A hand pulled her into a sitting position, "Little madam? Are you awake?" The hand reached for her bangs, "Someone needs to cut her hair; these bangs are ridiculous."
Don't ever let anyone else see what you're feeling. She jumped into action. Her hand flew up and crashed into the man's face. "Who the fuck are you?" she hissed.
"Little madam! It's all right! You're in no danger here! I apologize for kidnapping you so forcefully earlier."
"Where am I?" she demanded. "I'll decide for myself if I'm in danger or not."
"You are currently in a safe area under the protection of the Yamaguchi. Your parents requested that we bring you here."
The sentence caught her off guard and her defenses slipped for a moment. "…my…parents…?" she stammered. But in a second, she had recovered and asked harshly, "What are you talking about? My parents left me for dead years ago. Why the hell would they come back now?"
"No, little madam. Your parents had to leave to handle some business for the yakuza. But since they heard you became one of the Vongola, they decided it was time to come back for you. They are very proud of you."
She was furious. They had come back to use her since she was in the strongest mafia family now? She stood up abruptly, "Tell them that I'm going back. I don't have any desire to see them."
"I'm sorry little madam, I can't do that. You see, you are the rightful heir to the Yamaguchi."
"My parents had nothing to do with the mafia or yakuza. I have no idea what you're talking about."
"…you are Kiyomizu Mio, are you not?"
Without skipping a beat, she replied, "My name is Gokudera Mio. You seem to have gotten the wrong person. Please let me go before I contact the police." This man that smelled of spices and cheap cologne and spoke smooth words couldn't be trusted. For all she knew, this was all a ploy to get her to admit who she was so that he could take advantage of her.
A door opened and she pinpointed where it was, storing it away for future reference. "Mio! It really is you! They told me they had found you and I was so happy!" The familiar voice made her blood run cold. It was really her mother.
"Madam, she says that her name is Gokudera Mio…"
The woman laughed, "Nonsense. She's just throwing a tantrum is all." She addressed Mio again, "I really am sorry for leaving you so abruptly dear. Your father and I were being chased at the time and we couldn't bring a child into such a dangerous world. But look at you! You've grown up so much! And you're so beautiful now!" A warm perfumed scent swept over her and a hand turned her face. "Although these bangs could certainly use a trim; they're covering up your beautiful eyes."
Mio slapped the hand away, "That's it…?"
"What's it darling? Was I missing something else?"
Holding back the tears that were threatening to spill over, she asked, her voice shaking, "After all these years, you kidnap me, and then expect a ridiculous explanation like that will make everything better?"
"Well, I don't see what else there is to explain. We did this for your safety after all. You may have not been the happiest in all the foster homes, but we made sure you well taken care of. If you'd like an apology, I could of course-"
Resentment bubbled up in the girl and she stomped her foot angrily, "No! That's not enough! You're trying to tell me that I spent five years of my life wondering what I had done wrong to make my parents abandon me so heartlessly for nothing? All the ridiculous things I've done, all the people that I've hurt; all of that was for nothing?"
"Now darling, don't you think it's time you grew out of these tantrums of yours? I don't know how it is for the mafia or your previous boss from the Vongola, but a yakuza boss must always be composed. And you are the next in line."
She smiled bitterly. She had wanted to see her parents for so long; had dreamed of something like a reunion all her life. And when it happened, all she wanted was to scream. Wiping away the tears, she straightened and said in a detached tone of voice, "I apologize madam, however your daughter can't possibly become the next boss of any yakuza group. You see, on that day you left me five years ago, I had a little accident and was left blind. As loyal as your men may be to you, I highly doubt that they would willingly follow someone who can't see. However, not to worry; I'm sure you and dear father can produce another heir." Sharply, she added, "I would like to suggest that you do not insult the next boss of the Vongola. I will not take kindly to such transgressions. If you'll excuse me." She casually walked towards the door, still wondering if it was the right choice.
A change in the air had her whirling around, her gun pointed straight at the man who had somehow gotten only a foot away from her. "Don't come after me. I won't hesitate to shoot." She was out the door a second later and trying to get her bearings.
An explosion had her turning in that direction. There was just no way. "Where is she you fuckers?" A gruff voice yelled angrily.
"Gokudera-kun!" she screamed and tackled him to the ground just as bullets whizzed by. "What are you doing here?"
"We came to get you back obviously! Tenth and the others are looking for you too!"
They had really come for her! She wanted to cry and hug the boy, but instead rolled her eyes and commented, "Causing the Vongola and the Yamaguchi to go to war like this probably isn't the best idea!"
"The Yamaguchi?"
"It's some sort of yakuza family. My…parents are the leaders…"
Before she could say anything, Gokudera grabbed her hand and turned her to face him. "Stay with us. I know it's your family and I know it's selfish, but stay with me."
Any doubts she had left her immediately at the boy's words. This was someone she could trust her life and heart with. Smiling, she clutched his hand tightly and replied, "Okay."
The boy cursed in Italian under his breath as more bullets flew at them. "We have to get out of here!"
"You won't be going anywhere unfortunately." A man's voice came from behind them. "Mio, come here. Your mother already explained everything to you, didn't she?"
She straightened and turned to face the man, "I'm not staying here. I am not going to become a part of the Yamaguchi."
"Darling! I was so worried when I heard the explosions! Are you all right?" The woman rushed towards her.
A gunshot stopped her in her tracks. Mio held the gun up. "I'm not joining your family. I'm part of the Vongola."
"You're the heir to the Yamaguchi!" Her father said angrily. "It's time to act your age and accept your responsibilities, young lady."
All the self restraint Mio was using disappeared in an instant, "ACT MY AGE? I'M 13 YEARS OLD! YOU ABANDONED ME WHEN I WAS EIGHT! I HAD TO LIVE ON MY OWN EVEN THOUGH I WAS BLIND! YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALTZ BACK INTO MY LIFE LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED AND TELL ME TO ACT MY AGE? DON'T YOU FUCKING EVEN TRY!"
"Darling, I know you're hurt, but it was for your own good!"
"You don't know a thing." It was Gokudera who spoke this time. "You left her fucking hurt all by herself. Do you know how scarred she is? How she doesn't trust anyone? How even after weeks of knowing her, she is still willing to point a gun at someone just because she wants to find a place where she belongs to?"
"I don't believe I was talking to you, young man. You have no business here."
"He has more business with me than you do." Mio snarled.
"Oh come now, darling. Don't you want to be with your family? We missed you; did you not miss us?"
Pillars of fire exploded from the ground, and the world around them started crumbling. "You dare use that word against me? What do you know of family?"
"Darling! What are you doing? Stop! Can't you see that we did it because we love you?" She ignored the voices around her and continued to destroy everything with her illusions. A single sentence caught her attention however. "This is all your fault isn't it? You turned my daughter against us!"
A gunshot; a bullet was speeding towards Gokudera who didn't have time to duck. A wall of vines rose up in front of the boy, protecting him and Mio roared, "I WILL FUCKING END YOU!"
The world around them exploded in a pit of fire and death. And suddenly the urge to see overwhelmed her. She wanted to take one last look at the two adults before they disappeared from her life permanently. She needed to be able to look them in the eyes and tell them that she didn't need them anymore. There was a faint voice in her head, "All you need is a simple adjustment in your eyes. Here, focus your power and I will guide you."
"Thank you Mukuro" she murmured. Focusing, she blinked once. Her eyes opened and the world around her was revealed. Her anger had fueled her power, allowing her to do what Mukuro used to do for her. She stared impassively across at her parents. They were still screaming, their eyes fixed on her. She glared at them and then said, "I spent the past five years of my life tortured by questions. Why did you leave me? What did I do wrong? I see now that it wasn't my fault. Rather, it was because you simply view me as one of your pawns." She laughed bitterly, "Am I playing into your plans well, mother, father?"
Her mother screamed and held out her hand one last time for her. She stared at it coldly and a pillar of fire erupted in front of her. She watched as the two people she had called her parents, scrambled away from the destruction. As they left, her anger left her abruptly and the illusions around them disappeared.
Turning away, she met Gokudera's eyes. They were wide with shock but also proud. She looked him over, rubbing away the tears that were pooling into her eyes. Silver hair, green eyes. He was beautiful. She reached for his hand and said, "This is kind of an awkward time to say this, but has anyone told you that you're really good looking?"
The boy looked at her, flipped up her bangs, and saw the eyes that were staring straight back at him. "You can see me?" he whispered.
She smiled widely, "It's ironic, isn't it? That I lost and gained my sight because of my parents."
He rolled his eyes, grabbed her and pulled her into a kiss.
"Herbivore, such blatant displays of affection are against the rules. If you don't desist at once, I will bite you to death."
Mio whirled around to see Hibari Kyouya for the first time. Black hair, cold eyes, and the Namimori school uniform. A red disciplinary arm band was the most colorful thing on him. She stared at him for a moment and then grinned, "You look exactly like I thought you would."
He glanced at her briefly, "You can see again herbivore?"
She shrugged, "For now at least. I had some important business to take care of. I don't think I can keep up this illusion all the time though. And I don't really need to see anyways." She suddenly commented, "I didn't think you would care, Hibari-san."
"Herbivore, you will report your new condition to Kusakabe. Namimori's discipline will be upheld."
She rolled her eyes, "Of course."
"Kiyomizu-chan!"
"Kiyo-chan! You're okay!"
"Ohh she looks extremely okay!"
"Mio!"
The voices came from Tsuna, Yamamoto, Ryohei, and Chrome. She turned to greet them happily. For the first time in five years, she felt at complete peace with herself. Her family was here for her.
They were walking to school, hand in hand, when Gokudera brought it up casually. "Is that Mukuro bastard still talking to you all the time?"
Surprised, she responded, "He's still giving me lessons on how to improve my illusions. He said that after I confronted my parents and got rid of that 'complex' as he put it, my power level upped dramatically. But of course, I still have room for improvement."
"Che. So he can be useful too."
"Gokudera-kun, are you…jealous? Of Mukuro?" She laughed incredulously.
"Why the hell would I be?" he replied, clearly flustered. Changing the subject, he asked, "But don't you think it's weird for him to help the hated mafia so readily? That asshole is supposed to hate us, remember?"
She frowned, "There is a reason. Something I can't tell you. It…happened in the past and I guess you could say; he can't really treat me the same as just anyone else."
He looked at her curiously but she had gone silent so he didn't push the issue any further.
Mio smiled sadly to herself. There was no way she could tell him that her memories of her past life had come back in bits and pieces. She wasn't sure when or how it had happened, but one day she had woken up and just known things that hadn't been a part of her memory up until that point. She had even remembered Mukuro's attempt to repress the rising memories.
"Hime, I love you." The man said, his gaze soft and a smile on his lips.
"I love you too, _." She replied happily. Sitting up, she said, "I've decided to talk to father. I want to be able to be with you openly."
"You can't!" He grabbed her shoulders, "Hime, if you tell him, he'll separate us for sure! I'm a lowly servant and you're a princess! There's no way he would approve!"
"I'm going to make him recognize our relationship no matter what" she replied stubbornly. "It's okay _. Father has never denied me anything I really wanted before. And I'm truly serious this time."
Such naïve thoughts had once been hers. Unable to deter the girl from the idea, the young man had helplessly approved of the plan
"We'll always be together, won't we _?"
He nodded, smiling sadly, "Yes, we will.
That had been years before. Her father had denied her request harshly. When she had threatened to elope, he had had the young man brought before her and executed on the spot for treason.
She had been a requirement of a peace treaty. In order to save her kingdom, she would be married off to a foreign prince. She had been prepared to go without protest; for what was there to protest? The man she loved was gone from this world due to her naivety. She had no right to complain about her fate. But that didn't prevent thoughts of the young man from haunting her dreams. Bittersweet memories that left her heart aching and her cheeks wet when she woke in the morning.
"Father! Please! Don't do this! He's done nothing wrong!" She was dragged, screaming and kicking away from the man she loved.
"This mere servant dared entertain thoughts of loving my daughter? He has done more than enough to be punished! Guards! Prepare him for execution!"
"No! Father! Please!" She sobbed. "Don't kill him!"
But the king ignored and chose instead to address the man kneeling before him. "Any last words, servant?"
The man raised his head slowly and smiled in the girl's direction, "Live on until you are old and wrinkled, my love."
"I promise" she nodded, tears pouring down her face. Her hands were outstretched as if to hold him one last time. Enraged, the king raised his hand. Her voice rose in a scream and the guard's sword came down in a sharp arc. Her lover's head flew into the air. There was silence.
Ah…She had dreamed about it so many times she couldn't even remember what had really happened. She preferred to believe that he had declared his love for her regardless of the situation. Sometimes the man would deny loving her and in a fit of rage, she herself would kill him. Other times, he wouldn't say anything and would instead dive for the king in an attempt on his life. The only constant in all of her dreams was the man's manner of death: be it by guard, king, or herself, she witnessed his decapitation over and over.
So when she the prince she was supposed to marry decided that ravaging and pillaging the kingdom was more appealing, she didn't try very hard to live. The only thing she couldn't let go was the picture and that too disappeared along with her life in a blaze of flames.
Mio made her way to Kokuyo Land. She had to know for sure if the memories were really of Mukuro. The man seemed to have been dwelling in her mind long enough to know her thoughts however, because he was waiting for her when she arrived. With a mocking bow, he asked, "What can I do for you today, principessa?"
"Mukuro, I won't waste time with any pleasantries. I came here to ask you if those memories of mine are real or not." She hesitated a little, "Whether if in a past life, we were…in love or not."
He smiled, "Yes, they're true. You told your father about our relationship. He didn't approve, and in an attempt to save my life, I declared that I wasn't in love with you. Your father then had me executed regardless."
"Wha-" She stammered, "Is that what happened…?"
"Kufufu your own memories are most likely altered due to the sheer shock of the situation. But it is in fact true. I betrayed you in a previous life where we were very much in love." He spoke airily, "Not that this is a big deal. I have lived numerous lives, mated with numerous others, and fallen in loves many times."
"Then why did you choose to protect me from the truth?"
He didn't have an answer to that. And knowing she had caught him in his own bluff, she continued, "You could have let me find out and deal with the agony of the situation by myself. Instead, you sealed my memories away so that I could be with Gokudera-kun? Why did you do that?"
"Are you not content with your current situation, principessa? Perhaps the fierce-tempered Italian boy isn't enough for you? In that case, simply speak the words and I will sweep you off your feet."
"Stop changing the subject Mukuro! I want to know why!"
The boy was suddenly too close for comfort, his eyes boring into hers. "And if I told you that I was in fact still in love with you; that I refused to give you to the bomber. What would you do then? No, even I learn from my mistakes, principessa. Fate may have given us a chance to meet again, but that does not mean we were destined for one another." He smiled bitterly, "Or perhaps we were and fate decided to play a trick on us. Who really knows?"
Mio leaned forward hesitantly, but then changed her mind and pulled back. She closed her eyes and said, "To be honest, I thought of you as more of a mentor and an older brother, so these memories are sort of disconcerting." She shook her head and continued, "You're a good person Mukuro. A good teacher and I'm sure you were a good lover. So let's start over. Not as princess and servant, but as two equals. Friends. I'm Kiyomizu Mio." She held out her hand, "And you are?"
He chuckled and grasped her hand firmly, "Rokudo Mukuro."
"Then I'll call you Mukuro and you call me Mio. No more of this princess stuff."
He bowed and as she turned to leave, she called to him, "Also, thank you. But I'll have to formally decline the offer of being in your family. As such, I will be rejecting any offers of help for my eyes. I was able to fix them with your help once and that's more than enough proof that I'll be able to do it on my own one day." She paused for a moment and then asked, "One last question. In all of my memories, any time I mentioned your name, it sounded blurry. What was it?"
He sighed, "It was Pina. My parents were ready for a girl and couldn't be bothered to choose another name."
A laugh bubbled to her lips and she flashed him a breathtaking smile before running out of the amusement park, to where no doubt, Gokudera would be waiting for her. Mukuro watched her leave with a melancholy expression on his face. "Perhaps in another life then…Mio." He suddenly smirked and disappeared into mist.
Author's Note:
It's finally done! I decided not to carry it into the future arc simply because Mio has already resolved her issues and there was no need to keep it going! Yes, she ends up with Gokudera. I'm sorry MukuroXMio lovers!
I feel like it was a bit rushed but I'm content enough with this ending so that's that. ^_^
A side note: Pina means pineapple in Italian. :D I just couldn't resist :P
Thank you everyone who has stuck with me throughout this entire story! Your support meant a lot to me and really helped me keep writing! Thank you for reading this story! And look forward to my next one!
Please read and review~