She ran through the halls of the castle, fear spurring her to run faster than she ever had before. By all rights, as the princess, she should have been ushered out of the building as soon as it had been overrun by the enemy, but she had slipped away from the guards around her, and gone back in. She couldn't leave it there, not her most precious treasure. It was all she had left to remember him by, the only photo she had ever taken with him. She stumbled into her room and digging through her dresser, she located the photo, her hands closing on it with relief. Tucking it into her pockets, she slipped out of her room and ran towards the secret servant passages. She could get out that way. As she turned a corner, she heard a shout behind her. "I saw someone going that way! I'll go check it out!"
She urged her body to go faster. But she was already running as fast as her legs could carry her. The sound of a gun cocking sent her into a frenzy and she pushed herself to the limits. There was a single shot and something cold entered her back. As the blood filled her lungs, she choked and collapsed. Trembling hands reached for the photo in her pocket. She would be joining him soon. He would be glad to see her, right? Despite her not being able to keep the promise of living until she was an old grandmother. Her eyes ghosted over his profile-
Mio jerked up, breaking into a cold sweat. What was that dream? Why had it seemed so realistic? A person had been running. There was a picture with a man. That was important, she knew that much. There had been pain, or was it warmth? She didn't remember. Already the dream was slipping away, despite how hard she tried to grasp it. Something told her it was important. Thoughts of the photograph remained with her even as she got a call from Yamamoto asking to skip school. Perhaps skipping school and getting some fresh air would calm her down. She agreed without further thought.
"Boss, there's a weird sound coming from over there" Mio pointed, concerned.
"Eh? What do you mean weird? Ah! Where's Lambo?" Tsuna looked around frantically, "…Oh, he's here… It's not him; what did you mean Kiyomizu-chan?"
"Well, it sounds like explosions…and there's definitely the smell of gunpowder being blown downwind over here. It might be a fight or something."
"No way right…I mean, maybe it's just fireworks or something. I don't want any more fighting!" Tsuna groaned.
Mio nodded and they went back to what they were doing. She kept an ear on the sounds however, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. "Gokudera-kun! Will you stop picking fights with Takeshi-kun?" she sighed, exasperated at the volatile boy's attempts to stick dynamite in the baseball player's mouth.
The three of them bickered at their own table, giving Tsuna some time alone with Kyoko, his crush. Mio straightened however when the explosions suddenly got closer and then something came flying through the air to land on Tsuna. "Boss!" she yelled in alarm.
Gokudera and Yamamoto were both already running towards the boy, and she scrambled to follow, furious at herself for not being more wary. To their shock, there was a person on top of Tsuna. He smelled like gunpowder and sweat, as if he hadn't had the chance to rest in days. The girl suddenly whirled around at the presence of another person.
"What's this? Outsiders parading around?" a loud voice asked. "I'll slice up any trash who gets in the way!"
"What's with that person?" Tsuna shrieked, "He's serious trouble!"
Mio could hear Reborn shepherding Kyoko away. The boy that had crashed into Tsuna spoke up, and in archaic Japanese, said, "My apologies, Sawada-dono. I've been followed. I just met thee, yet I've already dragged thee into such a dangerous situation."
"U-um, who are you?" Tsuna asked uncertainly.
The boy grabbed Tsuna's hand and started running, "Let's find a safe place! I would like to tell thee something!"
"VOII!" the other man jumped and landed in front of them, "Let's quit this game of tag." He looked at Tsuna, "And who are these guys?"
When the newcomer didn't answer, the man lunged forward, waving something, a sword, "Let's get you to spill everything, now shall we?"
The boy dove forward to protect Tsuna and took the blow. The man walked forward menacingly, "What's your relation with this kid? If you don't spit it out, I'll slice you."
Out of nowhere, dynamite exploded around them, forcing the man to jump back.
"Lay a hand on that person and I won't let you go free." Gokudera drawled.
"Yeah, something like that. I'll be your opponent." Yamamoto commented.
Mio stood to the side, trying to get a sense of the opponent. He moved fluidly, almost effortlessly. Clearly the man had had plenty of training; he was no easy opponent. But they couldn't very well let him hurt Tsuna, could they. Nevertheless, the two boys were being incredibly reckless.
"You guys are also related in some way, eh? I don't get it, but I'll tell you something I know for sure." The man's tone of voice became ruthless. "If you go against me, you'll die."
He clearly was neither joking nor bluffing, and Mio felt a jolt of panic run through her. Her hand slowly inched towards the gun in her jacket pocket, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.
The two boys either didn't understand the seriousness of the situation or just didn't care because they responded arrogantly.
"Right back at you."
"That's a sword he has, right? I'll go."
The newcomer boy knew better. "Please don't! He isn't a man thou can win against!"
The man grinned savagely, "It's too late to regret!" He charged forward and at the same time, Yamamoto ran towards him, sword at the ready. "Let's go!"
As their swords met with a clash, the man scoffed, "Your sword skills…you really don't have any, do you?"
"And what if I don't?" Yamamoto replied, his tone almost arrogant.
Bringing his sword down violently, the man roared, "IT'S TOO LIGHT!"
The man fired gunpowder at the boy and Yamamoto collapsed, defeated. Resisting the urge to run to the unconscious boy, Mio stood her ground, her hand clasped around the gun. Upon seeing Yamamoto, Gokudera growled angrily and lit his dynamite. There was a single swishing sound and the smell of lit dynamite disappeared immediately. "You're slow."
Dashing forward, the man brought his leg crashing down on the boy, knocking him out instantly. "Vooiiii these guys aren't even worth talking about." He brought his sword up, "Just die."
Mio lunged forward, her white staff assembled, and blocked the blow, wincing at the strength put in the swing. She pulled out her other gun and fired a warning shot at the man. The poison bullets were fully loaded and using her staff, she attempted to beat him back while shooting. The man easily parried her blows and with a single blow, sent the staff spinning out of her hands. The sword rested at her neck and he growled, "Try shooting me one more time. An amateur like you shouldn't even have guns like those. You don't know anything, do you?"
Enraged at the degrading comment, Mio shoved aside the importance of preserving her life and brought the gun up to the man's temple. "I can shoot much faster than you can take my head off" she said, panting.
"Vooiiii I'll kill you." The man replied, grinning.
She smiled widely, "You're much more skilled than me so I don't doubt those words. Even so, I won't move from this spot unless you make me."
The man smirked, "You're a feisty little brat, I'll give you that." Suddenly in one fluid movement, he was behind her and her gun was pointed at nothing. "But it's not good enough to beat me." He hit a pressure point on her neck with his hand and as she crumpled, he muttered, "Well, I won't kill you at the very least."
Mio stirred, groaning uncomfortably. There was a familiar scent nearby and she muttered, "Dino-san?"
The man didn't hear her and continued his conversation, "Tsuna, we'll talk about that later. I've prepared an unused hospital. Let's go."
"Please wait! Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto, and Kiyomizu-chan are…!"
The girl stood up slowly and stumbled over to where Tsuna was. She could hear Gokudera and Yamamoto doing the same.
"No need to worry about them." Reborn interjected.
"Are you okay, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked, concerned.
"What was up with that guy?"
"The level you're fighting at right now will be nothing but a bother. You three can go home."
Mio froze.
"Reborn! What are you saying?" Tsuna asked angrily.
Although they were already walking away, Mio could hear Reborn's all knowing response. "They probably sensed it already. After being defeated in such a one-sided match, there's no way they're not pissed off. Leave them alone for now."
Clenching her fists, she walked back and searched the ground for her cane. She knew she was still incredibly weak, but she was working slowly to improve. Her goal after all was to defeat Hibari some day, and to do that, she couldn't be lazy. So she would ignore what Reborn had to say, wouldn't take it to heart, and would focus on what she could do.
Calming herself with deep breaths, she ran her fingers over her gun. The battle with the highly experienced man had taught her a few things. Obviously having the cane wasn't enough; she needed to learn how to properly fight with it so that she could combine it with her gun. She also had to learn to be even faster, more versatile with her weapon. Twisting the gun in her hands, she changed it to its cane form in a matter of seconds, an improvement that she had earned by fiddling with it in her spare time. This time as she changed it back to its gun form however, she felt for any useful features. If she was caught off guard before she could change all the way, was there something she could use? There it was! At the beginning of the shift, the gun was elongated, but it could still fire. She fumbled with it carefully, memorizing the feel and then practiced shooting with it a little. About half the length of her normal staff, she would be able to guard with the weapon as well use it for offensive purposes. She continued messing with the weapon, discovering tricks and techniques that she could use to her advantage in battle.
Her hand then inched towards the MAC 11 that she had yet to master. It was ridiculously difficult for her to let go of the trigger before the gun emptied the entire magazine that was loaded. But the weapon wouldn't be useful unless she could control it. She took a moment to relax herself and then started to study the weapon, trying to work out the pieces and why it was so difficult for her to conquer.
It would be difficult for her to become as strong as the others when she wasn't even accepted, but she would work towards her goal all the same. She would show them just what this blind girl could do on her own.
"Nagi? I'm Kiyomizu Mio. I was sent to pick you up." The girl said to the timid girl in front of her. Mukuro had guided her so she was sure she had the right person, but the task wasn't any easier.
She reached forward to take the girl's hand in hers gently. Although the girl's hand was trembling, she didn't pull away, and Mio squeezed it a little in reassurance. Behind them, she heard an arrogant voice declaring, "Good riddance. I can't believe the nerve of that girl. To risk her life and cause us so many medical bills, all for the sake of some stray cat."
Nagi stiffened beside her, and Mio growled, the sound not reaching anyone's ears but her own. She turned to the girl next to her and asked, "Nagi-san, tell me honestly. Do you want to go back with your parents? Because if you do, I won't stop you."
The girl shook her head, murmuring, "I want to be with Mukuro-sama."
Mio nodded and strode forward angrily towards the couple, pulling Nagi to a stop in front of them. "Since you have decided that you no longer want custody of your daughter, I will be taking her. Thank you for giving birth to her." She sneered, "Although I suppose that is all I can thank you for."
The mother turned to her angrily, "Who are you?"
Mio smiled bitterly, "You don't need to know, nor do you really care so let's stop wasting each other's time here."
"That's my daughter you're taking away! I think I have a right to know!"
"You were willing to abandon your daughter when she was on death's front door, and now you want to put on airs as if you really cared?" The girl's tone turned harsh. "Don't give me that bullshit. If you try to take Nagi back to that hell hole you call a home, I will personally hunt you both down, and string you by your precious intestines from Tokyo Tower."
The parents paled and spluttered indignantly, "Are you threatening us?"
Offering her sweetest smile, she replied, "No. That wasn't a threat. It was a promise." Her expression turned cold and still holding Nagi's hand, she walked away.
Nagi stumbled after her and said shyly, "You didn't have to go that far for me. It's not their fault that I'm-"
Mio stopped and looked at the girl sternly, "It is their fault and I did have to go that far. As parents they should be ashamed that they were willing to abandon their child and then afterwards defend themselves as if they had done nothing wrong." Her tone softened. "And partially, that was sort of what I wished I could've said had I had a last chance to say something to my parents."
Nagi barely heard what the girl had whispered as an afterthought but she immediately pieced it together with what Mukuro had told her and understood why she had gone to such lengths.
She attempted to coax the girl into eating, but it seemed that Nagi was unused to being treated so kindly and kept refusing, stating that what she had was enough. Mio sighed, "Nagi-san. I think we need to lay some ground rules first. I'm not delicate, nor am I particularly sensitive to others. I grew up by myself, relying on only myself, and blocked all others out. Maybe it's because of that that I don't know how to be tactful. But while you're staying here, I just want you to know that I will never hurt you in any way. And if I do on accident, you are more than welcome to punch me in the face or stomach or whatever."
Nagi stammered, "No, I couldn't! That would be horrible!"
Mio laughed, "I finally got you to raise your voice!"
The girl blushed furiously, but Mio took her hands and said encouragingly, "That's right! Just like that, live your life proudly! We only get one chance at life so we might as well live it with a bang, right?"
"Kufufu you're wrong there, principessa."
"Mukuro? What the hell? Don't come out so suddenly!" she shrieked, dropping the now decidedly male hands.
The boy smirked, "Oya oya did I make you flustered?"
She rolled her eyes, "No, you just surprised me. Anyways, what did you need? It takes a great amount of power for you to possess Nagi doesn't it?"
"I was just checking in to make sure you weren't bullying her."
"Well, you can rest assured" she sniffed indignantly, "I'm not bullying her. In fact we were in the middle of a girl to girl talk before you interrupted."
"Do you normally keep your eyes closed all the time, principessa?"
"Hmm? Well it's become sort of a habit. I mean it still hurts if I get dust in it, so why bother taking the risk?"
"Open them when I'm near you so that you may take in more of your surroundings and therefore create more realistic illusions."
She opened her eyes and gazed around. "So this is what my apartment looks like." She mused to herself. "Maybe I should put up some decorations so Nagi doesn't get bored."
"Hey Mukuro" she said suddenly after a moment of silence, "I had a weird dream lately. I was wondering if you could tell me anything about it since you walk in dreams."
"Oya what might that be?"
"Well, I don't really remember very clearly, but I was running. That much is certain. And then I was looking for something. And I remember I had a photograph, or maybe that's what I was looking for." She ran her hands through her hair in frustration, "Gaah I can't remember! I just know that it seemed like a really important dream."
Mukuro seemed to have frozen. "That photograph" he said slowly, "Did you see what was on it?"
"That's the part I can't remember. I know I was lying down while looking at it, and I feel like the picture was probably really important, but I can't remember anything else!"
He sighed, "Pay it no mind then. It was most likely a fleeting memory that floated into you."
She frowned; Mukuro seemed out of it, and she was certain the dream had been important. Nevertheless, she nodded, taking note of the uncomfortable look on the boy's face for later reference.
"Why is it that you have looked everywhere but me?" The boy asked, quickly changed the subject.
She glanced at him and snickered, "Your hair makes me laugh and I can't take you seriously when I see it." Although it partially true, it was more than just that. Her chest felt uncomfortable when she looked directly at the boy, and her head hurt as if something was trying to break free inside of her.
"Oya oya what's wrong with my hair?"
She smirked, "That bit that sticks up makes you look like a pineapple, or hadn't you noticed? I'm sure one of your subordinates must have at some point. Didn't they bother telling you?"
"Ah, yes. Ken has often told me that." His smile turned sour, "But of course, I make sure to correct him. My hair is not a pineapple."
Mio laughed silently to herself and watched as Mukuro idly played with the chopsticks in his hand for a moment before she interrupted him, "Well then, if that was all, can I go back to associating with sweet girls?"
He laughed, "Principessa, your dislike for me is rather delightful."
"…are you by any chance a masochist…?"
The boy's eyes sparkled playfully, "And if I said yes?"
She smirked in reply, "Well, I can't do anything now since that's Nagi's body, but in the future if you do ever get your real body back, I'm sure I could spare a few minutes now and then to beat you senseless."
"Kufufu I look forward to it…" The man slowly faded away revealing Nagi again. Her vision also disappeared and she closed her eyes once more.
Smiling brightly, Mio said, "I finally got that brat to go away. Let's eat, Nagi-san."
The boy's unasked question lingered in the air. Are you not looking at me because I remind you of someone else? Lately, she was getting the feeling that she had known Mukuro before. But she couldn't remember where or how.
Blinking her eyes open wearily, Mio was met with the sound of quiet sniffles. The bed shook a little as the girl next to her struggled to repress the sound of her crying. She reached down and took the girl's hand, squeezing it warmly. "You don't have to hide it." She murmured quietly.
Nagi turned to face her and started crying brokenly, "Kiyomizu-san, why did they…? What did I do wrong?"
It was a question she had wanted to ask herself many times, but had never allowed herself to; always choosing to be stoic about the situation, refusing to allow anyone to see her as a weakling. But this girl would not go down the same path she had taken. She would have people who truly cared about her and would take care of her, and they would make sure she didn't turn out as broken as Mio had.
So she wrapped an arm around the girl, and soothingly rubbed her hand against her back, and allowed her to cry until she could cry no more. When the girl had finally calmed down, she spoke again, "Hey, Nagi. This is a new beginning for you, so we should do something to celebrate the moment. Is there anything you'd like?"
The girl thought for a moment before answering hesitantly, "I don't want my parents to be able to find me."
Mio nodded thoughtfully, "Then…a new name first? Is there any name that you like?"
"I like Mukuro-sama's name" was the shy reply.
"Mukuro, hmm. Well it's a guy's name but maybe if we rearranged the letters a little…" she mused. "Mukuro Rokudo…Dokuro? Ahh as I thought, that sounds a bit weird for a first name. But it might be nice as a last name."
"Chrome."
"Hmm?"
"I like Chrome Dokuro."
"Chrome, eh...? It's pretty…" Mio beamed and nodded, "That's that then. From this day forth, you are no longer Nagi. You are Chrome Dokuro!"
With that said, the two girls slowly drifted back to sleep. The newly named Chrome still holding Mio's hand, smiled as Mukuro's sly voice slipped into her mind. "Chrome Dokuro? Well named my dear."
"What're you doing here byon?" Ken snarled angrily.
"Ehh? I should be asking that of you, shouldn't I? I thought you were in prison!"
"We escaped a few days ago" the other person, Chikusa, sighed.
"Then where's Mukuro?" Mio asked curiously.
"You were supposed to be bringing him, you stupid girl!"
The girl shrugged and gently gave Chrome a gentle push towards the guys. "This is Chrome Dokuro, Mukuro's…uh…how to put it. He saved her life and sometimes shows up at awkward moments through her…?"
"Ahh? What is this stupid girl talking about now byon?"
She groaned and grabbed Chrome's shoulders. "Hey, you can come out now, right? I know you're watching all this and laughing!"
Chrome giggled softly, "Mukuro-sama says he wants to watch your angry face a little longer."
She face-palmed, sighing, "I can explain this." She started speaking rapidly, going through Nagi's sad history and Mukuro's appearance, hands gesticulating wildly. By the time she had finished her speech. She sensed a familiar presence behind her. Her eyes snapped open and sure enough she could once again see. The two boys in front of her were skinny; one of them had a blank look in his eyes, a beanie and a barcode on his cheek, the other had his mouth halfway open due to the large fangs that prevented him from closing it properly, his sandy blonde hair was littered with pins here and there, giving it some semblance of orderliness. Neither of the boys was looking at her, rather they were staring at something or someone behind her.
She whirled around only to come face to face with Mukuro, who was smirking at her. She flinched in surprise, and the boy's smile only got wider. Then he turned to talk to Ken and Chikusa, "Ken, Chikusa. This girl is my vessel. You'll take good care of her, yes?"
"Anything for Mukuro-sama!" Ken practically barked, his tongue lolling out of his mind.
"Yes Mukuro-sama" Chikusa replied more sedately.
Mukuro continued, "She will be temporarily staying with the lovely Mio, so of course you must treat her with due respect as well."
Ken and Chikusa turned to look at the girl again, the animal boy's eyes narrowing suspiciously. Mio spluttered, "I haven't done anything to him if that's what you're thinking!" She reluctantly muttered, "I doubt I'd even be able to land a scratch on him anyways."
She then straightened and directed her attention towards Mukuro, "You better not forget your promise."
But the man was already disappearing, leaving Chrome in his place. In her mind she heard a quiet chuckle, "Kufufu best let that remain a secret, principessa. I will teach you in time."
Ken and Chikusa were already walking away and she quickly focused on her other senses. "Ah, wait! Where are you two going? Don't you want to spend some time with Chrome?"
Ken snarled, "That stupid girl isn't really Mukuro-sama. Why should we waste our time with her? You take care of her."
Mio sighed and turned to Chrome, "Is there anything you wanted to do before going back, Chrome?"
The girl shook her head, "No, I can go back by myself. You should go back to training. Mukuro-sama says that you were holding back for me."
Mio thought for a moment. While it was certainly a good idea to go back and continue her training, she didn't want Chrome thinking she was a burden in any way. So shaking her head, she took the girl's hand and said, "Actually, I'd rather spend the day with you. I got a look at my apartment the other day and it's ridiculously empty. Let's go find some stuff to fill it up, yeah? And some clothes for you while we're at it. Mukuro might think you can go around wearing the Kokuyo uniform all the time, but what does he know about girls."
Author's Note:
New chapter! I've been so busy this week but I forced myself to stay up and post this so I hope it's good!
Quick question: Do you want to know more about Mukuro and Mio or is Gokudera and Mio more interesting? Depending on your answers, I may change things around a bit. I can go with either way at the moment so. ^_^
Two more chapters (I think roughly) and this story is going to be finished! Look forward to it :)
Please read and review~