DISCLAIMER I DO NOT OWN KATEKYO HITMAN REBORN
Natsuki's POV
A single spot light shined on a man standing in a dark trench coat with a red and white masquerade mask on to cover his eyes. He used his leather checkered gloved to remove his metal hat revealing his sliver long hair. He bent his knee, curtsying to me. He held a smirk on his face that reminded me of all the problems he caused us. I placed my hand on my lower back to find that my staff was not in its usual spot. "You should loosen up a little, Fia."
"What are you planning Checkerface?"
"Nothing much. I just want to chat." With a snap of his fingers he brought out a lounge chair for him to sit on. He sat down grabbing into the air for a worn out, brown bonded book.
"Chat? When you chatted with the Arcobaleno they ended up getting cursed so forgive me if I'm a bit suspicious." I rubbed my fingers together for Fangs' ring not finding it on me.
"That's understandable but I still have my reasons. There's not much I can do now though. This is just a remnant of my powers giving a final message. For as long as I have left I have to give you this message. With the Arcobaleno's pacifiers having a different source of energy it lead to a catastrophic outcome that I so foolishly thought that I could handle. The Tri-Ni- Sette has been thrown off balance and I've exerted too much to be able to do anything." I raised an eyebrow at him.
"How is that possible? If the Tri-Ni- Sette is off balance, then what happens to the Earth?" I opened my mouth to question further when I saw his figure flicker. I wasn't there at the final representative battle, but I knew that Checkerface wasn't weak to let his image waver. His smirk dropped, raising his fading glove up.
"Like I said I'm using my last strength to come here. I don't have much time to answer all of your questions. I wish that I was more capable to provide more but I'm at my limit. Everything you need to know will be explained in this book. What happens next is solely up to the beholder's decision." He levitated the book in his hand. A small push made it float its way to me. I held out my hands letting it slowly place itself on top.
"Why me? Why not Yuni or the rest of the Arcobaleno? They were the protectors, were they not?"
"I feel like she will be the one to answer that." 'She? Is he talking about Yuni?' Checkerface's figure started disappearing at a faster rate from the bottom up. Still sitting in his chair, he gave me a small wave.
"Wait! There's still a lot that I don't understand!"
My eyes shot open attacking the blurry face in front of me. I held the man's wrists above his head with my other hand choking him as I pressed him onto the ground. He frantically scratched at my hand, grasping for air. "Fermare! Fermare signorina Natsuki!" (Stop! Stop Miss Natsuki!)
I rolled my eyes at him returning to the plane's seat as he coughed furiously. I had to take a second to process everything that happen. The man in front of me was a Varia member that was a part of my squadron. 'It was a dream. I'm on a mission right now, where the employer wants a group of business men dead.' "Perdonami, ma l'aereo è atterrato." (Pardon me, but the plane has landed.)
"Va bene. Per favore dì a tutti che partiremo presto." (It's fine. Please tell everyone that we will be leaving soon.) He nodded at me, stepping off the plane first. I held my head in frustration. 'He got extremely close to me in my sleep and I didn't even realize.' I caught an unfamiliar object on the floor. Picking it up I inspected the wrinkled pages from the side. 'This better be worth it.'
I hid the book in the pocket on the inside of my jacket, making sure to zip it up. I braided my hair, placing on my mask before stepping out of the plane. The night had already taken over which meant the perfect time for us to act. My five men stood at the bottom of the stairs waiting for my order. I descended switching on my voice manipulation, as bowed to me.
"Unus, please inform Xanxus-sama that I have a message for them afterwards regarding the Vendice that I need them to past on along to a few people. Until I finalize everything tell them to stay on stand-by. Call them a thousand times if you must. Let's make this quick and then you can all have a break since I know that many of you have solo missions as well. I will be staying in our plane for the time being, but you have my permission to leave once finishing. Duo remain here to watch over the plane with Unus to make sure no one listens in and watch over our possessions. Quinque take on Unus original target as well and I'll take care of Duo's. The rest of you are to follow the plan."
They saluted in sync. 'Unus' and 'duo' headed back into the plane to take a phone call in a secure location. I gave the rest of them a nod to spread out across the city according to the plan. My squadron was small compared to someone like Squalo but it was the perfect for my type of solo missions. They weren't always required to accompany but I didn't want to waste the effort of chasing each man.
I went up the fire escape on a nearby building leading to the rooftop. Checking my surroundings, I made sure that nothing was off. The only spotted things were my members making their ways towards their individual target's home. If mine was following his usual schedule he should be at the local bar gulping his nth alcoholic beverage. I took my time in walking over to the location knowing that he wouldn't be finishing any time soon.
I sat on the rooftop near the bar keeping an eye out for my target. I already confirmed his attendance so now I just had to wait. I was tempted to read Checkerface's journal but knew better than to give myself a distraction during a mission.
I stood up seeing the man of interest walking out, tipsy. The bouncers gave him disgusted glances as he tried to pick on the women standing outside in racy outfits. All refused his offers of nursing him to health. It was moments like this that made it easier for me to take on the male image. I knew many female assassins that would use their bodies to lure men into a secluded area but that wasn't in my style.
I jumped into an alleyway that was in his path. My black attire helped me blend into the night proving why I was called the Haunting Shadows. I didn't move letting him stumble his way closer. Standing in front of me I took out my shorten staff with the blade end out. Before he realized what was happening I sliced cleanly upwards on his stomach, ending at his chin. With a stupid grin left on his face, he died peacefully.
I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt pulling him deeper into the alleyway. I used the back of his shirt that wasn't yet drenched in blood to clean my blade. Double checking that the man was dead, I abandoned him in the alley for the police to find later.
I spotted the next man on my list walking out of his building holding onto to a briefcase. Not wanting to take too much time I conjured up an illusion of a bow and arrow. Taking aim, I shot him in the spine in the middle of the busy city life. I erased the arrow before anyone saw it. The blood poured out of him that no one tried to clot the hole, screaming for others to call the ambulance. I counted exactly one minute of no movement confirming death. The ambulance arrived ten minutes after being blocked by the citizens struggling to make room for them. They lifted the man onto the gurney letting me see that the light from eyes had already gone out.
"Tribus to Shadows, reporting on a hiccup." I clicked my ear piece on.
"Shadows, what hiccup?"
"The target's death is secured but I have 2 homeless men who bared witness. How should I proceed with erasing the evidence?"
"Why was this not prevented in the first place?"
"If the target had gotten further into the street it would have taken him to an airport. Suspected of fleeing the country. The two are in my custody. Waiting for orders or permission to act." I shook my head.
"Shadows to Quattuor, what is your status?" Another male voice with wind blowing in the background came online.
"Quattuor, reporting confirmed death and was previously moving to station base."
"Change of plans. Tribus, send your location to Quattuor. Get rid of the men and dispose of them far away from the target. Quattuor will act as a watcher and is not to help Tribus in the movement. Understood?"
"Understood." They both responded, turning off their communication.
"Wow, you're quite a leader." A squeaky woman's voice came behind. My hand flew to my staff spinning around. As far as my eye could see there was no one around. I felt a faint presence of Mist flames that would explain its disappearance. It wouldn't explain how it was able to come so close to me. Even if I was focusing on my target I should have felt someone near me. How much did the voice hear into my conversation? I grinded my teeth not being able to follow the trail. I couldn't recognize that voice meaning that it was definitely an enemy that I wasn't aware of.
"Shadows to all units, ordering to remain on guard. After each task is completed report to the station base immediately. No room for any argument."
"Understood." I counted each distinctive voice noticing a missing tone. My eyebrows furrowed under my mask after the voice didn't respond.
"Shadows to Quinque, demanding an answer." I got silence. I clicked my tongue knowing that there was something wrong. I moved quickly to Quinque's second target's home. The man was long dead by the time that I got there so Quinque couldn't be too far away. I scanned the area choosing which was the best route of escape. The one with the less witnesses. I choose the path that was dimly lit checking each crack for a sign of him being here. There was no trace of him.
"Unus to Shadows, we found Quinque." I felt like snapping at Unus.
"I told you stay at station base."
"We did." My eyes widen. I used my Mist flames to transport myself inside looking at the unconscious body in front of me. I crouched down to take a closer look and steady myself with the sudden use of my flames. I ripped off his clothes to look at the damage. Burn marks, knife play but not too deep and a faint flames presence surrounding his body. The same one that talked to me on the rooftop.
"How did he get here?" I used my telepathy to get out my pouch of rings. I took out my spare Sun ring that was lower class than the one I lent to Kyoko.
"Same as you. His body was transported inside not too long before we reported to you. We refrained from moving him until you arrived." I nodded hovering my flames over his burnt marks first. They were the priority so that he wouldn't get a fever. I kept my flames low, slowly moving to touch the marks.
I was suddenly repelled from him by an unknown force. I let out a groan throwing off my Sun ring. Whoever did this was playing with me. "Shadows! Quinque's burns are spreading!" I got up pushing Duo aside looking as the statement was true. I bit my lip seeing as Quinque was suffering as the black marks were getting larger. It expanded roughly 0.5 cm in circumference until it stopped moving. I kept my calm in front of the members.
"Did you manage to connect to Xanxus-sama?" Unus shook his head keeping his eyes on Quinque. A knock came at the door putting everyone in their defensive position. I took control and opened the door. At the bottom of the stairs was Tribus and Quattuor being hung loosely by their Varia jackets. Nothing was there to hold them but two black silhouettes with no presence off them.
"What have you done to my men?" Taking a closer look at them they didn't seem to be injured, only knocked out. The real concern was if they had the same black marks on them
"Oh there's no need to thank us." The voice was distorted, almost robotic. Even telling the gender was hard. The one thing I was able to hear was the high confidence level off their voice.
"And what exactly would we need to thank you for? You should be begging for mercy once we find out who you are." They both started cackling at me holding what looked like their stomachs.
"Quite the contrary Haunting Shadows. I honestly believe that the opposite will happen. In terms of what you have to give thanks to that's why I have this second present." They threw the two bodies at my feet. "The first present is obviously this warning that I put on them."
I scoffed at them. "Warning? Last I checked those were used when there was a danger present."
"Precisely. You can clearly see who's at the disadvantage here. I want to offer you an employment with me. I only ask for the two things. One is your loyalty and the second is the item in your pocket. It's giving off a strong pull towards my Mist guardian. Did you happen to get that from someone important?"
Fangs growled dangerously at them begging to be let free. I clenched my fist trying not to show that their knowledge of Checkerface's journal left me worried. "In fact, I did. That's why I don't plan on entrusting it over to you. If you want it so badly then stop hiding behind this Mist curtain and face me head on. The last thing I want is to work under someone who's all bark and no bite."
"It's funny that you say that while wearing a mask. Nonetheless my offer of switching sides will remain for as long as it takes for you to see the light. I do hope that you change your mind. Maybe then you'll be able to meet me face to face." The two figures faded away without a trace. Unus and Duo stood on the top of the stairs waiting for my orders.
"Move them inside onto the bed then prepare for takeoff. We're leaving immediately." I turned on my heel, storming up the stairs as the two of them parted for me. I banged on the table, slamming my fingers onto the keyboard. I typed in the code for the direct line to Xanxus. I pulled the webcam onto the screen as I can see from the corner of my eyes the two of them each carrying one person aboard. I was not pleased to see that Levi was the one pick it up.
"Oh it's you. Boss is in the middle of lunch so try to call again in a few hours." I threw off my mask so that he could clearly see my glare.
"Three of my men were just attacked and are in agony from unknown black bruises that only get worse with Sun flames. The culprits have escaped and are most likely to be the same ones that attacked the Vendice. So I swear Leviathan if you don't get him on the other side of this line then I will light every single one of his fucking alcohol bottles on fire."
I compared Verde's reports on the Vendice's injuries to my squadron's resting in Varia's health bay. It was difficult to use them as reference as their bodies were already half decayed after the stress that the Flame of Night brought on them. What was more interested was in his notes. So far there was no treatments that helped. I thought that the Sun flames had made it worse but apparently Sky flames were rejected even further. Yuni had tried to help when she burnt her own hands a little. Those did heal with normal Sun flames, but Verde has chosen not to let any type of element near them until he figured out more.
My end was the same. They were unresponsive to all stigmas, almost a coma like state. The main difference was in them occasionally going into shock. The Vendice less frequent. I gave the three of my men a look over for clues as to who the attackers were. The Mist trail was long gone that even Mammon couldn't sense anything on them. No city cameras recorded the scene, so they essentially attacked us and mostly likely fled the country. That or they were never there in the first place. It wouldn't be surprising if they were an astral projection.
"Signoria Natsuki, Xanxus-sama said that they want to contact Vongola Decimo soon. They are waiting for you in his office." I nodded at Duo taking one last look at their bodies. I grabbed the journal off the night stand.
"Thank you. And I'm sorry that you didn't get the break that I said you guys would get once completing the mission." I walked beside him, heading to Xanxus's office.
"That's fine. It wouldn't be relaxing with the knowledge that the others are hurt." I lightly slapped his shoulder, causing him to flinch at me suddenly touching him.
"I'll take care of it. Those three will be fine. We're Varia after all. Those people don't understand what tree they're barking at." He bowed to me, somewhat, relieved at my words. I opened the door seeing that I was the last one here. I closed the door behind me bowing before walking over to the computer's desk. I took my seat, turning on the necessary applications for the call.
"How were your men? Did Verde's research help?" Lussuria asked. I shook my head.
"I'm going to commence the call. It's best that we look at this thing together." I opened the journal for the first time waiting for it to connect through. I sat up as I read the first page. I quickly took the corner of the book, flipping through the entire thing. I stopped on a page that had a world map with two dots on it. One white and one black, both separated from one another. I marked the page with my finger continuing to skim the book's contents. I angrily ran my hand through my hair as Tsunayoshi picked up the video call.
"That damn Checkerface! I knew I should have known better." I ignored the scared Tsunayoshi on screen, stopping myself from throwing the book away.
"Hime, what does it say?"
"Nothing. Zilch. Zero. The sole thing visible is this world map. It doesn't even look like there's anything in either of these locations on the world maps that I've seen. It doesn't even say what it's indicating either. Just the dots itself." I flipped to marked page holding it towards the group. I caught them squinting their eyes looking at the page. Taking the hint I stood up to let Xanxus see it first. He raised his hand to bring it closer to him. There was a small shock that made him retract himself. All of us looked at the smoke coming off his fingers that barely touched the corner.
"That page is blank." He shook his hand glaring at me. I withdrawal the book making sure that I had shown the right one. As clear as day the map was plastered between the two pages that I had given him. I looked at his fingers seeing that they were slightly burned when the book itself had not received any damage or change in return.
"Natsuki." Mammon called me, stretching his blue glowing hand towards me. I held the book flat on my palm for him to take. The light around his fingers increased but the book didn't move an inch. He snapped his hand back with an annoyed look. Not even Mammon could touch it, even if not physical.
"What do you think about it Viper?" Reborn asked.
"Whatever Checkerface did to that thing has a strong protection over it. For that kind of spell it would be assumed that it would at least be noticeable. However, this doesn't have any presence around it that it's almost non-existent. If we weren't looking at it right now, it's possible that we would completely forgot about it."
"That doesn't make sense. The people that attacked us found us in a matter of hours saying that their Mist guardian had sensed it. Plus, when I first woke up it was thrown on the floor, but it was the first thing that I noticed." I stared at the book wondering why I was the only one that could see its contents or even touch it in the first place. 'Was it because he gave it to me in the first place? What did he say again? That she will be the one to tell me.'
"Connect the call to Yuni." With the fact that the Vendice were trying to recover from the attack, communication between the Giglio Nero was limited so that only the Arcobaleno could get in touch with them. Mammon waved in the direction of the computer. A second box appeared on the screen. We waited a few seconds until Yuni picked up the call with the Sky pacifier hanging off her neck.
"Everyone, I hope that you have good news to deliver." Yuni maintained her calm composure in front of us. I held the book in front of the camera.
"Do you see anything on this page?" I ignored the need for formalities, getting straight to the point. She scanned over the page. She shook her head.
"I'm sorry but I don't see anything. Perhaps the connection is weak that makes it harder to view." I flipped the book upside down so that we can both view it.
"This was given to me by Checkerface in my dreams. So far it seems that no one can touch it nor see this image. He mentioned something about a female being the one to explain everything to me. But this book is completely empty that I can't even figure out who 'she' is." I flipped through the pages once more trying to find something.
"Wait!" I finished flipping when both Tsunayoshi and Yuni called out to me almost simultaneously.
"Natsuki-san, go back a few pages." I listened to Tsunayoshi's tone, individually flipping each page. "There! I can see it. Seven dots all in Japan."
I looked into the video feed on our side. To my eyes it was blank like the others. His guardians crowded a bit around him having a confused look on their faces. They were on the same boat that I was on. "What about you, Yuni?"
"Please flip a few more pages." I flipped about 20 pages away from Tsunayoshi's and 48 pages away from my bookmark. "That page. But only my yellow dot is in Japan. The indigo one is in Italy, with the green, red and orange close by but not exactly in the same area. The blue and purple dots are separated from everything else."
I looked at her page seeing it blank like his. Hearing that each of us had something different, threw me off. There was a common factor between the three of us that was connected to what this journal is meant to show. It was reasonable to assume that it was because it was our Sky flames but that didn't explain why Xanxus was unable to touch the book. Assuming that the other two could hold the book as well. I walked over to our world map pinned up on the wall. From what I heard Yuni's and Tsunayoshi's dots favoured Japan and Italy while mine were spread out.
Everything pieced together seeing where all the majority of the dots lead to. I bit my thumb as it brought up a bigger problem. "What do you think Natsuki-san?"
"Stupid Tsuna." Reborn hit him on the back of the head. "Those dots are pointing to each Vongola guardian and Arcoableno. But it looks like it's only the bosses that can see where they are. We have to get it into contact with Byakuran later to see if it applies to the Mare rings as well but judging where it came from then it's plausible to what it relates to. The real concern is, what exactly is Natsuki seeing?"
"Whatever it is, we need to investigate. The more convenient one to go to would be the white one." I pointed on our world map to the empty spot off the coast of Japan.
"Isn't that where the Simon Island is?" Gokudera commented. If the dot was truly on Shimon island that would explain why it didn't appear on the map. Since the Shimon were erased from history there would be no records of them or their home. The magnetic field would also disrupt all ships that didn't know where it was going, making it the perfect hiding spot for whatever this was.
"Then that's where we're going."
I jumped off the boat onto the sand. I held onto my side bag with Checkerface's journal hidden inside making sure that it didn't get wet. Levi pulled the small row boat onto shore ensuring that it wouldn't drift to sea. I scanned the new surroundings of Shimon Island. The place was overtaken by the vegetation that was beyond being able to tame. The ruins themselves were crumbly but well supported at the very least. It was clear that this island was untouched by modern society.
"Natsuki-san!" Tsunayoshi waved to us from the higher up parts of the island. Behind him was his family and Cozarto's. They had arrived the day before since they were closer than us. I checked our compass that failed to work. If it wasn't for Cozarto's exact directions and him lowering the island's defenses, this place would have been impossible to find.
"Give us a second! We'll clear the path for you!" Path? Koyo Aoba walked out in front of him with his Shimon ring lit. A bit away from the shore a part of the forestry parted ways. Aoba looked pleased at his work, signaling us that it was clear. This island was truly in their control.
After making sure that our boat was secured we went the way that was open. The entire way was similar to a tunnel that was forcibly opened up, which it was in a sense. Judging from the changes on the ground this wasn't a one-way path. Aoba was probably leading us in a direct line to their location. This was their land that they wanted to protect that they couldn't have us straying around.
I stopped walking causing the others in front of me to stop as well. I looked to the side having my instinct say that something was calling to me. Something that felt warm and familiar. "What's wrong?"
I examined the wall of vines blocking out most the light. I pressed my head against the wines, trying to peak through the small holes. I made out the shapes of small buildings close by, most likely to be a village from the size. I gave the wall a push testing it's durability. "Squalo-sama, do you think cut a way out for us?"
"Who do you think you're talking to?" He raised his sword up, grinning pridefully. The rest of us stood as far as we could, letting him loose. It took two swings of his sword to cut out a patch for us to walk out of. He sheathed his sword admiring his work. "How's that?"
"Perfect." I gave him a thumb up, taking the first step out. I hopped down the jagged rocks in the direction of the village. The others didn't hesitate nor question as they followed me. It took about 5 minutes for us to reach the abandoned village. At this time Tsunayoshi would notice that we weren't in their forest path. I kept walking checking every second for anything that popped out.
"Doesn't look like this place has been touched in decades." Bel crouched grabbing a piece of rubble. The piece matched the nearby wall seeing that it's structure was falling under its own weight. "Is something as precious as the Vongola rings really on this island?"
"I have to admit that, minus the magnetic field, this isn't that special of a place." Mammon was a few feet away from us, trying to find a clue himself.
I ignored the two of them continuing to walk. This is the Shimon island that's been protected for over 400 years. These buildings were originally here as a home for the former residents meaning this place wasn't as lifeless as it was right now. There had to be something more to it. Xaxnus stood quietly listening for any noise other than the noisy Varia members. His eyes moved quickly, scanning the whole area. "Where are the animals?"
The others stopped moving. We made no movements trying to catch some movement. Not even was a fly was in our way. "Boss is right. Maybe the magnetic field hid the island from them being able to migrate here."
I walked to the edge of the forest. Taking a sample of the soil, I rubbed it in between my fingers feeling the quality level. I played with the soil noticing that it was well nourished. "That's possible but with this level of forestry, I doubt it. Animals are needed for a plant's ability to thrive. Without animals for 400 years it would either die or adapt. This place is no different than a regular island though. Something is keeping them alive for all these years."
I stood up, clapping my hands clean. I looked up from the dirt seeing something hidden deeper in. A large brown mass was untouched by the greenery. "Hey, there's another building out there."
I pushed the plants aside, struggling to walk in between it. I took carefully steps, ducking every second to avoid getting hit with a stray branch. I finally was able to stumble out into a clearing. One by one the members followed out, shaking the loose leaves off us. I scanned the area with the single wooden house in the middle of the clearing. It resembled a small cottage that was well taken care of. I walked closer seeing that besides the grass around it there was not a single natural item touching it. Not even moss grew on it.
"I guess this would be our best bet." Squalo walked up the steps without a squeak from the floor boards. He twisted the doorknob pushing it open, heading in first. We managed to just barely fit everyone into the small house at the cost of our personal space. It was relatively empty having bookcases, filled completely, attaching to the three walls. We each inspected a bookcase's contents. The books were dressed in a thick layer of dust that made it hard to judge any of them.
I, being one of the smaller members, moved between their bodies. I stopped maneuvering at the book spine in front of me. There was nothing unique on the book to my eyes yet to my instinct there was something off with its placement. I brushed the spine clean. 'Stelle.'
My finger tilted the book out. I shielded my eyes as a bright light starting to pour out. I heard Squalo yelling when he was cut off. I waited a little before peeking one of my eyes open. I lowered my arms turning around to check on the others. My eyes shot around seeing that I was alone in the house. I rushed to the exit, pulling on the door. I pulled hard on the handle not being able to open it. "There's no need to panic."
A woman's voice came from behind me. I spun around facing the adult woman standing in front of the bookcase. Her long wavy blonde hair came to a stop on lower back, wearing an outfit that represented her of a higher-class status. She stood there with a gentle smile on her face. "Where did they go?"
"Just outside. It's probably best if we discuss this in private. I'm sure you have many questions. Please ask away." I lower my defenses a little not sensing any danger from her. She took a seat on the floor having her large white gown spread out around her. I blinked a couple of times seeing this familiar sight.
"Were you the one that called to me after the Vendice knocked me out?" She nodded, gesturing for me to sit. I moved slowly to sit in front of her.
"I've been watching over you for a while, Fia." I overlooked that she called me my birth name to get to more dire questions.
"Can you define 'a while'?" She playfully rubbed her chin in thought.
"Since that Storm prince kidnapped you?" By Storm prince I assumed that she meant Bel meaning that she had been watching over me for nearly 2 years. For the entire duration of time that I was with Varia there was this woman observing me.
"Why me?" My mind clicked, realizing that she was the female that he was referring to.
"Did you ever question why your flames are so weak? Why you get exhausted easily when exerting just the littlest? Originally you had Mist, Storm and Sky. The last one being the most prominent." I spared a glance to Fangs' ring resting on my finger. It was proven on multiple occasions that I couldn't maintain my flames for prolonged periods of time. Supporting Fangs and my own flames for more than five minutes has knocked me out for hours in the past. As a reason, I never thought to question further.
"Then what about my Sun and Rain? How did those appear?"
"I believe that you learned that extra set from the two in your familgia. You unconsciously drew on their energies that made a faux type of flame. That's only possible because of this set of flames that you haven't touched yet that drains you of your strength. It must have absorbed the wavelengths from those around you."
"You mean the reason that I become lethargic afterwards is because of some other type of flames inside of me that's feeding on mine and others?" She shook her hands out in front of her.
"Not out of others at all. You don't have to worry about them being affected by you. It would actually be better if you could rely on them. These special flames of yours are hard to control that it relies on your natural flames to support it, even if you aren't using them. So, whenever you use one of your other flames you basically reduce your support line putting negative effects on your body. You've not only passed out from exhaustion, but you've also experienced being knocked out for days on end. That's the cost you pay for your flame use." My head started to spin processing everything.
"And what exactly is this special flame in me?" She held her hand out levitating a jack shaped rock in her palm. I stared at the object feeling the immense power radiating off it. It was lit with a white flame that I didn't recognize.
"Vongola rings. Mare rings. Arcobaleno pacifiers. These are a small fraction of what the Tri-Ni-Sette truly are." I listened attentively. Her statement matched to the one that Lussuria and Fran had explained after the representative battle. From what I heard the Tri- Ni- Sette was nothing as it was today and was split up because the power was too potent for us to handle. Repeating that in my mind I figured out what that rock was.
"To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don't worry about the darkness, for that it when the stars shine the brightest. You, who has been following her own path despite the many obstacles that have come in your way. You, who have not met your birth mother, having your adoptive family murdered, forced to be a bargain point in the middle of a war. You, who has adapted to everything while learning who exactly who you are." She gently asked for my hand. I felt myself being compelled by her kind attitude, placing mine into her's.
"I, Elena Spade, find you Fia di Vongola also referred to as Natsuki of Varia, to be the next worthy Stelle guardian." The stone circled around the two of us. The rock stopped and slowly floated to the hand that Elena was holding. I witnessed the exact moment the rock changed shape to wrap itself around my finger.
When the light had simmered down I found a silver Star shaped ring on my finger next to Fangs. I felt my side grow warm. I pulled open my side bag, taking out Checkerface's journal. It looked the same as before. "Wow, he kept that old thing?"
I caught Elena looking at the journal with a fond gaze. "You know what this is?"
She softly touched the cover, dragging a finger on it. "It's a collection of all of our words. It was Sephira-san's idea. We each took a portion to write in our daily lives. The part that might interest you is that many us wrote in the specific parts of our powers. The maps are what Kawahira used to keep track of the past Arcobalenos."
"I hate to break it to you but there's not a single word written. Simply these maps." She chuckled at me. She used my hand to open to a few of the blank pages.
"Try using your Stelle flames for the first time." I hesitated in nodding. I took in a deep breath to light the white flame on my finger. The page sparkled causing gold cursive Italian words roll onto the page. I stopped my flames feeling myself getting a headache. This power made Tsunayoshi's Sky flames child plays. Elena waited patiently as my conscious flickered on and off for an indeterminable amount of time.
Feeling a bit more stable I flipped through the pages. It wasn't completely filled but that would imply that Tsunayoshi, Yuni and Byakuran had a section for themselves. I looked at the map being the first page of Elena's part. "If this white dot points to the Stelle ring then what about this black one? Is that another Tri-Ni- Sette ring?"
"After the creation of the Vongola, Mare and Arcobaleno, remained four that still contain its full power. The Scudo stone, Sognare stone and the one that you see on the map. That's the Buco Nero stone." Her face soured up with concern. "Understand this Fia. With everything in this world there needs to be a balance. With the Stelle ring that serves as a light and life that supports this island, there is the Buco Nero that brings nothing but darkness and chaos."
I felt her fingers tighten her grip on me. "They are responsible for your men's and former Arcobaleno's injuries."
I shot up, stumbling a bit at the Stelle ring still having an effect on me. "The owner of the Buco Nero ring is the reason my men are suffering so badly?!"
"Please understand that there was no way the owner would have known that you are the Stelle owner. There must be another reason why they targeted you specifically. But as long you bare this ring you will have to face them time and time again. By nature, the two of you will be as different as the sea to lava. Whoever this person is they realize and plan to misuse their powers in every way possible. And only you are on the same level as they. For that, I deeply apologize for bringing this on you."
Elena stood up, lowering her head to me. She clutched her dress, scrunching up the ends in an ugly manner. I knew the bare minimum of Elena Spade. The most I heard was from Tsunayoshi's report to my father. I knew that she was an elegant woman that prided herself with the Vongola's ideals. From talking to her I clearly heard the sincerity in her voice.
"Miss Elena, you choose me to be the Stelle guardian and for that, I won't let you down. They were the ones to start this war first. Please do not feel sorry." She raised her head with tears brimming her eyes. She walked over holding onto my shoulders.
"Then I pray for your success." She gave a final smile as her body dissolved into sparkles taking the cottage with her. I returned to the grassy field on Shimon island noticing that the sun was starting to set. 'I wonder if she managed to reunite with Daemon.' I looked between the book and my new ring. 'Two more rings to find. Scudo meaning shield and Sognare meaning dream. Then was the problem of the Buco Nero. Even the name black hole was opposite from my star.'
"Nat-chan!" Lussuria ran up to me pulling me into a hug. Behind was the rest of Varia joined by the Vongola and Shimon. "Oh what happen to you? We were suddenly thrown back to the village and you were nowhere to be found! Even the Shimon never heard of anyone being able to get close to that cottage. I was so worried."
I patted him on the back pulling him off me. "I'll explain everything. It's quite a lot and I feel a bit tired, so we should get to a place that we could talk comfortably."
"I would love to hear that story too, if you don't mind." Everyone got into their battle stance. I quickly hid the book in my bag securing the latch. Another woman with dark, curled violet hair sat on a boulder just a few feet from Tsunayoshi. She leaned on her hand with a grin plastered on her face. "With old Checkerface and that annoying bitch 'resting in peace', I can finally do something fun."
"Who are you?! How did you get on our island?" Adelheid demanded to know. The woman turned her head to her, not amused at her tone.
"It's been so long since I heard any one call me a name that my new friend has decided to name me, Azazel. I only follow where that journal leads me. Who would have guessed that Elena would chose this to be her resting place? She was extremely close to that Giotto fellow. A small magnetic force was a simple task for my predecessor to crack." Predecessor? Giotto and Elena?
"Azazel." I called to her. She smirked turning her attention to me. I saw her eyes wander to my fingers. "Return to your grave and take the Buco Nero stone with you."
She burst out laughing. I recognized it to be the one that attacked us a few days ago. I was tempted to use my new flames to state my dominance but knew that I couldn't handle the reciprocations to come by.
"No can do Stelle user. My predecessor has a very interesting plan with my powers that I can't abandon him now. He's determined to make sure that you bow to him. You were hard to recognize without your little mask. I wouldn't have known if he hadn't talked about you nonstop, Celeste Natsuki." The Varia members twitched closer to cover me. "Who would have thought that he and you would be the bearers of the Stelle and Buco Nero! Truly opposites by nature!"
"Tell me! Who is the new owner? What is he planning?" I covered my Stelle ring pulling my hand close to my chest.
She shook her head at me teasingly. "Now where's the fun in that? Shall I give you a hint?"
I clenched my teeth at her mocking me. "I am merely an apparition. My powers now are nothing compared to what they were at life. So, everything is up to my predecessor to command. And his most recent order is still in place. Now you might ask, what does that mean so here's your hint. Do you happen to be missing anyone?"
His most recent order? I wasn't a part of his team so how could I know what he orders? The only thing that we know about this man is that he's a ruthless leader that owns the opposite ring from me. He attacked my men who had no relation with this case... He even attacked the girls at the Vongola hotel.
My heart starting racing as she started cackling at my face. "I hope you don't disappoint us Natsuki."
She faded with a black mist that even Mukuro and Mammon were unable to stop her from leaving. My knees felt weak that Bel had to catch me from falling. He carefully set me onto the ground, shaking my shoulder. "Tsunayoshi-kun..." I managed to mutter out.
He heard me, rushing to my side. I stood back up pushing Bel a little. I grabbed the shaking boy by the collar staring into his eyes. "Tell me that you secured I-pin's safety."
Thank you to all readers once more.
Especially to Marie Yoshina who always leaves such nice words. I was really trying to improve in Natsuki's character so I'm happy that it sort of worked with the last chapter.