AN: I recommend you check out the ao3 version (posted under the username AmaEru), simply because I messed up while doing the HTML, and this (the ffnet version) is the old file. Thus, there are some parts I corrected in the ao3 version that haven't been corrected here. Nothing major, I believe, but still some little bits.
What's more, with the ao3 version, you'll see why it takes me so long to edit! HTML is a pain and I (on some level) regret ever involving myself in it.
—❀—
Nowadays, Tsuna can't even pick up a comic book for longer than five seconds.
I should be doing something about the Strays, he thinks every time. He should be fighting those Strays, or maybe training. But he doesn't, and the guilt of not doing it makes him unable to do anything else. Even just trying to sleep is too much. The guilt is too much.
Meanwhile, the news keep replaying the fight.
He feels sick just thinking about it.
He hasn't seen the footage, yet, but... There's talk of apprehending whoever was responsible, of tensions between the nations. Some accuse Japan of hiding this magic, some accuse Japan of setting this up. Namimori is a bad place to live in, right now. Hibari Kyoya-san is at every street corner. Some are wondering why he wasn't here, when the attack came.
Logically, Tsuna knows it's not his fault, but... he wishes there was a way to solve the situation.
Momo tries to reassure him, by saying that the next attack most probably won't be in Japan, and that it will lift off the suspicions about Namimori. But Tsuna knows better. The first Stray appeared in Namimori, so people will (and already do) suspect that this whole mess came from Namimori.
They're not entirely wrong. After all, Tsuna comes from Namimori, and Momo first appeared in Namimori. This has to mean something. Maybe all of this is his fault.
Did I attract it here? is what Tsuna wants to ask. Was it my fault it appeared? Does my presence contribute in the least in where the next Stray will appear?
In truth, there's a lot Tsuna wants to ask.
Why me? Why did I sign the Contract? When did I sign it? Why can't I remember? You said only I was suitable, but why is it only me? Why did you call me Blossom? How come magic exists? How come no one has ever noticed that magic exists? How is magic able to make me this much stronger? What are these Stray Hearts made of? Why do I have to defeat them? Why can't human technology hurt them?
Why do you try so hard to mimic human emotions?
He wants to ask, but one glimpse at Momo makes him bite back his tongue. Momo on a good day is creepy, what with its never-changing expression and beady red eyes. On a bad day, Tsuna can't even bring himself to look at it for longer than a few seconds.
So instead of questioning any of it, Tsuna stays silent.
He waits.
—❀—
It's five days later when something finally happens.
Tsuna is coming home from school — wherein they did nothing but try to calm the excited and scared children, some having even been able to see the fight in person — when he's stopped in his tracks by a small mewing.
When he looks down, there's a little white cat rubbing against his leg. It mews at him, and he finally notices the silk pink ribbon around its neck. The golden bell jiggles.
"Missy?" he asks. The cat mews, and he crouches down to scratch her between the ears. "Hey there. How are you doing? I didn't expect to see you so soon." He has plans to meet and befriend Lizzie, somehow (because God knows how horrible his social skills are), but he never expected that Missy might come meet him first.
"The fact you are carrying its Heart is most likely why it approached you," Momo reveals, head poking out of his school bag.
"Is that so?" he murmurs, as Missy noses his fingers, truffle only slightly wet. He checks her collar, but there's only the golden bell, with no inscription in sight. He has no idea where Lizzy lives. He wasn't sure Lizzy lived in Namimori, in the first place, but considering Missy is here... it must mean both Lizzy and Missy live in Namimori. "Does she remember being the Welcoming Cat?"
"I doubt it does."
The tone of Momo's voice catches Tsuna off-guard, and he glances up to see Momo perched on a fence, looking down at Missy with what seems like disdain, if, you know, Momo was capable of human emotions. "What... what do you mean?"
"You are still holding the damaged Heart, which means that everything that happened while it was the Welcoming Cat has been erased from its memory."
Tsuna squints. "Alright... If you say so."
Momo looks at him with all the patience in the world. "Has it never occured to you that memories from a traumatic period tend to fade? Of course, the trauma may bring back flashbacks from what was truly traumatic, but the rest — the unimportant parts — fade from memory."
"Sounds fake, but ok," Tsuna says. What does Momo know about trauma? It seems to be unable to even project false emotions, let alone understand them. He's sure he's just been projecting his own emotions whenever he's gotten a glimpse of human emotion in Momo's behaviour.
He turns back to Missy, and gently loops his hands around her, lifting her up. She goes boneless without a single protest.
"H-how about we get you some food, hm?" he asks timidly. How far he's fallen, to stutter while talking to a cat... but Missy is gently purring, now. Her large eyes blink at him encouragingly, almost lovingly.
He thinks he's just fallen a little bit in love.
—❀—
"I've decided," Tsuna says, gently scratching the back of Missy's neck, as she gobbles down some fish — after Tsuna checked whether cats were able to eat it, of course. "I'm gonna become Lizzy's best friend."
"Why? Because it would allow you to hang onto Missy all the time?" Momo says, mercilessly tearing into his real intentions.
"Now, you're making it sound bad." He scowls, stopping his scratching for a second. But Missy's purring is so loud and warm that he goes back to it immediately. "More seriously though... I wonder how I'm supposed to befriend Lizzy..."
Momo goes silent for a moment. "...You plan on befriending her?"
"Yes. I thought it was obvious from the whole becoming her best friend part." He doesn't bother lifting his head up, because even with only Momo's fuzzy paws in his field of sight, he can feel its judgemental stare.
"You have no time for that."
Tsuna wheezes a cross between a laugh and a sob. "Oh, I assure you, I have plenty of time for that."
"You need to train."
"I have more free time than anything," he reminds. "In fact, since I put effort in neither school, house chores, nor hobbies, I do nothing but laze around all day. You've been living here for weeks already. Haven't you noticed yet?"
"You need to train."
"Yeah, I got that the first time."
Missy's finished eating her fish by now, and has begun licking Tsuna's fingers instead. Probably because he handled the fish barehanded. Her little tongue raps against his skin, but it's almost ticklish instead of irritating.
Momo's gone silent, but he doesn't spare a glance. Momo has been annoying ever since it first came here, and Tsuna has little to no patience left.
"I don't want to fight," he begins, using both hands to smooth back the fur on Missy's forehead. "But it doesn't mean I will just give up. If— I understand, you know. I understand that— if I don't do this, then... it'll be the end. For me, and for Mom. For people like Lizzy and Missy. For the people of Namimori Middle, and even for Hibari-san — he's the strongest person I know, and yet he would—... You've told me that I'm the only one that can do it, and I don't understand why or how it came to that, but— I got it. I understand. I'll do it. I'll train and I'll fight, and— I'll... do my best not to die."
Missy has padded her way into his lap by now, and though she's not licking at his fingers anymore, she's gone a step further and has curled into a tight, warm ball. The purring is a constant by now, and Tsuna breathes in sync.
"For someone like Missy, like the Welcoming Cat... —those 'Strays' I have to fight, they're just people who've been hurt, aren't they?"
"Yes."
"It'd be nice if I could help them, too," he admits. He thinks he'd be happy if someone helped him, too.
"You can."
Tsuna's cheeks are wet, but that's fine. He's always been a crybaby. He wipes his cheeks, and sniffles a little. "Sorry. I didn't mean to dump all that on you."
"If I can help you by playing the role of a therapist, then so be it."
He snorts, something tight and angry and hurt choking his throat. Figures. He should have expected that from Momo, and yet... "Yeah." Serves him right for being hopeful.
"I am still worried, however," Momo continues mercilessly. "You need to train, yet it is obvious that you cannot transform all the time, and neither of us know how to fight."
Sniffling back his last tears, Tsuna gives a small laugh. "I thought I handled myself pretty well, last time. Considering, I mean."
"Not good enough. You need to learn how to fight — in both forms. You should consider signing up to fighting classes. Perhaps martial arts, or perhaps learning how to use a certain type of weapon."
Not even responding to that first remark, Tsuna shrugs. He regrets it a moment later, when Missy mews at the sudden jostle. He carresses the back of her head in apology. At least Missy will never tell him he's "not good enough."
"You will have to ask your mother."
"Mom's— she's... well, she'll agree, I guess. Probably won't think anything of it." No matter how much she loves him, she does tend to be a bit oblivious... which is probably why she never protests about Dad's behaviour. "I... I'm a bit worried about my dad," he admits, mind straying to the topic. "Mom probably won't notice anything, but my Dad's— he's— well... Even if he hasn't seen me in person for quite a well, Mom continues to send him photos of me and — well, it doesn't matter as much, but — as well as some checkups on me. Tells him about my day for me. Don't know why she does it, or why Dad has allowed it for so long since it's so obvious that he doesn't— I mean... I, are you sure that magic will conceal me from the people who know me well?"
Momo doesn't seem troubled by his nervous ranting. Perhaps it's its silence, along with the continous purring coming out of Missy, that encourage Tsuna to continue rambling.
"I mean, not that he knows me well— couldn't possibly know me well, since, you know, we haven't seen each other in years, and I talk to him maybe once or twice every month. Sometimes it's even less, so... yeah, there's really no ground for him to really recognize me with one glance. But, with how crazy this situation's been, I don't doubt that most people will scrutinize it closely, if only to make sure they're the littlest bit safe, you see what I mean? So I thought, since Dad obviously loves Mom more than anything, and since the first Stray appeared in Namimori, he'll pay attention to the news and everything, so maybe— maybe he'll—"
"Tsuna."
He stops, breathing so fast and needily he thinks he might just pass out.
"Calm down."
Easier said than done. Still, Tsuna tries. He takes several deep breaths, holding the air in for a few seconds at every inhale. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Missy's soft and sweet purring. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Repeat.
"As I have explained before," Momo says slowly, little squeaky voice almost calming, "Blossom's facial and physical features are indistinguishable for anyone who doesn't already know."
"But you said people might figure it out!"
"If you make it obvious, yes."
He bites his lip. "Right," he says, just the littlest bit resentful. Thanks, Momo, for being ever so reassuring. "A-and if it does happen... If people figure out I'm Blossom, what will happen then?"
"Who knows?" the creature says lightly, almost airily. "Maybe they will understand this is beyond them, and will let you continue on your task, maybe they will help you, or maybe they will arrest you. There is no way to know for sure." It pauses, to stare up at him with beady, unblinking eyes. "You understand why it is imperative that you keep your true identity hidden."
Why couldn't Momo have been as kind and soft as Missy? Tsuna curses whoever was in charge of picking Momo as a possible Magical Guardian. "Right," he says, instead of screeching in fury. "Right, you're right."
—❀—
It's a few more days before the next Stray arrives.
"Canada?!" Tsuna yelps. "How am I supposed to get there?!"
"Don't worry," Momo reassures, "I'll get you there in a flash. Please do transform, now."
He does as ordered. In a flash of light, he's transformed into his fighting uniform.
"Alright," Momo nods, approving. "Then, we shall be going, now."
A whirlwind of petals appears in the middle of Tsuna's room. There's a strange feeling, then, as if Tsuna was being pressed into a giant hand tightly. It feels like his blood pressure is rising, and a stiffling heat is spreading in his veins.
He blinks, and suddenly there, is the Stray Heart, standing in the middle of a town square.
The Stray has the appearance of a young girl — whether a teenager or a young adult is difficult to say — wearing a cheerleader outfit, that covers the whole of her neck yet still manages to look revealing. The look is completed with gigantic pom poms that conceal the entirety of her hands. She is, of course, colored in shades of white and pink, with a few golden highlights here and there. Her skin is a dark pink, almost red. Her eyes, meanwhile, are a fluorescent yellow.
"Let me present myself! I am the Cheerleader, C-H-E-E-R-L-E-A-D-E-R! My motto is:" here, the Stray bumps her pom poms high in the air, "let's stay young forever! F-O-R-E-V-E-R!" the Cheerleader says, arms waving around wildly. When only terrified screams and startled exclamations answer her, she pouts and puts her hands on her waist. "C'mon! The party's just started, you know? Why are you all already acting so dully? That's just boring!"
Maybe because she's almost killed a few of them (and most likely injured more than one), or maybe because she's taller than a five stories building, and her stomping around is making large dents in the road below. Tsuna doesn't even try to answer her.
The police has already pooled around the borders of the town square. Most officers look scared out of their wits, yet they still attempt to get all civilians out of the way. There's one helicopter flying toward the square, with what look like a TV crew inside. There's a large camera pointed at the Cheerleader. He thinks he might see a TV presenter, too, but he's not sure.
In short, it's chaos.
For sure, they look more prepared than Namimori had been, but they probably never expect for this to happen so soon after the first attack. Tsuna can't blame them— he certainly didn't expect another Stray to appear so soon after the first one.
There are children screaming. Most are younger than him, but a few are his age. Some people are bleeding, limping toward the authorities. A few remain trapped under building rubble. The police looks strained, and by the sound of it, the next wave of ambulances won't arrive for some time yet. The TV crew up in its helicopter will be smacked out of the air in seconds if the Stray so wishes to.
He has to act now, or those deaths will forever be on his conscience.
Forming the fighting gloves (or boxing gloves, rather) over his fists, Tsuna prepares himself for a jump. Momo regards him with something akin to anticipation, before worming its way into his clothes with a jump.
"Alright," he whispers, voice low and trembling, bracing himself. "Let's do this."
He jumps.
Almost-flying over the town square, he's able to get a better glimpse of the situation. A building that looks like a grocery store has collapsed and trapped people inside, and a group of firefighters and policemen alike are trying to get them out. The tables of what look like a restaurant have been deserted, with all possessions left in their places. It'd almost look like a moment frozen in time, if it weren't for the rubble of the fallen buildings and the dust rising out of the ruins.
The Cheerleader doesn't seem to have noticed him yet, but the TV crew has, a camera pointed his way. He has no time to panick about protecting his identity. Tsuna draws back his right fist, going headfirst toward the Cheerleader.
At the last moment possible, the Cheerleader whirls around, and with a delighted laugh, flings him out of the air with a swipe of the hand. He crashes into the ground, next to the abandoned restaurant.
"How precious!" she cries. "Did you really think I didn't notice you? Aa, but at least, you have some spirit into you, don't you? A lot less boring than all of those guys!" She continues laughing.
He doesn't answer, too busy trying to cough out all the dust he swallowed. A wet splat follows a cough, and he looks down to see blood dripping down from his mouth.
"Internal damage," Momo informs helpfully. "Your magic will most likely heal you before any complication arises."
It's not as reassuring as it should be. Tsuna wipes away the blood on his chin, and gets up. The Cheerleader has stopped laughing by now. In fact, she's looking down at him with a smirk.
"You're a bit slow, aren't you?" she asks, crouching down to peer at him.
He doesn't answer. Most people have been evacuated by now, but he fears that the neighbouring buildings aren't totally empty. The TV crew's helicopter has landed on top of a building, and is filming the confrontation from above.
She smiles, unbothered by his silence. "It's okay, you know! I'm not very fast either." Her smile wavers, and tappers off into something like a scowl. "You'll just have to get faster! That's what I had to do!"
She stands up, and lifts a foot. He sees it coming, though, and hurriedly jumps out of the way. It comes with the realization that something in his right ankle has gone wrong. Hopefully, it will heal in time.
She brings her foot down with a disappointed foot. "Aa, you are fast, after all. Faster than me, in any case." She grins, waving her pom poms around excitedly. "I guess it comes with the size! —and... youth, I suppose."
Tsuna ducks his head down. "Momo, I think my ankle is twisted," he murmurs lowly, keeping his eyes on the Cheerleader. "How long do you think it'll take before it heals?"
"A few minutes at most."
He nods, and readies his fists again. Should he attempt to delay the fight until his ankle heals? What about the blood he coughed up? He can't feel much pain in his chest area — well, a little, of course, but it's not much grander than the pain he experienced when the Welcoming Cat smashed him through walls, and he hadn't coughed up blood back then. However, there's still the possibility that he did something like, puncture a lung, or tear his stomach, something like that... Should he take the chance?
Before he can bring much more thought to it, the Cheerleader lifts up her foot again. This time however, Tsuna barely has the time to dodge.
"I saw you talk!" the Cheerleader exclaims in wonder. "Didn't hear it, for sure, but I saw your mouth move! Why aren't you talking to me, instead?" The question is accompanied with a wild swing of a pom pom, that creates so much wind that it sends Tsuna flying. "You know, I'd like to think I'm much more interesting than anyone else in the world — at least, right at this moment!"
He's landed on his side, this time, and rolled off until he hit a wall. His sides are in so much pain that it feels as if the skin there is melting and peeling off, and he can definitely feel the pain in his chest now. He thinks it might be his right lung — that, or his heart. He's not sure which one is more worrying.
"Get a grip, Blossom," Momo reminds gently. It seems unperturbed by all the rolling around they're doing.
Tsuna grumbles and groans his agreement, but he's barely able to lift himself on his arms before something extremely heavy steps on the whole of his back and the beginning of his legs. The parts of his body that aren't being pressed down upon feel as if they're about to pop off at any second. The inside of his body feels squished, and he's pretty sure he just heard something rupture. A bone, maybe. Perhaps an organ.
The Cheerleader laughs and presses down harder. His own scream of agony tappers off into choked sobs.
"Come! On!" The Stray exclaims, delight in its voice. "You're being no fun at all! Like— like a limp noodle!"
He'd suffer a lot less if he were a limp noodle. Tsuna has gone from screaming, to sobbing, to making choked little noise in the back of his throat. He wishes he were dead.
It hurts...
"Don't give up now," Momo says. Tsuna is unsure how it's even still alive, pressed in between the crumbling concrete under them and Tsuna's own chest. "Blossom, please cheer up."
He tries to sniffle back his tears, but finds that he can't even breathe, face so close to the ground.
It hurts...
After another long moment of suffering, the pressure on his back mercifully eases up. His vision is wavering, black spots appearing in the corners, but he still manages the strength to roll onto his back.
The Stray is looking down at him, corner of the eyes lifted upward in happiness. There's a smile on its lips, almost mocking.
"You know..." the Stray says conversionally. "I thought that this wouldn't be fun at all, but in fact..." The creature smiles, wide and innocent. "Your scared and powerless face is just as hilarious!"
Tsuna's breath catches in his throat, and he feels a thick liquid pooling in the back of his mouth. He's forced to roll on his side before he chokes on it.
It's only a moment later that he recognizes it's blood.
"Don't give up," Momo reminds, still hiding in the folds of his clothes.
It hurts...
He's never been more terrified. His limbs are locked up, and he's not sure whether it's because of the pain, or because of the fear coursing through his veins. Even the adrenaline doesn't help.
"Don't give up!"
"Shut... up...!" he manages to whimper out. "You... act like— like... I want to...!" His vision wavers again, but this time, it's because of the tears. He struggles to lift himself up. "But... Mom... and everyone else... I—... I just want to go home!"
The gloves over his hands shimmer, then break into a thousands of little shards.
"Blossom...!" Momo sounds alarmed.
"Giving up?" the Cheerleader asks, voice just a tad disappointed. "Now, that was fast. Too fast for my taste, in fact."
Tsuna grits his teeth, fists balling up.
Mom, Dad... the lovely Sasagawa Kyoko-chan, the cheerful Yamamoto-kun, the terrifying Hibari Kyoya-san... even the scary old Nakagure-san next door... If he gives up now—
It hurts...
"As if..."
"Blossom! Form a new weapon, else it'll—"
"AS IF I COULD GIVE UP!"
In the stunned silence that follows, Tsuna drags himself up to stand on his two feet, fists balled up in front of him.
It hurts so much...
He forces himself to glare up at the Cheerleader. "Someone like you... who enjoys the making others suffer... I've seen plenty." He puts a grin on his face. "But, you know what? I've learned that people like that... are the weakest of all."
"You...!" With a loud growl, the Cheerleader swings at him again.
He's able to dodge the full brunt of the pom pom, but the air and fabric still manages to send him flying. He rolls around a bit more, and the Cheerleader laughs.
"Blossom!" Momo cries.
It hurts so much...
"You're just a bully," he continues, ignoring the trembling in his limbs as he pushes himself up once more. "I've seen plenty," he repeats. "I've never been brave enough to fight back. Strike me once, and I don't get up— that's how it usually is. But, now...! If I don't get up..." He looks up, eyes burning. "If I don't fight back... then everybody else will pay the price."
The Cheerleader is silent, expressionless.
...but...!
"That's why...!" His legs tremble as he gets up. "I CAN'T GIVE UP!"
A golden light appears, slowly expanding into a curved, thin shape. It glimmers and shimmers, gradually taking the form of a long, ornated bow. Instinctively, Tsuna draws the string, and a golden, glowing arrow appears.
If staying close to the Cheerleader is too dangerous, then he'll just have to hit her from afar.
He jumps away from the indent in the ground — was he really the one to put it here? There certainly was a numbness in his body that proved it, and yet it's hard to believe it. In fact, it's chilling to think about it. The Cheerleader put so much pressure onto his back that she made a Tsuna-shaped hole into the ground. His grip on the bow tightens at the reminder.
He points the arrow at the Cheerleader, but doesn't actually let it fly. The Cheerleader looks back at him, face drawn into a tight mask of anger.
"You think you're so tough." Her chest rises and falls in an uneven pattern. "But the truth is, the both of us know who's the strongest here is." With that said, she punches the ground again. He's only barely able to jump out of the way.
"Did you see where her Heart Jewel might be?" Tsuna asks, ducking his chin down. "I thought, maybe it was hidden under her pom poms, but it seems unlikely. She wouldn't attack with her most vulnerable part..."
"Most likely under her clothes." Momo's words are almost drowned out by another attack, this time a desperate double punch. The Cheerleader stumbles, having put too much weight into her punch.
Right. Of course. "Alright. Tell me if you see it somewhere."
He hurriedly jumps out of the way of another punch. The Cheerleader seems to enraged (by what?) to think her actions through. This allows him the time to draw another arrow. He aims at her left shoulder, and fires.
Thankfully, for no reason other than simple luck (and magic, most probably), the arrow hits, and the Cheerleader stumbles back with a startled yelp.
"What the hell?!" She clutches her shoulder, where the arrow is barely noticeable, in comparison with her enormous height. "Did you just seriously—?! Oh, you little—!" She stomps the ground with her leg, and Tsuna is sent flying with it. He crashes into the ground, only a few meters away from her, then rolls out of the way of another stomp.
In a few seconds, he's able to get to his feet and notch another arrow. This time, he aims at her knee, but it hits just a little bit under.
"Ouch!" the Cheerleader yelps, looking barely bothered by it all. "Would you stop?" However nonchalant her words may be, her left shoulder has gained an array of golden, glowing veins, and she keeps glancing at it with worried eyes.
He readies another arrow, but has to jump out of the way, though not before he receives the brunt of rubble falling onto him. His uniform has been damaged once more — he's sure it'll repair itself in a few minutes only. What's more worrying is the persistent white noise in his head. He thinks it might just be from stress, but he's not sure.
When he's finally able to steady himself on his feet, his legs have begun shaking. Apart from the golden veins on her shoulder and her knee, the Cheerleader looks no worse for the wear. He has to end this, and quickly. But how? He has no idea where the Heart Jewel might be located, and nothing in the Cheerleader's behavior has indicated a possible location — no place of her body she's particularly protecting. Will he just have to hit at random until he finally finds something?
He readies another arrow, and lets it fly—at random. It hits her naked stomach, right the place where Tsuna is 100% sure there is no Heart Jewel. Taking advantage of the Cheerleader's stumbling back every time he hits her, he sends another arrow flying. It hits the right of her waist, and she crumbles to her knees.
"What the hell," she's murmuring, voice loud even when she's trying to be quiet. She looks panicked. "What the hell, what the hell. Why does it hurt? It's so little, and yet—"
Mercilessly, Tsuna fires another arrow. It hits the hand covering the arrow on her stomach. By now, golden veins have become forming over most of her body, forming something like a gigantic spider web. He supposes he just has to wait until it reaches the place where her Heart Jewel is.
"Stop!" She shakes her head. She doesn't look frightened, just like a child about to throw a tantrum. "That's not fair! That's not fair at all! I don't have any of those, those long-ranged weapons!"
Yeah, well, smashing him into the ground wasn't fair either.
Her collarbone is beginning to shine quite a bit, through a combined effort of the arrow on her shoulder and the arrow on her stomach. In fact, it's beginning to shine a bit too much. As if there was something important there... her Heart Jewel, perhaps?
Tsuna draws another arrow, but the Cheerleader must notice where his gaze is pointed, because she gets up in a flash, bringing her pom poms up defensively. There's no possible way Tsuna is skilled enough to aim at her collarbone correctly.
"You're acting so arrogant," she's saying, babbling. "So, so arrogant. Like you have all the rights here, like you're better than all the others. But, nuh-huh. I know better, you're just a little child. Too weak. You won't win, yup."
He doesn't pay attention to it. It sounds like she's trying to convince herself more than anything. How to get a good vision of her collarbone? No, wait, looking more closely, it seems like it's her breastbone she's protecting, right in between her collarbones.
He looks around, then decides to jump on top of a neighboring building — that is to say, one that hasn't fallen in ruins. It sets him a little bit higher, but not high enough. Will he have to—?
No time to think about it. His lungs are aching, his legs trembling, and the noise in his ears has become almost deafening. If he spends any more time here without allowing himself (and his magic) to rest, then he'll pass out before the fight is over.
So Tsuna readies his arrow, takes a running start... and jumps as high as he can.
He flies well above the Cheerleader's stunned face. He aims, hands trembling with pain, fatigue, and the pressure of the wind, and prays to any magical entities that he will succeed.
He lets the arrow fly.
Before he can check whether the arrow made it, Tsuna has to prepare himself for the rough landing, except that he has absolutely no idea how you're supposed to land when jumping from high up. He at least manages to soften his fall by rolling and rolling until he crashes into rubble and ruins.
It's then that— "AAAAGH!" a high-pitched shriek echoes.
He whirls around, trying to sit up yet failing, only to see the Cheerleader on her knees.
Did it work?
He forces himself to get up once more, and clumsily runs to catch a glimpse at the Cheerleader's front. Both her hands are clutching at a point above her chest, but he's unable to tell whether it's her collarbone, or her breastbone.
The Cheerleader lets out another, smaller shriek, then collapses face-first. She trashes around a little more, rolling from side to side in what seems like barely-controlled pain. The golden veins have expended to the entirety of her body, only letting out small glimpses of the previous tan pink of her skin. In fact, it looks like the pink is the oddity here, not the bright yellow.
After another pained shriek, the Cheerleader crumples to the ground, limbs splaying out and smashing a building in the way. Her pom poms shimmer, then fade into a light show, sparks flying up into the air. The top of her cheerleader outfit has a tear on the breastbone, revealing the large Heart on her throat. Her eyes are wide open, but blank, and the yellow has become a milky white.
She looks more dead than unconscious.
The door has appeared, with a Heart Jewel floating above: a golden diamond, with some pink, glittering stars sprinkled around, there and there.
Tsuna looks around. Forgoing the Cheerleader's corpse lying on the concrete, their surroundings are in ruins. More than one building have holes in their walls, and there are some fires growing. The civilians have long since been taken away, but the police officers and firefighters are still there, trying to deal with the aftermath of the fight.
"I'll take care of it," Momo says.
"What?" Tsuna asks. "Take care of what?"
Momo gives him an absolutely exquisite are-you-dumb look. "The ruins around you. Can't you see them? I'll help them rebuild."
"You can do that?" He gapes.
"Of course I can. I am a Magical Guardian, and it is my purpose to help my Magician in any way possible. If it means using magic to lessen your guilt, then so be it."
"Well... alright." He looks at the door. "Should I wait for you, then?"
"No. You can go alone." It tilts its head. "I fear my going there would be useless. I lack the empathy needed to collect a Heart Jewel."
Tsuna can't argue with that. Momo has the empathy of a rock. "I'll, uh, leave you to it, then."
Momo nods, then jumps away toward where some firefighters are spraying a fire. Tsuna looks at it go, then silently steps through the door, alone.
—❀—
So... this is it, the Cheerleader's voice rings out, in the silence of the white space. You've beat me.
"I suppose I have," Tsuna says lightly. "I just have to collect your Heart, now."
The Cheerleader is silent for a moment, before letting out what sounds like a huge sigh. Don't take it the wrong way, little magician, but it's not something I want to do, so I won't make the task any easier for you.
There's no possible "wrong way" to take this. Nonetheless, Tsuna smiles. "No offense taken. I'll just have to convince you otherwise. Is there anything you can tell me about yourself?"
The Cheerleader takes a moment to answer. In fact, her answer comes in the form of the world around them wavering, shaping itself into the form of a memory—just like the Welcoming Cat had done.
Tsuna is now standing in the middle of what looks like a hospital room. There's a young lady sitting on the edge of one of the bed, looking out the window with a wistful look. Her left leg is in a cast, and there are crutches leaning against the bedside table.
"Abigail!"
That's me.
A new woman has entered the room. She looks older, some wrinkles in the corners of her eyes. A mix of fondness, worry, and exasperation is on her face. "You did it again, didn't you?"
Abigail smiles sheepishly. "Yup. Sorry, mom."
Her mother only smiles, eyebrows creasing up. She goes to stand next to the bed, eyeing the crutches. "You've become a regular by now. I think Dr. Johnson looked more exasperated than worried."
Abigail chuckles, but her heart doesn't seem to be into it. "Yup, that's all me."
"How long are you gonna have the crutches?" her mother asks, sitting at her side.
Abigail's smile becomes pinched. "A few weeks, at most. They said it wasn't too serious. I think they're gonna release me today."
In comparison, her mother's smile is fond. "Oh, Abigail... What am I gonna do with you?"
I would have prefered she never say that.
"I... don't think she meant anything bad by it," Tsuna says carefully, not fully sure just what he's stepping into. "She seems to love you a lot, so I think she was just worried."
I know, Abigail says. It doesn't make it hurt any less. Feels like she's just— you know? Ready to throw me away whenever I get too troublesome. Like I'm not worth the effort.
Yes, Tsuna knows. Mom, bless her, tends to act like this, too. She doesn't mean anything bad by it, he knows, but... No one would enjoy being called useless by their own mother.
The scene shifts around him. This time, it looks like a school gymnasium, or maybe a basketball court. There's a long line of young girls in cheerleader outfits talking to one another. He's able to spot Abigail in the mix, and goes to her.
"—don't know why you're acting so rash," one of the surrounding girl is saying, hands on her hips. "I mean, it's not like practicing every single day is actually helping you. Do I have to remind you how many times you hurt yourself?"
Abigail gives a sheepish laugh. "Right, I'm sorry."
They're always like that, Abigail says, the resentment in her voice clear. You keep hurting yourself, they say. You're acting stupid, they say. Yeah, well, maybe if you were a bit more supportive—! It's obvious she's cut herself off.
He waits a moment to see if she'll continue talking, but she doesn't. "Aren't they just worried about you?" he asks, even though he can see where this is all pointing to.
I know they are, she says. But there's a difference between being worried and always belittling me. I know I'm acting stupid, I know I'm being reckless, but...
"No one's asked you why," he finishes for her. "No one is asking you 'what's wrong.'"
...it's the same for you, isn't it? I thought so, with the way you talked about bullies.
The scene around them shifts. This time, it's a bedroom, large posters of girls in pretty outfits on the wall, and a multitude of star stickes on the ceiling.
Abigail, in her Cheerleader form, appears, sitting on the edge of the bed. She's taken the pom poms off, and is looking down at her hands, pooled into her lap.
I don't have any bullies, she admits, so I know that you've suffered more than I but—
"Suffering isn't a competition," he interrupts, allowing himself to sit down next to her. She glances up as the bed bounces a little from the added weight. "You said you don't like others belittling you, so don't do it to yourself."
She smiles. Her eyes seem to have lost a little bit of their glow.
You remember the hospital, right? The truth is, I... I broke something in my leg—can't remember what exactly it was, that time—and it was while practicing. People around me are always telling me that I should calm down, but...
She looks up at one of the poster. It depicts a young girl with a smile, sitting down at the edge of a pool, looking up shyly at the camera. She's wearing quite the cute outfit, a mix of aqua blue and cotton candy pink.
I'm still young. Well, at least, I was back then. She laughs. Those scenes you just saw— they happened years ago. I'm well past high school now, but... It's just... stuck in my head. All those years, spent chasing after the ideal of the perfect girl.
"Perfect girl?"
At that time, what was really popular in my school were cheerleaders. The male basketball team was very important, you see, and since I wasn't a boy, I decided that the next best thing would be to become a cheerleader. See what I mean? Since cheerleaders were popular, I became a cheerleader.
When long hair was popular, I grew it out, even though I've always preferred short hair. When miniskirts were popular, I wore them, even though I felt horrible in them. When purple was popular, all my clothes had some purple on them, even though I hate that color. You get the idea?
He nodded.
I... I always wanted to be liked— to be... popular, so I forced myself to look the part. Wanted to be just like the other girls, the one in the cheerleader team, especially. They were my friends, you know. And they just... shone!
And... in truth, I was jealous. All those girls, they looked just... so— so happy! They grew their hair out, and tied them up all prettily, prancing around with satisfied and proud smiles. They rocked their miniskirts, flashed just about everyone in the school— but it didn't matter! Why? Because they were happy! They were confident! Bold! They wore purple and yellow together, mixed and mashed colors until all their outfits were perfectly fitted together!
They were happy with who they were, with their appearances and their personalities. Oh, their personalities— you know, I really am the worst for ever being jealous of them, because those girls... Most of them, if not all, were absolute angels. Gave me advice for my hair and my makeup, supported me even when I failed to get to their level, even decided to cheer me up after a bad break up!
They were just... so perfect. Next to them, I was nothing.
"That's..."
I was nothing... but I thought, if I work hard enough... then I'll shine just as brightly! So I forced myself to train every day, to get better at being a cheerleader. I forced myself to diet, even though I knew it was bad for my health. Forced myself to act a certain way, repressed parts of myself... I thought, if I could be just like those girls...
I... I shouldn't have done that. Within the few years of high school, my health deteriorated badly. I was underweight, my bones were broken, and my spirit was at its lowest. No matter how hard I tried, I could never attain what I wanted.
"...and the girls? Your mother? Didn't they try to help you?"
Abigail laughs. Oh, they did. They tried. But they never asked the right questions, and I was too prideful, too caught up in my own disillusions to tell them outright. I— I... I really wish I did. I really do. Her voice shook. They could have helped me.
Tsuna's hand encloses around Abigail's. "What about now?"
Now? I'm alone, now. My relationships with these girls— ah! It's been months since I last talked to them, and they keep sending me messages, but... I... I don't want to talk to them anymore. It hurts too much to lie to them, you know? And Mom is... she's already worried about other things, and she's getting weaker and older, too. She thinks it's all been resolved, and I don't want to worry her more.
You know, now that I've told you all of this, I feel a bit better, Abigail says, voice softer now. I've... never told anyone. I think some of them suspect this is how it happened, but I never actually admitted to it. Never confirmed it.
"I see..." his eyes flit down to Abigail's wrists. Thin white lines, raised skin. Scars. "I'm sorry. It must have been hard."
Recently, I've been thinking that I've been doing better. Or, at least, that's what I thought. But then I had the thought... of just how much time I wasted on all of this. My entire youth has been dedicated to the idea of the perfect girl, and yet I didn't achieve it at all. I... If I could go back in time... She trails off, voice wistful.
"What are you talking about?" Tsuna asks, stunned. "Your youth? You're still young!"
Abigail laughs. You sound like a grandma!
"Grandmas are wise," he says, refusing to be embarrassed. "You should listen to them."
She falls silent.
"How old are you? You don't look much older than twenty. Your friends, would you classify them as young, or as fully-grown adults?"
Well, they're certainly no grown ups, she says, a hint of humor in her voice.
"And why does it matter so much whether you're young or not? An adult can do just as much as a teenager, if not more!"
It's true that I don't have the patience for teen angst anymore... she mutters pensively, and I can buy my own clothes, now.
"I've got no idea of what the full situation is truly like, and I've never met your friends, but..." He glances at Abigail's wrists, then thinks about his own. About Mom's possible reaction. (About the bruises on his skin, and about Mom's non-reaction.) "I think, you should ask for help. Tell them. What's the worst that could happen? You said you couldn't bear lying to them any longer, so if they reject you, then that means you won't have to lie to them, and if they accept you, then that means you won't have to lie to them!"
It's unfortunately a bit more complex than that.
"You're the one making it complicated! If these people really are your friends, if they really are the angels you described, and if they keep on sending you messages even now, then it means that they will accept you no matter what!"
I... Maybe you're right.
"There's... there's nothing worse than being alone," he admits, voice low, a careful murmur. "That's why... you have friends that love and care for you, so that's why— you should count on them, just as they can count on you."
I... I can count on them, she repeats back. Even though I was so jealous of them?
"Even though you were jealous of them," he confirms. "I think that, if you explain everything clearly, just like you did with me, your friends will be more than willing to forgive every and any ounce of jealousy coming from your part."
You make it sound so easy... The scene around them wavers, but Abigail only laughs. You're acting like a therapist. It's kinda cute. They're back into white space, now. Abigail has disappeared, only her voice remaining. I think I'm ready, now. I'm still scared, but... at least I can be sure I can count on you.
Tsuna flushes, but murmurs his agreement.
At least, I hope so! Abigail continues, mirth in her voice. Hope you're not angry with me for trying to kill you, before.
He chuckles along with her, sheepish. "Just like I hope you're not angry with me for fighting back."
Nah, not at all. Her Heart has appeared. I'll continue to cheer you on, Abigail says, voice fading, so don't give up! Everything becomes silent.
The door has appeared. Still, Tsuna takes a moment to breathe in deeply. He takes one last look at the white space, presses a hand against his wildly-beating chest, and steps through the door.
—❀—
When Tsuna steps out, the glowing door closes silently. Momo is sitting on the concrete, tail waving impatiently.
Their surroundings don't look like ruins anymore — or at least, not as much. He's quite sure that the building to his left had a whole chunk of wall missing, but now it's gone back to being a perfectly normal wall. No missing parts. There's no fire anywhere, too. Most ambulances have left already, but there's still one or two, treating people with minor injuries. The police officers are still patrolling.
The TV crew had been reporting on the glowing door, and now that Blossom had come out once more, they're focusing on him.
"—seems that Blossom has finally come out of the door, though we still do not know where it leads—" the TV presenter is saying, talking rapidly.
Momo interrupts. "Everything alright?"
Tsuna nods silently, eyes stuck on the TV crew.
"Alright." Momo gets up, and jumps onto Tsuna's shoulder. "Then, let's g—"
Whizz!
Something blows a hole into the ground at Tsuna's feet. The both of them stop in their tracks to look down at it, silent.
Then, realization strikes him, and his heart jumps to his throat. "That's—!"
"Duck!"
Tsuna does as told, ducking behind a collapsed wall. Just in time, too, because another projectile embeds itself at the spot where Tsuna's head had been.
"Those are...?!"
Momo interrupts. "We must go."
With no more fanfare, both Blossom and Momo vanish into a whirlwind of petals.
—❀—
They — or rather, Tsuna — crash into the ground, as soon as they appear back in his room. He finds himself on his hands and knees, gasping for breath and sweating a river.
"Bullets!" Tsuna gasps, heart hammering. "Bullets!"
Momo nods. "Indeed. Those were bullets."
Today has been too stressful, it seems, because those words — the confirmation that someone has indeed tried to kill him — make him collapse into another fit of sobbing. He burries his head in his bed, kneeling. His knees are hurting, but so is everything else. He feels like one very limp noodle.
He doesn't know how much time he spends there, sobbing his heart out, nor does he know how come his mother doesn't hear him make this much noise. When he's a little bit more conscious of his surroundings, Tsuna realizes that it's now in the evening, and that he must have spent hours crying like that.
His head hurts.
"What was that?" he eventually manages to ask, breathless and tear-stained. His bed looks like it'll have a permanent darker spot, now, wet as it is.
Momo looks grim. "I... do not know."
"You— ah," he chokes on a laugh. "You don't—"
"It appears this was a human-only action. There were no traces of a Stray's influence. Although I did detect something akin to magic on the person who attacked you, this is something common around this place, so it doesn't clue us onto anything."
"Great," he says. "That's just— great! Someone tried to kill me, and we haven't got the slightest bit of clue who— hey," he pauses for breath, and looks at Momo with what must be a crazed look in his eyes. "When I signed up for this, it was only Strays trying to kill me, not humans! —wait, you know what? I didn't even sign up for this! You forced this on me, acting like I chose to do it, but I don't remember ever signing your stupid Contract! Why do I— Why are humans trying to—"
Momo's tail comes to rest on Tsuna's ankle. He chokes on a sob.
"Why would they— Humans— I'm only trying to— Protect! That's the only thing I'm doing, yet they—"
"I apologize, Tsuna," Momo says lowly. "I didn't realize just how cruel humans could be."
His hands are pressing against his mouth, but a sob still manages to escape him.
Its face is still as unexpressive as ever, but this time, he is absolutely sure the flicker of emotion in its voice isn't just him projecting his own misplaced emotions on the creature. "I never considered that you, who are fighting so hard to save them, would ever be treated this unfairly."
Mirroring Missy's conforting actions, Momo's little paws climb into his lap. Tsuna, gasping for breath in between sobs, curls a little over himself, arms held against his chest.
"Perhaps they felt threatened," Momo continues, voice pitched a little lower than usual. "It is not unusual for humans to hurt and attack what they are unused to. Even if some amongst your kin believed in the existence of magic before the mediatization of the first Stray Heart, most thought the idea of it idiotic beyond belief. The attack most probably originated from fear."
Tsuna doesn't answer. He doesn't want to. His fingers softly carress the fur on top of Momo's skull.
"We have to figure out how and why this happened. However... it is perhaps best for you to rest for now."
"...yeah."
—❀—
