OpalescentGold: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.
Choice
This is how the game goes.
Betrayal
After it's revealed that Byakuran has known of Shoichi's betrayal all along and has hidden the Real Six Funeral Wreaths away, Noriko confronts the Cervello.
"Tell me," she says, the echo of the Judgment in her voice. "Tell me or suffer the consequences." Descendants or not, the only one she has ever spared for personal reasons is Daemon Spade and she regrets it to this day.
(Perhaps.)
They tell her.
There were moles in the Cervello, rot and mold. They took over, spreading dissent and malice.
Future Noriko saw. She looked at the situation and decided that there was no helping it.
She cast Judgment.
Not long after that, there comes the plan from future Tsuna. The future her hadn't agreed, not at all, but he would have done it with or without her input, so Noriko had taken advantage.
Byakuran hadn't known that she had Judged the traitors.
And so, Noriko had disbanded the Cervello, let a few of them burrow their way into Millefiore with Shoichi and bide their time for the right moment, while she dealt with the fallout from Tsuna's death.
Which brings them to where they are today.
Present Noriko thinks that it's clear now. Her future self lost her head. Either that or her memories and abilities.
Preparation
Tsuna and his Guardians are training again. This time, they are attempting to achieve and master Cambio Forma.
Noriko doesn't even have to witness the results to know what they will be.
A long black cloak. A longbow of bones. A long sword and three short swords. A shield and helmet. A multiplying handcuff. A pair of boxing gloves. A set of three lenses.
She wants to hate them for doing this. She wants to go back to those happy times. She wants to forget for just a while.
Noriko smiles and looks away.
She knows, even if they do not, that they are finally beginning to understand what it means to be a Boss and a Guardian.
Motorcycles
"Neh, Tsuna, what are you doing?"
Nori peers down at him curiously, and Tsuna cannot help but flush. He knows he must look ridiculous, splayed out on the ground with a large forehead bump. The motorbike on its side, wheels spinning uselessly, probably doesn't help.
"Ah, hi there, Nori-chan!" he greets sheepishly, letting her pull him back on his feet. "I'm, err, trying to learn how to ride a motorbike?"
She blinks at him. "A motorbike?" In an instant, Nori's face goes from surprised to offended. "Tsuna! You're trying to learn how to ride a motorbike now!? You refused when I suggested we learn in third grade!"
Tsuna blanches at the reminder of that incident, struggling to keep his lunch in his stomach. That had been one of Nori's more dangerous ideas for sure. "No, no, no, it's not like that, Nori-chan!"
Nori props up a hand on her hip. "Then what?"
"It's for the Choice Battles, Nori!" Takeshi calls out, roaring on by with his own motorbike. "Hahahaha, it's pretty big! Ten kilometers even!"
"Shut up, baseball idiot!" Hayato retorts, swinging around the corner to skid to a stop near Noriko and Tsuna. "Juudaime, are you alright!?"
Tsuna smiles. "Yeah, I'm fine, Gokudera-kun. I guess I'm just bad at this motorbike thing." While Hayato protests loyally, Tsuna sneaks a glance at Nori and frowns.
He has never seen the blonde look so...so introspective and almost secluded. It's almost enough to make him panic.
Tsuna knows that he's been side-lining Noriko for a while. He knows. And he doesn't mean to make Nori feel like she's an outsider or something stupid like that, it's just -
She's not his Guardian, even if he wants her to be. And she doesn't have one of the Vongola Rings or a Box Weapon, and her Flames...well. He doesn't want to ask, not if she doesn't want to tell. This is all of his fault anyway.
Both the future scenario and the mafia business.
But now with all of the time he's been spending training and all of the time he's been spending fighting, how much time has Tsuna been spending with Noriko? What about the others? She can't be lonely, right?
"Nori-chan?" Tsuna says, interrupting Hayato's rant, and drawing the attention of the room's occupants to Noriko. "Are you alright?"
Noriko laughs at him, bright and wild and silver, notwithstanding the distance that remains in her eyes. "Of course I am, Tsuna! Why wouldn't I be? It's not like there have been any chances for me to get hurt."
That's true, and Nori has never lied to him before, but...
For some reason, Tsuna still thinks that something's wrong.
Flame
Later, after the party is over, Noriko sits in her bed and shivers.
That blasted Hyper Intuition. She can never quite decide whether it's a blessing or a curse.
Giotto was the same way. He always could tell when she was upset.
She raises her hands and cups them together. Closes her eyes and reaches.
It has been years since she has done this. In her childhood, Noriko could only summon brief flickers of power before passing out from the effort.
She assumes the weakness has something to do with her reincarnation.
It does not matter now, though she supposes she could question Shoichi or Spanner about it later. The two geniuses have been working around the clock to prepare for the Choice game, rarely coming out even for meals.
Not a few hours ago, Noriko personally saw Tsuna all but shove bentos into their hands and command them to eat it. It was adorable.
Cool silver light shines from her fingers.