between both factions to stop any further mayhem.

"The battle for the Sky shall determine the victor"

"Until that day, Thursday at 9pm, no further confrontations will be held"

"Scared?" Tsuna asked, challenging Xanxus who only gave her a savage laugh.

"The paper had been signed with the preparation for each battle" Cervello said, showcasing the piece of paper with the seal of flames they presented in their first meeting. "Changing locations or altering the procedures goes against the rules"

"It has already been stated, the guardians will have their redemption too on the night of the Sky battle"

"You got some nerve!" Basil exclaimed, just as bothered. And his Japanese had improved a lot because he was able to speak full sentences now "Those flames could have very well been stolen from the Ninth"

"Is that alright with you, Master Xanxus?" Cervello inquired, and a part of her begged for Xanxus to say fuck it, let's battle now and get this over with. But he didn't, and her body remained frozen still as she held his ruby gaze, watching as the fire and smoke around them reflected over the gleam in his eyes like an echo of a long-forgotten memory.

"Don't disappoint, brat"

There was a bright flare that blinded the area for a moment, and when it dispersed, Varia was gone, as was Cervello and the husk of Gola Moska. Good riddance, everyone thought but did not say out loud as there was still a sensibility in the air.

"I thought Cervello was contracted by Iemitsu"

"Apparently not"

"The ambulance is here" Dino said, waving to the paramedics to come over and side-stepping Reborn, who was busy closing his Leon-mobile.

"Coyote and Ganauche are on their way. What about Lal?"

"They're stranded at HQ. Probably won't make it until the Sky battle ends" Colonnello grunted, kicking what was left of the soft ground to release his anger and let the paramedics do their job.

"Is Master alright?"

There was a buzzing in the back of her head, the familiar siren song of her intuition whispering sweet nothings and beckoning her to fall deeper into the abyss that was her mind. It was easy to get lost, with the fire and smoke around her and the anger and fear coursing in her veins, so very distant but so very familiar-

"Oi" She looked up to meet Kyoya's stare, cold and grounding "Don't run"

She was silent, and it was only then that she realized she was holding her breath. She unclenched her hands slowly, letting blood circulate better and warm her fingers and as she breathed out, she could feel something settling in. The Sky flames disappeared without trouble, and this time, it was her that willed them out.

"You guys okay?" She asked as soon as she found her voice and turned around to see her friends gathered around in ruffled, dirty clothes and ashes smears on their faces.

"Just a little scorched"

"You're bleeding" She pointed to Yamamoto, whose chest wound must have opened by all the pulling and stretching.

"Oh"

"Boss" Chrome stepped forwards, gripping her trident to her chest and looking nervous.

"Chrome"

"I can help. Would you let me?" She asked permission, and though Tsuna knew what she was suggesting, she turned to Yamamoto to ask if he was okay with it. It was his mind that was going to be rewritten after all. But the boy had no problem, he was actually excited like a curious kid watching a magic show.

"Believe in it" Chrome told him before raising the point of her trident to his chest, pressing just slightly and letting the mist flames coat the area, erasing any traces of blood, dirt and the stitches hidden underneath his shirt.

"Woah! I can't even feel the pain! Thanks a lot!"

She will ask Shamal to monitor the wound to make sure it heals correctly, and it was a little worrisome how easily the illusion set in, but they will have to deal with that another time.

"It's going to be a battle royal, you guys need to rest as much as you can" She said tiredly, feeling her throat itching after screaming and inhaling smoke.

"I'm so EXTREMELY pumped up!"

"I mean it, rest"

"Haha, you got it, Boss!"

These sports maniacs will probably stay up all night due to the excitement of a new fight, but she wasn't going to get any sleep either, so whatever. At least she tried to be a responsible leader. Kyoya was already walking away when she turned around to see how things were, unperturbed by the gunshot wound in his leg and it was funny how everyone - even the paramedics - were wise not to cross his path as he made his way to the destroyed school. Ugg, that was going to hurt.

"That Hibari almost ruined the night" Gokudera grumbled next to her.

"Xanxus would have set that machine berserk either way. It was actually luck that Kyoya kept it entertained or it would have caused bigger havoc" She sighed and gave a small smile at his frowning face "Sorry, too gloomy?"

"Juudaime, make sure to drink honey with lemon before bed. It will help"

She hummed in acknowledgement, which made her cough and for him to start fussing over her but she waved him off. Really, she was fine. She didn't even feel the backlash for using her flames the whole day. Should that be worrisome?

"Tsuna, come on. I'll take you home" Dino approached them with a stretched arm towards her and a pointed thumb behind him "Romario is giving you guys a ride"

"As if! We don't need charity from you people!" Ken shouted, really regretting coming here and stomped away without much of a goodbye, followed by a sighing Chikusa and a startle Chrome, who bowed before dashing to try to catch up with them.

"Thanks, old man! Next time you want sushi it's on the house!"

"Please don't call me old" Romario sighed, and herd them towards his car while Tsuna went with Dino after saying goodnight to everyone. The ambulance was already gone, with both Reborn and Colonnello in it most probably, because there were no black shoes hitting her head or a gun being aimed at her head.

Her chest still felt a little tight and there was an annoying ringing in her ear that ruined the melody of the soft rock ballad playing on the radio. But it was still soothing, and after the crazy night, she was ready to fall asleep leaning against the window of the car. Dino had been silent too, it was an eventful ride until they stopped at a red light and he sighed heavily.

"You can't threaten a Mafia Boss"

"Please don't..." She groaned in her hands, already knowing that Reborn was going to berate her to hell, and once Colonnello tells Lal, she is going to deal with her harsh reprimands too. If Xanxus doesn't kill her, those two will with words alone.

"Tsuna, that was foolish, and dangerous!"

"I know, I know! It's just… I wasn't thinking, sorry" She squirmed in her seat and refused to meet his eyes, and he couldn't press further because the light changed and he had to focus back on the road.

"How do you feel about the battle?" He asked softly this time after a few minutes of silence.

"I can die" She blurted in all honesty "I always knew that Xanxus wouldn't kill me, but with that look in his eyes… It's scary. It's the same look as that night..."

Dino could try and guess but did not voice anything in fear of trapping her into some unfavourable memories he did not know of. He tried questioning Squalo before, for years, actually, but the truth of what had really happened on that night seemed to be something that only Xanxus and Tsuna knew.

He sighed and let the matter be, though not entirely, and he debated with himself as he drove through the quiet streets and almost turned back from his destination because this was probably a mistake, but Tsuna had the right to know, so… Here's hoping.

Tsuna was already dozing off when they arrived, and he had to regrettably shake her awake to make her step out of the car, though she was blinking herself awake as she stared at the hospital building in front of them instead of her little home.

"Why are we here? I thought you said…"

"Shh, no one must know yet"

He pulled her in a side hug and walked with her inside, leading her towards the fifth floor and only stopping at the reception area where he finally released her as a flash of something glazed her eyes.

"I have to sign something, I'll be back to pick you up in a minute" He nodded to the closest door, but she didn't need his verbal guidance to know where to go because her intuition was already moving her. He watched her go sorrowfully, hoping that this could give her a little rest tonight.

Tsuna didn't know what to expect, Dino wouldn't send her to apologize to Nono's death bed so soon, it wasn't even his job to make her. But for him to take the liberty and bring her here in secrecy meant that whoever was behind the door, was meant to be kept a secret. There were a lot of secrets lately, but at least she was part of this one.

She grabbed the handle with trembling fingers and opened the door silently without knocking, and though her heart already knew what to expect, her eyes still stung by the remaining layer of smoke and dust as she stared at someone who should have been dead but turns out he's not. Was this a trend?

"S-Squalo"

"Yo"

"Y-You are alive" She choked and half-stumbled her way inside without removing her eyes from his injured body covered from head to toe in bandages. "Oh my god! You look like a dead mummy!"

"Is there fucking a difference?"

"But, but how? What… where is your hand?" She stared, and continued to stare at the stump where a hand should have been but was now empty and wrapped in bandages and wires with blood tubes and cables.

"A lot has happened. Brat, don't you dare cry"

"But… Everyone is hurting! Why can't we stop this?"

"You can"

"I don't understand, what the fuck is going on?!"

"Is Nono safe?"

"He's in a hospital bed if that's what you are asking" She sniffed and glared as best as she could, action that made her eyes tremble and for the tears gathering there to quiver in warning.

"I know, be mad"

"Mad?! You think I'm mad?!" She shouted, not caring anymore for the tears "You lied! Everyone lied! They told me Xanxus was dead! They're making me fight him! You almost died! And he almost killed my friends! And I don't- You attacked Vongola?! Just what, I can't- why?!"

"VOII! Keep it down, brat. We're still in public!" And he still had the nerve to shout back at her.

"Fuck you" She sobbed, exhausted and relieved, and tired but happy. She thought she could survive the night with numb emotions under the facade of fatigue, but she was asking for too much. She was tired, mentally, physically and emotionally. This day has taken a toll on her, but this unexpected - but welcomed - revelation had overflowed her tiny can of feelings.

She sniffled and rubbed her eyes as she tried to find something to say. She didn't know how much time she had, and there was a lot to unpack and explain, and Squalo knew that because he kept staring at her.

"Did…um…" She gulped and her breath came out shakingly as she exhaled loudly "Did Xanxus… did he knew? About me…?"

"The Boss planned the coup before you got kidnapped"

And his words made whatever air she had left leave her body because that changed everything.

"Then why did he come for me?"

"You must ask him that yourself"

"Tsuna" Dino called from the door, his quiet soft voice urging her to go.

No one could know Squalo was alive, otherwise, they would force him to fight in the incoming battle royal and in the condition he was in, not even his pride would allow him to walk. It was good to know that he was alive, that not everything was lost. That somehow, despite the madness trying to conquer her life, there was still the chance of healing.

Can she and Xanxus heal too?

"Squalo" She stopped by the door to look at him with glistening eyes "I don't want to be Decimo"

"I know" He gruffed.

And just as abrupt as this meeting was, so was their farewell. There were no encouraging words, no threats or warnings as the door was closed and she was led to the elevator to finally make the drive home. She doesn't remember what she told Dino, probably a choked thank you that was swallowed by a sob and a kleenex, so she did not hear the whisper behind the closed door, carrying along the words that couldn't reach her.

"But you have too"

.

.

.

Wednesday, 3pm

"What do you do when someone aims a gun at you?"

"Duck!"

"Wrong"

She groaned in pain when her back met the ground, but quickly got up in position to counterattack again.

"Listen to my intuition and duck"

"Wrong again"

"Uggh"

She fell on her back again, but this time, it took her longer to get up. Reborn was supposedly trying to teach her how to fight someone with a gun heads on, but really, he was just releasing his annoyance on her. After Dino took her home, Reborn was already waiting in her room, but instead of harshly chiding her, he praised her quick instincts before falling asleep.

It just made fear and anxiety build in anticipation for his real punishment, and with this being the final day of training, she was on high alert.

"When you have a gun pointed at you, you might be wounded or tired and that can slow your reactions in ducking or moving away. What you need to do is force the gun up" He told her as he loaded more yellow paint to his gun "It will give you the surprise effect and you can kick him in the gut. Or punch him. You need to knock him down or you will never get that chance again"

"Okay, that sounds easy" She did try that on Kyoya and it worked for some seconds, so she tried to replicate the movement as she ran forwards and forced the green gun up, but all it did was make Reborn throw her effortlessly behind his shoulder. "Ooof!"

"Use his brute force against him. Again"

It was ridiculous trying to use Reborn's height and strength against him, it should have been easy but her back was already forming a bruise by how much she fell. Reborn was small and agile and she was failing miserably, Xanxus was tall and muscular, so how the heck was she going to overthrow him?

"Okay, okay and if that doesn't work?" She huffed as she fell on her butt this time, but she used the chance to catch her breath.

"Don't hesitate" Reborn said "Time is of essence. Duck if you must, rush if you see an opening, but never hesitate"

At first, it was difficult fighting with her intuition guiding her, she paused and listened and waited to act, but that just created an opening for the foe to attack her. And then the hesitance came while fighting Basil, after that black eye she gave him she started holding back her strength and attacks, but Reborn saw through it and forced her to fight seriously.

So in the last few days, other than flying and controlling her flames, she trained in honing her unpredictability while listening to her intuition but never stopping to ponder on it. It was harder than expected, and she understood that besides the HDWM calmness, she will have to rely a lot on adrenaline to keep her moving.

"Maybe I should use a gun too" She mumbled as she laid down to rest, seeing as Reborn hadn't kicked her to get up "I don't have a weapon"

"There's no time for you to learn. Your arms are still skinny and your shoulders are already strained from flying. Using a gun will only knock your balance and knowing you, you will dislocate your shoulder if you try"

"What if I use a flame-gun too?"

"You can barely control your flames"

She pouted at his admission, not feeling bitter at the truth of his words nor the sad realization that all she had was mittens and her trusty orange sneakers.

"So, fists and kicks?"

"Fist and kicks"

She sighed and sat down to stretch her back and massage her ankles. They had become stronger in the past few days, Reborn was confident that she can fly without breaking a bone now, all she had to worry about was not hitting her head and the blisters in her feet.

"What about armor?" She asked, still thinking of the idea of using a helmet to protect her face.

"It will weigh you down" The hitman shook his head "You're fast and agile, and you have the sky as your playground so move, dodge and when you have an opening, attack"

"What if he backs me to a corner?"

"Push back" He stated before giving her a calculating look "Are you scared?"

"No"

She wasn't. She can die, yes. But she was still holding onto the small thread of hope that Xanxus wouldn't go that far. She was not scared of getting hurt, not of bruises and broken bones, and perhaps that was something to be worried about at a later date, but the only thing plaguing her mind was what's going to happen after the fight.

"We got offence and defence covered, but we still need to make a strategy in case he overwhelms you with his flames" Reborn was saying, still holding his paint gun to use whenever.

"About that" She spoke before thinking, and when she felt his black stare on her, she grimaced her answer "I had a dream, I think? It was a few weeks ago, actually, but I saw… I saw the flames protecting me against fire. It was like a shield around me." And then they froze and almost suffocated me… It's what she did not said, still feeling her breath stuck in her chest at just remembering the ice enclosing her.

"Think you can force your flame out?" They just discarded the idea of using flame-weapons because of her lack of control, and now she had the silly idea of using her own flames as a weapon out of a dream she had.

"I don't know. Or well, I know I can but I don't know how" She gripped her hair in frustration "Ah! this is so confusing!"

For someone who was thinking she had controlled her intuition, it was still stressful knowing things she didn't know she could do without knowing. Ugh, even being mad in her head was confusing.

At her side, ignoring her mental ranting, Reborn was humming in contemplation at her previous words.

"There are some old records, of Vongola Primo using a technique to stop and seal away any threats to the family. It was called Zero Point Breakthrough, and the flames, instead of burning…"

"They froze" She ended, implying that yeah, she knew.

The thought wouldn't leave her, like a ghost whispering in her ear.

[I will help you]

[Just breathe]

"I don't know how to do it, but…" She bit her lip and had to clench her hands to stop her fingers from trembling "Something is telling me what to do"

"Then listen to it"

"What if it doesn't work?"

"Then you fly"

Don't stop to ponder. Attack, dodge and fly but never hesitate. Simple as that. They were still going to be under a time limit, even if she had willed her flames out, nothing could guarantee that she wouldn't succumb to the backlash because what if it's just been building up? Her nose already bled this week, who's to say it wouldn't again in the middle of a stressful battle?

They weren't taking any chances, and she will need all of her wits and strength to end the fight as soon as possible. But was that enough? Couldn't she pull a hero move and engage Xanxus into a conversation while in the middle of battle? To get him to confess to everything and maybe end the battle before someone gets hurt?

She couldn't help but wonder what would hurt most, the bruises or the truth?

"What is it, Dame-Tsuna?"

"Reborn…" She started, and it took her a minute to gather the words in her mouth before she continued quietly "Reborn, you said Xanxus attacked Vongola right after I left. Why?"

"It is not clear" And he kept staring at her as if to catch every reaction "They called it the cradle affair. Varia executed a coup against Vongola that ended in bloodshed. Supposedly, it was a plan machinated weeks before it happened. Were you aware of it?"

"No" She whispered, shaking her head and bringing her knees closer. She really didn't. And something was nagging at her, her intuition screeching words she couldn't understand. There was something missing, a missing piece to this puzzle that she has yet to find.

Why would Xanxus attack Vongola? And why did Nono keep him hidden? Was it out of shame or was it to keep him quiet? Xanxus wouldn't attack if he hadn't had a plan. Which he did. Squalo confirmed that the coup was a plot that had been brewing way before she was kidnapped, yet she was still rescued by him. And that was the golden question, wasn't it? Because when exactly did Xanxus find out about her Vongola blood? And if he knew, then why did he come for her?

It was getting tiring asking the same questions in circles and having no answers, it added to the fire inside of her that just wanted to scream and burn everything. But she was holding back, she had to, otherwise, she would destroy any chance of surviving this shitshow.

Training resumed shortly after, she turned on fire and before they knew it, between screeches, flames and paint, the sun had set and it was time to go home. Reborn didn't push her for more, overtraining her could lead to unnecessary strain, and he has armed her as best as her body and mind could stand. It made her feel giddy inside but also super anxious at having to meet his expectations.

The walk home was quiet too, Basil didn't train with them so there was no small talk, just the whispers in her head that seemed to flow aimlessly like a river and giving her space to think.

Dino rescuing Squalo was still surprising to her. She sometimes forgets they were childhood schoolmates, not friends per se, but good associates.

It made her think of her relationship with everyone.

A year ago she wouldn't have minded. Things were so different back then, stuff like trust and friendship never really crossed her mind because she had closed her heart from that.

She wouldn't have cared, making Ryohei-senpai and Kyoya fight opponents stronger than them. Would have thought of a way to trick Gokudera in case he double-crossed her, would have pushed Yamamoto away and not get involved with Chrome's pitiful situation. And if they were useful, she would have used them without thinking twice.

But now...

Now she trusted and counted on them. The fear of being betrayed was still there, the paranoid seed that never left had rooted deep into her heart, and although she had dug the sharp edges and patched the cracks there like kintsugi to a broken plate, the scars will never fade. She was going to live with them, with the stained memories and grief glued together.

"Ara? Welcome home, Tsu-chan. How was your day?" Her mother greeted her as soon as she closed the front door, having heard noise from the kitchen and came to meet her.

"Tiring" She gave her a small smile, her shoulders dropping a little now that Reborn's weight had left them and feeling remorseful for coming home late with dirty clothes that were clearly not her school uniform and not having contacted her mother about what time she was coming back, not even if she was coming back.

It had slipped her mind, everything else numbed save for the cold detachment of the upcoming battle.

"Well, take a bath, dear. And come have dinner, I made sukiyaki" She said, ushering her inside with worry clear in her eyes.

And Tsuna tried to move, but she found herself stuck on the genkan as the sound of laughter coming from the living room and the smell of homemade food invaded her senses. It was comforting and nostalgic, it felt safe and lived. It was home. And there was a good possibility she might never return to this peaceful life.

Whatever happens tomorrow, Vongola Decimo or not, her life was never going to be the same.

And the truth was,

she was not okay.

"Mom…?"

"What is it, dear?"

"Xanxus is alive"

.

.

.

"Are you a superhero?"

"Superheroes don't wield weapons, brat"

.

.

.

Thursday, 8pm.

She hates Thursdays. It was the Friday eve, one day before the last day of school. One more day dragging the weekend and more boring wait. She always felt restless on Thursdays, and this one, in particular, was double the jitters.

Last night, she told her mother the truth.

Or well, as much of the truth as she could, which wasn't much, but talking about it had been liberating in a way. Her mother cried in joy and sadness, knowing how much Xanxus meant to her and how the news of his death destroyed her. It seems her mother was the only one happy that the grumpy man had come back, it made Tsuna forget her guilt and embraced that cheer.

They ended up having hot chocolate and sitting in the garden, talking about sweet memories that made them laugh and Tsuna cry a little. It was bittersweet at its best, knowing that after tonight, everything was going to change, and perhaps not for the best but she still held onto that hope that maybe…

Just maybe…

Her mother didn't question deeper as to what was happening, she was bothered that they had hidden the truth to them, but she reasoned and held the faith that it all had been for a good reason. That the lies hadn't been out of cruelty, but rather out of necessity. Tsuna knew it wasn't true, but she still wanted to believe her mother's light of always seeking the positive side.

It made her feel dirty that her own light was already cast in the shadows, and rather than envy or fear of dragging them deeply, she embraced the feelings of her mother's way of guiding her out of the dark.

But she still had a foot in, and because she was angry and feeling vindictive, she created a group chat and shared everything she knew about Varia's fighting techniques, all their weaknesses and strong points and many strategies backed by her intuition to help them overthrow them and prevent further injuries. Fuuta also sneaked a few rankings that she scolded him for, but his help was appreciated.

How he found out about the Varia battle, she didn't want to know.

And she might have also told Kyoya about Bel's illegal activities of spying and molesting her at night, if only to unleash his fury against that psycho and keep him from hurting the others. She doesn't know if Mammon will fight too or if Mukuro will appear again, but she is confident that Chrome can hold her own with the help of the others.

Wow, look at them. Being a team and creating strategies to take down the enemy. So long as they didn't come up with a lame battle cry, then she was good with it.

There was also no training that morning.

She did have a session with Fon to warm up her body and relax her muscles and mind, she felt more composed and levelheaded than yesterday, making the knot in her chest come loose a little. It was still there, but at least it wasn't choking her anymore.

Fon couldn't watch the fight due to his outsider position, but he gave her words of encouragement that sounded suspiciously like fortune cookies messages. It made her grin, and he promised to teach her and Ipin how to make colourful mooncakes to celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn festival. They were still some months away, but Tsuna was looking for it.

Kyoko and Haru were skipping school again. Tsuna didn't think much of it the first time, but it left her baffled knowing that she was the cause of this newfound rebel stage as they went to the infamous bubble tea shop for brunch. She asked Chrome if she wanted to come too, but the poor girl was saving her energy for tonight's battle, so Tsuna didn't force her.

People looked at the three of them with suspicious eyes, but between Kyoko's charm, Haru's spirit and Tsuna's white lies, they left them alone with a cheesecake discount. Besides, who were they gonna call? Kyoya?

"I really love this place! We should come again soon!"

"Yeah, the ambience's nice" Tsuna agreed, playing with some tapioca in her mouth as she looked at the small cafe. It was still early for it to be crowded, but the decor and soft playlist already won her over, the milk tea was delicious too. It was quiet, or at least, it was supposed to be if it weren't for the loud hushings in front of her. They weren't even trying.

"What?" She asked the other girls, who smiled and giggled between them.

"Close your eyes!" She was skeptical for a moment about what they were plotting, but her intuition didn't pick up any bad vibes and it's not like them to put out a trick like smear what was left of the cheesecake on her face. So with a sigh, she closed her eyes and waited. It took five seconds for something soft to touch her fingers.

"Here you go, Tsuna-san! Ta-da!" Seeing as that was her cue, she opened her eyes to see a small blue patch with the illustration of a happy fish and a red ribbon looped on one side to hook it somewhere.

"It's a lucky charm!" Kyoko explained merrily at her puzzled face "My brother was screaming his athlete code and running laps around the house. He only does that when a championship is coming up"

"Kyoko" She gripped the little charm and tried to say something that didn't involve a lie.

"It's alright" Her friend gave her a knowing smile and placed a hand over hers "When you're ready, I'll listen. But I'd like to burden you with this. Carry it with you, and know that you have something to come back for"

"That was so romantic, Kyoko-chan"

"Tsuna-chan brings out the poet in me"

"You're both idiots" Tsuna giggled.

Instances like this made her forget that they lived in different worlds. But she was very grateful that despite the lies and mean words, Kyoko had stayed with her through it all, helping her build normalcy and bringing a spark to her monotonous life. And then Hana came along, and a year later, Haru. Those two girls were polar opposites, with the former a down to earth person while Haru being a ball of pure energy.

It was nice, belonging to a group of friends. She never thought it would be possible, having just one friend was a miracle to her, but now she was making plans to come to this shop again, joking and plotting to bring Hana and Chrome with them.

And when she got home, she was welcomed by her mother and had a light lunch with everyone at the kitchen table. The screams and laughter from the kids didn't face her, and she indulged them in playing a racing video game to kill some time and keep her thoughts occupied with random stuff instead of agonizing and doubling over in a panic attack.

Of course, she didn't control time and it was inevitable when the sun started to go down and bring a coolness to the upcoming night. When the clock marked 7, she took a bath and started getting ready. She has never participated in competitions or even school's plays, so the fear mixed with the anxiety and anticipation was new to her. It felt awful. It really was a wonderful day but now that night had fallen, she felt like being sick.

"Leon made it for you" Reborn told her as he handed her a silver case, which she opened curiously. "It's made from a special thread, able to soak in the heat and prevent burns"

"That's amazing, Leon! Thank you!" She exclaimed as she observed her new battle gear. It was plain and simple, like the boy's school uniform consisting of slacks, a stretchy white long-sleeved shirt and a vest with a very ugly pattern. "But why argyle?"

"Don't be spoiled, Dame-Tsuna. Beggars don't choose"

"I didn't even beg for this! You know I don't like argyle!"

She knew he had knitted this exact pattern to annoy her, and the image of him dressed like an old granny knitting a sweater vest did nothing to quell her exasperation at his joke. At least she got to wear her lucky socks, grey with purple stars on them.

After changing, Bianchi braided her hair into a bun, that way she wouldn't have to worry about it getting burnt in the crossfire. Everything was ready, her ankles were bandaged, her mittens in hand, lucky charm in her pocket and the half-ring was hanging on a chain around her neck. She gave a look around her room, the tossed bedsheets and the unfinished paintings in the corner and wondered if she'll ever get the chance to fix this.

Yes, she told herself, turning off the lights and going downstairs to say goodbye. She had told her mother she was spending the night with Xanxus to try and rekindle their lost connection. Her mother was ecstatic, obviously, and had packed sweets and food to share, which she had to give the tupperware to Bianchi for safekeeping.

And when it was time to go, with Reborn on her shoulders and the feeling of doubt starting to pool in her gut, she walked away with thoughts of her mother's food, of the kids playing loudly in the garden and the unfinished artworks in her room.

Yes.

This is what she was coming back for.

.

.

.

The school had been put back together as if it hadn't exploded a night ago. The boulders and scorching marks were gone, but the smell of crisp grass and dust still lingered in the air. She stared up at the tall building in silence, just this morning hundreds of students were loitering the halls with weightless chatter and now she was walking for a Mafia battle.

"Better gear up now" Reborn said in her shoulder, and so she swallowed the pills and let the quiet flames light the path for her to walk. Her emotions were numbed, and all that was left was the echo of dread swirling in her chest.

She was a little early, her friends hadn't arrived yet so she was alone on her walk to the courtyard with just the presence of the hitman as her only companion. Whatever it takes, she wasn't going to back down. The HDWM was already pushing her forwards, it would be disappointing not only to her friends and Reborn, but to herself as well.

She wondered how long she would have to wait for everyone to arrive, but none of that mattered as soon as she rounded the corner, because he was already waiting for her.

"Xanxus"

"So you came, brat"

Okay, maybe the HDWM couldn't exactly block all her emotions, but at least it didn't leave her vulnerable and open. Deep down she could feel something hot and unpleasant threatening her knees to buckle, but she remained standing with cold detachment as she stared at him from across the field.

"You're early. Are you not going to ask about your father?" Reborn mocked him, gaining a sneer from the Varia's leader.

"As if I care if the old man lives or dies"

Well, this was awkward. Waiting in silence while they were in the middle of a staring match with Reborn giving smart remarks here and there. She almost wanted to sigh because his words just seemed to be fueling the incoming fire. But it was better to walk into the blaze instead of standing and burn slowly.

"Shishishi, I smell trouble"

And here comes the loony party. Mammon was with them, the real one so her team will need to defeat the mist arcobaleno first and fast so that they could get to safety. With both Kyoya and Ryohei-senpai, she knew Lussuria and Levi were no trouble. Bel, however, was going to be annoying to deal with.

"Juudaime"

"Yo! Tsuna. Why are you dressed like an old man?"

She turned her head to the side to see her friends walking towards her, Kyoya wasn't present but she knew he was also somewhere around. And though Yamamoto and Gokudera were still wearing bandages over their injuries, they all looked fresh and well-rested. On her other side, some bystanders were also approaching her side.

"Ugg, why are you here?!" Gokudera groaned at the sight of Shamal, Ken and Chikusa.

"To pick up your ashes, brat" The doctor said before turning to wink at her "I haven't seen your unblemished skin yet, so you better come back uninjured, okay beautiful?"

"Get your eyes off her, kora!"

"Good luck, Signorina. I'm cheering for you" Basil smiled at her, one that she returned as best as she could given the circumstances.

"Now all that the guardians are here, we may proceed" Cervello stepped in the middle of the field, grabbing everyone's attention.

"All…?" It took her a second to realize the implication of those words, as her eyes immediately turned to the left where a bouncing afro was heading their way. "Lambo? Why is Lambo here!" She just left him in her house playing tag with Ipin and Fuuta, how the hell did he get here without her intuition alerting her!?

"All guardians must be present, you agreed to that" Cervello said, making her glare at them.

"In the battle for the Sky, all six rings, as well as the lives of the remaining guardians, will be at stake"

At least she had guessed something like that, so it didn't vex her all that much. It was still annoying, but she can work the anger to her favour.

"Nyahaha, what's this? What's this? Are we having a party?" Lambo laughed joyously, but Gokudera quickly intercepted him and put him inside the backpack he was carrying.

"Shut up, stupid cow and stay there"

"I trust you" She told them, using this time to look at all of them before the battle. "So please, try not to get hurt"

"Leave it to us, Sawada!"

"Focus on your battle, Tsuna. We got this"

"Juudaime, be careful too"

"Let's have some dango after this! Chrome, you're invited too!" Yamamoto exclaimed, making the girl hiccup a gasp at being addressed and invited to hang out so freely.

"Idiot, not everyone likes sweets"

"But Tsuna loves them"

"EXTREME! GATHER AROUND MY TEAM! GEN-X!"

She felt Leon licking her cheek before Reborn jumped down from her shoulder to join the other spectators as she was inevitably dragged into their cheering circle.

"Ugg, this is still so embarrassing"

"FIGHT-OH!"

"Good luck, everyone! Hibari, you too!"

She smiled at their antics and held onto the wish to celebrate after this night with sweets and lighter spirits as she parted from them and walked towards the centre of the courtyard, clenching her hands and flaring her flames as she met Xanxus eyes once more.

"Very well, let's begin" Cervello announced, but before they could even state their ridiculous rules, the battle for the Sky began with Xanxus raising both of his guns and shooting compressed flames in her direction that destroyed the zone and part of the building behind her.

"Juudaime!"

"Xanxus bastard!"

It was difficult to see beyond the smoke and dust that rose from the attack, but just like the first one, no one expected a flicker of orange to suddenly fly past and punch the Varia's leader with a fiery fist that made him skid a few meters.

"Wait, hold on, we haven't stated the rules" Cervello tried to intervene in the fight.

"Sorry, I was just returning the greeting" Tsuna excused herself, but she didn't give a damn about them and their stupid laws.

"Hot damn! That's my kiddo! Kora! Did you see that? Did you!?"

"Sawada is so EXTREMEEEE!"

"I see your aim has improved, brat" And Xanxus smirked, wolfish and feral "Good"

"Go!" Tsuna said without looking back, trusting that her friends will get out of the way as she ran forwards into the fire.

"Wait a moment, please. We haven't expla-

"Nyahaha! Run faster, horsey!" Lambo hit his hands over Gokudera's shoulder, overjoyed at being carried despite all the jolting.

"Shut up, stupid cow, and stay hidden!"

"The rules state-

"EXTREME! LUSSURIA, LET ME PUNCH YOU!"

"You shall not-

"Oh, honey! That's the spirit!"

"You punks are going dow- The fuck!?" Levi growled, trying to light up his umbrellas that were quickly sliced in half by Yamamoto's blade.

"Oops, sorry. Seeing as Squalo is not here, I thought I'd help the others"

"Please wait, the guardian's designated battles-

"They said you are a genius" Hibari stared at the grinning boy, who was breaking the law by wearing jewellery on school grounds "And also, that you molested the little animal"

"Little animal?"

"I will bite you to death"

"You need these watches-

"How troublesome. Where's the other you?"

"Mukuro-sama is sleeping, please take care of me in his stead"

Resigned at being ignored among the chaos, Cervello turned to the onlookers and started guiding them towards the safer area where they will watch the battles.

"You all, come this way. This will get dangerous"

"Well, you gotta give it to the kids. They have initiative" Shamal said, amused by their ambush before Cervello messed things up for them.

"Now we just have to worry about Tsuna" Colonnello said. They might not be in the front row, but the huge screen at the side of the building gave them a perfect view of the ongoing battle.

They were on the other side, but even from this distance the air still felt hot and dense from the attacks Xanxus and Tsuna were launching at each other. And the worst thing was that they had barely just started.

.

Tsuna couldn't breathe. That's how arduous focusing was, having no time to think and trying to keep up with Xanxus. It didn't matter if her intuition was two steps ahead of him, he was matching her furiously and giving her zero to no time to react. Even if she tried to put some distance by pushing her body backwards with her flames, he was right in front of her.

She clenched her teeth and rolled on the floor, her neck barely missing a beam of flames that flew over her head. The wind shifted, and she bit down a grunt as she barely had time to escape another attack by using the flames in her hands to propel to the side.

"Fast. But don't forget who taught you that!" He started shooting continuously, the pinecones from her training were mere raindrops against these falling meteorites, the ones that didn't hit her blasted the ground open and created black walls of smoke that felt thick in her lungs.

"You may have taught me, but don't forget" She mocked him "I have a new tutor!"

She unclenched her hands and released her flames.

.

"She can fly?!" Shamal choked in surprise, seeing her go up into the sky and out of the smoke. But his awe was short-lived, because even there, Xanxus followed her with ease by using his guns to propel him up.

"Fuck, he can fly too?!" Colonnello cursed their luck.

Out was her advantage of using the sky to escape his attacks, but with her stature and agility, she still had a chance to conquer him up there. She just needed to be fast, and with no gravity restricting her she can manoeuvre her body better to shift between the beams of fire. At least, that was what they were all counting for.

So far above, they looked like two orange smears gliding in the black sky, swallowing any silver star twinkling there and coating the air with burning Will. The cameras couldn't exactly capture their expressions from that distance, and the only way they could distinguish them if they were to look up was by the colour of their flames, with Tsuna's being one tone brighter than his.

.

She had gotten used to her body moving like a ragdoll on air, had learnt to move with her breath stuck in her throat but it was more difficult to breathe now more than ever. If her chest didn't burn for the lack of air, she would have forgotten she needed to even do that. All her senses were high and alert and focusing on not getting fried by the fire dancing in the sky.

She needed an opening, however small, she just needed to take it. So when his guns were pointing straight at her face, she didn't pause. She flew forwards and held onto them tightly, using all her strength to pull them up along with her body, using gravity and the momentum to kick his chin up and when his grip faltered for just that second, she turned over and kicked him square in the chest with her other foot to send him flying down.

She exhaled and dragged air that burned her lungs and made her eyes water, but she resisted and flew down to pursue him. It wasn't her intention to hurt him, despite how mad she was at him and the nasty part of her wanting to burn him too, she also wanted to get this battle over as soon as possible for everyone's sake.

Xanxus had landed on the roof and was already waiting for her with his weapon raised and shooting fireballs that she dodged as she descended. Her intuition warned her to dodge, so she glided to the right to evade a huge beam but she wasn't expecting a hand grasping her vest nor the forceful pull of it that dragged her body down.

She tried to turn and land her feet on the ground, but Xanxus beat her to it by kicking her hard and sending her falling down the other side of the roof. With no time to even gasp, she released flames to stop her fall and fly her back towards the roof with a raised fist, trying to punch Xanxus as she knew he would be by the edge to hunt her.

But he easily evaded her and shot her. Or tried. Because she flew over his head to stand behind him to put enough distance.

"You think your flames will be enough?" He sneered "How long have you played with them? Months?"

"Would you like to try?" She suggested with a glare "Your flames and my flames, shall we see which is stronger?"

"Want to get burnt so badly, trash?"

"Don't call me that!"

This shouldn't get personal, she knew that. But him calling her trash instead of the usual 'brat' was enough to peeve her, as ridiculous as it might sound. And he knew he was hitting a nerve, but she swallowed the bitterness and flared her flames higher to gain a boost of speed as she dashed towards him.

He met her with another wild attack of fireballs, one she skillfully avoided and used the momentum by kicking his chest to throw him out of the roof, but he grabbed her leg and down the ground they went, again. Her clothes were great at absorbing most of the heat, but they didn't protect her from the bruises or the pain as she was tossed to the floor.

Grunting, she quickly stood up only to duck a flaming gun. He was trying to overpower her, whenever she tried to jump to take flight, he forced her to remain on the ground and dodge his direct attacks. She tried to punch him whenever there was an opening, but he retaliated back by making fire rain down on her.

They didn't give Cervello the time to explain the rules, but it was obvious she just needed to grab that damned ring to win the fight. But her fingers had barely grazed it just once since the battle started, and Xanxus could have choked her if he really wanted to get her ring but he was taking his sweet time scorching everything around instead of going for her neck.

Her arms were getting tired from all the swinging and punching and her vision a bit blurry by the last fall and smoke getting in her lungs, but the more Xanxus tried to overwhelm her the more she wanted to beat him. The shock at knowing he was alive had faded, only anger and desperation remained at the desire to know the truth and destroy the lies.

"Hey!"

Shit, was she doing this?

"All this time… why didn't you call?"

She was. Maybe HDWM didn't prevent her from being stupid, it just enhanced her to act recklessly like trying to have a conversation in the middle of the battle when she knew since the very beginning that it wouldn't work.

"Why did you attack Vongola?"

"Shouldn't you know?" Xanxus tried to kick her, but she jumped over his leg, using her flames to propel her up and fly above him, trying to punch him in return but he turned and aimed his gun at her, firing mercilessly.

"Then why did he lie?"

"Stupid brat"

She really was stupid, barely having time to land on the ground and brace herself for the attack she knew she couldn't dodge. All she could do was cross her arms protectively over her face and focused on condensing her flames in front of her to block the worst of the heat.

It was searing; the air, the ground, everything around her was just a vortex of flames and power. The building behind her exploded. The gym? She didn't know at this point, everything was just spinning and her only focus on not getting lost in the fire was Xanxus flames flaring among the chaos.

"Don't think you're special, trash. All traitors deserve the same fate"

"I'm not special!" She yelled with a hoarse voice and clenched her hands "I'm not crap or trash either. I just am! I just am, and what happened just happened so stop being a jerk!"

If she could change her Vongola DNA, she would. To get rid of Iemitsu's and Nono's blood and purify her spirit away from that bloody Famiglia. But she couldn't change it. She carried it in her, inked red beneath her skin and giving her life to move on day by day. But there was something she had learnt for the past few days, something she promised herself in the middle of the night.

Despite the hate she harboured, despite the lies, the blood and death Vongola was drowning within, she wasn't going to carry their sins.

It was her turn to burn them all to the ground.

.

The school was unrecognizable at this point, with the guardians taking claim of the east side and the two raging Skies the west, it was just a matter of time for it all to crumble down. The courtyard was destroyed and engulfed by flames, if the battle with Gola Moska left it looking like a war zone, right now it was the picture of an inferno.

There were flames and smoke everywhere, condensing around and stenching the air with burnt grass and scorched dirt. It really was ironic, how supposedly the flame most pure in the scale was the most destructive of it all, able to burn and tear everything apart when used under hatred fueled Wills.

"Hey!" A voice called from behind, coughing slightly when he entered the safe zone Cervello had crafted with illusions to shield them from the fire.

"You're late, Baka-Dino" Reborn said as he jumped from Basil's shoulder to his, and eyeing the thing he was pushing.

"Sorry, I was picking up some delivery" He said, pointing to the mummy he was rolling on a wheelchair, making everyone turn to see a certain Varia member alive and wrapped in bandages with an IV still connected to his arm.

"Aren't you supposed to be fighting?" Shamal inquired, at which Squalo scoffed and showed him - and Cervello, who were giving him a silent stare - a heart monitor with a flat line.

"Oh, look at that. I'm dead, so I can stay here"

"How's the fight going?" Dino asked, looking around the field and the screen for a better look.

"Levi and Lussuria have been subdued. Mammon is giving them trouble but Chrome and Gokudera are holding on"

"And Kyoya?"

"Fighting the bloody prince"

Dino gave a wry smile at that. It was funny how they ended up fighting one another, both guys socially violent and obsessed with the brunette in some way. Speaking of which.

"How's Tsuna?"

.

There were no more attempts at talking. She could feel the blisters in her feet and her left shoulder throbbing painfully for a bad landing after Xanxus threw her across the field and into a pile of rubble and she was sure there was glass digging in her back after a close encounter with the windows in an attempt to fly high from a beam of fire.

Her stupid argyle vest has disappeared, eaten away by the raging flames and leaving her body one protective layer less. The cuffs from her sleeves were already torched, and she could feel the skin on her face dry and cracking. There was also blood on her lip, and at this point, she didn't know if it was due to her biting down a grunt, Xanxus hitting her there or just the hot air.

She had also drawn blood from him by kicking his head, her foot had created a cut on his eyebrow that was gushing scarlet drops over his scars. He had to blink continuously to get it off his eye and she used that distraction to put some distance and think of a plan.

They had flown all over the school, destroyed the building and grounds and lifted enough smoke to damage the electricity, making their flames light the darkness that fell over the courtyard. Tsuna was getting tired, not even fighting against Kyoya in his bad days or against Mukuro were enough to spark desperation in her to survive this.

The longer the fight dragged on, the faster and more brutal Xanxus attacks became. It really seemed like he was playing with her, forcing her to fly and run and dodge deadly attacks without giving her the chance to fight back. It was frustrating, and the part of her that was still holding on to the past wanted to show him how strong she was.

But here she was, bleeding, bruised and glaring at the fire threatening to hurt her. She needed to get rid of those pistols first, but how? Kicking them? No, he can grab her foot and throw her. Her intuition was running with scenarios to counterattack as she flew past the wild attacks, but she couldn't find another solution.

There was only one option left, albeit the most dangerous one. She will need to close the distance and grab those guns herself to try and overheat them with both of their flames. It could end devastatingly if she was not careful, but at this point, it was that or become a charred corpse.

The air at her side exploded, knocking her balance and sending her flying down. She quickly turned despite the pain and burning in her eyes and used a wall to rest a breath. At her feet, Lambo was having the time of his life, throwing grenades and laughing while Gokudera was barking orders at Ryohei and Chrome to conquer Mammon's illusions. She couldn't see the others, but Levi and Lussuria were already unconscious on the floor.

"Useless scumbags" Xanxus grunted and pointed his guns at them.

Was he going- No! There was no thinking, she launched herself at him and clawed her gloved hands over his, gripping tightly and trying to force the aim upwards while flaring her flames as much as she could to keep the struggle at minimum.

"Crazy trash! Do you think you can overpower me!?"

"Watch me!" She snarled.

He tried to force her off, but she held tight and increased her flames over her hands, indirectly filling and reloading the pistols with new ammo. He then elbowed her in the head, and the dizziness was enough for her grip to lose a little, but she gritted her teeth and managed to kick his hand and knock one of the pistols.

With a blurry vision, she flew down to reach it. She wasn't intending on using it, but Xanxus took the bait and followed her away from the guardian's current battle. Falling fast with a head injury wasn't the best, and even though her intuition anticipated the attack, she didn't have the energy to dodge the huge fireball behind her.

Closing her eyes, she braced for the impact. But there was something happening, like an instinctual mechanism her flames executed, because either she was delirious from pain or the hit and fall didn't hurt as much as before. It was still difficult to stand, but she did so with shaking legs and glared at the figure approaching her.

Xanxus was glaring back at her, waltzing among the inferno they had created with purpose to obliterate her. The anger in his eyes, the hostility in his stance and the flames lighting up in his bare hands were a frightening memory that made her want to cry.

But she held her hand up and welcomed the rage.

It was an explosion of force, a cocoon of protective flames that held the raging flames at bay, if only for a moment. The strength of it was too powerful, her legs threatened to buckle by the intensity and her arms shook alarmingly in strain.

It was something very familiar, something real happening now that she was awake. The feeling of something crawling inside her skin and numbing her fingers felt intimate, it was a sensation she has felt before in her dreams. Or maybe another life. But here or then, it was causing the same effect. Her body trembled in pain and effort, as oxygen was becoming lacking and difficult to breathe.

"Ẅ̴̛̈́ͅha̴͓̒t ar̵̺̀̉ę̵͚̗͐ y̸̢̪̽ó̶̞͉̩u doȉ̶̢̩n̵̻̭͝g?"

Cold fire cascaded down her back, her neck tingled uncomfortably as black spots started to dance in her eyes. There wasn't a line anymore to distinguish reality from a dream, everything felt too real but so far away, it was like the fire protecting her was ripping her consciousness away and pulling her to oblivion.

She can almost see it, the frozen shards.

Wait, was she awake?

Suddenly the fire disappeared in a soundless roar, and she stared down at her hands, feeling something inside of her filling her to the brim, like energy or adrenaline. It was so high and intense, it made her body tremble at the alien sensation of it.

Tsuna shuddered a breath and blinked rapidly to remove the black spots from her vision. She had to shake her head and bite her lip to come back to awareness, but it was getting difficult to see beyond the smoke and even to breathe.

.

"Signorina!"

"What was that?! Did she just negate Xanxus attack with her own?"

"Sky flames are known for their harmonization factor. What most people don't consider is that they can do that with the enemies too" Reborn explained without moving his eyes from her tiny figure across the field.

"Holy shit, you're telling me she can absorb people's flames!?" Shamal exclaimed in shock.

"Not only that" Colonnello then said, just as engrossed in the fight as the hitman "She can restore it and use it as her own"

"Well I'd be damned"

"But how did she- we never, mister Reborn?" Basil tried to ask, not wanting to admit out loud that they didn't train that technique and the fact that the brunette could barely control the on and off of her flames.

"Tsuna is a smart cookie when she really tries" Was all he said.

"No wonder Mukuro-sama wants her, byon" Ken whispered, gaining a sigh from Chikusa and a startled look from Dino.

"Fuck, it started" Squalo whispered, eyes not moving away from the battle. Dino turned to look at him with confusion but when the swordsman didn't continue he quickly returned his attention towards the fight, where the two skies dashed towards one another in blazing fury.

.

Knowing it will happen didn't prepare her for it. Her intuition really was moving her along, not caring for her to catch up. She didn't panic when a second wave of fire was sent her way, she just embraced it, knowing that it wouldn't hurt her anymore. At least, not his flames. Her body still got hurt and she felt pain after being tossed to a wall and crashing through the rubble.

Everything in her was screaming to stop, to take a breath and rest but her intuition kept waking her and pulling her around. It was impossible to rest, not with Xanxus literally trying to burn her after her miraculous recovery and the boost of speed she was gaining. And the more his attacks became null on her, the more he tried to torch her.

And because his flames didn't have an effect on her, he also changed to brute force. She has never been beaten this badly before, her arms, her legs, her back, her chest, even her heart seemed to be turning black and blue. How long has it been since the battle began? Her head kept spinning and her thoughts blurring.

She was forgetting her real purpose in exchange for just staying present. It's what they feared the most, the dissociation. But knowing something was wrong aided her in grasping onto that thread of thought and kept her grounded for however long she managed to dodge Xanxus fiery fists. Which wasn't much.

She landed painfully on a crater after being kicked, and she only had time to stand up before a wave of flames descended on her, sending her flying and crashing to another wall. Her ears wouldn't stop ringing and there were ashes on her throat that she tried to cough, but all it did was disturb her ribs that for all she knew, could be broken too.

They weren't, so her intuition encouraged her to stand up again. The fight was almost over, it kept whispering, just a little more and they can finally claim her right. Just fight, she has to fight, needs to win this and survive. She shuddered as she got up with weak legs, her body swaying in agony and this time, she wasn't startled by the warm feeling of something hot running down her nose.

"Sto̸̡̺͖̾̔p-..."

She raised a shaking hand to touch the blood on her face and stared at her bloodied fingers in silence for a long moment. It was the perfect opportunity for Xanxus to attack, the perfect opening for him to end this battle but he remained where he stood, staring at her with narrowed eyes. Or maybe it didn't last long, maybe it just took a second for her to blink and drag the back of her glove over her face to wipe the rest of the blood.

The chain around her neck felt heavy and hot, like the weight of the little broken ring was trying to snare her down. But then warmness enveloped her, and instead of the scorching heat of before, this one felt lighter and safer, like waking up from a nap in a cosy blanket on a sunny afternoon.

[Breathe]

She tried, but it was so hard. Her mind was a discordance, whispers and voices were screaming together in a mess of sounds, it felt like she wasn't even there at all.

[Don't give up. Just breathe]

There was something stuck in her throat and every little move hurt, but she exhaled shakingly and narrowed her eyes as she took a step forwards. The battle wasn't over, there were still things to do and if she gives up now, she will never return to the promises she made. Starting with defeating Xanxus and getting some answers.

Her flame was pulsing like a heartbeat, she could almost hear a soft harmony resonating on par with her own beating heart. She still felt unsettled, the whispers hadn't left and deep down she knew she was at her limit, but it was now or never. She looked at Xanxus with resolved eyes and breathed.

[Go]

Faster and weightless, she flew towards him with newfound energy. It was the last she had, so she had to make every movement count.

"Still got some tricks, trash?!" Xanxus met her head on, the anger in his face had changed to a dangerous look, and with how dark it had gotten and his flames lighting his scarred face, it was quite a scary look that didn't face her in the slightest. She didn't question the 'how' she knew to absorb his flames and negate the damage from the heat, she just did it, but her arms were gaining vicious bruises from it as backfire.

So without weapons or flames, they really ended up fighting with just fists and kicks.

The flames she stole gave her a boost to keep up with him, but he was getting desperate just as she was to end this. It must have been funny, how every time she fell she stood up again with double the speed to counterattack him. Overwhelming her wasn't going to work, he knew that, which is why he became furious.

"You fucking trash! The title is not yours! What are you fighting for!?"

"I'm not fighting for the stupid title!" She roared back "I'm fighting for my friends! I went to hell to gain them, I won't give up on them, not when they didn't give up on me!"

.

That's it, Dame-Tsuna. Show them your bright resolve.

It really was fascinating, watching the fruit of his teaching and training flourish on a grand scale of fire and blood. She was like a bright, burning star, a warm force that burnt everything on her path so long as she could reach her ambition, and despite the pain so clearly in her orange eyes, she still held onto her blaze with reckless abandon.

But if Tsuna was roaring fire then Xanxus is a monsoon. His wrath flames moved at his command in an inferno of Wills that clashed and consumed. He can use his flames bare hand, they were incredibly strong with a destructive power able to destroy with just one touch and turn everything to ashes.

Even though it wasn't scientifically real fire, the damage and casualties were still the same. He wouldn't be against putting Tsuna in Intensive Care for the night at a hospital for all the smoke swirling in her lungs and battered body. Leon's gift was really a great bonus against the burns, but nothing could save her for the rest.

It wouldn't be long now, he could feel it in the air, the searing heat of the fight coming to an end.

But the question was, who will survive the fire?

.

They had been screaming at each other while going all-out. Tsuna could barely remember what she was saying, but at one point tears had started streaming down her eyes either from pain or anger. She could feel it coiling in her gut, pushing her to go beyond her limit the more Xanxus pressed back with fury.

"You made an oath, fucking traitor! You are going to pay for it!"

"When I said that I would follow you as a leader, I meant it. I have always looked up to you! You inspired me to become stronger! I know that being Decimo has always been your dream, and I'm sorry! I would give it to you, but I can't! I won't!"

Her voice was beyond gone at that point, too hoarse from the smoke and yelling, but her eyes still held a steel glint in them, unwilling to falter now more than ever.

"Face it, trash! You just wanted the power all along!"

"I never wanted this... I never wanted to become a Mafia Boss! I just wanted to follow you and everyone into your crazy world!"

"You talk too much!"

Then stop yelling at me, she almost shouted back but the searing pain in her right ankle forced her to bite back a cry as she landed with too much force after dodging a kick. The bandage there was doing good in supporting her muscles, but she was running out of time, out of speed and out of strength. And Xanxus kept howling insults that compelled her to explain.

"You said you would follow the Famiglia!"

"And I will! But not like this!" She cried in anger "Fuck Vongola! I don't want to lose you over some tainted blood! I don't want you to become a monster… you are supposed to be a superhero, not the villain!"

"They got what they deserved!"

"Give me a reason!"

"The Ninth and I are no family"

And his confession did nothing to waver her anger, if only, it increased to hot indignation.

"He treated you like a son, isn't that what matters?!"

"Don't fucking pity me, you scum!"

"You are an asshole!" She screamed "I spent two years in Italy with you and it wasn't until YOU told Iemitsu that I was kidnapped did he look for me! If there is anyone who should be mad IT'S ME!"

The air shifted, it became heavier and strained, they both knew it was the end.

"It's over, brat!"

"Do̸̡̺͖̾̔n't hu̴̹̾rt hì̷̝m!"

"Then shoot me!" She screamed as she ran forwards with the last of her strength "You want to end this fucking game, bloody shoot!" She ignored the voices, the pain and the tears as she dashed with flaming hands and screamed in bitter rage. "SHOOT!"

[Let go]

And she does.

She knew his flames, knew them as if they were her own, perhaps even better than hers for the simple reason that she grew up with them. It was easy to latch on to them, to dig and clung now that she knew what to pull. The moment his violent flames collided with hers, she held tight and ripped them apart.

Gripping his hands in hers, she snarled and tugged and mended the broken wisps into her core to create a flame that lit her hands blazing with cold fire. Her fingers trembled, her knees almost buckled by the force alone, but she endured it and let her flames out.

Her vision began clouding then, as the light from the flames disappeared into hard, shell ice. Enclosing them in a cocoon and sealing them away with their hands still entwined. She took a breath, shuddering frosted breath and leaning down slightly to stare at his ruby eyes before realization hit her worse than a bullet to the head.

All power and Will drained from her body the moment she stared in horror at his face, at the burnt marks caused by the frozen fire so similar to hers, and the understanding on who was the one who had done that to him. What did he say? Slumber?

"He did that..- he..."

She swallowed and shook her head slowly, and by her fear and anguish alone her flames retracted to her wish. The ice shattered, disappearing into frozen dust that scattered into the air like tiny snowflakes. And as if the clock had struck 12, all magic disappeared. Her gloves turned back into mittens and the Sky flames she had worn so very proudly, extinguished in a soundless whisper as she stumbled back.

"You knew..." She breathed out shakingly "Before I was kidnapped… you knew about you... about me…"

He was not Vongola. She was. Then why the fuck...?

"Why did you come for me?!" She cried "Even knowing you weren't the Ninth's son, why come for me? A child who could threaten your plans?!"

"Because you belonged"

And his confession was enough to break her heart into shards of hope. But before she could say something, anything, he headbutted, making her fall to the ground and lose a bit of consciousness for a moment. She groaned, and now that she was resting on the ashes without an ounce of fight in her, she wanted to stay there and sleep.

But she couldn't, not yet.

No. Because Xanxus tugged the chain in her neck, breaking it and taking her broken ring, uniting it before her eyes with its other half to create the cursed Vongola heirloom with the intention of claiming it.

"No, No, don't!" She crawled forwards with a hand outstretched, wide eyes and feeling a horrible foreboding sinking into her bones.

"There can only be one…" He told her, red eyes staring into hers with a convoluted look she couldn't discern.

He breathed out and placed the Vongola Ring in his finger.

There were no trumpets or confetti, there was no celebration or gloating.

There was just blood being splattered from his mouth and a painful jolt into her very soul as he collapsed in front of her.

And just like that, the Skybattle had come to an end.

With silence and fire burning between them.

.

"Having no Vongola blood, the ring rejected him" Colonnello breathed out in the silence that had fallen over the safe zone beyond the battlefield.

"Nono's Will, however weak and before Tsuna's imprudence, had recognized its heir in Tsuna" Reborn added, jumping down from Dino's shoulder and into the ground to start making his way to his fallen student, seeing as Cervello were also heading that way.

"Well fuck, all this could have been avoided if only you had told the truth" Shamal sighed heavily before giving Squalo the stinky eye.

"As if" Gruffed the swordsman, shoulders falling and resting on the back of his wheelchair as he kept staring at the two fallen Skies. The bandages on his face prevented any emotion from leaking, but there was no killer intent or even a weapon on him, seeing as Dino had taken caution no matter their camaraderie and positioned two of his men with guns ready to shoot in case the Varia member acted on revenge.

But there was no hostility in the air, just pure exhaustion condensing with the smoke.

Now that they were allowed to leave the spectator area, everyone moved at their own pace to either rush or walk towards the destroyed courtyard. Smoking didn't even feel ideal with all the smoke and dust in the air, but he really was dying for one after witnessing such a terrific battle.

He wonders if he will get to see some hot nurses tonight or if he will become the brunette's night watcher. The odds were so obvious, but he can hope while on duty.

So long as she doesn't puke in his shoes again.

.

Tsuna wasn't thinking.

She wasn't even sure if she was breathing. Everything was quiet and loud at the same time, once she had fallen with Xanxus before her, she remained on the scorched ground just listening to the night. Or trying to. She also wasn't sure if she was awake or was in fact dreaming, she had crossed that blurry line long ago and was just waiting for the stars to stop dancing.

"Since you have been disqualified, you must forfeit the Vongola Ring" One of the Cervello women was saying to the Varia leader.

"Begone, scum…" Xanxus batted her away, throwing the cursed object away from him.

"Thank you for doing your part. With this, the Skybattle has officially ended"

Part? Tsuna wondered but her mind was already drifting with the little specks of colour swarming her vision. They looked so pretty, she wanted to paint them. Make them brighter and prettier like little stars in the daylight sky. Will her mom like it? Maybe she will cry.

"Stop crying, shitty brat" Xanxus rasped. Was he talking to her? "You have my dream now, don't waste it"

Tsuna blinked and moved her head when the other Cervello woman knelt in front of her and tried to remove her dirty mitten as she clung to it with nonexistent strength, not wanting the woman to steal it and take it away. But it was a useless struggle, she couldn't move her arms away from the thief, and a displeased sound came from her throat as her poor mitten was confiscated and revealing her pale shaking hand to the cruel night.

But it didn't remain bare for long, and her mind, her heart and soul all waited a bated breath as Cervello finally placed the bloody ring in her finger.

"The winner of the Sky Battle, and rightful title of Vongola Decimo is Sawada Tsunayuuki"

And after a long last, she felt like she was breathing for the first time.

It was also quiet and dark.

She never knew winning could feel so hollow, and yet, so satisfying.

She won, but all she gained was watercolours in her skin blending from purple, blue and red that wouldn't wash in one douse of cool water. Wasn't she going to do something? She won, so she was going to… gonna...

She breathed out, and as the air left her so did her grip hooking her to reality. But even as everything started to fade away; her senses, her feelings and even the pain in her mind and bones, she heard loud and clear the same voices she heard from before, whispering softly in her ear.

[Well done]

"Trą̴̥̜͗̎̀ito̴̙͌r"

No question was made, no further thought or soundless whisper graced her mind as she closed her eyes and finally gave in to the dark ashes pillowing her tired body.

.

"JUUDAIME!" Gokudera yelled as he ran towards her, and cradled her carefully in his arms to inspect her injuries.

"Oi, Tsuna! Hang in there!"

"Is she breathing?!"

"Tsuna! Tsuna, come on!"

.

There was nothing.

Just darkness.

.

.

.

"That girl, do you care for her?"

"What is it to you, trash?"

"Because if you do, you must defy the Moirai and cut the thread. If you care for her, you must fight. If you want her to survive, she needs to fight back and claim her fate, otherwise…

.

.

...she will-

.

.

.

---

Thanks for reading! Always grateful for your love and support. Stay safe and take care guys! I'm going to sleep now, see you all in the next chapter!

Congratulations to Tsuna and GEN-X for winning! So much pain and determination came from it, but it planted the seeds of growth for the next ARCs.