Instinct

Earth, 914 years...back to the past...

14 years old Sawada Tsukiko, upon returning to the past now that the future that never was ceased to exist...became insanely powerful, as noted by Reborn, and her Guardians upon coming back to Namimori. Her Sky Flames are so...sublime she is now more powerful than any Sky combined in Earth.

'Tsukiko...what on earth happened to you?' Reborn asked Tsukiko who was just as baffled.

'Beats me? We returned and we haven't done anything yet...what did the future do to me?' she croaked out, stunned.

'More like, what did the future arcobaleno do to the past.' Reborn frowned. 'I'll contact everyone else immediately.'

Days later, she was no longer clumsy and awkward. She began doing well in school that Namichuu was baffled that she got insanely smart all of a sudden. it also has its effects on her guardians as well.

It was like they gained knowledge on what they can do with their flames for the clueless five of the guardians, and their minds were a lot clearer and more stable. That, and their powers also went full-throttle their rings were forced to evolve to keep up with their wearers.

Thus at school after Midterm Exams?

'Reborn's investigating what happened to all of us.' said Tsukiko. 'I was the first one to be affected by this ch-'

Her forehead burst with blood, horrifying Gokudera, Yamamoto, Ryohei and Chrome while Hibari's eyes widened in shock.

'Chrome, silence the rooftop now!' Gokudera yelled as Chrome frantically created a barrier as what came next, was horrifying howls of pain, as if Tsukiko was tortured from within her body she thrashed around like an earthworm doused with salt and desperate for comfort, and try as they might, only Yamamoto's Rain Flames works to make Tsukiko's body painless from whatever was happening to her, yet her body has sickening cracks of changing facial structure of her face and she would cough up blood a lot, greatly endangering her life.

'Hibari, Cloud Flames so she won't get anemic!' Gokudera cried fratically as Tsukiko was chucking up blood so much it was horrifying. 'Chrome since you're maintaining our barrier, get Mukuro to get Reborn to call Shamal to the school!'

Their ordeal traumatized all of them as by the time Reborn and Shamal got to school, Tsukiko's face changed entirely and she passed out from severe physical stress and the bloody mess on the roof and the boys was nothing short of something out of a horror movie.

'What the hell happened here?' Reborn demanded as they moved Tsukiko out of school after he used chemicals to erase the blood on the floor. Chrome made them all invisible as the boys except for herself are bloodstained.

'We don't know...' Ryohei shook. 'We were talking like normal to wonder why we got extremely powerful...then all of a sudden her forehead squirted blood!' he choked out, deeply-shaken by what happened.

'Then her bones on her face began cracking, her body inside re-arranged itself and she kept puking blood we relied on Hibari-senpai to keep her blood levels up...' Yamamoto whimpered. 'The most I could do is make it painless, but even I can't stop what's happening.'

'How the hell are we gonna explain this to her mother?' Gokudera choked out. 'Juudaime's face ain't the same!'

'Yeah...wait, Chrome, after we get to the hospital and get Tsukiko cleaned up, I want you to re-edit maman's memories as well as stupid Lambo's and I-Pin's. At least Fuuta is old enough to understand. After that, you, Mukuro and Shamal will edit the whole town. I will handle the photo-shopping and replacing of photos.'

'Hai!'

Then Reborn's phone rang. 'Pronto?'

/Reborn, we got a warning from the Giglio Nero about Tsukiko. Is she alright now?/ Timoteo demanded anxiously. /Iemitsu is arranging flight tickets for us all to go there./ at least the other side knows what's going on thanks to Aria, Reborn thought wryly but also relieved.

'Thanks to Yamamoto the rest of the changes are painless.' said Reborn. 'Hibari also replenished her lost blood supply. We'll see what else happened after we edit the whole town's memories of Tsukiko. Keep in touch with Aria, we're heading for hospital.'

xxx

Hospital...

Shamal did all Imaging Tests and Blood Tests imaginable while Tsukiko is in a private ward.

The results came hours later. He was pale-faced.

'The Sky's aspect is harmony.' he told the pole-axed Guardians and a frowning Sun Arcobaleno. 'It seems when you guys came back from the future, something there bestowed an insane amount of power on Tsukiko that also affected all seven of you as you're all her guardians. However, for some harebrained reason, only Tsukiko got freaking cosmetic surgery.' hence, the beautiful girl on the bed now.

From 5'2 to 5'7. Her three sizes. Her face!

'Physical-wise, she's OK. Maybe all that blood she puked up was because of her body rearranging itself that grossly harmed her and her body ejected spilled blood to prevent complications.' Shamal sighed. 'Her blood tests came out OK. She's alright now.'

'But this is so weird.' said Chrome. 'This goes beyond flames now. What does harmony have to do with cosmetic surgery, Mukuro-sama asks.'

'Everything kiddos.' said Shamal. 'The Skies you met are incredibly good-lookin', right? Except for Tsukiko who resembles her mother like her mini-clone. Harmony brings out a Sky's best traits. Physical. Mental. Emotional. Psychological. Talent. All those. So its exciting to look forward to her awakening so we'll know where she's best at.' he said, and Nana was a common face in Japan. 'According to Reborn, because they live in a civilian town with no mafia influence whatsoever, Tsukiko was sealed to maintain omerta when she awakened to Sky Flames as a child out of fear because she fell off a tree.'

'But deny a Sky their harmony...you've known that Tsukiko. Clumsy. Shy. Awkward. No-good in school. Coward. But a Tsukiko who's not only unsealed by some unknown force and given extra power she may as well be a Sky God and you her guardians became just as godly in power levels though who knows how long will your super-modes last...and it depends on Tsukiko entirely as the flames inside her are still surging like crazy, like a violent surge of flashflooding and whirlpooling while changing her to her full-potential...I can't do squat but wait. Its too powerful I'll get Scorched.'

They can do nothing but wait it out, thus the kids are sent home under illusions to hide their bloody uniforms, each given a chemical to perfectly wash blood off clothes and shoes.

They will get called when Tsukiko is awake...thus as far as Nana knows, Tsukiko and her friends went out on a trip Yamamoto won on a lottery and invited his friends out.

Day 3...

'Still unconscious.' Timoteo, Iemitsu and the Varia saw Tsukiko, now an incredibly-beautiful girl sleep on her hospital bed.

'Her flames may as well be volcanic magma flow at this point.' said Xanxus gruffly, removing his fingers from Tsukiko's wrist. 'We'll be killed just for trying. Best let it cool on its own. Aria says that we best not interfere anyway. We also have to look for someone and do a background check.'

'Someone?' Reborn inquired.

'Him.' Mammon held up a psychically-induced image of a handsome, long-haired teenager on paper sketched to life by a forensic artist. His good looks are NOT of this world. 'I got this off Aria's sight. Black hair and amber eyes. In the future, he's coming. We have no idea when. A week? Month? Next Year? Because he came as a Transfer Student with an intense fixation on Tsukiko. The rest is blurred. So we'll be on the lookout in Japan, China and Korea due to these features. Anyone attempting to come to this town we'll watch out for.'

'Iemitsu will stay here for a while.' said Timoteo.

'She's awake!' Levi burst out as they all looked to see Tsukiko open her brown eyes and she weakly got up.

'Tsukiko!' Iemitsu gasped out. 'How are you feeling?'

'I feel like someone fed me too much helium I feel weightless.' Tsukiko groaned out. 'What happened after I lost it?'

'You slept for three days, kid. And your flames are insanely powerful.' said Shamal. 'What can you yourself tell as we're all at a loss?'

'...this surge...it will die down in a few weeks until its normal again by human standards. Until what remains is my full potential I would have reached in my twenties, but gained too early. But until then I can't use flames.' said Tsukiko. 'If I tried even a small stunt, its enough to atomise a whole house and everything in it. Not safe. And don't startle me either or you're dead. I can't control it while its still surging. I'm not safe around the children either so I'm not going home. I'm staying at Hibari-senpai's house for now since his house is quiet.' she decided. 'I cannot be startled for the next few weeks. I have to meditate this down.'

'Very well. The future that never was must have empowered you and your guardians. Its all we have.' said Timoteo. 'Are you well enough to go home?'

'Yeah. Just to Hibari's house for now.'

'Alright, we'll sneak you some clothes.' said Reborn. 'We'll also foot in extra grocery expenses so Hibari can't complain.'

xxx

Hibari's...mansion...

Hibari showed Tsukiko to her guest room.

'You said you shouldn't be disturbed.' he questioned.

'Yeah. So if I get hungry I'll cook my own food.' Tsukiko said sheepishly. 'The least I can do is make you meals on rare times I'm out.' she said apologetically. 'I really need a quiet environment or I'll accidentally kill hundred thousands the way I am now.'

'What about us?'

'You're all safe. The surge is all on me.' Tsukiko reassured him much to his disbelief. 'I didn't let the surge affect any of you so I took it on myself.' that was to his horror. 'I have to because I can harmonize it in time so I can safely diffuse and release all this energy without casualty. Or this town goes boom...it's that strong that's why I can't be distracted.'

'I see. That's why its my house. Its the most peaceful.'

'Sorry about this...'

Hibari imagined scenarios of doomsday caused by stupid reasons.

If in Gokudera's apartment, idiot will check on her loudly, calling her 'Juudaimeee!' at the top of his lungs, startling her, Namimori goes boom.

If in Yamamoto's house which is above a sushi restaurant that's noisy from chatter, door opening and slamming and door chimes tinkling, Namimori goes boom.

Sasagawa's EXTREME outbursts alone will make sure Namimori goes boom.

Her house with rambunctious kids...Namimori goes boom.

Kokuyo Land is unsanitary and full of bugs being an abandoned place. An insect bite will startle her, Kokuyo Land and the surrounding countryside near it will go boom and authorities will wonder what wiped an abandoned amusement park off the map as well as cleared up a large land enough for a port.

OUT OF THE QUESTION.

At least for the Vindice, two fugitives dying isn't of an issue, but Chrome is innocent who fell into bad company in Hibari's opinion, poor girl didn't deserve being blown up.

He shuddered.

His house is indeed, the safest place to house his time-bomb of a boss.

'Well, I'll get started with dinner shall I? What would you like?'

'...anything with protein.'

'OK, then can I trouble you with a shopping list after I write it down? You have the house budget.'

xxx

Its a peaceful dinner tonight.

Of chicken curry with chunky carrots, onions, and potatoes. But its a lot more fragrant and chicken-y than Hibari was used to.

Also, a lot more delicious that more than justified her eccentric shopping list.

'...you're a good cook.'

'I have to, since mom's making me practice for future marriage...and I'm only 14.' Tsukiko sighed. 'I'm not gonna marry at 18 like she did. Vongola decided my future against my will. And Vongola decided yours against your will because you're my guardians roped in. The least I can do is take care of everyone since all this is my fault.' she said with a sad smile. 'We...we're all denied of a normal life. Our normal. What could we have been like, if not for Vongola? Our true future?' she wondered gloomily.

'...you harbored regrets and guilt ever since the Ring Battles.' said Hibari. 'You ensured that in our positions, we could do as we like that we had a say in our free time. We had cushy salaries and quarters and top-notch equipment, and missions we can do without a scratch on ourselves. Yet you don't get a say in your future and you voluntarily walked to your 'death'.' he said with a frown, frowning at his boss as he received memories of his adult self, all of it. 'You trusted me, Chrome and that damn pineapple with your true thoughts.'

'I can understand why future me did so.' Tsukiko laughed bitterly. 'You three are realists. In the Mafia, idealism doesn't live very long. Yet I'm idealistic myself that I can protect everyone even at my own expense. By merely being near me...'

'Stop.' Hibari stopped her self-bashing talk. 'We chose to follow you for our own reasons.'

'Then what's yours? Why did you give up your civilian life and become my Cloud Guardian?' Tsukiko asked him.

A Sky's aspect is harmony. They're also very charismatic and persuasive. At her current state, it's pumped full of steroids.

'...You can say that I'm someone born in the wrong life. I keep chasing fights. I start. I end.' said Hibari. 'I also do not tolerate any wrongdoing. Mafia's a criminal world and since you're in it against your will, why not destroy it from within to get you out while I get my fighting fix? Win-win for me.' he snorted to her astonishment.

'Senpai...'

'I bet the others are of the same opinion.' said Hibari. 'You're someone who cannot be a Mafia Boss. The future proved that.' he said. 'You're willing to die...for seven of us.' he confronted her about that detail. 'You think that without you, there's no more reason to tie us to Vongola. Even if Irie claimed that its a fake-death bullet, you still hope that you die for real to free us all. Future you didn't harmonize with us so we won't go discordant as you walked to your death, head held high. Well, at least, me, Yamamoto, Sasagawa, Chrome and Mukuro. Gokudera is a mafioso since birth as is the stupid cow.'

Tsukiko looked down on her emptied plate.

'I don't think it'll work the way you intended.' said Hibari. 'We're well-known in the future. Our faces are famous no thanks to that idiot marshmallow. But that future is destroyed along with parallel futures Byakuran peered into ten years from now as well as the past that led to that future. The Arcobaleno ensured that. Everyone there accepted the deaths of trillions of people in those extremely-damaged timelines as well as themselves.'

'But in this era while we're still kids, and anonymous...we have a chance.' said Tsukiko softly. 'It should be just me in this mess and the one to die. I promised Giotto during the Inheritance Trial that if we both agree that its hopeless...we wreck everything. Since Vongola now is what he didn't found it for. It was supposed to be an independent vigilante investigation team for crimes that are committed and buried by aristocrats of their era, and the commoners suffering to gain their justice and it somehow became a mafia starting from the end of Secondo's Reign when he handed the reins to who would become Terzo.'

'If I die childless, Vongola will end with me.' Tsukiko decided with full resolve. 'Its my only way to free you guys before you get infamous.'

'Too late.'

'Eh?!'

'Its back at the rooftop.' Hibari told her. 'When that massive power burst from your body while re-arranging you inside out, your flames forced harmony on us.'

The horror on Tsukiko's face was as clear as day.

'No...I blew it...I screwed everything...' despair was all over her face. 'I'm sorry...I'm so sorry!' she burst in tears and cried in utter guilt and she cried as if someone died. Now she can't die to get them away from the Mafia. Hibari stood up and while this was out of character for him.

'You didn't do anything, don't blame yourself.' he told her, trying to console her because her power might surge from her grief. 'Your flames going on surge is desperate it latched on us to stabilize all that power. You had no control over it. You were already unconscious while your body thrashed about in torture when it happened. You did not do it intentionally.' he reassured her. 'Its not your fault.'

'Its not like you to be a comforter when you're usually a beater.' Mukuro showed up in his ghostly form. 'But I agree with the birdy, Sawada Tsukiko. I saw from Chrome's eye that the power from the future burst out of you and latched onto us indeed, even to me all the way to Vendicare making the Vindice quite baffled. There's always a way out in everything. We just have to find it. Death...doesn't always solve everything.'

He was astonished that she was willing to die so the others won't become mafioso and dragged into that life. She meant business. But, alas!

But what caused that resolve that she wanted to die young so badly?

'T-then what can we do?!' Tsukiko cried. 'I blew it all!'

'We do it birdy's way.' Mukuro smirked. 'Aren't we rebellious teenagers? We do what we do best.' he purred darkly. 'Then with you and Gokudera Hayato being Mission Control, we can be free. One step at a time. Well, be patient. Rome isn't built in a day. It will take time but it can be gained.'

'Mukuro...'

'...I never took you for a comforter either.' Hibari snarked back.

'Maa, she doesn't like the mafia like myself, but for different reasons.' said Mukuro. 'She hopes we have normal lives again while I hope to burn it to the ground. What better way than what the Founder wants? We can always say it's his wish, we're simply doing it.' he smiled darkly at the promise of a future with no mafia in it.

He was sore about being experimented on after all.

'But Sawada Tsukiko...dying also means you have no future.' Mukuro looked at her grief-stricken face. 'You just recently started getting better.'

He told her what happened in the first day she was taken to the hospital.

'...so you're now unsealed.' he said to her shock.

Shocked that she was the useless girl she was, because she was a sealed Sky.

'Its not your fault that you're a screw-up useless girl. Don't you want to be known as a normal girl at long last, before you die? Or do you want to die as No-Good Sawada forever? That would suck. At least, have a future first, before you die.' and he vanished.

'...'

'Get some rest now and think about it.' Hibari told her. 'We are both right.'

'...m'kay.' Tsukiko mumbled. 'Oh, I might use the bath later OK? What time do you take a bath so we avoid accidents...?'

'I shower in the mornings.' said Hibari. 'I'm not a morning person so I need morning baths. So the rest of the day can be yours.'

'Oh...'

xxx

In her room...

As if it's second nature to her, Tsukiko assumed a lotus sitting position...and focused on the energy in her body.

As if it's second nature to her, she reached out to her massive energy and focused on the pores of her body...and let the excess bleed out of her in the form of thin strings.

She never stops unless she goes hungry.

Not sleeping is OK. She has too much energy and doesn't have stress.

For the whole autumn and winter, Chrome filled in for her pretending to be her in school. She cannot come to school but she's not as smart as the new Tsukiko so sometimes Chrome asks Tsukiko for help through telepathy and helps her cheat in school. Tsukiko is harmonized to her surroundings so she could sense the carefully-creeping Chrome to avoid startling her or everything goes boom.

Then there's her never-there parents.

Tsukiko doesn't care anymore. She was never loved to begin with. She was just a convenient piece to them. To Nana its to look good when Iemitsu is around. And for Iemitsu, she's a boss he could control while she's a no-good. But now that she's unsealed by the future and more powerful, she won't be that easy...!

She could relate to Chrome-chan, that she has no-good parents.

Come early spring...it was Spring Break still.

By this time, Tsukiko has bled enough that she's becoming normal again and living with Hibari became normal too.

They understood each other thus stayed out of each other's way, though they looked out for each other in silence. Because she understood her Cloud. She also did many things on autopilot as well.

On the day she was done...Tsukiko decided to disappear than go home.

She was scoping out where to go, when she came across a handsome boy on the sidewalk. She hasn't seen him before and...why is he smiling kindly at her?

And he has powerful and even mix of Cloud and Mist, like Hibari.

'Uhm, are you lost?' she asked him kindly.

He approached her and found herself pulled against his body and for some reason, it felt...natural? Second nature? as she looked up at him with her lips parted, as if...expecting a kiss, which he did...

She MELTED and a spark in her was lit up.

'Not anymore.' he purred with his sinful voice that made her melt. 'I think I found the only good thing in this town.' he smirked. 'I just moved here from China. I'm Wu Chong.'

'Wu...Chong?'

'Nice to meet you, my little moon.' Wu Chong then passed her by. 'We'll see each other in school.' "So she's here in this world and country." he thought with a smirk.

He had looked for her ever since he was reborn here. For fourteen years, nothing until suddenly, the tether he used on her came to life, and he sought her out. She was in a hospital in this town most likely as a result of awakening.

So he nagged(read: coerced) his parents that he be here to observe his wife's new situation. This world also has different powers that he's sorely restricted to his martial arts, and what flames can give him.

His beloved Ye Lingyue, now short-haired and dressed in a hoodie sweater, shorts and tight-clad legs with rubber shoes. Ahh, no more long skirts and baggy trousers! This world has very form-fitting clothing!

But as expected, she has no memory of all those 900 years. Humans when they reincarnate, lose their memories and experiences, but hard-gained instincts remain. Her soul remembers how he touches her. How he kisses her that she kissed him so dear. Her personality is also different. But in a way he didn't like, greatly concerning him.

Did she have a bad home life...?

If her family here hurts her, he would gladly wipe them off the map.

He'll go back home to his apartment in anticipation for the coming school term.

For now, operation spying.

She lives in a rather big house. So he checked on her family.

He has seen what Tsukiko's long known. Lingyue's name in this world is Sawada Tsukiko and he was angry on her behalf.

No feelings for her mother, so she wouldn't mind an accident...right?

Then there's her father. Same opinion but alas, can't disappear yet as there's no suitable replacement. Moreover he's the source of income.

Unlike in their old world, she's stuck in school and unable to make a living, thus every person under 17, cannot get jobs. She's dependent on the bastard.

For 900 years, Lingyue never depended on him and Feng Shen financially. She only wanted their warmth, love and doting. She always uses her own money. She was so stubborn that way with her independence.

Now, he can spoil her.

There's houseguests too. Three children and an older girl of 18 from Mafia Backgrounds as well.

Associates?

Mostly BOYS and only one girl! All her Guardians.

Gokudera was loyal to a fault and dreams to be her Right-Hand Man which she granted. He's willing to turn everything upside-down for her if she asks it of him, was how far his loyalty goes. He is also the most intelligent of the bunch, and very cultured. To make up for his non-existent combat skills, he uses explosives and his flames.

Yamamoto was just as loyal because he gained true friends who'd stand by him. Fully-aware of what he got into, he just enjoys messing with Gokudera by pretending 'its a game'. He's the athletic one and a talented swordsman that needed a lot of polishing.

Hibari was the self-proclaimed disciplinarian who loves fights just as how much he loves order and no crime in his territory. He took time to finally accept Tsukiko as his boss but prefers to do things his way when goals are given. So long as goals are needed, he'll do it his way to meet said goals and watch over others from afar. The Cloud nobody can bind indeed! Out of all the boys, he was the best fighter, but very vulnerable to illusions.

Wait, that phrase...

It was a term Lingyue once spoke of, when she told them she'd write Hong Mingyue a letter to encourage her to abandon the Hongs.

The girl, Chrome...a sweet, but sad girl who's loyal to select few people who were the first to be kind to her, as she came from a cold, uncaring household who never even knew what it was LIKE to be treated right. Currently living off of illusion organs. She's a budding Mist Sorceress but because she finally got 'someone to turn to', she hinders herself subconsciously because she didn't want to lose it as she's been alone for so long with no one to turn to.

Such a thing is a nightmare for any child, which was why Chrome was desperate to hold onto it. And because Tsukiko was in a way, similar to Chrome that her family didn't care for her, she became a big sister figure to her, frequently inviting her over to teach her how to cook.

But the dishes...the flavorings...aren't they what he used to eat ever since he met Lingyue?! The way she makes it!

Lingyue's uniqueness must have come from this world. She died and reincarnated to the world they know of, then back here to Japan?

So that's how it is!

Lingyue was originally a Japanese Girl. Sawada Tsukiko!

He shook in excitement.

'She's mine and mine alone this time. I'm not sharing my wife to anyone this time!' with that determined thought in mind, he would begin at school once Spring Break ends.