No Lily, coming back to life as a zombie does not count as making it through your surgery. As to your other question, yes this is a partial birthday fic to Reborn as well I suppose.
To my other readers, I'd like to say a big wonderful thank you to; KagamineRin81, tazdevil, and anna the viking XD for reviewing! Please remember that this story is categorized as a suspense, so it will have some horror scenes as well.
I hope you enjoy!
No legs have I to dance; No lungs have I to breath; No life have I to live or die; and yet I do all three. What am I?
Fire
Chapter 1: Which Task of Seven Shall You Take?
"You don't have to do this Reborn. I'll be fine, really."
The raven narrowed his eyes at you. "Get in."
You puffed out your cheeks in a pout and crossed your arms. Really, now. He was treating you like a child. It wasn't really that bad. You just threw a small tantrum. The doctor just exaggerated. All you needed was a few extra hours of sleep and you would be as good as new. "I don't want to."
Black eyes narrowed further and sent a shiver of fear down your spine. "If I have to repeat myself…"
"Getting in." And with that you climbed into the sleek black car and buckled yourself in obediently. Reborn wouldn't kill you, but that didn't mean who would find some other (more painful) way to get what he wanted.
You pull your legs up and hug your knees, watching the landscape spread out as the buildings of the city faded and gave way to the open country.
You were fine, really. You were sure if you repeated that to yourself often enough, then maybe it would come true. Your physical injuries were just about healed, so you can't really see why Reborn was fretting so much, because you were perfectly fine.
You were just…fine…
xXx
You come out of your stupor once the car has finally come to a halt. You don't seem to be able to sleep anymore, too many visions of…well, you just couldn't sleep anymore, not without strong sedatives at least. It was more of the state between daydreaming and your usual consciousness, like a daze.
You force your limbs to move, stretching out the stiffness that had accumulated from several hours of not moving. You note the freshness of the forest as well as the 'cabin' you and the other would be occupying for the next couple of weeks. You feel a shiver run down your spine as you take in every detail possible of the 'small' structure.
Figures Reborn would pick an enormous haunted looking cabin meant for filming horror movies. You can't even bring yourself to sigh, it was so unexpectedly expected.
"Since you move at a snail's pace now, you can just start unpacking. I'll go into town to get the food and anything else we'll need." Reborn stalked off before you could argue that you didn't move as slowly as he implied, you just got distracted a lot more. Your actions themselves were exactly the same.
You look around for Reborn's and your bag, but are surprised to see that the man had already opened the door and carried everything into your separate bedrooms. You hadn't even noticed that, that much time had passed between his door closing and the man leaving.
Your gaze trails over the interior dully. You suppose it was cozy looking, but who were you to say. The cobwebs in the corner were creepy as hell, but at least there wasn't a layer of dust on everything. You sigh through your nose a little and continue further inside after taking off your shoes, your hand trailing on the walls every so often as if to keep you steady.
Reborn had actually picked a decent room for you on the second floor, looking out toward the lake situated behind the house. Why was nearly every cabin next to a lake? That didn't seem very safe to you. Hadn't these people ever read any horror stories? Cabins by a lake are always where some pathetic screaming victim meets their end in some horribly gruesome way.
You sit down on the bed next to your suitcase and pull your knees close once more, crossing your ankles and reaching out to play with the zipper of the luggage without opening it. You still had some time before Reborn came back anyways and as long as you finished before then, he would never notice and wouldn't nag you.
You didn't know why he bothered honestly. He was a really big business executive and you were just some café owner down the street. The fact that someone like him was taking off an entire month to help some no one instead of spending time on some sunny island with a bunch of beautiful woman was unheard of. Actually, you would have preferred if he did, at least then you wouldn't feel like you were burdening him with your problems. Your family was your own to mourn after all. All the well-wishers could just disappear, it's not like they actually care. You were just the new gossip story that everyone can discuss 'behind your back'. You didn't need their pity. You didn't' need anyone. You were perfectly fine…
You really shouldn't be here right now. Sure, you trusted I-Pin to manage everything, and you were sure that Haru, Kyoko, and Fuuta would be okay. All three girls were great cooks too, so you didn't have to worry about the quality going down. But you were the owner and that café was your responsibility, you shouldn't be slacking off so casually.
And what about your stories? You still hadn't re-printed your latest manuscript for you editor. You couldn't pretend to be on hiatus for too long, you had your fans to think of. You didn't want to keep them waiting for too long. You were sure if you sat down in front of the computer long enough, then all your ideas were sure to come back. You just needed to concentrate. You didn't need all these extra distractions.
You couldn't give up. Father and sister will-… Father and little sis would have been disappointed in you…
There was also little Tsuna and the other children in the orphanage. Because of all this trouble, you were three months overdue with following through with your promise to Tsunayoshi. You had to adopt all of them as you promised…You were sure that you would be able to take care of them properly still. You weren't that depressed. You just forgot what you were doing every so often. You should at least check up on them.
You pull out your phone and tap in one of the few numbers in the world that you knew by heart. You try to smile so that you could sound cheerful when the head of the orphanage picked up the phone. You set the phone on speaker before placing it on the bed in front of you, watching the speaker in the picture send out signals and signing that someone had picked up on the other end.
"Hello deary, how are you doing?" The head asked kindly, recognizing your number right away it seems. Well, you had called about a hundred times since you first found the place.
You don't answer, just stare at the phone, unable to find your voice once again.
"I suppose you're calling to check up on everyone," the woman continues easily. She knew you almost as much as your mother before she died, even when she couldn't see you. "Tsuna is very understanding, but he and the others do wish they could visit you again. They all really want to cheer you up, especially after their visit to the hospital. They're as rambunctious as ever, and are all healthy. Kyoya and Mukuro got into a fight this morning, but Chrome and Tsuna were able to stop them before anyone got seriously injured. Actually, a couple came in this morning and tried to adopt little Tsuna and Chrome, but both of them refused. They were quite adamant about staying until you got back. They all love you very much. I hope you're taking care of your health. I-"
"Is that big sister?" A voice you recognize as Tsuna calls out, loud enough to be heard on your end. "I want to talk to her! Can I talk to her? Please! Please! Please!"
"Oh? Haha! Is that nee-san? Can I talk to her as well?" There was Takeshi.
"Oi! Woman! Give secondo the phone! We want to speak to that other woman!" Gokudera, of course.
"EXTREME CALL FROM BIG SISTER!" It was a good thing you had the phone so far away from your ear, or Ryohei would have surely burst your eardrum.
"Lambo-san wants to talk to big sister so that she can finally give Lambo-san more candy!" Like you would expect anything less from the child.
"Kufufufu…" The rest of Mukuro's words came out jumbled. You only made out his laugh because it was just that unique.
You were sure that Chrome and Kyoya were there too, but they were too quiet to hear.
They were all the same…nothing had changed.
So why couldn't you smile and be the same way?
"Big sister? Is that you?" Tsuna's voice came out more vibrant and louder, meaning he had the phone.
You end the call abruptly and bury your head into your knees as you hug them closer, facing away from the cellular device.
Even when it felt like the world was supposed to freeze, life continued on without you. That was just the fact of living. Everything and everyone dies someday. It was a fact, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.
"You sure you two want to walk? I do have a car you know," you pressure lightly to make sure that you father and little sister were absolutely sure about walking. "I think it would be a lot easier if we drove to meet Mr. Reborn at the park, head over to that restaurant for lunch, and then over to the orphanage to pick up Tsuna and the others to take them home with us."
Ryan rolls his eyes. "Your car can't possibly seat all 13 of us, Sunny."
Your sister nods in agreement. "That's right sis! Besides, it's not that far."
"I suppose…" You hesitated.
You father places a hand on your shoulder. "Don't worry. Everything will be alright."
Everything will be all right. Everything will be all right. Everything will be all right…
Those words echo through your ears. Bouncing off the walls of your head, taunting you, throwing everything back in your face.
You look up. What were you doing in this room again? Was it important? But you would remember if that was the case, right? So it didn't matter.
You slide out of the bed slowly and drag your feet toward the kitchen. You needed a drink of water. You would have liked some tea, but the doctor forbid you from using fire unless under supervision. He said you were too easily distracted as you were.
You pull the partially full cup up to take a sip, but your grip on the handle isn't strong enough and it falls to the floor, cracking in two and spilling its contents everywhere. You sigh and crouch down, picking up the larger pieces. However, you weren't paying close enough attention and slit your palm and a couple of fingers.
You stop what you are doing and stare, watching as the cut starts to turn into a crimson line, building up into a small drop that made its way down your hand slowly as soon as it had enough weight to carry itself away.
Before a single bead could fall, a wet cloth descends and wipes away the ruby trail. You blink slowly and look up to see Reborn with a blank face. He bandages your hand and gently guides you to the table, easing you into a chair as if you were as fragile as glass.
"I'll cook tonight."
xXx
You blink rapidly and look around.
This afternoon, Reborn had gone off into the forest to collect some firewood. Apparently, that was the one thing that the villagers didn't supply. He had told you to sit out in the sun and wait for him to return. You don't honestly remember the rest of the afternoon, but when you finally snapped out of your daze, you had realized that the sun was now setting and Reborn still hadn't returned.
You were scared. Where was Reborn? He promised he would be right back, that's the only reason you let him go.
You ran back inside, locking the door behind you like Reborn had told you too, and ran to the phone to call the police. You start talking the moment someone picked up the other line, trying to get them to understand the urgency of the situation and come help you search for the other right away. When the person was finally able to catch you during a break in your ranting, he ordered you to take a number of deep breaths and calm down until you were able to explain in a more audible fashion.
"I apologize ma'am, but we aren't able to do anything until at least 24 hours have passed."
"Mr. Reborn promised he would come back before dark," you insist.
"I understand, but a missing persons report cannot be filled out 'til tomorrow afternoon. He's probably just lost. The woods can become very confusing and complex, especially to tourists."
"Mr. Reborn wouldn't do that. He wouldn't get lost." Mr. Reborn was above such an action.
The man on the other side sighed in exasperation. "If he hasn't returned by nightfall, then take out a flashlight and go to the highest room. Turn it on and off like a lighthouse. If he's lost, then that should lead him home. If he still hasn't returned tomorrow, then you can come in or call again and we can begin a search."
You didn't answer, you were shaking too badly. You were so scared. You didn't want to lose anyone else, you would surely lose it completely this time. Reborn was the only thing holding you together.
"How about you call in the morning around seven if he hasn't come back?" The man offered, he must have been able to sense your anxiety through your silence. "And ma'am? Please be sure to secure all of your windows and doors. You should also make sure that every window is covered."
You swallow thickly. Locking everything meant there was something dangerous out there, outside with Reborn. "I-, uh, yes…I will. Thank you."
"Goodnight ma'am."
"Goodnight."
xXx
For the first time since your family's final visit, you were actually able to concentrate for more than a few minutes or seconds. You lock all the doors and windows, also pulling the drapes so that there wasn't even a bit of the outside peeking through.
You then head back up to the second floor with the biggest flashlight you could find. You choose the room facing the forest where Reborn had entered that morning. At first, you're unsure what to do, seeing as you had to leave the window covers open if you wanted the flashlight to be visible. But then you notice a small door next to the window and investigate, finding there was a hole just big enough for a flashlight head to point out.
Had people really gotten lost that often?
You hooked up your flashlight to the harness and pulled up a chair, beginning you long night alone.
On and off. On and off. Again and again.
You don't know how long you sat there, but eventually your eyelids started to droop.
No!
You couldn't fall asleep. What if you missed Reborn because you slacked off! Now of all times, you couldn't allow yourself to fade.
On and off. On and off.
But after days of minimal hours of rest, your body was going to collapse. You had reached your limit to where you didn't even need sedatives to fall unconscious. Even though you actually needed to this time, you couldn't seem to keep your head up anymore. And then everything faded to darkness.
xXx
You wake with a start, sitting up and looking around frantically while fighting off the wave of dizziness that came with abrupt movement. Your heart was racing for some reason, despite the fact that you were actually able to sleep without any nightmares for the past few hours you were unconscious. But you were sure that you heard a creak, and not just any creak (you weren't so paranoid that you were suspicious of every moan and groan an old wood house would inevitably make), but a living being adding pressure to the squeaky wood panel six steps down the hall outside the room you were in, creak.
You feel around for the most lethal thing you could find that you could use to defend yourself. At the moment, while you would have loved to pull a baseball bat or a gun out, it seemed that you were going to have to make due with a lamp. You tiptoe toward the door, slowly pulling it open and peering into the darkness.
Wait, hadn't you left a bunch of lights on?
You heart feels like it just jumped to your throat, when you realized that you had in fact left at least the hall lighting on. All the natural light was blocked out thanks to the curtains. It was so dark, you couldn't even see your own hand when you waved it in front of your face.
You force yourself to take deeper breaths than the shallow ones you were steadily fading into, and step out into the hallway completely.
That's when all hell breaks loose.
A mass of tentacles (at least that's what their shadowy form looked like) jumped out at you from the far end of the hall and gave chase. You scream and make a run for it, using the lamp to beat back the slithery, slimy appendages that started to wrap around you. But one catches you around your ankle and you trip. You force your weight to the side and tumble down the stairs, allowing gravity to help you escape. It hurt like hell, but at least now you had a head start.
As you run past the kitchen, grabbing a couple knives and stuffing one with a cover down the boots you had thrown on, you can see that it was army of tentacles and vines that had attacked you and they were originating from the cellar. That's right, you had forgotten to lock both cellar doors, that's how they got in!
But you didn't have time to think about that. You hack an attacking vine and run over to the front door, struggling with the lock a bit due to panic before finally forcing it open. You kick it shut as you run past, clipping a few tentacles and impeding their chase.
However, there's no reprieve. Outside the cabin looked like a fairytale book had thrown up all its worst villains right into the forest, and now they were all after your blood.
You bite back a scream and continue running. You had to think straight, your life depended on it. Reborn had forced you to sit through several sessions of different survival tactics, now was the time to use them.
"Don't stick to the open."
"Whaaat~! But then I'll get lost!" You protested.
Reborn whacked the backside of your head. "Don't run on the main path or on one that's been frequently traversed if you're being chased, but also keep that path in sight."
You scrunch up your face in confusion. "Couldn't the person chasing me just run the main path and catch up or overtake me then?"
Reborn shook his head. "Not if they're chasing you specifically. They like the thrill of the hunt, so they want to track you down."
You shivered. "Creepy."
"When running away, you should also run in a zigzag pattern. It makes it more difficult to trace you since they have to take more time to analyze what path you took. It's also more difficult to take aim if they have a weapon. Don't make it ridiculous and predictable, just don't run completely straight. If there's a river, cross it at least once, they'll lose your trail for a bit. If you can, then try to run in it for a while. Not too long, or they'll catch you, but just enough to confuse your tracks even more."
"And if they still manage to catch me?"
"Fight."
You weave through the trees, following Reborn's advice to the best of your capability. For the most part, it seemed to be working. The other fairytale creeps had long since slowed down until it was just the numerous variations of the 'big bad wolf', and you had lost them back at the stream.
The two knives you had were left behind when you fended off one of the monsters; one left in a murderous clown, the other inside of a werewolf like monster. You were tired and slowly freezing to death thanks to your wet clothes from the stream. However, you couldn't stop now. You didn't need intuition to know that whoever was after you would catch up in an instant if you stopped for even a moment. That didn't take away the fact that you had no idea where to run to, but you would be damned if you gave up for that sort of reason.
'The bridge!'
You almost trip. Who said that?
'If you can make it across the bridge to the village, they will be unable to give chase any longer.'
After a quick debate with yourself, you decide to follow the suspicious mind-invading, voice over the scary, vicious, man-eating monsters behind you. Besides, if the voice was trap, well… you were screwed either way weren't you?
The mist starts to thicken, making it more and more difficult to see through the area. But you still tried to run along the trees and not on the main road. You jump back into the clearing at the end, expecting to see a bridge, but end up skidding to a halt next to the cliff instead. You look around and notice the bridge a distance away.
How the hell did it get all the way over there! You were sure you had kept the clearing within you sights at all time.
'That's just an illusion. The bridge is still in front of you.'
You shook your head. Your sight said otherwise, but you tentatively reach out your foot and try to feel for the surface. Yet, your foot only met air. You pull it back quickly.
'You are under an illusion right now. Just close your eyes and continue forward. You must go quickly! You have to be completely across the bridge or they'll catch you, and then you and your friend shall be doomed!'
Friend? Did they mean Reborn?
'Yes! Now you must hurry!'
You take a deep breath, gathering your courage, and take a step of faith. When you don't take a plunge, you let out a relieved breath and nearly open your eyes. But the voice warns against it and you continue forward.
'You are almost there! But you must hurry! He's nearly here!'
You nod curtly and press forward.
'Look out!'
A tentacle whips out of nowhere and curls around your waist, heaving you backwards. You instinctively reach out and manage to grab part of the railing, your eyes snapping open. Even before you could start recognizing that you were floating in between the two cliff sides, you start to plummet. But you don't fall far before the tentacle around your waist starts to heave you back to the other side and is joined by others. You scream and fight, even as vines and blue slithering appendages curled painfully around your wrists and ankles.
"Nufufufu. It seems I've finally managed to catch the frightened little rabbit." The vines and snake like limbs forced you to turn around and face the speaker, a man with rich dark blue hair pulled into a ponytail with tufts poking up on the top back. "We should get going, no? Else, we garnish the wrath of the king. Nufufufufu."
You open your mouth to scream and protest, but tentacles wrap around your mouth, effectively cutting you off.
"No more of that now. We really must be off," the man tantalizes. He throws you over his should and troops back the way you came, this time entering deeper into the forest.
You can't tell how long he walked for, it felt both long and short, but eventually a strange doorway built into the side of a mountain came into sight. That was strange though. You don't remember seeing a mountain anywhere nearby or at any time during the car ride, so how did it get there?
The doorway itself was enormous, you wanted to estimate about 50 yards tall and wide. It was a regal sort of red with black designs tracing around and over it. From a farther distance it looked like it could be vines, but as you neared, you realized it was more like thorns. Though, your more artistic side agreed that it was tastefully done, not too much nor too little. There were golden hoop shaped handles situated in the center, which you figured were for decoration purpose because they were so high up and obviously too heavy for a single person to lift.
The man suddenly freed you and set you on the ground, though he grabbed your upper arm to keep you from running away. He chuckled his eerie little laugh again. "Can't have you running away again, now can we?"
You can't even answer the man from the amount of fear coursing through you. But he seems to realize this and starts dragging you along with once again. Before long, you find yourself dragged into a great hall. It was filled to the brim with what you could only describe as every fairy tale and mythical story come to life.
But the mix wasn't what most would expect it to be. There were just as many saintly looking vampires and red-eyed fairies in the mix as much as the usual depiction of magical beings. Normal animals proved to be something more when they stood up on their hind legs and whispered something to a companion. Nymphs and dryads alike whispered and giggled, staring at you and speaking to others. Mermaids popped out of pools situated around the area to get a better look, some communicating through screeches and others speaking normally. What you thought was a normal human at first glance, proved you wrong when they dissolved into a mass of snakes, frogs, smoke, or even smaller people the size of your thumbs.
Now one of the questions that remained was; are they good or bad?
You obviously couldn't just judge them by how they looked, besides that was just bad etiquette to judge a book by its cover.
In addition, why were they giving you such…pitying looks?
You didn't have time to contemplate this question, as you yanked forward in front of a raised platform where seven chairs stood. Six of the chairs were black in color and adorned with a different colored gem, but none could compare to the throne in the middle. It was pale golden with dark orange padding and decorated with orange jewels. To the right was the first black chair, bearing red paddings in jewels. Next to that was another black chair garnished with light blue and next to that, situated a little farther away was the final black chair for that side, decorated with purple. To the left were black chairs decorated with indigo, next yellow, and lastly a bright forest green.
Curiously, each chair except the throne in the middle had a woman seated on one of the arms. All of them were on the arm furthest from the chair in the middle. Each female had a dull glazed look in their eyes, like they weren't really there. They all seemed so…lifeless.
The terrifying 'melon-headed' kidnapper finally released you and stepped up to the indigo chair. But you were so scared, you couldn't even move. Strangely enough, the man reached up and placed a surprisingly gentle hand on the side of the blonde woman's face, whispering something to her. But the young woman didn't respond, emphasizing the foreboding doll like state.
Wait! She is moving. Slowly…slowly… Uh oh. She's looking at you. Don't freak out. Don't freak out… Oh my gosh, your heart couldn't go any faster. It seemed like she was trying to make her mouth move so that she could say something, but she didn't have any more strength after raising her head.
'Child.'
Oh? The voice was back, though it seemed weaker….Wait…Was the blond woman where the voice was originating from?
'Yes. I can't say much right now, or the King will notice. Just do your best to stay calm and just do what he says for right now.'
What did he want from you exactly?
'I can't say for now. But for the sake of your friend, you must do as your told. The king will make a deal with you. If you can outwit him, then you might be able to save both yourself and your friend. But be wary. The king is as old as time and has long since learned how to twist more than just words to his benefit. You must play his game and win, or you will forever perish."
How could you possibly win against someone like that? This was an impossible task.
'Don't give up. I know you can do it!'
Why? Why you! What were they after that you were supposed to have?
'A sacrifice.' The blond woman's head sank back down to her last position, cutting off contact.
You were scared. You could cry you were so frightened. But for Reborn, you would stay strong…You had to.
Slowly, five surprisingly human like others trooped into the room and took their respective seat. Finally, only the golden chair in the middle remained empty.
Clack! Clack!
Your eyes darted around to look for who had slammed wood against tile, but found no one.
"His Majesty, Giotto del Vongola, King of the Demons!"
It was official. You had evidently been swallowed up by a horror story, and now you were doomed for all eternity.
You mentally shook your head to snap you out of your sudden sarcastic doom and gloom streak. Now wasn't the time for such things, nor was your depression. Reborn was counting on you.
A male with golden blond hair and sunset eyes strolled out from two giant wooden doors off to the side, gazing out at his subjects for his eyes landed on you, staying there even as he seated himself. It was even more unnerving than Reborn's.
You had to admit, if you weren't scared out of your wits, then you may have blushed from how attractive he was. But as it was, you were still trying to remember how to breathe as well as try to make yourself stop shaking from the amount of fear coursing through you.
"Here is the other who accompanied the other human," the kidnapper said to the golden haired man.
Other human? Did they mean Reborn?
"Nufufu, I must say that she was a difficult one. She almost made it completely across the bridge before I caught her." The blue haired man sent you a slyly intrigued smile, his comment gaining you more interest from the others as well.
You quelled under their gazes, trying very hard not to cry or collapse. You were confused with the man's statement and so, so scared.
"That is interesting, isn't it?" The man in the light blue adorned chair agreed. He wore very outdated Japanese clothing and seemed one of the kinder beings of the seven. "I don't think any of the others were even able to make it out of the house."
If you didn't think it was possible before, then you were just proven wrong; you're heart had probably fallen out the other side of the world now. Others? How long had this been going exactly? And what for?
"If she is so great, then we should test her worth!" A green faced elf looking woman screeched. She didn't wait for a response before diving toward you, changing form into a giant lizard with jagged teeth.
You scream and duck, falling onto your rear and just missing the woman by a hairs breath. But she didn't halt her attack and dove again. You remember that you had stuffed a knife in your boot and pull it out, barely managing to pull off the cover before swinging, too scared to look where you were slashing.
There was an ear splitting shriek and you looked up to see the lizard, now turned back into a green woman, backing away and covering her face as moss colored blood poured out of her head. Blood that hit the floor hissed and sizzled, rotting away the stone. You look at the knife and notice that it was dissolving as well and throw it away from you before it could reach your hands. The attacker looks up through one hate filled eye and starts charging at you again, even as you slide yourself further away, but then is suddenly enveloped in bright crimson flames and turns to ash.
You scream again and cover your mouth in shock, tears freely falling now. Someone had just been killed right in front of you, and you were probably next.
You shakily turn your gaze back to the raised platform to see the man that had been seated in the red decorated chair, was standing and holding an intricate crimson bow. He was scowling and it almost seemed like his ruby hair was on fire as well. "Make another idiotic move like that again, you'll all be punished. Am I clear."
His last statement was a command, nothing about it was a question and the affirmative responses ushering around the room confirmed that. You flinch when his gaze lands back on you, but you notice that his crimson eyes softens a little, though that may just be your imagination. "Your name human?"
Your name? That seemed a bad idea. Something was telling you that you should not, under any circumstances, give them your real name. "S-s-s-su-u-un-n-ny."
"Sunny?" The man in the yellow colored chair smiled a little. "What a wonderful name."
Your only response was to curl a little further into yourself.
Suddenly, the side doors creak open again and eight little figures run in.
You gasp. "Tsunayoshi! No!"
"Papa!" The brunet smiles brightly and hugs the golden haired king.
But you weren't paying attention by then. Papa? As in…father?
Oh god. Oh my god. Everything seemed to click in place.
You stare in horror as all the children in the orphanage went up to their respective parents. Now that they were together, you could see the resemblance. But more than that, you realized what this all meant.
Tsuna pulled away from his father and looked around to smile brightly at you. He then turned back to his father while pointing at you. "She's the one I told you about papa! Isn't she great?"
The blond man smiled.
The small boy detached himself from the man and came running over, coming to a stop in front of you. "Isn't this great big sister? Now we can be a family! Just like you wanted! You can be happy again!"
You were just being used. Now it made sense; all those families that ended up leaving without ever adopting; all those other people who came to help out at the orphanage turned away. These kids had been scouting out for a suitable candidate for whatever it is they were after.
"Sun-sun?" Tsuna asks, his cheerfulness dimming. He reached out to touch you, but you scoot away backwards with a quick shuddering gasp. The little boy appeared hurt by your display, but understanding as well. So he trooped back up by his father to let your shock subside.
You felt sick. If this situation was because you had been the unlucky candidate, then if Reborn was here…It was all your fault. It was your fault that Reborn was here and may possibly die, if he wasn't already.
"I thank you on the behalf of the others for taking care of our little ones," the man in the Japanese cloths said softly with a small grateful smile. "They are very important to us, and this was the first time that we allowed them to choose."
You were right…You were going to be sick at this rate.
But you had to ask. Reborn, you had to remember that you needed to stay strong for Reborn. You gather the remaining courage within you and force yourself to speak before it has a chance to fade away permanently. "Wh-wh-why di-di-did you b-b-bring m-me here?" You look at everyone but the king and the beige haired man in the purple chair.
The blue haired man chuckled eerily again. "You are here because our king commands it." He gestured to the blond man, but you still refused to look.
"Wh-why? And wh-what make you th-think that I sh-should believe that ah-all of you are d-demons any-anyways?" You demand, trying to sound more confident than you actually felt. You don't think it worked.
"Oya, it really must not have been that bad. Then again, I've used much worse on other mortals," the indigo haired man retorted. "But we can prove the truth of our words. After all would humans be capable of this?"
The beige haired man remained as silent as his king, merely nodding toward the giant wooden doors of doom.
To your horror, out was pulled Reborn encased in ice. The sight alone was enough to bring your fears to real life and make your heart stop.
"No!" You voice cracked and you ran forward. "Reborn! Reborn! No! No!"
You slammed your fists against the ice, desperately trying to break it open, to save your last dear friend. You cry out his name repeatedly, hoping that somehow he could hear you and would respond. But the ice didn't budge and only resulted with your hands becoming bloody and battered. You paused, panting heavily as you stared at the man in black. You tightened your fist, turning the skin left visibly white.
No.
You weren't going to lose him too. You cried out in pain as your hands were engulfed in a bright orange flame. You were about to panic and try to put it out, but then you noticed that (unlike the torches on the wall) the flames on your hands were melting the strange ice. You frown in determination and began punching the ice prison gain, finally managing to break through. You ignore the pain and the fact that the flames were slowly inching down your arms like that of a lit match, burning your flesh along the way. Before the flames could reach half your forearm, you find a weak spot and the ice shatters completely.
Your heart lightens a little bit, which seemed to trigger an off switch of sorts and the flames went out. You collapsed next to the raven and felt for a pulse, tears turning from fear to that of relief when you find one, but you wipe them away and try to wake you companion. However, he does not stir.
"Please. Please wake up Reborn. Please." You rest you forehead on his chest, tears escaping you again. "Oh god, please. Not again. Please Reborn. Don't leave me too." You sit up with a start when a cold hand grasps your upper arm and break into a smile. You tackle the man in a fierce hug. "Thank god."
But Reborn pulls away. "Get out of here. Do you hear me? Run and don't look back."
You shake your head. "No. Not without you."
"Get going. Now!" Reborn urged.
Suddenly black chains shot out and wrapped themselves around the suited man, pulling him away quickly back through the doors.
"No!" You scream, running after your friend. The door slammed shut in your face and you could only pound away weakly. "Reborn! No! Reborn! Shit. Shit." You whirl around and glare at the so-called court. "Why are you doing this!"
"Your friend trespassed on my territory, someplace no human should tread," the king arose, finally speaking for the first time since he entered. "He nearly damaged my tree of life."
"How were we supposed to know?" You shout angrily. "We came here for a vacation. How were we supposed to know about anything that goes on around here when we received no warning?"
"It was left to the humans to pass the warning down upon their generations," the king replied evenly. "It was not our duty to monitor how the warnings were given out."
Fury boils inside of you. How ridiculous! How unjust! How unfair! Your hands scream in agony when you curl them into tight fists once more. "For that reason you…You monster. Give him back! Let Reborn go!"
Your voice falters with your breath and you grasp your chest. You couldn't breathe. It was just a panic attack, but if you didn't calm down, then you would pass out. You force yourself to take deep breaths before looking back at the man who was still approaching you. He reaches out to touch your face, but you move away, glaring hatefully despite the tears pouring down your face.
The blonde's hand hangs in the air for another few seconds before he lets it fall to his side. He smiled in what he probably thought was supposed to be a calming manner, but it gave you the chills. "Since you came to my court when called, why don't we strike a deal."
You continue glaring, hoping that maybe you would be able to melt his face off with the force.
Nevertheless, the king continued smiling in that sly manner. "All you have to do is complete seven tasks, one for each member of my court along with myself. Easy enough correct?"
You narrow your eyes suspiciously. "What's the catch?"
"No catch, unless you call staying within my kingdom in between tasks at catch. Although, I suppose that the time limit would be considered one. You have until the night of the red moon to accomplish all seven tasks. That's one week. So what say you?"
You say nothing right away. Something about this man makes it impossible for you to trust anything he says. "And what of Reborn?"
"He shall be released back to the human world with no charge." The king replied coolly.
Your eyes narrow a little further when you catch a missing detail. "And what of me?"
"Of course you shall be free to leave as well if you wish." The king's smile brightened sickeningly.
Your gut told you that, that was a lie, but what proof did you have? Plus, you really didn't want to upset this tyrannical king any more than what was already done. Who knew what he would do if he was enraged enough to follow through with his plans before you could find a way around them?
"What's the first task?"
There were a lot of cliffhangers there, weren't there?...
Well I hoped you liked it! Reviews are lovely~!