A/N:

Third. But not the last. There's probably two more for tomorrow.

Ps. His presence in here is a one time thing.

Anyway, go on.

Chapter Eighteen

"No child. You didn't."

Tsuna brought his hands to his face and whispered. "I did."

The man with gravity-defying blond hair and sparkling warm blue eyes crouched down in front of the brunet and pulled Tsuna into a hug. The young man sobbed out and hiccuped as he cried out of self-blame. The man hugging the latter hummed in understanding as he rubbed the back of the brunet.

"It's alright Tsuna. I deemed the lady is alive. You caught her and shielded her enough to minimize damage."

"But she looked so pale and-"

"Tsuna. I know you're disappointed to yourself. But there's always time for improvement." The blond parted a little from the brunet and wiped the latter's tears. "We aren't perfect beings. Take it from me. If I was perfect, will Vongola ever end up like this? No, right? Because I wasn't perfect."

"But you made it because you wanted to help, Giotto. You didn't strive for perfection. You craved to have peace."

Giotto smiled. "I did. And you did awhile ago too. Now, the lady is still alive, Tsuna. If you still want to help, wake up already. There are people out there who are worried sick of you."

Tsuna blinked at him, confused and tears forgotten. "There are?"

Giotto nodded. "Yes. Hayato is already rampaging. Kyouya is sulking and Mukuro is having dark thoughts again. Want me to start with Lambo and Takeshi?"

"Oh no!" Tsuna panicked. "The hospital will burn down if they start to do dangerous things!"

"You are the only one who can stop them." The blond pointed out.

Tsuna hugged the man again before parting. "Need to go. Visit you later."

Giotto nodded with a smile as the brunet began to go transparent. "Don't do anything I won't do, Tsuna."

"I'm not that stubborn!" Tsuna pouted before he vanished.

Giotto laughed lightheartedly and shook his head. "Of course you are."

Tsuna fluttered his eyes open. He looked around the area he's in, blinking his eyes for clearer vision, before sitting up. He quickly removed his oxygen mask, detached his IV wire before he jumped at Mukuro who was going to attack Kyouya. Good thing the mist was near him.

The room went still. Tsuna lifted himself from the groaning man and huffed as he crossed his arms and glared at them.

"I only left you for what?" Tsuna questioned, clipped and angry.

"Two days." Lambo supplied.

"Two days and you're already tearing the place down. Do those things once I died, okay?" Almost all of them whined. "Fine. Do the tearing when I'm in a dire situation."

"But you were, Tenth." Hayato argued.

"I was but I'm getting better. Do it when I'm getting worse." Tsuna went off from Mukuro and helped the man stand up. "Sorry. You were the nearest."

"Or because I was going to attack birdie-chan?" The mist corrected.

Kyouya hissed.

"Both. I wasn't thinking." Tsuna replied as he leaned a little to the man.

"And because you weren't thinking, you removed your mask and IV drops." They all looked at the door where Shamal is. He gave the brunet a scolding glare. "On to the bed, Lion. Don't make me order them."

Tsuna grimaced, feeling his body ache. "Who wants to carry the king to his bed?"

"I do!" Takeshi volunteered with a raise of his right hand.

The noiret picked him up by his armpits and placed him on the bed. Hayato tucked him in while Kyouya put the oxygen mask on him again when the skylark noted the heavy breathing. Mukuro took the IV hose and raised it high so it won't get wasted. And Lambo went as himself. He slid under the covers and settled himself beside the brunet. But before he hid his face on his brother's shoulder, he stuck out a tongue at the four men.

Shamal shook his head and went towards his wayward patient. He placed his clipboard at the foot of the bed and pulled out some IV needle. He took the brunet's hand, who was watching him, searched for a good nerve then put the needle on it. He connected the tube of the dextrose after removing the no use needle and stepped back.

He had already told Tsuna's friends the situation. Apparently, Tsuna hugged the lady he protected and took all the damage. It was a miracle that the boy's flame harmonized the bodily function of his insides to keep him alive. And now the child, who is barely alive, leapt out of the bed to join his friends' craziness.

He looked at the others before pulling up a stern look.

"Just how many days are you five staying here and stink up the place?" He asked.

The four men stilled and looked at each other.

Takeshi laughed nervously, a hand on his nape. "Since Tsuna is awake now, we'll leave."

"But Lambo is already asleep." Tsuna pointed out as he eyed the little noiret.

"Don't worry, Tenth." Hayato assured as he lifted the blanket and carefully took Lambo out of the bed. "I got this."

"We'll be back before you know it." Mukuro grinned.

Tsuna smiled against the mask. "Be careful."

"Want anything?" Takeshi inquired.

Tsuna blinked at them before gazing at Kyouya. "I want to bite Kyouya."

Kyouya huffed. "Just because you're a lion doesn't mean you can bite me off, Little Animal."

"I was joking." Tsuna chuckled, easing them up more. "I want orange colored food and drinks."

"Got it." Takeshi responded with his easy grin.

Tsuna waved as they piled out of the room. After the door closed, the brunet looked at the doctor. He knew Shamal since he was sixteen. The man is a womanizer. He beds different women everyday and goofs around when he just wants to flirt. The man is exemplary in his profession. Not a quack or a know-it-all. Although he's a doctor, it doesn't mean the man does not kill. After all, he is the Trident Shamal, a hitman and known as a mafioso.

But right now, he can see the distress that the doctor wants to mask. First time and almost unnoticeable, but he knew the signs very well.

"Shamal-san?" Tsuna called out.

"Yes?" The doctor queried.

"What's wrong?"

Shamal made a contemplative face before he sighed. "You know Hayato?"

"We met in Italy." Tsuna replied before closing his eyes. "I met him as a composer. But he was known to be a pianist."

"Was he the one who was accused of plagiarism, but been brave enough to clear his name?"

He opened his eyes and nodded weakly. "Yes."

"Hayato is my..." Shamal gulped as he leaned on the wall beside the window. "He's my godson from his mother's side. We were quite inseparable when he was young. I even brought him to the Vongola Mansion once and he declared to me that he'll be part of the famiglia once he grew up."

"What happened?"

"Lavina died. Hayato and I were devastated. We couldn't stand each other since he got his mother's hair and eyes while I remind him of his mother, cause... Well, I'm a friend technically. Whenever we see each other, we remember Lavina and the fact that she's gone. It was too painful and unbearable that we decided to part ways."

Shamal gazed at Tsuna who looked thoughtful. "I know how it hurts. I mean I look like Mom, but in opposite gender. And Dad is dad. Mom loves him and dotes on him all the time. The both of us remind each other of Mom. Her sunny disposition, her looks, the way she sees things. Even the whole house reminds us of Mom. So I know how unbearable it is."

"Of course you know. A sky knows all the pain and understand how it works even if they came from different reasons." Shamal gave a small smile. "Thank you for bringing Hayato back."

"I say I haven't fully brought back Hayato until you two talk to each other and reconcile."

The doctor rolled his eyes. "Just sleep already."

"Hayato is composing songs, you know." Tsuna informed as he wiggled on the bed. "I love that one song he titled Forever Love."

"What was about?"

The brunet halted from moving, thinking. "It's about his Mother."

"Oh."

Tsuna smiled as he settled down. "I bet he'll be composing again once we settle."

"Right." Shamal sighed.

"Ne Shamal-san."

"Yeah?"

"How's the..." He hesitated then cleared his throat. "Lady?"

Shamal shook his head. "Get better first before I tell you."

Tsuna beamed. "Deal."

No. It wasn't a deal. After an hour of sleep, Tsuna woke up with panic. It doesn't need a genius to figure out that he had dreamed of what had happened. And he figured that it won't let him go. Not with his intuition acting as a catalyst to this. And he knew the only solution.

He had to visit the lady.

Like earlier, he took off the oxygen mask. He looked at it with resignation. No. Not disgust nor hate. It's not the thing's fault that he ended up like that. Tsuna is even grateful that the latter provided him much needed oxygen. So being very generous, he turned off the supplier.

He swung his feet to the side of the bed and looked for slippers, but nothing was within sight. Deciding what to do and knowing it will take a lot of energy, Tsuna steeled his will before slowly standing up with a hand on the bed as a brace. He gritted his teeth when he felt gravity fiercely pulling him down. It was so much easier to stand awhile ago, when he jumped on Mukuro. But what's the difference now? He lacks adrenaline?

Jaw clenching, he reached out for his dextrose stand and used it as a support. A little hunched with wobbling legs, he took a step. He almost had a face plant if he didn't catch himself. He tried to breathe evenly before trying to walk again. He slowly went around his bed and looked down at the foot of the bed. He gave a sigh of relief when he saw the innocent white fluffy slippers. He slowly put them in, a little careful that he might tip back because of his sudden motions. After the achievement and not feeling the cold floor anymore, he went for the door.

He listened for movements from the outside first before opening the door. He walked out and closed the door behind him with a soft 'click'. He reached out for his intuition. Being giddy with his request, the alien in his head gave him clear direction. Nudging him to go straight, walk to the right or left and tapping him when he went to the wrong way.

After a long agonizing and torturous but sedulous journey (which consisted of almost falling on his knees, slow walking with a hand on the dextrose stand and the other on the wall), he reached his destination. It was the ICU, and realizing that maybe... Just maybe the lady is in critical situation made it for him to hard to breathe. Still, he went in.

There are big windows before the doors in each room. The first time he looked inside the windows, he got scared, and was anticipating something he couldn't take. He doesn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing for him when he didn't see the lady inside any rooms. To be honest, he's feeling edgy each time he didn't see a glimpse of her.

He has a good memory alright. He remembers the long blue-violet-ish, almost black, hair, the violet eye and the white dress she was wearing. He gulped when he imagined the dress ruined with blood. So much blood. He shook his head. No. He doesn't wanna go there.

He stopped at the last two windows. He looked to his left to see if he can see a person inside the room, but there wasn't any. He felt dread pool on his stomach as he slowly turned to his right side. He went near, awfully slow to the big window. And when he stood full by the glass, he stared wide eyed inside.

The lady was on the bed with so many tubes attached to her. What's very prominent about her was her flat stomach. She looks pale too and so fragile. And the only thing that's covering her is a thin sheet of white blanket they use in the hospital. Her hair is covering the pillow. And from the looks of it, she's struggling with small pants and furrowed brows.

Tsuna can't help himself from crying. He closed his eyes as tears form and drip to his cheeks, a hand fisted on his aching heart. It's his fault for not being fast enough. He's so stupid. So useless. How the heck can he be a leader of a future vigilante group if he couldn't save one life?

He felt himself get weak from so much thinking and emotions. He landed on his knees with a 'thud', a hand still gripping the dextrose stand. He let out a sob as he cried. His suffering is nowhere near to the lady's. And it kills him that he can't do anything to help.

"Tsuna!"

Tsuna lifted his head to see Takeshi and some others running towards him. He shook his head before bowing it in shame. He just wants to disappear. Maybe wallow or sulk for days. He's just so... Helpless. Feels so helpless.

"Tsuna." He heard Takeshi call him with concern. "Calm down."

Tsuna hiccuped.

"Tsuna. I'm going to knock you out with my flame. You're not even healed yet."

Tsuna let out a sob and whimpered. "She's the one-" He hiccuped. "-suffering here."

"It's not your fault she's in that state, Tsuna."

"But-"

"Let's make Shamal-san do the talking okay?" He felt a hand rest on his shoulder. And then rain flames started to enter his system. "You saved her, Tsuna. You really did."

"I didn't..."

The only thing he remembered was Takeshi holding his shoulders before he blacked out.

Mukuro stood in front of the window. He sighed as he felt sadness from the sky flame that's connected to him. He stared at the lady on the bed. He watched the rise and fall of her chest indicating that she's still breathing and alive, how her brows knit in concentration and how she sweats a lot.

He started to think. He can't just let his sky weep all day long. Worst scenario, Tsuna might even cut himself to feel pain once his own emotions and thoughts overwhelm him. It doesn't matter what kind of method, as long as Mukuro can help his sky, he will.

Being born and raised in a famiglia and having experiences regarding this kind of subject over the years, Mukuro learned a lot about his flames. Mist flames can create illusions. It can be something out of minds work, idealistic, intangible, or something that's solid, material, tangible. He can also tell what's real and what's not when he's fighting a mist user too. He can use it for infiltration, spying, etc., with just disappearing or walking with his mist concealing him from the naked eyes. Only those who are very sensitive to flames can detect him. He can also enter minds, control and manipulate them to the point that he can alter memories. He tried it a lot of times to the point that he became good at it.

Mukuro blinked his heterochromatic eyes. He hasn't concealed them again. Tsuna liked it that way. Even Takeshi complimented them, and he quotes 'You look so villainy that it makes me think you want something bad from Tsuna!' then accompanied it with a carefree laugh. He could only smirk at the implications. Vongola mists do deceive the enemies. They are known to betray their skies. He can always deceive them with that knowledge. But he will never betray Tsuna. Not when the latter acknowledges him and his companions, and accepts their pasts and shortcomings.

Anyways, he sat on the ground and leaned his back to the wall below the window. He closed his eyes and in a snap, he's already traveling inside the lady's mindscape.

Mindscapes are different from one another as people differ from each other. Some are just simple, some are like a dream, some are just blank, empty room, sometimes colored with the affinity of flames. Like red for storm, blue for rain, yellow for sun, green for lightning, violet for cloud and indigo for mist. Of course, orange for skies. But he admits, he hasn't gone in Tsuna's head. And this maiden's mindscape is a peculiar one.

It's a room with light indigo walls. There's a bed on his left, and beside it is a side table with a lamp on top, a study table facing the window in front of him, two big cabinets on his left and a door on his left, but three foot from the end of the bed. And the girl, who he saw in the real realm, is just sitting by the bed, looking out by the window. Probably watching the sky.

Mukuro cocked an eyebrow when the lady looked at him and jumped in suprise. Her eyes were wide, body slowly curling into a ball as if she's expecting pain. He knew those reactions. He did them for years before he outgrew those habits and fought for his freedom. Their freedom.

He dropped his brow and shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking of that right now. He has a self-task to do.

"This place is rather small." He commented.

The girl didn't say anything for a few seconds. "I-It's the a-attic."

"Hmm... Must've been hard to stay in here."

"I-It's sa-small b-but w-warm."

"I say you don't like going outside."

The girl nodded, relaxing a little. "T-This is ma-my h-haven a-after all."

"Do you want to see something else then?"

The lady stared at him before nodding.

Mukuro snapped his fingers. The place they were in changed into something different. It became a garden. There are varieties of flower everywhere, trees and animals even. There are even butterflies and dragonflies flying around. And the spot where the lady was became a branch of a sturdy tree, low enough for her to jump down to the grass covered ground.

He inhaled the air and sighed in content. Maybe he should bring them here. He can even chain Kyouya up. It is his domain after all.

"T-This is beautiful..." Mukuro looked back to the lady was surveying her surroundings.

"It is." He agreed before sitting on the ground. "How have you been?"

"Well... Since I'm still alive, I'm still breathing."

"Do you remember why you ended up here in the hospital?"

The lady made a thoughtful expression. "I think so. All I remember was I was hugged by someone before we flew a few feet from our previous spot..." Then her eyes became saucers. "The person who hugged me, is he alive?"

"Yes." Mukuro answered.

The lady breathed out in relief. "Thank goodness."

"But he's sad at the moment." Mukuro eyed a butterfly with unique wings, but he can see the lady by his peripheral. "He saw your state outside this place and started blaming himself."

Tha lady gaped at him.

"He thinks he didn't save you on time and let you suffer."

The lady hugged her mid-section. "It wasn't his fault."

"Our friends are trying to get that thought in his head, but he's pretty stubborn."

The lady chewed on her lower lip. "I want to help. Or wake up to clear the misunderstanding, but I'm too weak."

"You're a mist too, right?"

"Mist?"

"You can make illusions."

"Oh. Yes. It's also the reason why I'm still alive. I made up my missing organs since mine in the past were crushed due to a car accident."

Mukuro's interest piqued. "If that's the case, you're not weak at all."

The lady smiled. "Thank you."

"I can help you make some organs."

"Oh. But we may have different types. I once got help, but it didn't work."

Mukuro hummed, thinking. "We can think of something."

"You're so kind."

"To be honest, I am not." He confessed. "I am doing this for my sky. He's very compassionate and very caring. I don't want to see him crying his eyes out."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Animals aren't things to be used too, they deserve to live. If you weren't there, he might've jumped on it anyways."

The lady gave a small giggle. "True."

"My name is Mukuro Rokuduo."

The girl nodded. "Nagi."