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

31. The girl who cried fire

Welcome back darlings! How's everyone doing?

Some news from my side: I got covid ( •́ •̀) Luckly, my fever went down on the first night, but my throat is still sore and I cough every five minutes. I'm doing much better now, don't worry! I promise I'm taking care of myself.

Tonikaku, are you ready for more angst with a sprinkle of fluff? Future ARC, here we go!

TW: panic attacks / blood-violence / Unreliable Narrator / loooong chapter / grammar errors

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"He didn't do it"

Was the quick denial that came from her lips before her brain could even register what this older version of Yamamoto had said. It sounded distant and foregin, as if she was hearing a different language and she couldn't process or even begin to understand the ghastly accusation. For it could only be that, an accusation. An error in the narrative. A mistake. A terrible, scary misunderstanding.

"Tsuna"

No.

"No" She breathed out with a shake of her head, fingers trembling and hot chocolate spilling from the mug "N-No, he didn't…"

She didn't knew what was worse, the idea that- that she was /maybe/ possibly murdered by someone she was starting to /care/ - /trust/ - /like?/ or Yamamoto's pitying gaze at somehow knowing her inner struggle. If she felt seen before, right now she felt raw. Exposed. Naive at trying to protect someone she knows in the past - in her own present - and ignore the pain of those in the future - the current present.

But still…

She couldn't connect the reality that she died - that she was going to die - by the hands of another.

It was impossible.

But she died.

And yet…

She didn't believe it.

"You're lying"

"I know you care for him" Yamamoto continued to say in a gentle tone of voice, one that held sorrow and regret intertwined in it as he leaned forwards with his elbows on the table and eyes not really meeting hers. "I'm not trying to stop you or change your mind about him. He cared for you too, I know he did, but it doesn't change the fact he betrayed us in the end"

"No" She insisted, almost begging "I know him, he wouldn't do that. He didn't… I…"

"He attacked the Arcobaleno first, Tsuna"

"W-What?" What does that mean? "But Byakuran-

"Byakuran came after" Yamamoto breathed deeply before shaking his head to stop himself from speaking harshly. His face betrayed him. "We all trusted him, you trusted him. But he shot you" Exhaling loudly, he forgot to reel in his emotions as he delivered what literally and figuratively was the final nail to her coffin.

He wasn't necessarily being cruel or trying to hurt her with his words. It was obvious he was still angry, grieving and hurt by the outcome, that he has not yet healed, forgotten nor was he planning on forgiving any time soon, if at all. Tsuna's been there, she knows the feeling very intimately. The haunting it leaves in you, like a parasite eating away your happiness and good memories, leaving you an empty husk of melancholy and sorrow.

A gray, empty sky.

And she knows then, what broke her friends wasn't Byakuran, but one of their own.

But why?

Why did he…? Not just Tsuna, but the Arcobaleno as well? But Lal was here, she protected her, and she said the Arcobaleno were a casualty of Byakuran's toxin in the air. So when he said attack… does that mean… violent spars with deadly consequences or… or plain attempt at murder? But, but that doesn't make any sense! It's ridiculous, even. What would Mukruo gain from that?

She herself, however painful it was, can understand. She was the one binding Mukuro to Vongola despite his distaste towards the Mafia after all. But the Arcobaleno? It's just… it just didn't make sense. And she knows him, she… she trusts him. With her mind and her memories, part of her heart, she knows he wouldn't harm her.

So then…

"Why?"

"I don't know" Older Yamamoto sounded exhausted, as if this was something he has asked himself and others thousands of times with no real answer. "You and him, your relationship with him was closer than anyone's, even Chrome's. He only listened to you, he protected you. He gave no signs of harming you, so we thought he felt betrayed about Byakuran's alliance. But even after that, he hasn't said a word about why"

Sometimes, not knowing was worse than the truth. It kept you awake at night and lost during the day, wondering hundreds of what if's and why's, each worse than the previous one.

There was a cold sensation curling inside of her, like a hook tugging at her, sharp, a reminder. She was a stranger in this timeline, so far away from everything she knew, but she was also cursed with magical knowledge, and however grim the situation was, there was no way to turn it off.

Later, she will feel selfish and horrible for removing herself from this moment and thinking what happened, happened, and that it wasn't her current self that died and left broken hearts all around. But right now, dissociation was her to-go mechanism when her intuition was filling her with information and ignoring her distress.

The truth was there. She died. There was no mistake.

She already knew that.

20-year-old Lambo's eyes full of pain and nostalgia told her that.

All her doodles led to a flowery grave.

But there was also something else; a memory, a dream, whispers fading in a wonderland as the world from above came crashing down on her reality, collapsing and shattering, leaving her breathless and stranded in her mind. There was no time to think beyond that, when she woke up there were other things to worry about than withering illusions.

But she saw enough.

"Tsunayuuki-"

And even though there was no context nor was she in the mental or emotional capacity at that time, it was all coming back now. And she was having a revelation. A terrible one.

"You're wrong"

"Tsuna-"

"No, no he didn't kill me, he did- it wasn't, it wasn't like that. I don't know how to explain it, but I think there's been a mistake"

"Tsuna, what are you talking about?"

"Stay with me-

-will arrive soon"

"He didn't kill me"

"How can you be so sure?" Yamamoto asked tiredly, humoring her.

"Because I saw it"

"...What?" He blinked at her, finally met her eyes and stared in shock and confusion.

"Please-"

"Before coming here. I saw, I think I saw it" She whispered, unsure and shaking but certain about one thing. "He was crying"

She really couldn't explain it. That dream or memory had already faded from her mind, with just a voice and images remaining like footprints in the sand, sinking and disappearing. There, but erased by each wave the ocean's tide brought. She doesn't remember dying, thank goodness. That would have been a very different and more traumatic ordeal if she had, but she remembers what came before.

The agony of a quarrel. The grief of losing. The fear of fading. The remorse of leaving.

Then there was a loud clap. A gunshot, or maybe that was thunder from the real world, or a projection by what Yamamoto had said before. It's hard to say at this point what was real and what was her imagination.

But she remembers a voice, cold and begging.

"Don't go"

She died, but there was more to it. So much more than just a friend betraying her. She didn't felt fear or in danger when she woke up with Mukuro holding her, even if her mind was in pieces and she was scrambling for a semblance of herself, she felt safe; grounded. And that alone was enough for her, to reassure her heart and trust his persona despite his mischief.

Still…

"Why did he do it?" Yamamoto asked her this time, sounding gentle and desperate at the same time.

"I don't know" She confessed, feeling lost and torn.

She just acknowledged their resolution in her present when they all but walked into a Mafia battle in her name just to stay with her. They were getting to know each other, becoming comfortable and closer, she considered them dear friends. After ten long years, she can't possibly imagine the pain and confusion they must have felt at being betrayed, let alone losing her and unleashing a war that turned their world upside down.

Maybe Mukuro didn't want to kill her, but he still pulled the trigger.

Or maybe that was just woeful thinking, and she was too in denial to accept the truth.

But whatever side of the story, his hands were covered in her blood and her friends were broken and fighting each other because of it.

God, somehow she just knows Kyoya must have tried to kill him in retaliation. Gokudera, Yamamoto… Trust was a flimsy thing, once broken, mending the bond was arduous and sometimes useless to try or even want. There was no way one could forgive, none of them would.

And it wasn't just a fight of them against Byakuran, it was a fight of her guardians and the Arcobaleno as well.

It was a mess. This future and the secrets that led to their actions. No one was willing to answer why the Rings were destroyed or the Arcobaleno's downfall, she doesn't know what's happening or who brought her here or why she died but for some terrifying reason, she just knows that it was her actions that broke her family apart. All of them.

"I'm sorry"

"Stop, please" He sounded pained, and he looked the part. Her words probably brought more pain than answers, and she felt foolish for trying to justify her silly beliefs. What the hell does she know about the future? About these people and their intentions?

"Sorry" She grimaced and bit back a sniffle.

She wanted to get up and leave, but her body was frozen and numb. Her chest felt tight and the sensation of nausea was taking over her. She had to bring her hands down to her lap under the table to hide their trembling.

This was as hard to her as it was to him. Yamamoto sighed loudly, seemingly regretting changing his previous drink for sweet chocolate instead of burning bourbon, but he was doing a better job at masking his glassy eyes. Still, despite the awkwardness and strained atmosphere that fell on the quiet kitchen, he was the one who broke the silence after a few minutes.

"I wasn't here, you know. When it happened" He told her with a sad smile directed at the table "I was against the alliance with Byakuran, it was one of the few things we ever argued about. But your mind was set, and then the rings were destroyed and Vongola was crumbling from within, no one expected the raids to happen or the casualties. My dad uh… he passed away too, so I left"

Tsuna kept quiet, hurt and drowning in guilt. Not for her sake, but for his. She always knew that involving them in the Mafia not only put them at risk, but everyone involved with them too. The less people you cared about, the less emotional blackmail someone could use against you. She didn't blame him for leaving in those terms, she understands where he was coming from, hell she's sure her other self even encouraged him to go.

But the weight on one's guilt could turn rain into hail, and there was no fire to melt it.

So as he kept talking, she realized this was the closure he never got; speaking to her, so she kept quiet and listened. He wasn't justifying his actions, wasn't trying to make her understand his reasoning or asking for forgiveness. He simply talked. About them, about the raids, about the last days they spent together until his departure and the mixed feelings he carried as he walked away. But leaving didn't fix anything, it only brought more misery and bridged the gap between them. And by the time he returned, it was already too late.

"You couldn't have know" She told him.

"I swore I'd stay at your side no matter what, but I still left you two alone"

"Is that why Gokudera…?" She peeked at his face, eyeing the bruise there.

"Mostly, yeah" He chuckled bitterly before shrugging "He was alone when he got the news. Kinda blame it on everyone for leaving"

"All of them?"

"Not all"

He gave her a smile, small but sincere.

It really was a wonder to see her friends so grown up, to see their baby faces grown into adult ones with scars and shadows. It was illogical to feel grief over missing it when her friends were still living back in her time and were her own age. A part of her was still numb over Mukuro's situation and the downfall of their friendship, she felt sad and distant. She could barely grasp the idea that this was her future; that the worst had already happened here.

How can they even fix it?

"Tsuna" Yamamoto said after some quiet time, just as gentle as he did before "I don't know what will happen or why things happened the way they did. We tried our best, for so long. I'm just sorry I wasn't there for you in the end"

"You are" She said with confidence "You are here"

He still looked like he wanted to cry, but was holding back for her sake. It was probably for the best, she doesn't know how to react if a stranger with her younger friend's older face suddenly crumbles, which is why she wasn't startled when he suddenly laughed.

"Ahh, I have so many embarrassing stories to tell you. You wouldn't believe half of them" He shook his head with a grin, nostalgia clear in his expression. "We had fun, lots. It wasn't all bad times, there were so many good ones. I really don't regret it"

For some reason, the reminiscing sounded more like a goodbye, a final one, and alarm bells chimed from somewhere in her head as he regarded her with an open affection with a hint of regret.

"When the me from your time comes, don't push him away. He'll know from me, so please tell him it's okay to doubt and be sad, but he shouldn't blame himself for things out of his hands" He sighed without losing his sad smile. "This is my choice, whatever comes, I want to be there for you. He already made his mind, and though he's slow and lacks experience, my heart won't change"

What can she say without sounding ungrateful or over sentimental?

"Thank you" It's what her heart whispered "And I'm sorry"

He didn't stop her apology this time, probably knowing it was futile but he still looked sad at her admission. She didn't regret it, knowing that if he had stayed for ten long years, even if some of them were bad and the later ones were full of pain, it meant everything to her. There really were no words for her to explain how grateful and sorry she was to be the friend responsible for so much suffering.

"You should try and get some sleep. It was a long day"

"Mn" She nodded, knowing there will be no rest or mercy come morning. But even though she was exhausted and emotionally drained, sleep was the last thing on her mind right now. However, she knew when to recognize an out, and despite wanting to stay and not be rude to this person who was obviously hurting and that she might probably not see again, she really couldn't sit still any longer. Her half empty chocolate had run cold by now, but she held onto it still. "For the record… I'm really happy to be your friend"

"Me too"

Her lips twitched into a smile, and she masked her breath hitching as she nodded again and gripped the table, ready to bolt. But she stayed. Her intuition was trying to pull her out of the room, she really needed to go back, but her body remained sitting. She couldn't help it, when anxiety took over her, not even her intuition could control her actions.

This should have been a good goodbye.

But as always, she tends to ruin it.

And here's the thing, perhaps she was a masochist and needed to hear how bad she screwed up to feel guilty over not feeling guilty. No one was giving her answers, either too worried for her reaction or for not wanting to relive the painful memories. Mukuro's mystery was going to plague her for days, maybe months. Even if she solves the puzzle and knows the whole truth, that was going to haunt her for a long time.

But there was one other thing bothering her, something that wasn't connecting and it was setting her nerves on fire ever since she arrived in this time.

Stop it, stop it, don't say anything. Things were fine as they were, this was a bittersweet goodbye, don't make it worse, don't ruin it.

"Hey, um. Can I- Can I ask you something else?"

She was going to hate the answer.

"Hm?"

She was going to hate herself for asking.

"Byakuran" Tsuna swallowed before pushing the words out of her mouth and ignored the tightness in her chest "What does he want?"

She was going to detest herself for not feeling guilty.

Older Yamamoto sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead, looking more tired than before.

She held her breath.

"When he approached us, it was simply to merge Vongola and the Gesso Famiglia to enhance a stronger position and share assets, you know, boring politics. I don't know if he had ulterior motives then, but after you died, he went crazy and started killing everyone who knew you, saying that he was doing it to save you. I don't know, Tsuna. Guy's a psycho. He destroyed the world, everyone… for you. He's been demanding a key of something ever since; a special box he claims its hidden somewhere around and won't stop until he gets it"

She was listening, but at the same time, it was as if everything went underwater and she was having an out of body experience. She doesn't understand the severity of what he is saying, not really.

And yet…

"Tsuna?"

She stared down at her hands with a horrified expression, because… because the last part resonated loudly in her soul. She recognized the words and possibly what they really meant, her hyper intuition flared and pulsed, and her heart throbbed at the realization slowly sinking in.

She knows something, and if no one else was aware…

"All this time..." Yamamoto whispered with hurt plain in his face. "You knew?"

Meaning that Tsuna didn't told them shit. That a war was going on and on, her city destroyed, her family in shambles, her parents dead, Tsuna dead and she refused still to hand over, let alone tell someone about that.

There were too many variables for her intuition to catch up and be certain. But she knew, she knew her future self knew and did nothing about it. Or maybe she did and this was it; just set everything on fire and become ashes with her sins.

Was it a coincidence that Verde found a blueprint after years of her frantic search and was just starting to work on the project when years later, a war was going on to find something that belonged to her? Or what if it wasn't her box, but a creation of Verde? A weapon. All the Arcobaleno were gone after all, one has to question why. Why now? Why them? Why her?

It made her wonder what more she was hiding. What else did she kept in the dark? Why did she die? Why did Mukuro kill her? What does Byakuran want with her? Did she even trusted her friends in the end?

All her answers returned to her burning grave.

Yamamoto didn't stop her as she jumped from her seat, mug tilting and spilling all over the table in her dash out of the kitchen, goodbye being the last thing on her mind.

Her feet led her back to her room, directly to the bathroom where she proceeded to throw up. Oh, how efficient her intuition was, to move her body without her cognition and brought her to a safe place to break down.

Onigiris and hot chocolate didn't mix well it seems. Or maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was fear with a mix of self-hatred finally settling in, hysteria, her mind breaking in. Knowledge and denial. Whispers and voices. Dreams and nightmares and memories past and present all colliding in a mesh of smoke.

She wasn't thinking.

This was all her fault.

Couldn't think straight.

What kind of person did she become?

Why couldn't she stop thinking-

Did she never learn how to trust someone?

-when she knew the truth?

Was it all pretending?

All these years, did she lose hope?

What the hell did she do?

But isn't that what she wanted?

No, please no.

To use people and reach her goal?

"Stop!" She cried, clenching the porcelain and feeling her throat burn.

She couldn't be certain, there was no way to prove that it was her fault but deep down she felt guilt drowning her. It was hard to breathe, panting and sobbing; it was suffocating. It felt too real, too blurry, too impossible, too horrible, too Tsuna. Did she plan all this? Did she knew and allied herself with Byakuran and Mukruo tried to stop her or was it the other way around? Did she even cared about everyone she was going to leave behind?

[Breathe]

"I can't!"

She needed out.

She needed air and out of this time. Nothing was making any sense and at the same time, her mind was going on overload. That was the backlash of hyper intuition. Knowing too much when knowing nothing at all. It wasn't a crystal ball with fortune telling abilities but rather a fishing net where once she fishes something, it remains trapped and squirming until it is squeezed dry and brought to surface.

A question with an answer that made way for two branches of questions with their own answers and scenarios that split and answered more questions leading to the source of infinite possibilities until she knows and is certain what will happen and so on and so forth.

It was a curse, she couldn't stop thinking, couldn't stop her intuition whispering speculations, assumptions and beliefs. She really couldn't deal with this, was too tired and scared to think beyond her normal capacity. Her stomach hurt as it clenched over nothing but bile; if there was one thing she hated more in her life other than her own failures, it was vomiting. But it was a fitting punishment it seems, if what her intuition was hinting at was true.

I̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶b̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶w̶r̶o̶n̶g̶.̶

Heaving, she rose to her feet and gripped the sink to stare at the mirror. She couldn't recognize the face staring back at her. It was a girl, tired and scared, haunted by memories she hasn't lived and knowledge she can't forget. Wide orange eyes were looking at her trying to breathe, her lips weren't mocking, they were parted and curled down but she felt as if it was laughing at her, taunting her.

Ţ̵̬̿͝ͅs̶̡̭͉͎͖̬̓ͅͅu̶̝͒͑̈́̈̋n̷͚͓̳̔ạ̶̜̣̤͗̊̋͋

She held the gaze and wondered, in the end, how did her friends saw her as: Dame-Tsuna or a Mafia Boss? How did she saw them as: Friends or Pawns?

There was an emptiness sinking in on her, disappointment and hatred. Her future self ruined their lives, and she was going to do the same with her friends. The younger ones, the silly, stupid, bleeding hearts that were probably on a scavenging hunt to find her. It's only been a day and she knows they must be worried sick, not to mention her mom…

She closed her eyes and leaned down, her hands trembled as she cupped some water to wash her mouth.

She wanted to be brave and say she wasn't going to let that happen. That she would escape the ruined future and return to the place she felt safe the most with her dear ones, but that was a lie. A bitter lie, because there was no way to go back unless she finishes what the other her started. And even if she returns, when the others come here and see the disaster that awaited their future… nothing is going to be the same anymore.

But it was fine, she thought.

It was good while it lasted, she never thought she would even have friends again, let herself relax and have fun with other people who genuinely wanted to be around her. She felt humbled and so very grateful for the happy memories, she made more than she ever imagined after her world crumbled for the first time, so she wasn't going to be selfish, not with them. Once her friends realize the danger and destruction that meant staying with her, they will go. And it was fine, them leaving will mean they will be safe and she won't have to worry about them anymore.

It'll be like old times, just Tsuna.

f̶o̶o̶l̶

She breathed out, her mind blanking and doing the impossible to think of nothing but getting out of here.

[Shoes]

Shoes. At least one ghost was on her side.

She should be surprised to find shoes that fit her, but if Bianchi managed to fill her closet with clothes in her current size within a very short notice then it wasn't something to lose her head over. She was just glad her socks were soft and clean and that the sneakers didn't make noise as she walked.

Any other time she would wrap herself in blankets and refuse to leave bed, wallow in self-pity and maybe even cover a canvas with painting. But she couldn't do that when there was fire brewing inside of her, threatening to explode if she stayed still.

And if she doesn't move, she will think. And she didn't want that right now.

Her skin felt clammy and her legs a bit shaky as she walked aimlessly like a ghost herself through the empty hallways, sticking to the walls. Blocking thoughts and memories, pretending nothing happened and this was just a stroll to find an exit, nothing more. She even dared to walk beyond the familiar path now, anything to get the farthest away from the kitchen and her room. Past the crossroad and into a new, silent hallway that felt abandoned the more she walked through it.

Her nerves were fried, but despite the breakdown from before, she was somehow expecting Reborn to pop up. It surprised her he left her alone for so long, he wasn't a softy by nature, but his presence had become frequent when she was on the brink of crumbling. And just knowing he was there, not exactly to comfort her, but just there, was becoming a dangerous necessity for her.

R̶e̶b̶o̶r̶n̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶d̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶l̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶w̶e̶l̶l̶

How big was this base? she wondered. It had a kitchen, a meeting room and living room, not to mention all the bedrooms; she wouldn't be surprised if there was a training room somewhere around, ready to be use and become her new torture chamber. And Lal was here too, although if she was really on their side or was just hiding here was yet to be told.

Suddenly, she stopped walking, but not because of the wall blocking her way into a dead end, but because of what she knew laid beyond. There was a familiar feeling, barely there as if the presence that used to live here left a small print of their essence behind. Not big to affect the environment but enough for her to recognize who this mark belonged to.

It was sweet, fragrant like lilies and fresh like morning dew.

Chrome.

And it was such a sad thought she had as she placed a trembling hand over the illusioned wall that breached at her touch. If Mukuro killed her, then it wouldn't be far-fetched that everyone would have shut out Chrome too. Maybe not out of cruelty for her loyalty to Mukuro, but out of fear that the other mist might possess her body and commit more hurt to the family; just like he did with Lancia.

She didn't think twice before walking further, but as soon as she crossed the invisible barrier, the rotten smell of withered flowers and damp walls hit her, making her gag on the side. How long has this wing been abandoned for? The smell was very unpleasant, there must be mold growing somewhere and if no one was able to walk through the illusioned wall, then the fungus was going to keep on festering.

With watering eyes and a hand over her nose, she stumbled, blindly following her intuition to hopefully lead her to an exit. She didn't dare walk inside the closed doors that appeared in the hallway, six in total. What laid there was better not to be uncovered, if Mukuro slept here or not, she would rather not know. Instead she was grateful that despite the place being uninhabited, the lights still functioned in this section otherwise she would have bolted back to her room.

She might not be right in the head, but she wouldn't willingly walk into an underground abandoned hallway; hyper intuition or not.

So despite her wobbly knees and the swirling in her gut, she pushed forwards, all the way to the end of the hallway where her intuition was trying to pull her. The reason soon became obvious were among the decaying vines on the walls, there was also something else hanging from the ceiling.

A ladder.

She paused and stared.

This was stupid. The stupidest, most idiotic idea she has ever thought of. Suicidal, even. But she couldn't stay still, couldn't stay locked in a place that wasn't hers and be reminded of the cruelty that awaited their future and the indications as to why it turned out that way. It was driving her insane, it hasn't even been that long but she couldn't stay a second longer.

Leon, who had remained stuck on her neck, simply blinked at her as she chewed over what to do next. She wasn't thinking straight or considering the consequences, she just wanted out. And with a magical navigator pulling her out of trouble, hiding and sneaking past danger was as easy as breathing at this point. So really, her mind was detached from her cognition as she grabbed hold of the ladder and started going up.

It felt eternal, and she had to go slow due to her sweaty grip and loss of strength. But the higher she went, the more she started to feel a difference. She could hear sounds, a breeze and clackings. She could almost taste the fresh air, feel the heavy pressure of being underground leaving as she climbed to the surface.

She really thought she would climb out of Kokuyo Park, or at least near the borders of the Kokuyo gang hideout. But when her hand breached cold air and felt sand around, she was startled when she gasped a mouthful of fresh air to find herself underneath a familiar turtle climber, the one perfect for little kids to hide under to shield from the sun or unwanted rain. A playground, just two streets away from her house.

She felt weak, and while it was a relief to be in an open area, it was also worse than before, because now she had a more difficult decision to make. The sun wasn't even out yet, she could stay here, knees to her chest and hidden under the playground, or she could do the walk of shame and finish breaking her heart to dust.

If Leon was a cat, he would be nuzzling and purring under her chin to offer comfort. Alas he was a reptile, and all he did was rub slime on her cheek and scrape her skin with his scaly claws. But thinking of cats reminded her of Puru, and Puru made her think of Mukuro and she couldn't swallow without sobbing that he was going to kill her. She was too sad to feel betrayed, even more so because a part of her was telling her it wasn't a double-crossing situation.

What was real and what was a delusion?

What if she stays here forever? How can she go back? What if she didn't want to fight the madmen for a future that was already ruined? Would that be selfish?

"Stop that" she murmured and batted at Leon, who was hitting her ear with his tongue. It was a good distraction, and she sluggishly played wars with him until she managed to knock him out of her neck. The little reptile didn't mind and licked his own eyes before squirming away from her, out towards the opening of the game.

She stayed hidden for a little bit longer, before unfurling and crawling out of the turtle too.

There were people around, her intuition warned her. Humans, luckly, dozing off in their guard posts. It was easy to sneak past them, and the ones outside awake were quickly dealt with by Leon. Maybe the strongest hitman was actually the chameleon and Reborn was merely for decoration. It was an amusing thought to have as she walked through the familiar street that had seen better days.

Literally, just a few hours ago she saw this street alive with the smell of homemade food, kids laughter, summer rain and family's dinner time. But now, it was cold and quiet and-

She stops.

Ah…

This house, this was her home.

The first thing that crossed her mind was that it was gray. There was no green in the garden, no luster in the stones or yellows in the lights. It was desolated and destroyed, the windows broken and some walls hollowed in. For a long moment, she just stared without comprehending what she was actually seeing. And when she did, she felt a sharp pain cutting her from within.

There was something very gut wrenching about finding your home vandalized and trashed. As if a part of yourself had also been stormed by the sole action. There was no blood, no one died inside the house, but standing in front of the abandoned building, she felt as if something just did.

Yet at the same time, she filtered the pain and anger away and tucked it close inside of her. It was getting easier in a perturbing way how she was able to switch perspectives in a detached way, as if she was walking aimlessly through another dream and not reality. By the time her mind catched up with her body, she was inside the dark house.

There was dust everywhere and the furniture thrown, but surprisingly, nothing seemed to be stolen. The TV was still there, she spotted silverware in the kitchen, cash under the sofa, even some jewelry and golden buttons making a path upstairs. It was clear they didn't vandalize the house just for the sake of it, but because they were searching for something specific.

But it wasn't here.

Tsuna stared at the pictures lining the stairs up, seeing her family grow in a span of five frames, showcasing a graduation party, a joyous birthday, a summer festival, a fun vacation and a family celebration of a sort. She saw herself grow in them, saw the kids - Lambo, Ipin and Fuuta - become teens, Bianchi glowing, her mother becoming older. It hadn't hit her as strongly as it did now that she had a future; was going to have one.

Climbing up, she went straight to her room, not wanting to see the other unoccupied bedrooms covered in more dust and possibly white sheets.

The door was open, and for a moment, at one glance she thought that she was back. Everything was in the same place as she remembered, there was no new furniture or change in the wall's color, but one blink and the glimmer was gone. If downstairs looked like a vandalized zone, her room was by far the worst.

Everything did seem upside down, thrown over and pulled out of place. Bags and drawers were open and flipped open, their contents flipped and scattered on the floor. Some paint tubes had been squished and stained the surface. Even the floor looked like it had been pulled apart in some places. Her bed didn't survive the assault, the mattress having been thrown almost across the room.

Movement on the floor shifted her attention to Leon, who was making circles before curling on the floor next to a shiny thing. Intrigued, she knelt next to him and was able to see a small pendant with missing crystals in the shape of a star.

It took her a few moments to recognize it, and when she did, her eyes blurred in double and couldn't stop the wave of grief that took over her chest. She hasn't worn that necklace in a long time, not since the pool party when she learnt how to swim. Has it really been that long? At that time, she removed it in fear of losing it in the deep waters, but now it was lying on her bedroom floor; lost and forgotten, a star fallen from the sky.

Was her mom really dead? Did she kill her?

Her fingers trembled as she picked it up.

Not pointing a gun at someone was the same as pulling the trigger if the weapon had her name. Tsuna knew it was inevitable, the danger and risk if someone were to find out who her relatives were. If they knew the points to attack for Vongola Decimo to crumble, hitmen and mafia associates would be uncaring if it was an innocent housewife and kids, so long as they can use them as emotional blackmail and coercion.

It was a sad situation, family should have stayed together, but knowing her, Tsuna probably sent her family away before the war started. Before Mukuro, probably before Byakuran even made his move. But it backfired somehow, and Tsuna ended up dead and alone.

She patted Leon before standing up, wanting a distraction. There wasn't anywhere else to go but the attic, which was a dusted mess with overthrown boxes of christmas decorations, old broken furniture and unused stuff. It looked scary in the dark, and she was half expecting a skeleton to pop out and scare her, maybe Rebron's old traps, possibly new ones too. She was careful where she stepped and made sure to keep away from the broken shards on the floor.

You would think there won't be anything important here after being ransacked, yet her intuition stopped her cold where a dirty rug was covering something on the far wall. Curiosity has always been her weakness, so after putting the small pendant inside her pocket, she reached forwards to remove the rug, coughing a little at the clouds of dust it lifted when it fell to the ground with a thud, revealing what could only be a detective board with notes, threads and circles tying it all together.

At simple glance, you wouldn't understand what the board was trying to find. But looking closer, Tsuna became breathless at the sight of red strings binding and tethering the clues in infinite loops around names. Familiar Names. Important ones.

She saw names that she knew, like Federico Vongola and Yuni Giglio Nero.

Names she has heard but couldn't put a face on, like Byakuran Gesso and Irie Shoichi.

Names she didn't know, but petrified her, like Sepira and Kawahira.

And there, in the middle, Sawada Tsunayuuki was spelled in bold letters. The center of the axis and the ones that ran parallel to hers, chaining her and lashing them all to her name. The core. The Nexus that connected people, time and space where everything ended and everything started for and with her.

December 15, Italy.

She was kidnaped a week before. Rescued a day later. And everything that happened on that day, changed and broke her world. Someone lived and someone died that day, and among the fire and ashes, she died and lived that day too. Memories long erased from her mind resurfaced, white hallways and a blaze of fire. Anger and fear, cries and screams, the void of cold emptiness that followed her waking hours and stole her sleep, always present, always hollow until it started to fill.

Six years, she's been looking for answers to questions that plagued her existence for six long years and it was all here. Pieces and fragments, names and dates and clues. It didn't answer everything, it didn't show what truly mattered or the reason as to why, but it was enough, it was a start. Finally, there was something.

But that was the thing with setting up expectations, one way or another you always ended up disappointed. When something terrible happens to you and you don't know the reason or who did it, you create a story in your head, imagining monsters with evil intentions to justify their actions. And while the motive was not yet clear, it also revealed the fact that Vongola was involved with that.

Xanxus' name was in there, but that was obvious because he went to rescue her, he took her out. Who shouldn't be on the board was Nono, Ganauche, Tyr and Ottavio. They weren't important, not like Federico, they weren't at the center of the disaster alongside her name but because they coexisted in the connected lines, it petrified her.

S̶o̶m̶e̶o̶n̶e̶'̶s̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶i̶n̶g̶

She ignored her intuition, she's been trying her best to do that, and kept her eyes fixed on the board, taking everything in and begging to find an inkling to an answer. Her future self couldn't be so cruel as to leave this board for her to find - why else would it still be here after her death if not for someone with hyper intuition to fit the puzzle - and pour more gas to the fire. But she could she would, if only to give her the fuel to go back and finish what should have ended years ago.

The stairs creaked, she didn't knew they could make a sound, but the house was old by now, she supposes. Soft heels walked upstairs, slow and unhurried. They didn't stop until they reached the attic, and Tsuna didn't turn until her chest ached at reminding her to breathe.

Steel eyes met hers in the dimly lit space, the tall figure of the older Kyoya casted a shadow that felt almost comforting, as if that alone could hide her from the darkness itself.

No, not Kyoya.

Not the boy she knows and remembers, the one that lets her sleep in his office and beats her because he doesn't socialize like a normal teen. This man was a stranger, he was more ghost than anyone else in this time for her. Crying in front of him would be an insult to their memories, but by the time she had that thought, streaks of cold droplets were already rolling down her cheeks.

She shook her head, slowly. In denial, in grief, in betrayal, in confusion. Her reality has been breaking at every turn she makes, every conversation was a new revelation, every step a new shift of perspective and disappointment. This world, this future- the culmination of secrets and lies, she hated it. She hated herself. Them. Everything.

Her body took an unconscious step back when the stranger, Hibari-san, her mind supplied as it held her still, walked towards her. There was no hatred in his eyes, he didn't appear to be seeking a fight or to beat her up. He looked calm, all things considered, right here in her dusty attic, wearing a black suit and striding silently with the sole purpose to meet her.

Tsuna didn't know what hurt more, that Hibari-san didn't look tired or that she wished to see a spark of grief in his cold eyes. He overlooked her tears, didn't even spare a glance at the cursed board on the wall, he wasn't even shocked to see her younger self in the middle of a battlefield, if anything, it seemed like he was waiting for it. Did he know? Would he judge her?

She sniffed in surprise when he uncharacteristically wrapped both arms over her head and leaned down to rest his chin over them, forcing her to huddle close to him and take a harsh breath that she tried to swallow at the warmth that seeped through. It felt safe but bounding, warm but suffocating at the same time.

"What did they do to me?" She whispered and wasn't surprised when there was no answer.

.

.

.

"What do you mean she's missing?!"

As soon as morning had come, Haru went to check over the tiny brunette to find an empty room and a mess in the kitchen. To say everyone was panicking was an understatement, even more so when a camera spotted her going through an abandoned section of the base when she wasn't in the right mental state to be on her own.

Tsuna was a paranoid creature armed with a magical sensor to pull her out of danger, and most often that not, her luck backfired and she had to trelay on her hyper intuition to escape. Any other time this stunt would have been funny, but the reason that had everyone alarmed was the fact she waltzed right through a wall, right into the wing where the Mist guardian users resided, hence why the path was blocked and no one could go past the strong illusion.

And it was oh so interesting for Reborn, as he sipped some freshly brewed coffee and stared at the team panic for some reason or another. First, it was the spark of fear that appeared when it was mentioned that Tsuna walked towards the Mist side of the base.

"You should go after her"

"It's fine, Hibari is with her"

Then, it was the discomfort at the Cloud being alone with her. The strongest guardian having gone to fetch the runaway idiot was enough to calm everyone's worries, but the grimaces did not go unnoticed by the hitman.

"Is there a reason why my student shouldn't be with Hibari?" Sharp as ever, Reborn questioned.

"No" Was the immediate answer "Hibari will protect her"

And that was a fact, but there was nervousness and eye avoidance too. How very odd.

"Just let Sawada get chewed by the wolves" Lal grumbled, annoyed after having cursed his idiot student's actions for five minutes.

It was curious seeing Lal in her adult form after so long. Reborn didn't had time to think about it when he woke up in this timeline, but once things settled for the night and his student was sobbing in the bathtub, thought he did. Starting with the fact they will all be dead 9 years and two months in the future, that the pacifiers and vongola rings will stop existing and that in a time between his present and this future, the curse of the Arcobaleno will be broken.

Oh how glorious, but the price to freedom will be steep.

Escaping a deal with the devil wouldn't be easy, that he was aware. Like the wolf Fenrir, he let his pride get the better of him and allowed someone to put chains on him to prove he was the strongest of them all. But the chains wouldn't break, no matter how much he fought and struggled. But just like the myth, Ragnarok will come, and his chains will come unbind. He just hopes he can mawl more than a hand of that fucking bastard.

Knowing the future was a tricky thing. There were things set in stone, impossible to avoid no matter how much one tried to change a node. He didn't blame Lal for being quiet and dodgy whenever a question regarding the Arcobaleno or Tsuna's fate was voiced. He knew from experience how delicate one should be when dealing with changing fates. Lucce tried her best to outrun hers, but in the end she ended up cursing her whole family line.

If he were to speed up the process to break the curse, the backlash could be deadly severe. There were lots of missing pieces for the puzzle that he had to solve on his own, no matter how much he wanted to go back to his normal form as soon as possible.

For now, all he can focus on was getting his dame-student in shape, strong enough to survive the ordeals that were to come and return to their original timeline, preferably with their sanity and spirit intact. Limbs too.

And if he can trick Lal into revealing information, then that would be her fault, not his.

"Anyway, what news do we have from Italy?" Lal asked with her arms crossed after finishing her breakfast in the meeting room. At Giannini's nervous pause, she glared. "Just say it"

"Basil-kun contacted us last night. All personnel at HQ were whipped with 3% chance of survival"

"Fuck"

"The raids stopped, however" Giannini said with a tired sigh and steering away from Lal's ire at the grave news. "We received word from Lancia-san too, the Black Spell forces that were in Italy and Vienna are retreating. Leo-kun briefed us that Interpol will be taking control in Europe and will shoot if the attacks start up again"

"Dino is coming back from France too" Bianchi added. "He said he felt Tsuna awaken, I didn't want to confirm it on phone in case the line was compromised"

"Any news on Varia?"

"None, but it won't be long before those maniacs call" Gokudera said with a glare of his own.

"Byakuran must be aware Sawada is here. We must secure Japan before they send their troops" Lal voiced, ever the commander.

"Do we know where the base is?" Reborn ask them.

"We have narrowed the location to three main areas." Gianini explained as he showed a map of Namimori with three red crosses scattered around and small little red dots signaling the enemies position. "Sasagawa-san was overseeing one when we lost contact with him. His tracker is still on, but he's not responding to any messages"

"No news is good news, huh"

Reborn ignored the jab and focused on their main task.

With the toxin in the air, he won't be able to be there personally for the infiltration. There is no way of knowing when or where the guardians will shift times, but he would rather them go now and use their experience for a successful mission than have a baby team play hide and seek. There was also the risk of them changing mid-raid, so there was no time to lose.

If bad comes to worse, the little ones will need an express bootcamp before Byakuran and his evil friends come knocking at their door. And that made him wonder, just what kind of mess did his idiot student got into with this guy? Bianchi should have taught her the act of seduction and how to steer away from bad men, and with that intuition of hers, if Byakuran was bad news Tsuna would have screamed and ran the moment she heard his name.

But she didn't.

And the impossible happened.

It was a mess, but that will be a lesson to be remembered later, for now, narrowing down the location of the base and securing the fort was their best bet. Maybe he can turn Tsuna into a pendulum to point them in the right direction. Wanting it or not, she will have to participate in the raid and incoming battles. No student of his will hide under the earth when they can fight in the sky.

But in the second it took for Giannini to change screens to show some new data, for Lal to grumble about useless participants and Gokudera to growl back in defense, his musings were interrupted when the room was suddenly surrounded by pink smoke, startling everyone at the omen it represented.

"Hahi!"

A young, high-pitched exclamation sounded, and when the smoke cleared, there stood young Haru in her school uniform with a perplexed expression as she took in her surroundings and everyone in it.

"God damn it, why the fuck is she here?!"

"Who are you people? Did you kidnap me?! I know aikido you bastards! Come on, fight me!"

"Calm down stupid woman!"

"Don't call me stupid, stupid man! Who are you?!"

"I thought the letter said just the guardians"

Well, this was a surprise.

Maybe Tsuna was wrong with her assumption. The letter just said to gather the guardians and keep the rings. All the guardians were already in this timeline, so maybe they could forge the rings again with Tsuna's help? Nothing stated they needed to shift time but then again, Haru had no business in this future, so why was she even doing here?

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Gokudera voiced his concerns as he loomed over the angry teen.

"Stop screaming at me! I don't know! You brought me here!" Haru shouted before pausing to blink up at him "You look familiar, do I know you?"

"Shut up, both of you. Miura, what's the last thing you remember?" Lal asked, leaving no room for arguments or hesitations despite the strange situation.

"I was walking home from training, and suddenly, poof! There was a boom and pink smoke everywhere" Haru waved her hands in the form of an explosion.

Everyone just stared with ranges of amusement, concern and pity because young Haru had no reason to be in this future, and it raised instant suspicion that someone outside their circle was pulling the strings for this time operation, otherwise the guardians should have been the first ones to arrive and not a green bean.

"You're not dreaming" Lal took control and stared at the young girl with cold reassurance. "What I'm about to tell you will sound crazy, but you're in the future with no way back until we win a war. You'll be safe as long as you follow orders, and it won't be long until you reunite with your friends. As for the rest of you" She directed her attention towards the others "Scout the North area, we can't waste time and wait for Sasagawa to respond. The dumb kids should be on their way back from the east, so we're shifting to offense."

"Yes mam"

"Keep a note with this direction in case you shift while on the job" Bianchi advised the two guardians as they prepared to leave. "And be careful"

"We won't be long" Gokudera nodded at his sister before hurrying out of the room. Yamamoto lingered by the doorway, looking at Reborn as if he wanted to say something before shaking his head with a smile and nodding in farwell at him and walking out too.

"I-pin texted me this morning" Fuuta said softly, and Reborn felt a spark of pride to see the young boy grow up well and into the family. They already had their reunion last night, but Reborn didn't mention how he seems to be avoiding the young brunette, he wasn't going to meddle in that yet. "They didn't found anything where the flare appeared"

"We can't oversee that flare"

"The rank#1 says it could be a Mist"

"All the more reason to check, send them back. And you, come with me" Lal started walking out of the room while dragging a reluctant Haru.

"I'm not going with a stranger! Who are you even? Future? What future? How is that even possible? Is Tsuna-san here? I-pin-chan too? Wait, Reborn-chan is here!?"

"You want to learn how to fight? You come with me or you'll stay a weakling and be left behind"

"Yes, sensei!"

Reborn hid his smirk with his fedora. It was nice knowing the grumpy oficial had taken other apprentices and mellowed over time. She was obviously hurting, the death of the Arcobanelo, of Colonnello, her boss, her team- was weighing heavily on her mind. She was more cynical and bitter than ever, and her lashing out was going to be a challenge if she refused to help train the brats, even more so if that anger was directed at Tsuna.

The only amusing thing was that Haru willingly becoming Lal's student was going to make Tsuna cry.

.

.

.

There was a bit of morning fog still left when he walked out of the base. Gokudera was anxious to be separated from young Juudaime, even if she was with that damned Hibari and protected at best. He just wanted to protect her himself, he didn't trust anyone else to do it, couldn't trust anyone else; didn't want to. The clock ticking down his neck was close to suffocating, there was so much he wanted to say and repent, but he knew it would be impossible to even try.

All he needed was to keep Juudaime safe for as long as possible, that's all that matters. It's all he wanted, not to relive old wounds and waste time in painful what if's like a certain bastad.

"Why the fuck are you following me?!"

"I'm just scouting" Yamamoto said calmly as he walked behind him- sword at his back, silent footsteps and presence perfectly masked. It was annoying how he became a natural hitman despite never claiming that title.

"Well, do it somewhere else!"

Really, didn't he know that scouting worked best when it was separate? They covered more terrain that way and he didn't have to worry over a sentimental idiot following him around.

"Did you leave instructions to your younger self?"

"I told him not to trust you"

"Hayato"

"We're not doing this" He stressed with a glare.

"You know that if they change the past, this future will change too"

"So what? You want to say goodbye? Well, fuck you and fuck off!"

"I didn't want to leave you"

"Well you did!" He turned to glare at him, and his chest burned with hollow longing. "You did. You don't make promises to stay until things get hard, promises mean forever! Staying means in good times and bad times. You don't run the minute things go to shit! You promised to stay but you left! You left and I didn't ask you to stay, but you didn't even had the guts to come to her funeral. Are you so arrogant to think I'll just forget all that!? Just because there's a chance to change it?"

At this point he has lost count of how many times they have fought about this, how much poison and regret they have spat at one another with intentions to hurt and be hurt. Betrayal was bitter and familiar to him, second chances near impossible, it took time to heal and learn to trust so unconditionally, so when that safe reality shattered he couldn't see beyond the pain. A part of him didn't want to.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be, but it is. This future was already damned, there was nothing to fix so why try? What was the point of making amends now that they were minutes from disappearing?

"I know. I know, and I'm not asking you to forgive me or to trust me, or spend our last moments together. I just want you to understand that it wasn't your fault" Yamamoto took one brave step forwards, then another, and another. Gokudera was tense and ready to punch him, but he stood still under his stare. "You did everything you could to protect Tsuna"

"She's dead" Gokudera scoffed a wet laugh "I never left, but she still died. I tried"

"You did" He took another step "And putting blame on yourself when things ended is not worth it. You tried your damn best, she knew that. And she knows we'll make things right again"

Gokudera shook his head and took a step back.

"Don't you dare make what happened a bad memory ready to be forgotten when she already died"

"I'm not" Yamamoto tried to say, but Gokudera cut him off.

"When we shift, we'll die with her. And the 'us' from the past will never make the same mistake twice. So make yourself a favor and run down the hill. We are not worth your pain, don't make us tear your life apart again and leave us hanging when it mattered"

"You're not being fair"

"No. I'm not"

The truth was, he was tired and hurting; he wanted back, but at the same time he wanted out. To forget this nightmare and start over, to erase the pain and change everything, if not for the him of right now, but for the ones coming to this world. But he couldn't forget, he couldn't put it past behind him and leave this mess unfinished.

He might not have saved his Juudaime at this point in time, but there was a chance to do things right for them. All that mattered was changing the past and protecting the bonds they had recently formed, not the broken ones left in this time- or so he kept telling himself.

They stared at one another, hurting.

Gokudera didn't blame him, deep down, he didn't. That's why he didn't make him choose to stay and let him go. It just hurts being the one left behind.

"Oh, am I interrupting?"

A voice, smooth and arrogant rang clear in the forest, raising their hackles and filling their veins with adrenaline. They were very lucky they had traveled fast and away from the base entrance, but it didn't change the fact that an intruder was hot and close to one of the secret entrances.

"Gamma"

Like a switch, both of them shifted focus and made the man their main priority.

"Word's been going around of Vongola Decimo returning" Gamma drawled lazily as he twirled his pool cue and stared at them with amusement "But it couldn't be, I told myself. Your Boss was gunned down months ago"

"Fucking bastard!"

"Didn't you lose your boss too?" Yamamoto asked as he withdrew his sword and made an intentional pause "No, you gave her away, my bad"

It was satisfying watching the smug smirk melt away, seeing the pain and self-hatred no matter how perfectly masked flashed in his eyes at the implication. They might've lost Tsuna, but at least they didn't sell her to the enemy. Giglio Nero should have remained independent, yet here was a guardian, Boss missing and wearing the crest of their enemy.

Gamma hummed and quickly composed himself, calmly watching their surroundings for any clues.

"I was told not to mess with you, after hunting you down, that's an abrupt order, isn't it? We captured the intensity of a pure ring near the area, so why is my chief of staff pulling me away from it?"

"Maybe because you're an inept at following orders"

"It wouldn't happen to be due to the Sky flames that flared, would it?"

"Who knows"

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes, focusing all of his senses on the Lightning user. At his side, Hayato withdrew two guns wrapped in Storm flames. Curiously enough, he left his belt with the special box weapon untouched. That thing was strong and could send the Black Spell flying, but Hayato was always one step ahead in strategies. If he wasn't going to use that weapon, that could only mean he was saving it for his younger self; for if he were to wield it on his persona and shift mid-battle, that cannon will disappear too when he goes back in time.

See, he thought with faint amusement, he can be smart too. He just hopes that doesn't happen, not with this hunter ready to kill them all for the sake of it.

"So? What's it going to be? You come willingly or do I have to get answers out of you?"

"Don't you have enough blood on your hands?"

"Maim and torture, it is"

It never gets easy gearing oneself into battle. He once asked Sasagawa-senpai what kind of mindset he fell into whenever he had to fight bullies and gangsters alike. I just do it, he had said, I don't think, I just fight. He appreciated the advice, but it wasn't helpful.

When he asked Hibari, he got beaten without words of advice.

When he asked Squalo, he got yelled at and mortality threatened.

It's different for everyone, he has come to know. There were many people who claimed and complained on how easy it was for him, how natural and calm he was when in the face of danger. But while he might have quick reflexes and steel focus to hit a home run - or dodge a bullet, or a knife, or a bomb -, his mind was slow to process the consequences and feelings it left in him.

Everyone can feel anger, hurt and fear. Some acted on it, and regretted it. Many thrived and conquered, while others, like himself, simply moved without thinking because it was what was easier.

When he truly wanted to kill someone, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't fathom taking someone's life, no matter how much he hated them and their evil doings. He doesn't fight because it's fun or because he's good at it, he fights to protect his friends because the deeper he fell into their world with them, the more it became a do or die.

His first kill was an accident, but it took weeks to swallow, and even more so to grab his sword again. But he had to, until it got easier to forget the consequences and focus his mind on what was important, like saving his friends and others; because he couldn't leave them, because they needed him. He tries not to cross the line too often despite Squalo's naggings- he might be a 'good hitman' but he still doesn't like fighting. He doesn't like killing, but he knows there are people who must die for the sake of others' safety.

And this man, who has done nothing but hunt them down like cattle for slaughter, he must be stopped before he lays eyes on Tsuna.

He could spend days and weeks discussing the morality of their actions. Gamma lost his boss and he was angry, hurt and scared too, but he was unleashing that wrath on the innocent, he was taking revenge because he had nothing else to lose. And that Will makes a man the most dangerous.

As their attacks collided, it was fury, cold rain and storm.

The forest became a battlefield in minutes, his breath was held as he switched between 4th, 7th and 8th from in sync with Gokudera's Strom bullets and Gamma's perfect defense. It also didn't help that he could fly, but nowadays everyone could, so adapting had been a must in their training.

With his lightning flames hardening and creating the perfect shield to block any bullet and slice of blade, Gamma was known for his incredible ability to withstand pain and attacks, able to create an impenetrable shield that absorbed impact and easily store and return it in doubles. His flames shot in spikes sharp enough to pierce and stunt you.

His sword trembled at the electric rush it met, but he held tight on it and countered with his own flames. Rain flames had come so naturally to him, even more than fighting. The soothing, calming waves it showered him with was just like gearing himself for a game, it centered his mind and relaxed his body for better movements. Not only that, but he could also affect others by slowing them down or sometimes, even paralyzing them.

It took practice, but he was able to manipulate his flames at his will.

Without a Sky to ground him, however, influencing others with strong Will was difficult. Hayato was the same, for his refined blast returned to the mess of fireworks they used to be.

"The fuck are you doing?" Gokudera grumbled, annoyed when he coated the storm bullets with his own rain flames to add speed and precision to break Gamma's defense.

"It's not forever, but I'm still here, aren't I?"

"You're so full of shit"

He laughed, welcoming the downplayed hostility as they fell into old habits of fighting together. Everyone and their mother know what a horrible teamwork he and Hayato make, which is why they were always successful. With Hayato's force and his perfect aim, they were able to direct the bullets to Gamma's blind spots. And while the black spell fighter might think he was blocking their attacks, they were in fact wearing down an area for the shield to crack.

It was still intense though, when Gamma wasn't using his weapon as a blade, he was hitting the air with his cue as if he was playing invisible pool and sent balls of crackling green flames that scorched the air and ground it flew into.

He was dodging, attacking and matching his pace to his fighting partner, all while keeping a cool head and hawk-like focus until finally a bullet managed to pierce through the shield and hit Gamma in the left thigh. The man faltered, taken by surprise, but they didn't waste a second to rush forward with weapons blazed in flames for a final attack.

It should have been the perfect opportunity to take their enemy down, but the moment was short lived by a sudden burst of pink smoke.

"What the fuck?" A voice- younger, raspier and confused said among the electrified clouds that dispersed like thick fog. Yamamoto felt cold dread and longing at just hearing it. It almost felt like forever ago, those drawing days. Seeing Tsuna was a deep ache in his heart, Hayato was another.

"Gokudera"

"My, my" Gamma blinked through the pain and smirked in realization when his eyes landed on the much younger Storm guardian "What a turn of events. You can cheat death like that"

Yeah, no.

"Look out!"

Yamamoto grabbed Gokudera by the scruff of his jacket and pulled him down, away from spikes of Lightning flames ready to pierce him all while cursing himself in his mind. He was always jinxing them, always causing trouble and bringing them bad luck. He knew it would happen, he just wished he had more time; time to fix things, say things.

Hayato's box weapon was laying on the floor, and the familiar buzz coming from Gokudera's Vongola ring felt more like a cruel taunt.

"How did you become younger?" Gamma approached with heavy strides and crackling flames "Well, no matter. You brought a ring back. Vongola Decimo is back from the dead too, isn't she? I wonder, if I kill you, will I lure her out?"

"What the fuck are you talking about? Where the fuck is this place?" Gokudera demanded, not at all perturbed by the situation his future-self was at and was instead trying his best to shake the hand holding him back from kicking that man's stupid smirk of superiority. It just rubbed him off in the wrong way, even more so when he was giving him a condescending look of false pretense.

"I can reunite you with your boss" Gamma offered, and a flock of birds could be heard chirping loudly around the quiet forest. "It'll be less painful for you than it was for her, I assure you"

"What?"

"How benevolent of you, let me make the same offer!"

The baseball idiot, because the fool with a katana in a forest could only be the future version of the baseball idiot, slashed a powerful wave of pale blue flames that swallowed the singing birds, who were in fact apple-sized balls of electrifying lighting flames crackling loudly.

"Where is Juudaime?!"

Of course he would focus on that, Yamamoto thought as he kicked the forgotten belt with box weapons in his direction and engaged Gamma to back away from him.

"Your ring!" He said instead "Use your ring! Light it up! Get angry!"

"I'm angry!"

"Not enough! Think! Remember when you lost a bet and dressed like a maid!"

"That has never happened, you perverted bastard!" Gokudera screeched, turning red from both rage and embarrassment at the audacity of this bastard.

"Oh" Yamamoto paused and shifted his grip to his left hand to push Gamma further back "Well, imagine that!"

Gokudera gritted his teeth and fumbled with the belt thrown at him. He had to take a moment to breathe and puzzle the situation. While his plan to make Lambo use his bazooka on him failed, he still traveled to the future, probably by the same way Juudaime did. But instead of being with her, he was in a forest, fighting an arrogant bastard with the baseball idiot.

"You want to see Tsuna, right?!" The idiot called, voice strained from where he was dodging and slicing through electricity as if it was butter. "You need to light your ring"

Of course he wanted to see Juudaime! He doesn't need this fool to order him around, even if he has no idea how to light his ring or what these tiny boxes were, he could figure it out on his own. He didn't need help, and certainly not from him. He didn't want to even think on the fact that the baseball idiot grew up and became a hitman, that the fool who laughed at everything and acted calm in the face of danger entered the world of the Mafia and fell deep.

Seeing him like this, older, tired; but fast and experienced against the face of danger, it was degrading. To be so easily discarded, pushed away form a fight because he wasn't strong enough to deal with it, expected to follow orders and pretend what that annoying blond has been alluding about Juudaime wasn't important.

He didn't want to believe it, when Juudaime voiced her worries about Reborn-san not returning and then her disappearing, he refused to believe that was the case. It's been five minutes already and he was still here, sitting on wet grass and feeling off. But with cold dread, he wondered, was he too late? Was he weak? Was Juudaime… really… Did he fail to protect her?

No. No, he refused to believe it.

But the sudden wave of fear and worthlessness threatened to take over him, and he felt anger at the world for being so cruel. He just swore to stay with her as her guardian and protect her as her friend forever more, so why… No. No, he wouldn't have let it happen.

A bubbling, sizzling sensation of ozone became prominent around him, and in his hand, a flame born from stormy thoughts became alit. He stared at it, ignoring the electricity crying in the air, the wet breeze hitting his burning skin and the doubt making root in his heart. Staring at that red flame, he knew if this power represented his state of mind, then all he needed was to feed it with resolution.

He looked down at the belt, stared at the boxes and then at his ring and put two and two together. The sooner this threat is dealt with, the sooner he can demand answers and find Juudaime.

Without hesitation, he infused his flame to the opening of one of the boxes, not knowing what to expect to happen but welcoming the heavy weight that pulled his arm in a glorious cannon made of black silver, skulls and bones. He could feel the power brimming through his arm, like a sweet smoke beckoning him to light it up.

He didn't make a sound, didn't warn what he was about to do and silently took aim towards the figure in black. The blast that came from the weapon was strong enough to send him to the ground, but he had a tight grip on his wrist to steady the direction of the red fire that came out like a beast breathing chaos.

He was instantly enamored with it, even if his arm throbbed and he had to flex his fingers many times to shake the numbness the blast left behind. It was a strong and very badass weapon, he didn't have the muscle to use it continuously, but it was just a matter of training. The important thing was that it worked perfectly to break the hardening ability of the lighting shield and managed to send Gamma flying a few meters.

"Nice hit~"

It was annoying that the baseball idiot moved out of the way, as if he had eyes at the back of his head and saw through his attack.

"Where the hell are we?"

"Namimori. I'll explain everything but we need to take care of him first"

There was no we, Gokudera grumbled as he stood up. Like hell he'll fight alongside this idiot, ten years of experience meant nothing.

"That was cute, but not enough" Gamma said, looking ruffled and a little torched. His stupid smirk was still there, and he was patting his suit as if the dirt had offended him more than the blood piring from his cuts. Yamamoto didn't lower his guard.

He raised his sword, never taking his eyes from Gamma. He was anxious to finish this and take Gokudera back to the bunker. And they will need to be fast, he didn't see beyond and carried the cloaking chains with him, so tight now, the Vongola Storm ring was like a Christmas tree in the missile of the forest. Gamma he could take, but if gola moscas marched their way- ahhh, better not jinx it.

"Aim! At my signal"

"Don't order me around!"

Gokudera was stubborn at this age, prideful and insecure, his need to prove himself and take command sometimes blinded him, but there was no denying he was strong-willed. Still, even if it hurt his pride, he couldn't let him face Gamma head-on, not when he barely knew how to use the box weapon his future self left behind.

He quickly intercepted Gamma's cue, and willed his flames to create torrents of waves in hopes to neutralize the lightning flames. He was hit by one of those electric balls, but the pain was already numb. Gokudera of course didn't listen and instead grabbed the pair of guns laying on the ground and started shooting. But he trusted him, no matter what stubborn version it was.

He forced Gamma into a tree, and Gokduera fired, igniting the stack of dynamites hidden in the trunk.

The explosion was loud, and Yamamoto shifted his grip to slice through in a final blow, but his blade met nothing but wood. Staggered, he cursed and turned, running fast to try and intercept Gamma.

Gokudera saw him move and evade the blade, so he took aim, his hands were steady as consecutively shot the remaining hidden bombs his me-from-the-future prepared. It forced Gamma to change paths with Yamamoto close on his heels. The problem with long range attacks was that once you have a weapon centimeters away from you, your mobility becomes compromised.

He emptied the barrel, frustrated that the bullets did nothing to break the lightning shield Gamma hid behind. Without knowing how long it would take the skull cannon to load, he was forced to move to evade the spikes of electricity.

And how that hell was that even possible? Has flame usage evolved so much in the next 10 years, that not only Sky users but anyone could influence their natural attributes and materialize them in the physical form? A lightning spike barely brushed his arm, it felt like a jellyfish sting and he knew that he would get electrocuted if he's touched by those flames.

Yamamoto was doing his best at blocking them, but it was clear Gamma was playing with him. Sending the most higher voltages towards him to keep him occupied while he hunted the younger Italian.

Good thing he came prepared though. In a swift move, he slid his backpack towards the front and took out a handful of rocket dynamite. He had taken advantage of the dodging to hang some wires on trees, and once Gamma was at the center spot, he threw his dynamite.

They flew and hit Gamma's feet, making him stand still for a moment to use his flames to block the blast, but that moment was enough for Yamamoto to catch up and slice a powerful wave of flames at the sacrifice of getting hit by two of those lightning spikes. But Gamma had to block the blade with his cue, making him focus solely on the rain guardian, thus giving Gokudera the chance to try and see cracks in the shield.

But he wasn't fast enough, those bastards could fly and glide while he had to run and slip through the mud. He tried to get closer and throw some dynamite, but the force wasn't strong enough to startle the other. Without bullets or weapons, what else can he do?

"What's wrong, old man? Can't keep up?" He taunted to save some time, and tried to fumble with the cannon to make it work again. With those cracks and the baseball idiot keeping his attention, he was confident he could break through and blast him for sure.

"I can see why you're considered a chessmaster, too bad it didn't help her in the end" Gamma taunted back, and it hit deep.

"What did you say?!"

Doing faint attacks was low depending on who was the one doing it, so when Gamma made it seem he was going to attack Gokudera with 6 electric balls and Yamamoto predictably stepped in to block it, Gamma hit the air to change the trajectory and released the attack on him instead.

The air frizzled, and the defense shigure form couldn't block all the voltages from hitting him. Gokudera shivered at the painful gasp that was heard, and the anger and fear he felt made the ring in his hand flare up. He felt power starting to swirl and pointed the cannon at Gamma again, only to feel a foot kicking his wrist into the ground.

"You're so transparent, boy. Anger fuels you, but it's never enough"

Gokudera snarled and tried to use his other arm to throw a dynamite when he was hit by jaws of electric pain. It felt worse than being possessed and cut by silver knives, it was cold and intense, the kind of pain that paralyzed your body while your mind agonized over the torture. It felt terrible, like being thrown in an inferno and dunked in freezing water at the same time. His inwards were clenching and his right arm felt like it was on fire, the storm flames being stored there detonated in par with his distress, but all they did was add to the pain in his body.

"Gokudera!"

"It was a good try, but you're too impatient. As my reward, I'll take your ring and secret of youth with me"

Gamma stopped his flames from crackling and moved his foot from the ruined arm to lean down and claim the bloody ring, but a piercing pain stopped him. Slowly, he looked down to see the blade penetrating his shield and sticking right through his stomach. It missed important organs, but the wound was deep and jarring, and the rain flames coating the blade were strong enough to freeze and shut down his body.

With a strained gasp, he fell, Lightning flames dying down and leaving a faint sizzle in the air. Yamamoto wasn't a killer, but if he bled to death, well, that was going to be Gamma's fault, not his. Killing him was the best option, but he couldn't. There were more important matters at hand than executing someone.

Drawing his blade back, he stumbled over the fallen body of Gokudera, who trembled and was barely conscious after that electric attack. There were many gashes that those lighting flames created with their hardening factor, and he knew from experience his insides must be frying up. With half-a-mind to send a distress signal for someone to pick them up, he quickly hoisted Gokudera up to move them to another location in case someone else comes.

His arms strained and trembled but he held tight, even more so when Gokudera started to struggle in his grip. Finding some fallen trees for cover, he lowered the stubborn idiot and held onto his back to keep him standing while he assessed his injuries. That arm was definitely broken, and while the cuts weren't deep, they were bleeding and the risk of his body shutting down after that voltage discharge was high.

"Hey" He patted his face "Hey, look at me. You seeing doubles?"

"Get off- don't touch- What are you doing?!"

"Just focus on breathing, you'll be okay" He reassured him and sent more Rain flames to numb the pain in his body and try and sooth the injured muscles inside.

"When did you become a killer?" Gokudera asked with a hoarse voice "Are you even the baseball idiot?"

"I'm me, just taller and more handsome"

"Dumber" The Italian grumbled and shook his head away from his hand "Enough, stop it!"

"You need medical attention. Our base is not to far from here, I'll take you there but you need to stop moving"

"No! Where's Juudaime?!"

"Tsuna's fine. She's with Hibari"

"Your Juudaime. Where is she?" At the silence, he managed to snarl through the haze of pain "Why?"

"Everything is going to be alright, I promise"

"How can you say that?!" Gokudera held onto his shirt and glared up at him "How can you be so fucking calm about this? Where is she?! Why did that bastard say it was painful for her? We are supposed to protect her! How did she- Why?! Where the hell were you?!"

"I know it's hard, and it will only get harder but I promise you, things will get better"

"How can you be so sure?!"

"Because we-

Sometimes, death is merciful. It takes you away from the pain and sorrow, wrapping you in blankets of nothingness and sweet oblivion. Nothing else mattered when one succumbed to the great beyond, not the people left behind, the grief or things left unsaid. It was peaceful. Other times, it was cruel, and it ripped you away from regret and things left undone without warning to make up for past mistakes. Leaving a trail of broken pieces for someone else to find and try to mend back together.

But final goodbyes didn't exist in the Family, they will come to know, because one was never truly gone.

"Gokudera?"

The Italian stared at him, wide eyed and trembling with emotions as familiar brown eyes stared back at him once the pink smoke started to clear.

Yamamoto breathed out, surprised and happy at having found his friend right away, but the mirth vanished at the state of the Italian. He was hurt, blood pouring from cuts and gashes all over his body, he was trembling, face red and breathless, and eyes gleaming in agony. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was soon distracted by the fact that he was somehow hugging him by the waist.

Really, he should have seen the punch coming.

.

.

.

Illusions were easy to see through, the moment she woke up Chrome knew this world was real, but wrong at the same time.

She was inside a warehouse she didn't recognize, not the street she was walking on her way to school. The air was cold and biting, there were loud booms echoing in the distance that reminded her of fireworks, but when she tried to see outside, all she saw was an abandoned world. Was she kidnapped? But why would someone do that? She wasn't pretty, didn't have money or organs, for the matter. Why would someone bring her to this place?

Her body was fine, there were no injuries on her, but she felt weaker than before; like a balloon slowly deflating and flames leaking from small cracks. She wanted to go out, but something held her back. Mukuro-sama was somewhere around, the pull she felt before was stronger but muddled still. It felt different, spicier and heavy, like sea breeze instead of grovel fog.

But it was him. So she stayed, curled on the dirty floor and hugging a bag that was the only clue left behind.

There were plans and documents involving a machine and a hidden location. Names, and reports and pictures that didn't make sense to her, but they did to him. She didn't know what it was, who it belonged to or even whose side they should be brought to, but the feeling to protect this bag and its contents was prominent. So she held it through all the night, and waited for morning to come.

There were some cereal bars and a bottle of water in the bag too, so hunger wasn't a problem. Things started to turn a little bad when morning came, and the loud booms sounded closer and louder than before. Chikusa has been trying to engage Ken in some meditation, saying that he could become one with the beast better if he focused deeper. Chrome was invited to try, probably because she was quiet and still and it made Ken want to uplevel her.

But it was relaxing, and she knew Boss was taking meditation lessons too and she wanted to be better so that she can help her too. Closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, she tried to patch the holes in her flames to keep her organs from collapsing. She doesn't understand why the net woven by mist flames was untangling, she can keep patching the loose ends but she wasn't strong enough to create real substantial illusions.

Her little garden was not the same as real human bodies, and sooner than later, she was going to run out of energy if her other half was still sleeping. Breathing deeply, she tried to focus on the connection binding her together, trying to see if she could reach him. And as she prodded the thread and wrapped in neatly, she was hit by a wave of emotions that left her breathless.

Because she felt his pain and grief. His anger and resolve. Chrome realized at that moment that she had to fight for him, that it was her turn to stand up and help him, whatever way she could. Her friends were her strength, and now more than ever she needed to protect them. It didn't matter that Mukuro-sama felt older and tired, and Boss's connection felt fragile and darker.

She was going to hold tight and keep mending the loose threads.

When the pull felt closer, she got up, and took out her trident from her school bag. She could hear other sounds now, footsteps instead of tumpings and the brief echoes of voices calling out orders. She gripped her trident and held her breath as she glued herself to the wall next to the door, waiting.

She wasn't expecting for an owl to come crashing down, tired and wobbly. But she held her gasp of surprise, and not three seconds later, someone came marching in. She didn't wait for plasenties or questions, the moment a weird man stepped into the room, she knocked him out with her trident with a hit to the back of his head.

Quickly, she held the poor creature in her arms and dashed out of the warehouse, sacrificing part of her inward flames to cloak herself in invisibility. Already she could hear a scuffle somewhere around, but it seemed there was someone else being attacked. Taking advantage of the distraction, she looked down at the owl, and Chrome has never felt more relieved when one of the blue eyes looking back at her turned red.

"Hibari~ Hibari~"

Gasping, she looked up, hugging the owl tighter when it struggled in her grip. The feathers became ruffled and she grimaced as it screeched back at the little bird, who kept circling around them. She… she was using her mist flames, and the owl should be cloaked by them too, so how did the bird notice them?

She recognized that name though, one of the last things Boss asked of her if strange things happened was to find Hinari-san from Namimori-middle, or Sasagawa-san, or miss Bianchi. Was the bird an ally? If so, why was it screaming at them?

"Hello? Dokuro, you here?"

Chrome tensed at the hushed voice asking for her and turned slowly. The owl being possessed by Mukuro-sama quieted and hooted in confirmation when she looked at it. But if Mukuro-sama said it was okay, then she would trust his judgment. Her knees wobbled when she released her illusion, and her stomach ached at the movement inside, but she held on, ready for anything. They were allies it seemed, but still… that man… he looked familiar when he was a stranger all the same.

"Yo!" The man grinned widely when she appeared "There you are! You're a tricky one to EXTREMELY track"

This wasn't an illusion, Chrome noted. The man and the bird were real, but he was older and taller than the version from her memories. How? And why? Was he here for her? The fighting had quieted down, the only noise were her pants and the owl's low hoots. Did he fight and was here to rescue her? Was it a coincidence?

"Do you remember me? I'm Sasagawa-senpai, but older! I'm EXTREMELY glad to see you, Dokuro! Things are a bit strange, but I promise to explain"

Or maybe not, Boss' words tended to always be right one way or another. With exhaustion and relief at connecting with something familiar, her body stumbled, but before she fell strong arms held her up.

"Woah, okay. I got you. Hold on, I'm taking you to the base, everything's gonna be fine! Ahhh, wait, Dokuro, hang on, stay with me!"

Chrome breathed out and closed her eyes, hugging the bag and the now sleeping owl securely to her chest. She found Mukuro-sama. She found Sasagawa-san. She can find Boss too.

.

.

.

Tsuna was only human. There's so much emotional shock she can take before exhaustion and dehydration finally caught up to her and she all but passed out.

She slept in her old bed put back together, curled with the dust and cold blankets while Hibari-san stood guard by the window, arms crossed and silent as a gargoyle. The sun was already high and burning when she woke up with a headache, an itch in her throat and her nose clogged.

She felt miserable, and the echoes of her room weren't helping her wake up from the nightmare. It took a lot of breathing and blinking to understand that she was in a place beyond her time, stolen away to a destroyed place that resembled her home. She was looking, but not really seeing, pretending this was but a shabby shack than a family residence.

But it was real, her intuition was up and alert as soon as she opened her eyes. The first thing she promised herself was not to cry again, she doesn't think there's any tears left in her burning eyes, but crying wouldn't get her out of this mess. She hated the situation, it felt as bitter as being forced to fight for the rings, the only thing different being the orchestrator.

She couldn't return home if all she did was wallow in self pity, but at the same time, she didn't want to get involved in a war. Out of spite she wanted to stay here hiding like a coward, but she couldn't because her friends were going to be stuck in this world too. And knowing them, they will fight danger to return. And knowing Reborn, there was no place on earth that she could stay hidden without being found.

Which led to her new crisis of the day.

Sleeping in had allowed the stress from her body to fade, she felt rested and with a clearer head despite the migraine, but the reality of her actions soon crashed in on her. And she found a scarier reason to hide. She ran away into a battlefield when she was the most-wanted-person and stole Reborn's magical pet. If this world didn't kill her, his punishment certainly would.

Groaning in her hands, she lamented the torture that awaited her.

Sounds downstairs also reminded her of the other presence in the house. And wasn't that embarrassing? To be picked up like an unruly child by the future version of her school's disciplinary committee leader.

And she knew it was late and they needed to go back, but all she could do was pace in her room because she was scared to go down.

She has never been so self-conscious of her state before, Kyoya has already seen her in spandex shorts and a sports-bra while crying and covered in blood, so there was no reason to try and brush her hair or stress over her appearance, but she was.

Hibari-san hasn't said a word or tried to attack her - yet - but being alone with him was embarrassing. What does he think of her when she's the cause Namimori has been invaded by enemy troops? Why did he come here, to her house, and stay with her? Where else would he take her? Why was he even involved? Did he hate her?

Too much, it was too much. She hasn't even had a proper meal to deal with all this stress. And wasn't she too young to be feeling embarrassed over meeting older men? Squalo somewhere in the timeline must be yelling VOOOOOOOIII I TAUGHT YOU HOW TO PUNCH, NOT TO BLUSH LIKE A MAIDEN! or something like that.

Okay, she can do this. She knew she could trust Hibari-san, anything else, well… anything else is anything else.

With her heart on her throat, she finally went downstairs as quietly as she could. She didn't look at the framed pictures on her way down, and focused on not slipping down the stairs. She wouldn't put it past her bad luck to fall in a moment like this. Now that would be embarrassing.

The sound of something being closed made her pause, and not moments later, Hibari-san came out from the kitchen fixing his suit jacket.

"Let's go"

She nodded, not saying anything or meeting his eyes. As they crossed the threshold, she realized she never once removed her shoes to go in. But that was fine, she thought with a sad smile, it just meant that she hasn't come back home yet.

Once outside, she pulled her hood up out of habit but it was useless because instead of sneaking around in shadows and hiding behind cars, they walked in the middle of the street without cover. Any soldier that spotted them and tried to attack were quickly dealt with by Hiabri-san, all Tsuna had to do was walk behind him and let him wreck chaos to his liking.

Reborn didn't have to know she didn't fight her way back, Hibari-san wont tell and she didn't feel ashamed of it. What was bothering her was the quiver of those purple flames. Kyoya was already scary with metal weapons, but now he somehow learnt how to use flames, and the only way he could've was to get deeper involved with the underworld.

With her.

Being the spectator of those flames instead of the receiver was nice for once, they were pretty and powerful, but she noted how after being unleashed they seemed to want to coil around her one way or another but died down before they could touch her. Perhaps Hibari-san really wanted to bite her to death but his autocontrol has leveled up exponentially.

But he kept breaking and changing rings, so maybe not that much in control? whatever they were needed for.

As they neared an abandoned zone of the town, Tsuna breathed cold air and looked at the overcast sky above her. She has always hated the cold, and now more than ever she misses the summer humid air, even the rain.

"Why aren't you mad at me?" She found herself saying "I destroyed everything"

"Don't be arrogant, little animal"

Hibari-san didn't seem in a hurry to be back, he didn't even seem annoyed by the soldiers patrolling his town or her walking a few steps back. But then again, it's been almost ten years, and maybe she didn't know this person anymore as she thought she did.

"Do you hate me?" She asked again, not looking for a fight or validation, she didn't know why she was even asking, but a part of her wanted to know if despite everything…

"Would you want me to?"

He was humoring her, there was no malice or boredom in his tone, it really felt like they were discussing the weather instead of betrayals. It annoyed her at not receiving a clear answer, and it confused her on why instead of a beating, he was indulging her with vague answers.

Maybe this was an alter-universe?

"Shouldn't you be fighting herbivores instead of babysitting me?" She mumbled and hitted a rock from her path. They were nearing a path surrounded by many trees and shrubs, but from this distance Tsuna could feel thick mist flames coating a gate from view. They weren't Mukuro's nor Chrome's, so it was baffling to see Hibari-san willingly crossing them. Not wanting to be left behind, she jogged to catch up. "Why are you crowding with the underworld?"

"You kept running and running until you ran out of time"

"So? Why did you stay then?"

He looked back at her, steel eyes that seemed so much darker and dim, without a hint of hostility in them. If she pretended, she could say they looked nostalgic and a little sad, but that couldn't be.

"Because you kept running"

From her past, from her future, from anything and everyone that tried to get closer, she ran and ended up dead. And now she was here.

Without explaining anything else, Hibari-san turned and continued his path, climbing stone stairs that led to a worn out torii gate and a small, wooden structure up the hill.

"A shrine?"

She looked around in wonder and thanked the heavens there was still some light out because the abandoned shrine was giving her creepy vibes. She didn't trust Reborn dressed like a ghoul to pop out from the ground to scare her, or her intuition to warn her for the matter, so as soon as she heard tiny steps on wooden floors, she flinched and stayed very close behind Hibari-san, almost peeking over his shoulder and using him as a shield.

If he was annoyed, he didn't voice it, instead, he hummed and stepped aside for her to be assaulted by six crying creatures.

"Kwha!" She shrieked and fell on her butt, covering her eyes in case the ghouls ate them, but instead of bites, all she felt was soft fluffiness and rough tongues licking her uncovered legs, neck and face. And despite the scare, she recognised the sensation of purring.

"Cats" She stared dumbly for a second before crying in delight "Kyoya, cats!"

All six of them were well groomed and fed, they meowed and rubbed all over her body to scent her and say hello. They were all from different breeds, sizes and colors, but they all behaved like kittens fighting to climb on her lap. Smiling widely, she giggled and rubbed them all, making sure to give attention to all of them.

"Did you became an old cat lady in the future?" She joked as she hugged a ragamuffin cat, who had climbed over her shoulders and wrapped its fluffy tail around her neck to paw at her face.

"They're yours"

She paused, and her eyes started to burn at the implication.

"...You kept them?"

"They were waiting for you"

Well, there goes her heart, she thought miserably as she became a scratching pole for the felines who wouldn't stop meowing and purring all over her. Needy little things, she wasn't a cat whisperer, so it was strange for cats to be so endeared to a stranger that probably smelled of dust and mold. But for them to recognize her younger self…

"What are their names?"

Hibari-san had gone to a small room at the back of the shrine to prepare some tea for himself, and it was up to her intuition to match the name to the correct cat as he called them over.

The orange tabby cat was Mikkan, the white American shorthair with gorgeous green eyes was Coco, the tuxedo cat was called Morgana, the brown somali cat was CoffeeBean, the grumpy looking gray persian cat was Scissorpaws and the milky ragamuffin hanging from her neck was named Sir Reginald Fluffybutt.

That tore an ugly snort out of her throat.

"Hello" She whispered hoarsely "Hello, I'm back"

The cats meowed as if saying welcome back. And it was such an innocent action, she couldn't ignore her hyper intuition any longer. It was so easy to put the blame on someone else, to excuse herself saying the future was not her fault, that it wasn't her problem to fix. But she knew too much and trusted so little, and when there was no way to run anymore, a plan was made out of regret to mend the hurting.

But it was a little too late for that.

"It was me, wasn't it?" She whispered "I planned this"

Hiabri-san didn't answer, but he didn't have to.

A tear fell from her eye, followed by another. When she thought she wasn't capable of crying and after promising not to do so in front of this person- she did. At first she didn't want to believe it, a lot of things were happening for her to wrap her mind around it, and everytime her thoughts wandered to that she ignored it. It was already terrible to see what her friends had become in the future, she didn't want to accept what she was also going to do the same to their past selves.

How can she face them, when she alone was the time-travel mastermind, and was only going to use them to achieve a goal. Who else would know when, where and how to act but her future self? On how to pull the strings to get what she wanted, no matter who gets hurt, all for the better good.

Maybe she even planned to die too.

Louder footsteps sounded from the other side of the shrine, her cats hissed in displeasure at the new person barreling in through a hidden door but she patted some in the head before standing up.

Tsuna has perfected the art of selective memory by keeping the things that make the days go by easier and working hard to forget the things that hurt to remember. This morning's conversation was all but forgotten in her mind, too far away to recall the words and feelings, the horror and guilt she felt quickly overlapped by the need of air.

But now, staring at the younger version of Yamamoto, she couldn't ignore those feelings any longer. She didn't say goodbye to them, to anyone. She just ran away, with the last memory of her being of a lier instead of a friend.

"Tsuna" He breathed, a letter clutched in his hands, probably telling everything that was to come and the bitter end that waited for them. She breathed guilt - shame more than anything.

"I'm sorry" She cried "I'm so sorry"

She closed her eyes, but Yamamoto hugged her. He didn't tell her to stop apologizing or not to cry, he simply held her and didn't demand answers or put blame on her. He was simply holding her, and shooing the paws of the cats trying to climb on his leg to reach her.

"We'll shape our own future with our own hands. Nothing else matters, okay?"

She didn't have the energy to break into sobs, but she couldn't nod either.

"Gokudera?"

"He got a little hurt but he's fine. Just sleeping" Saying that with a smile, he tried to wipe the tears from her eyes that just kept coming "The kids had to rescue us, can you believe it?"

"Kids?"

Before she could have a heart attack, two new - but very familiar - figures stepped into the tiny room.

"Jiějiě"

"Ipin?"

She has seen the older girl on the rare occasions Lambo used the bazooka on her, and it was always surprising to see the bashful chinese girl blossom. With long pigtails and a slender figure that hid a martial art artist, Ipin was a very humble, hard working girl. And strong too. Yamamoto only had the time to step aside and stumble over the cats as Ipin threw herself and hugged her tight.

"I missed you so much!" Her Japanese was perfect, was all Tsuna could think of. She was also taller than her, she had to raise her chin to be able to look past her shoulder and towards the shaking mop of hair a few feets behind. His tears have always been familiar, his hurt not so much.

"You liar!" 15-Year-Old Lambo cried when their eyes met before turning tail.

"Lambo!" Ipin scolded him, but the boy was already gone. With a sigh and a sad smile, the chinese girl released her. "I'm sorry about him, I'll…" She nodded to the hidden door that Tsuna realized deep in her mind led somehow to the underground base. When a hand grabbed hers, she turned to see Ipin looking at her with shining eyes. "Jiějiě, it's so wonderful to see you again"

Tsuna let them go. Let the two teens slip into the unknown, not knowing how to act or even what to say. There was also another lost boy avoiding her since yesterday, but she didn't know how to approach. Fuuta looked taller and so grown up but also sad; so different from the pictures hanging on the walls. The three of them were siblings, they were hers too, but they lost her, they mourned, and now here she was.

The cats meowed loudly, but her depressing thoughts were interrupted by yet another presence.

"Tsuna-san!"

Oh god, no.

"Haru"

"Tsuna-san, Tsuna-san, Tsunaaa!" Tsuna didn't even react as the younger version of Haru latched onto her and began to cry on her shoulder "You're okay, thank goodness, you're okay! Oh a kitty! Tsuna-san I was so scared I wouldn't find you, but you're here now, oh my god so many cats!"

"Haru"

She shouldn't be here. Why was she here?

Didn't they only need the guardians and rings? Her future self wouldn't be so cruel… would she?

"You're crowding" Hibari-san hissed, displeased by the gathering of teenagers at his door.

And they kept coming.

"Hibari~ Hibari~"

It said something about Hibird flying into a nest of cats unflinchingly and settling on Hibari-san's head. But was that really the same bird or was he Hibird-the-second?

"Well, this is an EXTREMELY class reunion"

"Senpai?" Yamamoto voiced in confusion at the man approaching them from outside the shrine.

Tsuna managed to escape Haru's grip and turned to see /thankfully/ the older version of Sasagawa Ryohei walking placidly towards them who was also wearing a suit and carrying an unconscious body with an oddly familiar hairstyle.

"Chrome!" Tsuna exclaimed, but just as she intended to go check on her, she was tugged back inside by Hibari-san's strong grip.

"Yo! My tiny friends, it's EXTREMELY good to see you! I'm heading in now, duty calls. But Hibari! You and I are having a drink later"

"No"

Which in Kyoya's language means, go die.

Ryohei had no fear and waltzed inside the shrine to pass through the hidden door, all while cooing at the hissing cats and ignoring the startled looks of Ymamoto and Haru, who seemed to still be grappling with the notion of being stuck in the future. And just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, another group arrived.

"Sawada!" Lal groweld, making Tsuna want to hide behind Hibari-san again, if it weren't from the sight of the orange-haired girl walking behind the older woman with a sorrowful expression. For years, Tsuna dreaded for this day to come. She tried to prolong it as long as she could, tried her best for it to never happen, actually. But it was inevitable, like all things were.

"Kyoko-chan!"

If, and she was talking about a big, cosmic if, Kyoko ever learnt the truth, she didn't want her to find out like this. Kidnap from a safe place, thrust into a war zone and shattering the illusion her pink life has been so far. Tsuna tried to hide the darkness for so long, but now, staring at the hurt eyes of her first friend…

"I don't want to be in this world!"

she could feel her heart breaking.

.

.

.

She was given three orders.

1- Eat

2- Sleep

3- Follow Hibari-san orders.

Which could be anything crazy from standing still and let him bite her to death to fight back and survive being bitten to death. Perhaps the craziest thing was that it was Hiabri-san himself who listed those orders and that Reborn agreed to have him take charge. She was scared the hitman and Lal were going to gang up on her training of hell, but they gave her away for Hibari-san's entertainment instead, which felt more mortifying than it should be and she was already dreading the vicious beating.

Of course, that didn't save her from their scolding.

"I'm sorry"

"Louder"

"I'm sorry, I'm an idiot!"

"And?"

"And a good for nothing, headless chicken!"

"What made you leave the base on your own?! Did you forget we're at war?! You're the main target, Sawada! People have died for you and won't stop until the enemy gets you!" Lal yelled for the fifth time since her return.

Tsuna didn't want to part with her cats. They meowed pitfully and tried to follow her underground when it was time to return, but she couldn't even smuggle one down because as soon as she was within reach, Lal grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and threw her inside the base.

She learnt that Chrome was brought to a medical room that she - injustingly - wasn't allowed to visit, while Gokudera was placed in his old room to sleep his injuries away. Haru and Kyoko hid in the former's room with Bianchi and Ipin explaining a bit more of the situation without divulging the Mafia secret.

It was stressful, but between confronting the girls or hiding with the boys, the choice was obvious. She and Yamamoto made camp on the floor to keep Gokudera company while he recovered, who kept hissing and throwing curses at the other boy. It seemed like both were aware of her imminent death in this timeline, but not why or who did it, which worked fine with her. She stopped Gokudera before he could even blame himself, and just recounted the situation outside without venturing on the whole betrayal thing.

They didn't ask for more answers, just promised to get home together, nothing else mattered. The blind trust just added weight to her guilt, and Tsuna let it simmer.

But no sooner after they were all fed, she was whisked away to face her doom and taken to a big, empty room that looked like a bare warehouse where she was forced to kneel and be reprimanded. It was utterly embarrassing and a bit humiliating to be scolded like a three year old that ate cake after dinner and then ran away from home with a stranger.

"One camara spotted you. You fail" Reborn added, with Leon perched back on his fedora. Stingy bastard.

"Don't encourage her!"

Despite the wounds and abrupt transportation in time, Gokudera and Yamamoto were also brought along to have this brief meeting to see what the hell they were going to do next. If they focused on the letter, then all the guardians were here, albeit different ages, with only three rings missing. But that didn't answer what the next phase of the plan to go back in time was, and Tsuna had the sudden feeling that whatever comes was going to be their biggest challenge in life so far.

"Right now, our priority is to stop the Japan raids" Reborn said "To do that, you three need to adapt to this new world's fighting mechanism"

"Time is ticking" Lal told them with crossed arms "Black spell knows the Vongola Rings are here and will attempt everything to get them. As soon as you brats get in shape, we'll infiltrate the Merone Base to shut down the weaponry factory and take down Irie Shoichi"

"We've received the coordinates and some data from Dokuro Chrome. Her future self cut contact with the familiga but was spotted a few days ago before she swapped places. We don't know where or how she got those documents, but they are our first lead in months"

"Can we even trust those plans?" Lambo grumbled, arm crossed and leaning on the farthest wall. He was probably brought here against his will, if Ipin hitting his arm for disrespect was any indication. Giannini and Bianchi were also present, and due to Chrome's critical state of disappearing organs, she had to be in intensive care so Ryohei opted to step out of this meeting until she was stabilized enough.

"Dame-Tsuna"

Tsuna blinked and looked up from her poor knees to see everyone somehow looking at her for confirmation. It took her some seconds to realize why.

"Um… yes?" She tilted her head and tried not to clear her throat to make her voice steady "I don't know, I need to see them to be sure"

"You can play with the magical voice later then"

"How exactly are we going to fight?" Yamamoto was the brave one to ask.

"By using this" Lal took out something small from her coat and showed it to them.

Tsuna had to squint her eyes from her place still on the floor, but when she saw a tiny dark blue box framed in silver, she felt dread rather than confusion. Then cold. Recognition. And finally, horror. Older Yamamoto's words rang loudly in her head, what she did and didn't do, what Byakuran wanted, and how that might have to do with her.

"These are box weapons. They appeared a few years ago but quickly dominated the Mafia world. They can harbor weapons, stock supplies or even unleash attacks depending of your flame element" Lal explained

"Wait, you know how to open it?" Tsuna asked abruptly, standing up and staring wide eyed at the box.

Lal looked at her, and without fanfare, she demonstrated by lighting a ring in cold, rain flames and infusing them over the small opening. There was no hiss or sound, but the little box opened and out came a balloon-like-medusa thing that floated up in the air with mist flames vines dancing lazily down below it.

"Seriously? That's it?"

"What are you on, Sawada?"

"I…" She paused, old habits dying hard, and now more than ever when she felt the stares on her - judging but not really - her habit to omit the truth came natural to her. "I might have had a dream about them for years, but I couldn't open it. I tried everything and I might have told Verde about it and he found something a few days ago in my time and maybe he's working on a prototype to create that?"

"Verde collaborated in the making of this, though the source origin's and real creator is still a mystery. He died before his research could be investigated"

"You are the creator of these boxes. Good for you, Dame-Tsuna" Reborn said calmly. Meaning: you're in so much trouble for lying about this shit and I'm going to make you pay for it.

"Yeah, good" She grimaced and shrunk back at the distrustful stares.

"Getting back on track, most of your future weapons were left here so you can familiarize with them as you go. There is no way of knowing how long we have until another time-shift occurs or worse. We need to infiltrate the base no sooner than a week's time, so it's vital you brats get stronger" Lal told them.

"Gokudera, Bianchi and Lambo will oversee your work in flame control and long-range attacks. Ipin will help Yamamoto with combat, but for technique honing, your boogeyman returns" Tsuna paled, Gokudera growled in indignation barking at a gloating Lambo to shut up while Yamamoto laughed awkwardly, not giving away the shiver that threaten to shake his body at having to train with Reborn again. Before more could be said, however, the hitman paused and stared at his student. "As for you, where are your gloves?"

Ah.

"..."

"..."

"...I forgot"

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Lal yelled at her again, making Tsuna flinch and hide behind Yamamoto and Gokudera.

"You're embarrassing me" Reborn sighed, and it wasn't fair! Gokudera was the only one that came to the future prepared and armed! Why weren't they also scolding Yamamoto for not carrying his sword?

"Good thing we are prepared" Bianchi said with a soft laugh as she walked towards her "This belonged to your future self"

In Bianchi's hands were the same pair of woolen mittens Leon had crafted for her, just more worn and scorched but without a single loose thread. Tsuna couldn't believe she was this lucky to have her weapon, but the thought of using this pair was also uncomfortable. It was just too personal, they weren't exactly hers, and she didn't want to imagine how many times they had been bleached clean.

"I shouldn't…"

"It's not like the other you is going to need them anymore"

"Lal!" Bianchi admonished, even the kids - well, the teens? - flinched at the remark.

"If they can't swallow up what already happened, then they have a lot to work if they wish to return"

"It's fine" Tsuna said as she grabbed the mittens, not wanting to cause a discussion and more hurt to the others.

"Gokudera, you should rest until tomorrow but if you want to start investigating your box weapons, do so with caution. Yamamoto, follow Ipin to the next training room, you will start training immediately"

"Yes, coach!"

Tsuna knew things were progressing fast and that every minute mattered, but she didn't like the fact they were thrown into intense training right away. Gokudera was still hurt as mentioned, and Yamamoto, while taking his training seriously, was still new to all of this. But just one look at them and she knew she couldn't ask them to consider, for they weren't asking permission.

"Don't strain yourselves, okay. And don't let Lambo antagonize you" She whispered that last part to Gokudera, who hadn't stopped fuming. Knowing him, he was going to ignore his 'teachers' and train on his own until Lambo eventually drove him crazy and they ended up burning the base. She didn't need hyper intuition to know that.

"You staying here, Tsuna?"

"Dame-Tsuna has her own training to follow"

Be bitten to death, survive being bitten to death and be bitten to death in doubles. Tsuna thought with dismay.

"See ya at dinner then!"

She waved weakly, becoming nervous when Lal and Reborn stayed behind. To say she wasn't scared would be a lie, even more so when Hibari-san walked inside after everything went quiet.

"Let's get this over with" Lal grumbled with crossed arms and leaning against the farthest wall with Reborn on her shoulder.

What the hell does that mean? Tsuna screamed in her head. Better yet, what the hell was she supposed to do now? She was supposed to train this 'new way' of fighting, but all she could sense was an incoming beating. Intuition told her to get ready, so she slid her hands inside the worn mittens and closed her eyes to prepare herself for the wave of hot flames.

But nothing.

Reborn wasn't going to shoot.

And she didn't have the pills.

So…

Startled, she looked up for guidance.

"Find your Dying Will, Dame-Tsuna"

"How do I do that?!" She screamed and stepped back because Hibari-san was getting closer and lighting a ring in purple flames.

How can she search inside her heart when a violent man was seconds away from beating her? She already has trouble willing the HDWM to go away, lighting in on her own was a whole different problem. She has only done so in critical situations but she doesn't remember doing it or how to try. It was raw instinct, frantic and panic frying her nerves and setting her on fire. But to do so on a whim, by impulse and will alone?

How the hell can she do that? How did she trigger the switch to turn it on and off whenever?

"It's not working" The words barely left her lips when her body moved.

She ducks, more like, her body collapsed and turned and jumped before she could even catch her breath and match it to her thoughts, staring wide eyed at the now familiar glint of madness in those steel eyes that Hibari-san shared with Kyoya.

He was probably gonna bite her to death until she turns herself on fire.

Nice plan.

She has done this before.

Albeit with a much younger Kyoya and less intensity, but she can work with that.

Probably.

Maybe?

She was going to die.

She did what she was best at though, and kept dodging the purple slashes that kept getting closer and faster the more she backed into the room. Her intuition moved her body away from the impact trajectory, and thanks to the months of training in the woods; dodging pine cones and bullet-paint, she had the agility to move on par without straining her body.

But the fight was relentless. It wasn't even a fight, Hibari-san was pushing and forceful, not giving her a second to breathe and run, he kept pressing harder and faster for her to fight back. To block, to punch, to burn. But her hands remained soft and her head uncrowned.

And she tried, she tried to light her flames, she felt desperate and scared, one bad step and she was going to get hit. One slow move, and she might lose a tooth. It was that extreme, she was concentrating more on her body movements than reaching for her sleeping flames. She couldn't multitask, not when her main focus was on not getting hit.

Maybe Hibari-san was faster than her intuition, maybe he acted without thinking so as to not alert her or maybe he knew how to trick her hyper intuition, because Tsuna didn't foresee what came next. She dodged a tonfa and saw Hibari-san take one of those weapon boxes, so she braced herself for a torrent of flames, but instead, something small came out and he threw it at her. It was slow and harmless, so her hands reached out instinctively to catch what appeared to be a cute hedgehog.

"Kyuu~"

What was up with Hibari and cute animals? Seriously! First a bird, then cats and now this. But getting off track was her first mistake because while she was busy staring at the yawning hedgehog, she didn't see the spikes forming behind her, and when her intuition screamed to move, she became surrounded by darkness until it buried her completely.

"This is a horrible idea" Despite her previous antagonism, it was Lal who raised that concern as they all stared at the spiked ball that swallowed the brunette.

"It was on his terms" Reborn shrugged. He didn't like the idea of Hibari training his student and beating her instead of him, but while he was unable to go out, Tsuna will have to rely on the ones that can.

"You do know that Sawada is claustrophobic, right?" Lal suddenly said.

And he paused, because that couldn't be right. He knew Tsuna had social anxiety and to lie by omission, but to be claustrophobic? He's been paying close attention to her actions and quirks, and never once did he felt suspicion of her having a trauma trigger. Though the open window in the middle of summer made so much sense now. At his silent analysis, Lal sighed in mocking.

"You slept in her room for months, how couldn't you notice?" This grown Lal has too much free reign with her words it seems. "Being locked in small spaces with no way out… she freaks out"

"Panic attacks?"

"Used to. But now…. Her flames destroyed her coffin from the inside in an attempt to get out. You can expect the worse now"

In other words, she can blow up.

And by the way Hibari laid his terms to train the brunette, he knew this will be the perfect trigger to awaken her flames. No one seemed to be wary of the man, the ones who showed an inkling of discomfort were already gone and the ones that remained seemed to take it aside. Hibari held more command than Lal's within the group and that was saying much, but he didn't want to lead a crowd and Lal just wanted to get things done.

His only condition of staying was complete control over the brunette's training. And whether that causes more trauma or not, well, that will have to take the gamble. He just hopes Tsuna doesn't throw the towel so soon in the game. After all, waking up in a sealed coffin can do wonders to a girl.

---

It was like she just woke up in a nightmare but instead of infinite white, there was only darkness. Her hands reached instinctively fordwards, and it took two steps for them to collaid on a wall.

"No"

She couldn't feel corners, but she knew she was trapped inside something. Above, below; everything around her was the same dark space, she couldn't even see her hands shake or her knees tremble in desperation as she kept turning around, trying to find a way out.

Her head shook, and the less she saw, the more she despaired.

"Nononono, let me out! Kyoya!" She banged on the nearest surface "Please! Let me out!"

Her chest started to heave, she could feel her heart pounding in her ears, and the scary thing was that it was the only thing she could hear. No matter how much she yelled and hit the walls, there was no other sound but her own. There was no exit, or opening, and the harder she hit, the more she knew the walls were closing in on her, stealing space and air.

She couldn't breathe.

"Let me out!"

She screamed, and from her hand, a sparkle was lighted. It was small and died as soon as she saw it, but no matter how much she tried, she couldn't make it light up again. There was a pressure in her chest, gravity digging its claws on her and dragging her to the bottom of this abyss. One moment she was standing, the next she was kneeling, and it all felt darker and smaller.

She didn't want to be here.

She wanted out.

"Please"

["Are you crying?"]

"Shut up!"

The last thing she needed was a ghostly voice taunting her from the dark.

["Afraid of the dark?"]

["We are the dark"]

["Don't run"]

There were more.

"Oh my god!"

She grabbed her head and tried not to choke on the weight that threatened to fall on her. If gravity had forced her down before, this felt more like the jaws of a beast trying to swallow her whole. And the voices in her head or outside the aether or the beings from beyond kept whispering deep tauntings of mockery and desilusion.

["How small"]

["Breakable"]

["Let us in"]

"Who are you?!" she screamed to the void,

["Who are you?"]
and it answered back.

Who was she?

She was just a girl trying not to break under the pressure. What was she even doing here, in the dark? In this place and time? She shouldn't be here, she didn't want to be here. There were so many things that needed to be done. So many people to save, so many things to stop. They needed to go home.

["What do you desire?"]

What she wanted?

She wanted to be a hitman; back when she was stupid and naive and thought that going on missions was as cool as becoming a superhero and saving the day. Of fighting bad guys and rescuing people, of laughing and eating with her famiglia. And when that dream was ripped away, she just wanted to…

She…

["What would you do?"]

Breathing in, she raised her head. It could be the lack of oxygen filling her lungs or the tears blurring her already dark vision, but from within the shadows surrounding her, she saw the dark matter bending and folding into a tall shape of a being. A man, a ghost, a demon; something old, something forgotten, fire burning cold.

She stared at it, heart racing and fear chilling her to the bone at the absolute force it carried.

["Your Will is our Will"]

["Become us"]

The figure breathed, and from the dark, an orange flame came to life and she saw what it truly meant to become Vongola.

Like a firework, gone was the darkness and silence, and in seconds she saw and heard the life and death of a Famiglia defined by blood; not just the bloodline they carried, but the one that was shed instead. Every action and consequence added fuel to the flames that were said to be the purest of them all, and yet, they were the heaviest, corrupted, most possessive of them all.

It was in a Boss with a bleeding heart allowing a friend to betray him again and again.

In an usurper shedding blood for the greed of power, forever staining their name.

In a commander massacring famiglias that opposed their laws, increasing their death count.

In a man that poisoned the lives of his friends for the sake of the Famiglia, becoming a tyrant.

In a leader taking revenge against a brother who was born first, stealing more than a life.

In a thinker that refused to see beyond a crusade, killing innocents and guilty alike.

In a family man gambling with stakes higher than his own, filling the vault with tragedy.

In a daughter lying to her own blood, breaking vows and bonds in turn.

In a father fighting against his adopted son, tearing the Family apart.

["Vongola's sin is yours"]

And didn't she already do that too? Didn't she let a friend betray her, taint innocent lives and bring them to the underworld all for the sake of not being alone? Didn't she lie and force others to fight for her? Steal information, allow a war to happen, destroy a city and break a Family apart all for the sake of keeping her lies? How much blood was on her hands? How much pain has she caused? In the end, that's who she became.

["Accept us"]

["Everything you wanted"]

["The power"]

["It's in your hands"]

["The resolution"]

["Inherit the past"]

["Accept the sin"]

No.

She didn't want it. She wanted power. She needed power, but not this. Not this blood. Not this sin.

["Don't deny it"]

["Embrace it"]

No.

She refused to accept the past. She rejected the future that awaited. It wasn't what she wanted and it wasn't what she should carry.

["Why do you run?"]

["Why do you fight?"]

… She wanted to survive. Just that. She wanted to live, no matter what. Six years gone by, and that answer has not changed. The stakes have risen, truths have been revealed, but it still wasn't enough to earn freedom. And there was a chance to break those chains, but not like this.

["Don't you want it?"]

["Fame"]

["Money"]

["Power"]

She was hurt, broken and alone. She swore never to trust again, to use whatever means to achieve her goals, earn knowledge and power and stay safe with her mom. But the years made her hollow, and when her friends and family filled the void- those who saw through her and accepted her still, she refuses to let them go, despite everything.

["Vongola"]

["It's yours"]

["Ours"]

She clenched her hands and gritted her teeth.

Fuck no.

"Fame!? Money!? I don't care about Vongola!" She screamed to the void "You people can go to hell with your greedy souls for power! I won't carry your sins! This path is my own sin. If I accept the position of Decimo, I will burn Vongola to the ground!"

She may have been lost in the past, she might have become a monster in the future, but right here and now, she just wanted to be Tsuna. And she wasn't going to let anyone dictate her own life but her; not the ghost from the past, or the spirits of the future.

She glared head on at the imposing figure, letting the anger and fear swirl in her core, let the sadness and grief to settle and made way for spite to ignite in her hands. If she has to face darkness to stay in the light, then so be it. But the void did nothing to harm her, and that rage that started to burn inside of her faded like soft feathers taking flight when the orange flames twisted into an akin of a grin.

["I accept your resolution, Sawada Tsunayuuki"]

She breathed out,

and it was warm.

Grounding.

Familiar.

---

"It's breaking!"

Tsuna only had ten minutes before oxygen levels ran out inside that sphere, and she was nearing the ninth when the first crack appeared. There was no way to know what she was doing inside; if she was screaming like an idiot and punching that wall or doing the impossible and burning flames to break down her prison.

There was no plan B if she failed, no one was going to say out loud that they believed in her, but the room did feel lighter when the second crack appeared, followed by the strong allure of Sky flames bursting through.

Tsuna was breathing hard, she was shaking and crying but her gleaming, orange eyes were looking down at the modified version of the mittens in wonder. Gone were the training gloves of a rookie learning how to throw punches; on her hands was a weaponry fit for a Boss, majestic and elegant looking, stripped in leather, silver and with sapphires at the sides holding the Vongola crest.

"They said that the Vongola Decimo had the power of the Ring at the back of her hand. Let's hope she doesn't misuse it this time"

So many hints of the future, Reborn was growing a list at all the inconsistencies and warnings. But they were just that for now, a list, as his attention went back to his student, eager to see this new awakening.

Tsuna shuddered a breath when her flames pulsed. There was something strange in it, not a bad feeling exactly, but something different. The flames felt more stronger than before, raw. As if they had reached a deeper level from within her and had finally clawed out. It also felt a bit ridiculous how she was able to call forth this power by something as petty as rejecting expectations.

My Will is to reject your Will, she had thought, and her flames flared.

She has thought about it so many times, has yelled and cursed with and without the ring in her hand, and she has always meant it. But now, she can see why it hasn't worked before as it does now. She was angry, but scared too. Hurt, and selfish too. A part of her still wanted to use this power despite the consequences, but she didn't regret it.

She thought what happened, happened. There was no point involving oneself in something out of control, but it was only after she learnt that she would burn everything she held dear; more than refusing becoming a Mafia Boss, she didn't want to become her future self. And if she couldn't escape it, then all she has to do was burn the foundations of her chains.

She breathed familiar fire, and felt the tingling sensation it brought. More than anything, she felt the pull louder than before, the calling. It wanted to reach out and consume, but she couldn't let it go on rampage, not until she understands how to control it.

Right now, her intuition was focused on a more important matter. Clenching her hands, she looked up at steel eyes that shone with blatant hunger. Surviving that was first, sorting feelings came second.

But there was no warning or time at all to stop, it took less than a second for her flames to react. Before she knew it, she was crashing on the farthest wall strong enough to create a dent and knocking her out, mind not even aware of the arms that caught her as she fell out of consciousness.

Reborn sighed, not at all surprised. All that power and she was going to self-destruct, typical.

.

.

.

Fainting was a blessing in disguise. She had no dreams or nightmares, no thoughts keeping her up as she remained unconscious for some hours that felt like days. Her body healed, her mind settled and the world had stopped spinning. Really, fainting was better than sleeping.

Of course, as soon as she was up, she was thrown back into training. Quite literally.

She was flung and tossed by her own flames, Hibari-san didn't even need to beat her for her to crash painfully on walls and make dents on the floor. She skied, slipped, rolled, it was worse than learning how to skate and even to fly. The flames were just too strong for her to handle, her poor arms and ribs were straining at the forceful pull and falls.

Not only were the flames stronger to control, but they also carried an intensity that was overheating her. It was a scientific mystery Gokudera was trying to solve over their lunch breaks because flames weren't necessarily fire, but they combust and burn just the same. They ran wild and hot, hence why her body was burning energy the double so there was always a bucket of cold water at the ready for when it got too unbearable.

But it still wasn't good enough. It's been two days of this intense beatings, and all she has done was crash on walls and floors. For all they knew, the enemy could have infiltrated Japan by now. Hibari-san wasn't patient, Lal wouldn't sapre her a moment of time and Reborn was busy training his new favorite student, so she was on her own to figure it out how to gain control.

There was also the strain of entering HDWM, and it felt worse than before, like something inside of her was splitting in two. And it's not like she was trying to hide it, but as soon as she showed discomfort when she released the flames, she was kicked to visit the infirmary.

Now listen, it's not like she was avoiding it. It might seem like she's been ignoring everything - everyone - else and focusing solely on training, and while Haru had come out to help in the kitchen and try to visit everyone, Kyoko remained inside their shared room. And Tsuna, well… she hasn't sought her out or talked to her since she came here.

And now she was forced to meet her older brother under the pretense of having a headache.

And now she was forced to meet her older brother under the pretense of having a headache. At least Reborn wasn't here to force her hand, she thought miserably, but it was still nerve wracking having to knock and wait for the door to open.

"Tiny Sawada! WELCOME!"

"Hello" She grimaced a smile as she was waved inside.

Older Ryohei didn't seem that much different than his younger version, he still carried the same energy and exuberance, perhaps a little bit tamer, but the main difference was that he got taller. It was nice, knowing he hasn't lost his spirit. What was surprising however, was that he was their appointed nurse instead of a training coach. You'd think he will be eager to fight them and help them get in shape, but no. He was busy treating their wounds and giving pep talks. It was really nice.

"You married?" She asked as soon as she sat and saw the gold band on his finger. Well, look at that. That's perhaps the first happy news she has found from this dark future.

"Surprised?"

"Someone I know?"

"You EXTREMELY know her" He grinned at her before sitting in front of her "Now, what's the problem? Bruises? Cramps?"

"My head hurts a lot"

"How long has it been going?"

"It comes and goes, but I feel fine"

"Has your nose bled?"

"Not in a while. Why?" Confused by his question, she was startled when he leaned down on his elbows and stared at her with a serious gaze.

"I need you to be truthful with me. Are you sick?"

"What?" She just came here because of a headache at Hibari-san's orders, shouldn't he be the one telling her if she was ill or not?

"You kept things to yourself, very closely" Ryohei started to explain "I don't know what they have told you so far, but your health was extremely declining in the last months before that day. You didn't let me check on you or even heal you, so I don't know how bad it was. But you were tired and bleeding a lot. Tons of headaches and dizzy spells"

"I don't- I'm not, I'm not sick" She shook her head as whatever it was he was suggesting was run over in her head "I think I'm anemic? But Rebron's been controlling my meals and energy levels"

"Reborn is a danger in its own"

"What?"

"Nothing. Listen, can I?"

He showed her his hand that was coated by Sun flames. She stared at them in wonder, never thinking that the loud guy who likes punching would ever learn one of the secrets of the Mafia. It was surprising, and Tsuna had to remind herself that it's been years and people have changed. Maybe not entirely, but rather than change, they matured. And it was fitting, wasn't it? Sun flames heal, and he was here taking care of them instead of fighting recklessly.

And there was also the fact that he was waiting for her to give him a verbal answer instead of acting on her nod alone. That was strange, and it was even stranger when he placed his hand on her head and she was able to feel for the first time his flames. She didn't know if she tensed because they felt cold or because...

"You and I, did we bond?"

"Not properly" He said with a rueful smile, confirming her thoughts "You're an EXTREME sister to me. You protected me, I protected you. We're family, Sawada. But I wasn't what you wanted. It took me a while to understand flames and by the time I was aware, you were courting another Sun"

"I don't understand how it works"

"It's like picking your favorite color. The box can contain ten different shades of one color, but only one is your EXTREMELY favorite one"

That was clear to understand, but it didn't explain everything. Fon had mentioned how the flames were a part of her, and that it was her choice if she bonded with someone or not. He also teased how he could feel her flames unbound before she accepted Gokudera's. But it didn't explain why.

Maybe she was complicating it more than it actually was, she still didn't know how this allure worked other than being aware of the push and pull, but if she accepted Yamamoto; who was perhaps her most agonizing decision of letting in or not, why didn't she chose Ryohei from the start when he was already involved? Instead she brought doubt and worry, and more lies it seemed.

"Sorry…"

"Don't apologize. Some things are just meant to be, and we can't force them. Kyoko used to say just because flowers didn't bloom in your garden, it didn't meant we couldn't EXTREMELY plant succulents instead"

The analogy was silly, but at the mention of his sister, Tsuna wasn't able to hide the flinch of shame.

"...how is she?"

"Sad" He said before removing his hand, happy with his work "You know, you were with her when she found out in this timeline. You were on a train when a bastard EXTREMELY attacked you. Kyoko got hurt and saw you shoot someone. I was so mad, I punched you in the face" He laughed at the memory of it before sighing and shaking his head "She came to me crying, not about her friend being a killer, or putting her in danger or even of lying to her. She was crying because she couldn't do anything but watch you kill"

What can she say against that? Sorry wouldn't even cover half of her remorse and guilt she felt. She doesn't know how or where Kyoko appeared in this world, but it must have been a horrible experience if Lal went to pick her up and she returned in tears.

Why hasn't Ryohei punched her yet?

"Sometimes, we hide things we know will hurt someone. But some lies hurt more than the truth"

"You want me to tell her?" She asked quietly, and looked up at him for guidance.

"I don't hate you, Sawada. I respect you. You EXTREMELY earned that. But you hurt so many people with your lies, my sister included. I'm asking you to take responsibility. Don't make the same mistake and take your secrets to your grave"

But that was the point, wasn't it? To protect something, one had to lie. They wouldn't be secrets if she told someone about it. How can she protect the innocent if she lets them see the shadows hidden beneath?

But looking at his understanding eyes, Tsuna realized he wasn't asking her to stop lying exactly, but rather, to trust others with herself. Being known was perhaps scarier than wielding a gun and shooting in the dark, but that duality was killing her. She couldn't keep pretending to live two lives, that one was flowers and sweets while the other one dark and bloody.

The line had already blurred and all she was doing was slipping and crashing.

Coming clean was for the best. How the hell was she going to explain the whole time-traveling, anyway? Kyoko might not understand or even forgive her, but she will at least earn the truth she deserves. She was not hoping for much, really the best thing that could happen was for Kyoko to cut ties right away. The guilt will not go away, but she might find the closure to move on.

She gripped Ryohei's hand, taking comfort in the heat coming from it and the secure grip he returned. There was so much she wanted to say and ask, she doesn't know how long he will stay around, time really was ticking for them, but she hopes he stays a little longer.

With her headache gone, bruised healed and an energy boost, she made her way back to where the girls were staying with Ipin. She considered turning into HDWM to stop feeling and blurt the truth, but she couldn't. Lal already called her a coward, and if she wanted to get better at using her flames, she needed to stop hiding behind them.

Shuddering, she knocked rapidly before she lost nerve and turned back. She had been preparing a speech; for years probably, and it just kept getting longer with new excuses and more lies. But when the door opened, and Haru stared at her, her mind went blank.

Just rip off the band aid, then.

"Tsuna-san?" Haru asked.

"Can I come in?"

Haru didn't turn to ask if it was okay, which was good. And when she was allowed in, Tsuna quickly surveyed the room for her other friend. Sitting on the floor next to some scraps and thread, was Kyoko. And she wasn't crying, which was also good. She looked like she had been though, and Tsuna opted to focus on the pieces of cloth scattered than her face.

"I lied" She said before anyone else could say something "I've been lying to you. All my life, I've been pretending to be nice and just used you to protect myself"

The door closed, and this conversation was going to stay in this room. And when the door opens, anything she says will stay behind.

"I'm in the Mafia. I'm heir to the bloodiest mafia famiglia in Italy. And you're here, because I made a plan to bring you all here for my own selfish benefit. Not so you'll help me fight, but as a bargain chip for me to work fast and return you back"

She breathed out and crossed her arms to stop her hands from shaking, still unable to meet the eyes of the person who she considered a best friend.

"I used to hate you… You were so happy and I was so broken. I thought you were lying and laughing at me when you asked me to be your friend. I didn't, I-I couldn't trust you. I didn't want to. But you were too damn persistent, I said yes just to make you stop. And I kept waiting for you to get bored, to be annoyed when I didn't want to play or to make fun of me because I wasn't like everyone else. But you stayed and I didn't like it. And so I thought, I will use you as a cover up. Just two innocent girls, laughing and having fun"

And fun they had. Tsuna can't pretend it didn't mean something, that she was lying the whole time and say she didn't care about the girl when it was breaking her heart having to shatter their friendship like this. What she ran away from, she ended up becoming and hurt a friend because of her lies. She regretted the pain she caused, the lies she told and feelings she must have caused on the other, but not meeting her.

She really doesn't regret meeting Kyoko and learning to heal because of her.

When she saw feet in front of her, she looked up to see the orange-haired-girl crying silently and staring at her with focus determination. Tsuna owes her the truth.

"I don't remember when I stopped pretending. Walking to school together, having lunch together, being kicked from summer festivals, eating cake. It became us. But I was already too deep, and it was only going to get worse. Battles, blood, death. I didn't want you to see that, because once you enter this dark world, there is no going back. But I… The truth is, I was scared of you"

"Me?" Kyoko asked softly, voice barely trembling despite the tears in her eyes.

"I was scared you'd hurt me" Tsuna confessed "That you'd leave me"

Because Tsuna didn't want to be alone again.

There were so many chances for her to let Kyoko go, but she didn't. She couldn't. And now, she was facing the consequences of that decision. But it will be fine. She'll keep the memories dear in her heart, and let them remind her there were things worth believing in still, that there were still smiles in the cruel world.

"Things are going to get so much worse, but I promise I will get you home, everyone. A-And I will keep my distance and leave you alone. No one will track you or put you or your family in danger because of me again. I swear, nothing will happen to you or your brother"

"Don't be silly, Tsuna-chan" Kyoko sighed with a sniffle "I'm not leaving"

"I'm scared shitless I'll get you killed. That you will see me…"

"I will never be afraid of you. Tsuna-chan is Tsuna-chan, and you're my friend" Slowly, as if afraid she will run, Kyoko reached forward and held onto Tsuna's hoodie. "I don't understand your world, and I'm sorry you had to walk alone for so long. But you don't have to, not anymore"

"No" She stepped back but Kyoko's grip was tight "No. It's a bad idea. Kyoko, don't be stupid!"

"Stop pushing me away. If you think I was going to cry and run away from you, then you really don't know me either"

"I'm dangerous. Do you understand that? I can hurt you, your brother can get hurt, you can die! What if we are not there to protect you?"

"Then I'll learn how to protect myself"

"And if I kill someone?"

"You are not a killer, Tsuna-chan. You might fight and hurt others, but if you ever take a life, it won't be because you like it or because you wanted to. If you pull the trigger, it'll be because there was no way out and you had chosen to protect"

"You're so naive" Tsuna shook her head in denial. This wasn't what she had in mind, this acceptance and naivety of the power of friendship. It felt too real to be true, too fragile. Her eyes burned, and she was waiting for her to change her mind, to yell, to blame her, but Kyoko wasn't cruel, if anything, she was stubborn.

"Maybe, but I have to be positive for the two of us" Kyoko smiled, tired and a little sad, but sincere and grip unrelenting "Thank you for telling me. I feel like I'm meeting you for the first time again. It's nice to meet you, Tsuna-chan"

And Tsuna could do nothing but bite her lip and nod.

"Mn"

Was it really that simple? Forgiving.

She felt undeserving, but so precious, Tsuna would do her best and keep her friends safe.

"Group hug!" Haru wailed as she threw her arms around them, having kept quiet during the confession to let them sort it out before reaching her limit and started bawling about friends, sleepovers and girl power.

"Haru!"

No more hiding, Tsuna promised.

.

.

.

That night, when she should've been resting in her room past sleeping hours, she sneaked inside the big, empty room and lit her flames.

The Sky crown crackled silently in her head, and in her hands, she stared at the flames burning bright and raw. Some patches were darker and some of them lighter, but rather than being new flames like she had previously thought, she was seeing that wasn't the case. Her weaker flames were being consumed by the resolution she engraved in her soul, but ironically enough they refused to disperse.

They were restless and still holding on.

Now both sides were chewing and spitting at each other in dissonance, the perfect state of what her heart looked like at the moment.

Tsuna was no stranger to darkness, she had embraced it long ago and didn't need a reminder of what being in the Mafia meant. But she still held innocence, for some miraculous reason, there was still hope in her that not all was lost, that things will be better without losing herself in the process.

It was scary to know she failed along the way, that somehow, someway, she lost faith and heart. That most of all, Tsuna ran until she lost ground.

Time caught up with her.

Maybe she made a plan to fix the impossible.

Maybe she was sick but didn't confide.

Maybe she forced someone dear to end her.

Maybe she tried to play hero and ruined things.

Maybe the future was unsavable and this will be nothing more than a bad memory.

The weight of the world has never seemed so heavy as it did now with her soul burning bright in her hands. She let it dance and curl in her fingers, let it breathe and co-exist, she couldn't forget where she came from nor ignore what she became, and to find balance, she needed to accept and forgive and let her flames become one.

[Remember]

She held both flames in her hands.

Her past behind her, her flames weak and struggling.

Her future in front of her, fire blazing and roaring.

And herself in the middle, trapped in the struggle that was her current time, a tangle of embers fighting to remain alive.

One breath, and she let go.

Wildfire surrounded her in seconds, dancing and burning; trying to force her to her knees, clawing and biting. She didn't know if she was screaming, could barely hold her ground as the flames tried to push her around, but she braced herself, orange eyes glaring at the fire around her. She was not going to fall, she wouldn't move until she tamed them.

The familiar sensation of frost in her fingertips and blood in her nose became present, her eyes were tingling and she could feel her muscles coiling tight by the strain her body was feeling, but she held on.

She was not going to fall.

She was going to conquer.

She was going to burn the chains.

.

.

.

---

Remember I told you things were going to make sense soon? I think I just confused you more, but you guys might want to re-read the fic again and search for hints and clues to match the puzzle.

I was worried this chapter was too long, but ironically enough, 3 authors from different fandoms that I follow updated their new chapters with +30k, so I was like, naaah, it's okay.

Love you guys! Stay safe ❤️