A/N: recently saw Harry Potter 7 the other day – thought it would help me with my muse – seems she's Harry Potter intolerant O_O so please forgive any crappy descriptions or really just the entire chapter T_T *hides in a corner* some parts are somehow decent, but otherwise, its just a bit of a waste I think...*falls into pit of misery* correct me if I'm wrong though :D Meh always likeh being corrected xDD
Again, this is AU, so if it gets a little too OOC for some characters, uhm…bear with me? . Anyway, this chapter will either be really long, or unbelievable middle range with a bad cut off ;) I think I might go with monstrously long – it's been a few chapters since you've seen one of those :P And happy Tenth Chapter! I've finally broken the two-digit barrier! Also, your wonderful reviews are a sight to behold, they really are *gets all teary and girlish* Thank you for both your support and criticism! It makes me only want to impress you all the more! (Which I don't think I've really done with this chapter...¬_¬ oh well)

Chapter Ten – Stuck at the Crossroads

"What have I done now?
Lost again somehow
I'm getting better and better
at making things worse

I should have known
I should have tried
here lies the one
who couldn't survive
Buried alone, buried alive..."

-Buried Alive – Lovers and Liars

Though Chrome had already explained, Yamamoto felt utterly stumped. He had his head jutted forwards, tilted to the left as if he would be able to understand the girl better. Instead, the words just flowed into him with as much sense as they would have had she spoken to him in Icelandic.

"Uh...run that by me again?" He quirked his mouth up in an apologetic grin, one which Gokudera looked ready to swipe off with an iron fist.

Chrome looked distressed at Yamamoto's inability to grasp at the seriousness of the situation, flinching when Gokudera whacked him upside the head.

"Ouch!" He complained, rubbing his head, "Just 'cause I don't get it..."

Gokudera's eyes were fiery, "That's not the point Takeshi. It's basic. Honestly," his tone defiant, he huffed, "Tsuna's affinity is with air according to Reborn. Because of that, it clashes with Chrome's affinity for shadow and mist..." His brow rose skyward at the thought, "Which is kinda cool I'll admit...but that's not the point," he could tell Yamamoto was losing the plot from his vacant expression. He resisted the urge to snap his fingers in front of his lovers face, "You and I both control the attribute of water. Don't give me that look. Element affinities comes with the whole flame package. It's like an affinity – you know, you're more tuned to that element than another – like some people love to play with fire-"

"That's just stupidity," Yamamoto inserted dryly.

Gokudera sighed, exasperated, "That's beside the point Takeshi."

Yamamoto sighed, pressing his palms over his eyes, "I get all that Hayato just not how you have the attribute for water and rain or whatever the hell it is. You're the Storm Guardian not the Rain."

Now it was Reborn's turn to blabber on to the confused teen, "Gokudera's special Yamamoto. The Storm Guardian's always are. Their usual volatile nature means their bodies are able to withstand greater burdens than any of the other Guardian's, thus their ability to manipulate more than one flame, hence Gokudera's charming multi-coloured aura."

"Cheers," the Italian muttered, feeling a little like a child that had been commended for a small finger-print painting - Nothing to be that proud of.

Reborn continued, ignoring the Italian even though he was the focus of the conversation, "He has the ability to tap into the Rain, Sun, Cloud and Lightning attribute, a very strong asset when in battle. Now, you alone with Chrome cannot form a link because two is unstable in an illusionist's world, especially when handling another's sub-consciousness. Things go very wrong. Three however, two with similar attributes, is far safer and together, there's the lower probability that you'll die."

His tone, so blasé, nearly meant the boys' missed the vital ending of his sentence.

"Sorry, did you say we might die?" Not a pretty thought...Though Gokudera was willing to cut off both his ears for Tsuna, dying was a pretty big thing. When on the battle-field, adrenalin pumping through your veins, to throw around a term like 'I'll die for you' seemed easy enough – with your own flame at full blast, you felt invincible, but when away from the war-front, it was a startling thought, one that suddenly gave his actual life a sharp new edge. He felt a little guilty that he was so unwilling to think about his own mortality rate when at a time like this, it should mean little when in the balance of his friend's. The Italian felt almost...selfish. He was actually valuing his life over another's...

"Hey, Hayato..." Yamamoto warned, not wanting his distracted lover to be hit over the head by the temperamental infant. Though the sight would have felt very rewarding considering all the grief his beloved gave him daily.

Gokudera waved him off, brushing away both his thoughts and his lover's quietly frantic tone, "Jeez, stop it would you?"

Chrome again politely cleared her throat and directed her question to Yamamoto, "So, do you understand Yamamoto-kun? What you and Gokudera have to do is incredibly difficult and it could-"

"Kill us, yeah we know," Gokudera interrupted with a bored tone. Chrome flinched at his intense glare and he asked, "Can you just show us what to do? I don't want Tenth to die because we sat here explaining the workings of it to baseball idiot over here."

Yamamoto looked stung at the insult, but understood the intentions beneath the silver-haired Italian's sharp tongue. Tsuna was in danger, and though he wished the Italian wouldn't be so rough with him, he had to admit the situation called for a bit of brusqueness.

Chrome nodded, feeling a little rushed by Reborn's intense gaze. She gestured for the boy's to lift their hands, "It's really quite simple for you both. You just have to hold each other's hands," She blushed at the implication, "It's for the body contact I swear!"

Yamamoto smiled amusedly at her customary flustering but Gokudera just seemed irritated. With a start, Gokudera realised that perhaps around Chrome he had to be a little more delicate with the way he reacted to things, and schooled his expression into a determined stare, one that pleaded for her to continue.

Swallowing, Chrome proceeded, "You then put your other hand on my shoulders and then I put mine onto Tsuna's chest. It has to go in a specific order though. If it doesn't...one of us might swallow someone else's flame and in the worse case scenario, take their life."

Yamamoto felt fears icy fingers clench his stomach. He was desperate for some sort of understanding of what he was actually doing, but guessed all he could do was nod along and hope to hell he was doing the right thing. He felt envious of Gokudera's obvious grasp on the situation, contrary to his blankness. Mortification coloured his tan cheeks. Why did healways have to be the one that was lost?

"What do we do first?" Desperately wanting to seem as though he fully knew what the hell was going on, Yamamoto asked the question as nonchalantly as he could. Gokudera noticed how difficult this must be for him though and couldn't help a shy smile that ended up looking more like a smirk. Ah, the beauty of a warped personality.

Chrome blinked, surprised by the Rain Guardian's eagerness, stumbling, "uh...it's you two first. You have to be the first ones. Then, you activate your full-body flame."

Hesitantly, Yamamoto placed his palm over Gokudera's, entwining their fingers. His heart warmed when the Italian squeezed his hand back in return. With just as much resistance as before, they forced themselves to push through their own mental barriers to get through to the source of their flame and allow it to overcome them. It was like when you pulled your hand away from a hot stove – It was reflexive to move away from something that could hurt you. Allowing your flame to swallow you was just like that hot stove – you shouldn't touch it; shouldn't keep your hand so close that you'll feel the burn of what you shouldn't touch. What they were doing was not just touching what they shouldn't, but keeping it there – to be burnt was to be strong in the mafia world – that was something Gokudera's father had taught him repeatedly as a boy, both verbally and physically – looked like the old man had at least gotten something right.

Slowly, Gokudera managed to isolate the rain affinity in his flame, but it was that sensation of how he felt he was standing on nothing but shifting sand, his body unable to focus well without being moved to another spot. He felt as though he was sliding across ice barefoot.

Grimacing, Gokudera tried to force himself to grab a hold of the rain affinity he knew he could control if he just exerted enough self-discipline.

Hayato...the voice brushed his mind and Gokudera immediately flinched, the blue flame sparking and swelling. He pulled his hand away, then cursed and thrust it forwards as far as could. He swore at how there seemed to be some wall or bars holding him away from the flame and wished his consciousness would just let him do as he pleased.

Hayato stop...

T-Takeshi? He thought the name with an obvious stutter, his outstretched arm momentarily falling away from the too-far-away flame.

Soft, tentative fingers brushed his mind again and if Gokudera had been fully awake, he would have stiffened and bristled at the notion. Noticing his reaction though, Yamamoto quickly retracted as much as he could, not wanting to impose on his lover's thoughts any more than he had to, I'm only trying to help.

Feeling like a retard for being so hostile, Gokudera tried to take a different approach and slowly tried to push out to Yamamoto, mimicking his lover's ministrations. There was a near palpable shudder from Yamamoto's consciousness as his fingers stroked his mind.

What the hell am I doing? The question was thought with awe accompanying it, his hands figuratively reaching out further, wanting to pull his lover back towards him. If Yamamoto had been able to do it before when he'd been nothing but a jabbering mess, then surely he could now, even if their positions were reversed.

If Yamamoto could have, he would have laughed, but was able to settle with knowing that Gokudera wanted to stay connected to him and teased, you're being too forceful on the flame.

Huh? Gokudera cast his attention back to the hovering blue flame which seemed to flare brighter whenever it heard Yamamoto's soothing thoughts. How the heck did he do that?

You're letting too much of your storm element drive you forwards. Literally Hayato, you've got to calm down.

Had he not been mentally locked in his own thoughts, Gokudera would have head slapped him for being annoying, but he was right. As per usual, he let his determination get the better of him and because of his incompetence he was letting Tsuna down even more.

The rain flame dimmed at his flaring mood and Yamamoto tried to soothe him, Hayato, you're impatience won't make it come to you any faster. Just...relax would you?

Wanting to give the swordsman a withering glare, Gokudera mimicked a deep breath and forced his body to think there was no time limit, that he had all the time he needed to get a hold of the rain flame. He didn't push his arm out so far now, and just held his hand out like you would if you going to take someone's hand and surprisingly, imagined the flame as Yamamoto.

Swelling to an impossible size at the welcomed change in its master's mood, the flame lit up nearly ever corner of his mind, all its chaos and tranquillity, the burnt edges he wished he didn't have to look at, the raging desperation he felt to save Tsuna. With outstanding speed, long tendrils shot out to wash over those areas, cooling their reddened hot edges. It swooped over the sore corners he didn't like to dwell on and felt more at peace as they softened with their sharp edged pain. Was the flame actually trying to heal him?

Again Yamamoto outstretched his thoughts to his lover, willing him as best he could not to shut him out again. He was startled by the intensity of the Italian's affinity for the rain attribute and a little envious. Not even he could wield his affinity this well, yet here Gokudera was, with the attribute bending to his very will, even without him asking it to.

Hayato, he ushered the name quietly, we have to link and help Chrome.

Gokudera looked around. He'd almost forgotten about Chrome and felt the near undeniable urge to kick himself repeatedly. Forgetting about Chrome meant forgetting Tsuna and that was something he refused to do. Shaking himself in much the same fashion as a wet dog would, Gokudera thrust out his hand, grabbing a hold of Yamamoto's mind, his other half soaking up the soothing blue flame that sank into him with ease, melting into him.

Yamamoto was startled by Gokudera's calm, fluid movements, so agile in their ability to fully wield an element he had before now, known nothing about. A most unwanted pang of envy struck him again, but it was crossed with pride this time. Lost in his little moment of enjoyable awe, Yamamoto felt startled when he felt himself getting dragged away from the darkened pit of their thoughts, springing up with the same annoying sluggishness you had when leaping up from the bottom of a swimming pool.

Though the two's eye opened, this time to reality, Yamamoto could still feel that iron grip enclosed around his skeleton, the vine that entwined around both his own and his lovers core, entwining their flames together.

Chrome exhaled, her violet eye gleaming with relief when she saw the two Guardians' emerge from their mental trance. It had been a hunch of hers to think the two Guardian's could handle another temporary 'link' between the two of them, but was worried what the consequences of this link would be. Mentally shooing the thoughts away, Chrome steadied herself and hoped that her body would be able to endure the strain. Even with Mukuro's outstanding ability to help her live, she wondered if even he could up keep such a feat when the soul was so deeply submerged in another's. A fatal risk was exactly what she was taking, but this wasn't a common teenage kid playing 'mafia'. To lose such a valuable asset like Tsuna; nothing was excusable.

Hands still held firmly together, Gokudera and Yamamoto reached out to Chrome with their other free arms, resting their palms on her slight shoulders. Reining in the intensity of their flames until Chrome had summoned her own, they sat there for a few heartbeats before Reborn broke the silence.

"You have three minutes. Begin."

As if entranced, both Rain and Storm Guardian released the entirety of their attribute onto Chrome, dulling as much of her affinity as was possible. A feeling similar to drowning overcame the frail girl and for a moment, she was lost in the soothing current of the Rain before resurfacing, enclosed in its cool embrace.

Murmuring a string of words in a language none of them but her knew, Chrome pushed her hands down onto Tsuna's chest and had they expected their to be some Hollywood flash or a sudden gush of wind to dramatise the movement, they would have been sorely disappointed. The only sensation the boy's felt was an unwelcome lurch deep in their bones. It was as though the thick coiled vines of their flames were being wrenched away from their bodies.

Immediately Gokudera felt drained and impossibly tired. It couldn't be possible for him to feel so bone-dead tired and raw, but knelt there, unmoving yet inwardly being pulled towards the centre of the earth with how heavy he felt, he wondered if his soul was being slowly sucked out. His eyelids drooped, dark stars dancing in front of his eyes, flecking his vision.

Beside him, though just as exhausted as Gokudera, Yamamoto squeezed his hand reassuringly, willing his partner not to collapse under the strain. It was just on the verge of unbearable but strangely, didn't feel painful but more as though something was being borrowed from him – though at an unimaginable rate – and had faith that if he endured it, then soon he would have his strength given back.

Thinking that it would only be Chrome who delved into Tsuna's mind, Gokudera was more than shocked to find himself being dragged with the Illusionist as she sank deeper. As she searched through the sleeping boy's mind, Gokudera had the strange thought that he and Yamamoto very much resemble two menacing bodyguards shielding some kind of VIP. Their thick spiralling blue flames encircled their own bodies and hers, like a make-shift cage, closing off her mist flame to a dull pale violet.

After what should have been more than a good half an hour but seemed to have been an actual mere heartbeat, Chrome stopped.

What's the matter Chrome? Yamamoto immediately asked, searching around gently with his blue flame, reaching out for any barrier she might have found, or any sign of Tsuna.

He's...she thought to them, over there...she didn't point, but instead shifted forwards, like a ghost would – if they existed – and as they drew closer to one sheltered corner of the Tenth's mind, their flames slowly illuminated what could only ever be visually described as a hunched, shivering ball of...well, Tsuna.

Tenth, Gokudera let the relief swell through him, making his blue flames bulge and brighten in their intensity. Unconsciously, the tendrils reached out towards the rocking figure, but sensing its approach, Tsuna moved in a way that could have been thought of as recoiling. When unusually he would glow from the inside out, he seemed more like a black hole now – taking in everything but giving away nothing.

Hayato, Yamamoto warned, but the Storm Guardian didn't have to be told twice. The way Chrome stood, her near frozen pose told him more than any thoughts from Yamamoto could. Tsuna looked petrified – more spooked than a cat surrounded by malicious dogs. Tact had to be given in such a circumstance as this.

Tsuna? Chrome reached out with a delicate hand, whether it have been her own or just an extension of her flame, neither Guardian's knew. She was within a hair's breadth of the mafia boss when he flinched, pushing himself backwards as though his entire mind had become nothing more than a wall for him to drive himself up against repeatedly.

Yamamoto was stiff and unmoving beside Gokudera, his flame pulsing like a second body around his own. This wasn't right – none of it was. This world – whatever it was – was a place he had never thought Tsuna would go. It was a wasteland, where any thought could spin away in any direction with no horizon; no end. It was the closest thing to Limbo that you had – ironic that it could be found inside your own head.

Inner glow...the words kept on whirling around Gokudera's mind, the answer a brief glimpse or flash of realisation before it vanished. Around and around he went, feeling more frustrated by the minute until Dino's instructions smacked him in the face. Almost quite literally given the realm they were in.

Search for your inner flame; Your resolve.

Of course – how thick, blind and incomparably idiotic did one have to be to miss it? So blatantly obvious yet cunningly skilled, Gokudera had cast his eyes over the dimly glowing figure and just let his relief at finding the Tenth's wandering soul rush over him.

You couldn't find it...that's why you didn't wake up. You refused to leave until you'd found your reason.

Tsuna looked up, or at least, his form moved in a way that resembled the motion – and his thoughts rushed towards them faster than a tidal wave.

I looked, I really did. Everywhere. Searched, lights, anywhere I could, I looked. Thought of everything – friends, you, Dad, Mum, Kyoko...Vongola Primo – didn't work – I'm useless, sorry, so sorry...

Stepping forwards, away from Yamamoto and their protective barrier around Chrome, Gokudera knelt in front of the shivering boy, his flames licking the boy's dull form in a weak attempt to spark some sort of flame in return.

Tsuna, Gokudera thought sternly, alarming the boy immediately. Never had Gokudera really said his first name – it had forever been 'Tenth' or his full name. The familiarity of his name gained the Italian the Japanese teen's full attention.

Look at me Tsuna.

His no-joking tone frightened and consolidated the shaken boy in a confusing mixture of shock and awe. The blue lights that seemed to be touching his skin were soft and though seemed un-offensive, did little to help his dull unseeing eyes.

So he hasn't just been affected physically but mentally as well...Yamamoto observed.

Gokudera suppressed the urge to go well done moron, you've proved your ability to exploit the obvious. Good to know you're up to speed, and instead made to reach out for his stunned friend.

This time, Tsuna seemed too defeated to flinch and just sat hunched there, only registering when Gokudera actually managed to touch him.

Please Gokudera, don't, he complained, but Gokudera held fast.

Tsuna, for all the things that you've been able to do up until now, do you really think you need to get so depressed about something like this? He gestured to all that was around them – the empty chaos and the fact that each spare moment they spent in this wasteland, the worse Tsuna would be later.

But I'm supposed to...Tsuna began.

What? What are you meant to do Tsuna? Chrome asked it as gently as she could, taking on a maternal tone, soothing his frayed nerves as best she could.

Tsuna curled in on himself and shook his head, refusing to say, but Gokudera thought he might have heard the brief murmur of a 'supposed to protect you all'.

Straightening, Gokudera did what he thought was impossible and dragged Tsuna up with him. His skeleton seemed to freeze though and had he had a stomach in this realm, it would have dropped to his feet.

Chrome? But he couldn't turn to her. He couldn't breathe – had he needed to breathe in this realm he would have already been out of breath; he understood from the messages his brain was sending to his body – take deeper breaths, control heart rate, don't panic.

We have to go, she said hurriedly, but gasped and nearly collapsed. When Yamamoto caught her glowing form, her outline so faded and ever changing like the others he was surprised any of them were touchable, she screamed. It was a soul's cry that imitated agony reborn into a single thought – a jolt of pain so sharp and searing you didn't feel it until another cried out.

Falling to their knees, none could see clearly. Lights flared in front of their vision and it took more out of him that it should have to ask, what the hell is happening?

He heard nothing for too many heartbeats and with his blotched vision, assumed the worst and lunged as far as he could, relieved to feel something familiar beneath his fingers. Yamamoto's flame.

Hayato, the swordsman's voice stroked his mind gently.

Takeshi, what's the matter? Even through the pain, Gokudera clung to Tsuna, refusing to let the shivering mass of dull gold go.

Another break of silence, one which made the Italian feel like his heart had lodged itself into a thick, swollen mass in his throat.

Her body's suffering – if we don't leave now Chrome'll die. Without her, we'll never get out.

Had there been any other situation that suited the term 'oh shit' better than this, then Gokudera did not want to know.

The fragile peace that surrounded them silently exploded. It became as though everything was being sucked into Chrome – as if she were acting herself now as a black hole. Ironic when Gokudera had relayed the stark image to Tsuna not a few moments ago.

Chrome! Gokudera called out, feeling her own fear coil and merge with Tsuna's despair.

Their bodies already linked to Chromes through their complicated and draining mental link, Gokudera and Yamamoto could feel their minds being dragged in every so slowly, with as much strength to fight it as you would if you were being hit from behind by a strong gust of wind.

Never had Gokudera felt so powerless but then again, never had he heard Chrome scream – but there she was, barking the orders to them in their minds, Tsuna's included.

Collapsing – illusion will disappear – vanish - hold onto me – it'll hurt – will hurt – don't let go. Don't let go of me!

Though her orders were disjointed and very much just a bit of a curdled mess, the two Guardian's were able to link in together enough to grab a hold of her, Gokudera with his arm tightly enclosed around Tsuna's still whimpering form.

There was a beyond searing pain that shot up Gokudera's arm when he touched Chrome that he almost let go. Nearly every single one of his nerves seemed like they were fraying at the edges, fizzling out into burnt out nubs. It was what he thought would be more than he could endure, yet still he held on for whatever his life was worth, letting Chrome suck them in, her void presence swallowing them whole into a pit of engulfing darkness.

With her last burst of strength, Chrome opened the gates of her mind upon the captive Guardian's around her, making sure that Tsuna was connected as well through a channel made in her mind. She flooded them with intense memories of their reality – of where they came from, what they had to go back to. Such was the unbearable risk of mind control – it was so very easy to lose yourself in the simple unparalleled world of dreams – where the boundary lines between reality and the dream merged so thoroughly you couldn't tear them apart. Even with Mukuro's urging thoughts giving the frail Guardian that extra push to see that they woke safely, Chrome found it far too tempting to just let them stay in this limbo. Such euphoria in a world only you controlled, that had no outside influence; it was beyond a dream – it resembled that high you had when under the sweet influence of toxins – a world of everything and the impossible.

Chrome you're losing yourself, Mukuro warned her faintly, but his guidance was fading.

I want to stay though...she moaned the thought and her strength seemed to fade even faster then, seeping out of her bones like moisture sucked from soil.

She felt her control slipping – had she had any control in the beginning – slowly she wondered if she'd ever had any strength...had she really been a help? Should she have just let Mukuro leave her to die?

Despair yawned black under her, a dark beast ready to devour her.

Chrome, snap out of it, please!

The young girl was startled to find the plea had come from Tsuna – his body was still a dull ember but in the darkening furrows of her make-shift world, it was as brilliant a shine as the sun.

Tsuna...? She thought wearily, then realised how stupid she had been. The pain of knowing her organs were fading under the duress of being swallowed into Tsuna's mind had swamped her common sense. She'd become so drained – whether it be physically or mentally – and had allowed Tsuna's despair to leak into her own consciousness.

Saving her mental criticism for later, Chrome surged forwards, breaking free of the thin bonds Yamamoto and Gokudera had entwined around her – the sudden release was a jolt to their battered systems, but one they would jus have to cope with while Chrome struggled to drag them out.

I can't give up – I can't...not now...Not. Now.

And with a scream that would have let the dead rise, she broke through.

Thinking he had been thrown back into his skin at the speed of a bullet, Gokudera shot himself upwards into an upright position, but fell back down onto his elbows, his muscles holding as much strength as trampled dirt would.

Thinking his nerves had been strung out into a fine wire, Gokudera's skin felt hyper-sensitive, reacting even to the soft caress of the air around him. It made his body tingle and shiver, even when the temperature was at a mild roundabout 25 degrees.

God, that was just...strange...

The silver-haired teen shot his head around, hissing internally at how the sharp slap of air on his face seemed to scratch him like pin-point nails and fixed his gaze directly on Yamamoto.

Say what? He threw back at the dark brunette, his green eyes wide with shock that left him rigid on the ground. That voice before had not been his own. Never would the Italian think to be so polite about the ordeal he'd just had to endure – the term 'fuck that hurt' seemed better suited than 'how strange was that?'

Just as stunned as his partner, the swordsman swivelled around to face him, eyes widening when he slowly managed to connect the dots one by one. He gasped as the final piece dropped down and leapt up immediately, shouting Hayato, are you...you can't be...?

The Italian was too mute to even give him a wry look at that. His thoughts weren't of much assistance either. They just merged into a big massive tangle of questions that were making his head hurt from their intensity.

Chrome looked back and forth; trying not to move too suddenly as she slowly had her illusionistic organs return to her. A small trail of blood trickled down her chin which the Illusionist quickly wiped away in a frail attempt to hide exactly had gone wrong with their little...expedition.

Last time I'm ever gonna go diving into someone else's mind...

Physically shivering, Gokudera snapped to Yamamoto internally, well it certainly seems to be a difficult habit for you to break!

Yamamoto flinched and voiced audibly, "Uhh, Chrome? A bit of a problem here..." He pointed to his head and then to Gokudera's to animate his words as best he could.

Chrome's eyes widened in horror but her attention was stolen by a groan from beneath them. There was a near unnoticeable shift but still, when before the boy had been still as a rock, this was progress. Even if it was something as insignificant as a body moving.

"Tsuna!"

"Tenth!"

Hurriedly they gathered around his crumpled, but somehow upright form, Lambo attaching himself to the boy's leg, Yamamoto punching his shoulder lightly. It was a brief surge of relief that the group let themselves sink into, their bodies momentarily relaxing for what felt like the first time in days.

"I'm sorry," Tsuna kept repeating over and over, his face taut with self-disappointment crossed with envy towards his comrades, "You've all managed to pull it off but me."

Reborn seemed well and truly sick of hearing his student complaining and butted in rather tactfully in Yamamoto's opinion, "The ability to manipulate particles in the air is incredibly difficult, something which few can do because every particle around us is always moving, always in constant flux. If you are able to manipulate the particles to your own will - whether it be to make them vibrate more energetically to create fire, or to condense them for rain and so on - it takes an enormous amount of mental control. Those who can do this are able to use practically the entirety of their brains. We regular humans however, are only capable of forty-per-cent."

Gokudera was intrigued, as he always was with anything relevant to science, "so it's not just magic but instead science?"

Reborn gave him a cool look, "Basically if you want the moron's guide to it. What most perceive it as is 'magic' but in fact, it is just the ability to witness the actual movement of the particles surrounding us and bending them to our will. Don't feel disheartened Tsuna, you're just average like the rest of humanity." His tone was supposed to be sympathetic, perhaps even comforting, but came out with an unseen smirk attached to it and had a patronising twinge to it.

Gokudera was a little stunned by Yamamoto's ability to wield such a feat as element bending, but then again, perhaps general intelligence wasn't a part of what made you capable of such abilities. When he had the time, he just had to do some research on the matter. The matter was too intriguing for him to simply ignore.

Yamamoto threw his lover a dry look, having heard his partners passing query on his intellect level and his eyes said that the thought was very much unnecessary given their mental situation.

Mentally, Gokudera smacked his head against a wall repeatedly, furious that he hadn't remembered their...unfortunate telepathic link. God he hoped it was temporary.

Whilst the comforting pleasantries continued, Gokudera looked away from where Tsuna sat and to the thick curtain of trees, eyes narrowing in suspicion as he heard the unmistakeable sound of thundering footsteps.

Yamamoto quickly caught on and silenced Tsuna mid-sentence, eyes locked on the same mass of trees that Gokudera's were. Reborn looked curious, but unbothered by the obvious advance that was being made upon them. How the child could keep his cool when they were in such a vulnerable situation was beyond the young Italian.

Until of course, he heard the irritating, yet familiar roar of a certain boxer.

"Ryohei...shoulda guessed..." he mumbled drearily.

The tall muscular boy broke through the mass of trees at a sprint, Dino and Hibari right on his heels. Unless it was his imagination, Gokudera swore he could see a faint flicker of fire sparking to life in the trees behind them. Birds flocked from the tree tops in their dozens, a sudden black smattering of wild-life which seemed just as desperate to get away as they were.

As the trio came closer, Ryohei panting slowly became more understandable, his deep voice screaming out one word over and over.

"Jump! You've gotta jump! Jump!"

What on earth? Yamamoto wondered but hastily, they clambered to their feet. Ice slowly dug its claws into Gokudera's gut, an instinctive voice screaming at him faintly. Something had gone wrong – so very wrong. His body trembled violently with worry, muscles rigid with aggravating fear. His heart felt swollen and heavy with anxiety for his lover Yamamoto, who looked so drained it seemed a miracle the boy could stand.

Tsuna looked around in the same manner as a startled meerkat and yelled back, "But where?"

Reborn stamped on his foot, "he means the river."

Tsuna's eyes widened and his voice hitched, "WHAT? That's insane! The water'll be freezing!"

Dino, Hibari and Ryohei were upon them and no sooner had they stumbled to a halt did they start relaying what had happened. Hibari breathed hard, but said nothing, his eyes filled only with inner-fury. Judging by the tense set of his shoulders, he hadn't been on the winning side.

"They outnumbered us..." Dino heaved, his breaths too fast and too shallow, "Not enough...power...flames worked...but died..."

Reborn silenced his ex-student with a glacial stare and turned to face the river bank.

No, no, no...not the fricking river again...Yamamoto heard the airy thought waft into his mind and resisted the urge to shake his head like a dog, thinking he could rid himself of the connection if he shook his head hard enough.

The air around them seemed to change in pressure, the air seeming thinner. It took a moment for the Storm Guardian to remember it was him beginning to hyperventilate that made the air around him seem so thin and non-existent.

"Reborn, we've got to jump now." Dino's plea was spoken in a hurried rush of a breath, and he had to rest an arm on Hibari's shoulder to stop himself from falling over.

"If any of us do, it'll be suicide. Look at it; it's not some meagre little stream Dino. The likelihood of us drowning is-" Reborn began but was stopped by the distant shout of foreign voices. With his concentration broken, he look at every one of the Vongola Guardian's in confusion, concern and annoyance, particularly when he looked to Lambo.

"Chrome, give Lambo to me – I'll protect the stupid cow. The rest of you – get into that river, now."

"Why not run?" The question seemed appropriate enough, but it seemed for Reborn, an unnecessary query that he had no difficulty in shooting down.

"Because there's no safe trail back to the bikes through that forest. Thanks to these three," he stared at Dino and the latter, "the path back is now on fire. The best way to find another trail would be to go upstream. Lambo and I should be able to make our way across the river bank unnoticed, but all of you," he smirked, "You're just too big."

The strain of being pursued pressed itself into Yamamoto's back, propelling him forward – to just take a leap and dive straight into the rushing currents no matter the risk. Feeling hunted was somehow worse than the fear of the icy water. There were distant shouts now, most of which were in Italian, calling for the Tenth, demanding they stop. As the words became louder and the thundering steps causing the ground beneath them to shudder, Gokudera's vision sharpened with acute terror, his senses more alert than he could bear with such an exhausted body.

Because the Italian was so concerned by the voices that were growing closer with every shallow breath he took, he was more than taken-aback by how he was suddenly airborne, experiencing an abrupt sense of nothingness. By the sounds of the cries from his friends, the boy doubted any of them had expected this – not even Reborn, who had jumped back at the very last minute, grabbing a hold of Lambo so the boy wouldn't fall. They were airborne, the ground beneath them disappearing in a crumbling mess of dirt and broken rock. Like a rope slipping from numb, raw fingers, the tension in the air between them went slack, like it had been a wall keeping them back from the raging depths beneath them.

The bank had given way under their weight. The sudden weightlessness was as bone chillingly terrifying as the fire behind them had been, if not worse. You felt unattached to anything, just a floating mass in space that would come crashing down onto earth somehow, if not by the most graceful of means.

Unlike in films where time seemed to freeze when you were in fatal danger, in Gokudera's case, he was too confused by the images he was getting from Yamamoto's thoughts. They were exactly dominating, but more of an after-image – like when you stared at a flame and when you looked away, there was an imprint of the light on your vision. Yamamoto's thoughts were very much that imprint – constant, lingering and just a tad irritating. The only quandary he had was whether like the flame, it would eventually fade.

For a brief instant, Gokudera saw Yamamoto's petrified expression, and then everyone else's, all swamped together to make one mask of outstanding fear.

The faint brush of Gokudera's exhausted mind stilled the churning fear that had settled in Yamamoto's innards. Whatever happens to us, you were never alone. Such simple words, yet they hit so very deep, and somehow, Gokudera's words went both ways, settling the uneasy hot panic that had wrapped itself around his skeleton much like how his rain attribute had done barely a few minutes ago. If they were alone, then the fear and terror would be theirs alone to bear– but this way, it could be shared and understood. Weakness came with isolation, strength from numbers, and power through belief in your own resolution.

Somewhere dimly in the back of his senses, Gokudera was aware that the sense of people behind them had dwindled, the distant sound of shouts and roaring forest life fading, like his dimming eyesight. He hoped on whatever he might have had left of a life that they wouldn't find them in the river, that his friends would wash ashore, alive. He was too tired, too drained and empty to be able to survive this – not after what they had done to save Tsuna. It had seemed easy at first, but the strain had done more than damage him – it had taken a chunk of his strength out of him that the Italian wondered if he would ever get back.

Gazes still locked, the Italian and the Japanese teen silently let their minds touch one more time tentatively, with the shared understanding of what was about to happen.

The image lasted only a second though before the expressions flickered, then seemed to shift to one of determined horror. For half a horrible second, he saw a blurred mass of distant figures in freefall towards the hungry river, and then they were gone. Having been utterly engulfed in the dark water as it crashed down, they all vanished from view, swallowed by the menacing depths of oblivion.

Frightened by the disappearance of his lover's face, Gokudera cried out, just as his body hit the water, dragging whatever air he'd had out of his lungs. The water tumbled forward, his body being dragged down into its icy grasp as gravity and his momentum carried him down into the harsh, rapid current.

Watery knuckles battered Gokudera's sore and screaming body, swallowing him in its murky hold of never-ending darkness. The freezing needles stabbed at his skin, seeming to chill even his bones. Hot panic sliced through every nerve ending that was still working in his body. He was tossed, pushed, dragged and thrown around as though he weighed nothing in this bed of crushing water, his body being yanked one way and then in another within the same moment.

Blinks of light, snarling pits of darkness – a constant rushing pound of water in his ears that roared so loud it seemed to splinter his soul. The force of the waters iron fists pushed the air from his lungs – but that couldn't be possible – he didn't have any more air to lose. There was only choking oblivion, an eternity of despair and shocked numbness that accompanied pain hand in hand.

The current swamped under him and with a lurch, threw him skywards, or it maybe it was downwards – the boy was unable to distinguish any kind of direction. Left was right, ahead had become behind and heaven had traded sides with hell.

Another cold body slammed into him, but it wasn't water. A tangle of legs and arms crashed into Gokudera's body and the boy thought if he had any more air left to give away, he would have screamed.

The current dragged both their bodies up and Gokudera surfaced, but was unable to tell if the other person had from the deafening roar of water. What if it was Hibari? Or Dino, or Ryohei, Or Yamamoto...or Tsuna...

Tsuna. He thought in despair which he took a deep, rattling breath that scratched at his lungs, making them burn. Tsuna couldn't swim – he'd proven that when they had gone to the beach a good year ago with Kyoko and Haru.

Not even able to keep himself from going under again, much less alive, Gokudera wondered how on earth he would be able to save the dark haired boy when he himself was struggling just to reach the surface.

His limbs were hardly working, and the current was beyond brutal – dark water was everywhere, so much of it the Italian momentarily wondered if land had ever existed, or if it had just been some illusion, a sense of comforting safety amongst this rushing and tumbling wall of black murk.

Yet, amongst the grey swirling canvas of water, Gokudera saw something that looked like Yamamoto's dark head bob up to the surface a few feet away, a lighter head accompanying it. Within a moment though it was gone again, the water having sucked the darker haired boy's body back under into the horrifying se of dense, silt-filled water that could match the darkness of night.

In relief, Gokudera managed to keep his head up long enough to see a familiar blonde head break the surface, body piercing through the dark wall of water like a torpedo. Quickly, Dino grabbed onto the lighter haired boy who had yet to be dragged under and Gokudera was dragged under just as he saw that the boy Dino had saved was indeed Tsuna. A black haired boy had been held under his arm though, limp as anything, and Gokudera thought it may have been Hibari – but that was impossible. Surely Hibari could swim. Even if he couldn't, the Storm Guardian was sure that the stubborn prefect would rather drown than be aided by the likes of Dino – even if the Cavallone boss was his lover.

Blocking out any other thoughts, the river rushed angrily into his mouth and nose, stealing his air, doing its best to suffocate him.

What was it he had to do? The swirling black eternity around him was so good at erasing any sort of thought he managed to conjure.

Yamamoto, the thought sprung to life in his mind as bright as the sun. Of course, he couldn't have forgotten Yamamoto – he just couldn't have. But he had hadn't he? He'd sunk into a numb pit of nothingness, where only suffocation and the cruel torture of burning lungs were on his mind.

Just as he was about to try and battle the current to try and break the surface again, the water engulfed him, spinning him around weightlessly in its grip. The weight of it held more force behind it than a wall of bricks falling down on them. The cold temperature shocked his nerves, dulling his senses and numbing his bones. He was stunned, disorientated beyond imagination and completely drained – the little energy he had had left before seemed to just fade into the dull nothingness around him, and he felt an eerie sense of calm come over him.

Takeshi...

Stark, unimaginable determination swirled inside him and though the Italian still had no sense of direction, no idea where the surface lay, he kicked out and forced his body to battle against the cruel current, even when his swollen lungs burned for air, making his thoughts swim into one conjuled grey mass.

No, damn it! This is not my fucking time! I'm not going! He roared in mental defiance against the river as it pulled him down again with icy, clammy fingers. A stray rock shot by him in the current, clipping his shoulder, making his arm and fingers tingle numbly. Even so, he continued to struggle until he could break the surface yet again. His head broke through the icy wall. It struck him like a pane of glass, its splintering shards tearing at his skin mercilessly.

His lungs automatically choked in as much air as was possible, his throat raw and scorching as the cold air swamped his desperate lungs. He convulsively coughed up water, thrashing with disjointed kicks and strokes to try and keep his head above water. Even when he was able to drag in breaths, Gokudera still felt rather like a lone marionette without its puppeteer. The river pulled his strings, but his limbs jerked in response a few moments later, and sometimes in unexpected directions.

Somewhere in his mind, he could sense Yamamoto's presence, but unlike his own, it was deeper, more submersed in the overwhelming rapids. Though the idea of having his thoughts shared with someone else irked him, the Storm Guardian felt ironically grateful that he was linked with his partner in this way.

Whether it was his keen senses or just the strange mental link he had with his lover to pinpoint his whereabouts, Gokudera hardly had time to dwell on the contributing factors. Instead he kicked his legs, unnoticed strength surging through his nerve endings. His muscles practically screamed and hollered at him with their protests but he dived further, ignoring his body's instinct to abandon the boy and reach the riverbank.

Gokudera's bruised skull felt like it had been dragged across jagged glass; his body still reeling uncontrollably from the strain of Tsuna's mental rescue. Despite his injuries though, as he continued to stubbornly struggle, his motions were starting to become more coherent and controlled again. Even if it was a false sense of strength; a fake adrenaline high caused by his bodies overloaded internal circuitry; right now though, it gave the Storm Guardian the desperately wanted ability to keep struggling away from the surface while current after current tried its best to drag him upwards. Counter-productive if he thought about it practically, but Yamamoto's safety meant more to him that a few heaves of air in his lungs.

Searching around madly in the darkness for any sign of Yamamoto, he tried frantically to keep his gaze focused; hard as it was in water; refusing mentally to let it blur or fade around the edges as his nerves began to sizzle and burn out. He felt undeniably vulnerable and the pressure in his chest was so great it had to have become a danger to his one mortality. Panic clawed at the back of his mind and threatened to claim his common sense right at the most critical point when he knew he could afford no mistakes and smacked down the compulsive emotion with a feeble, exhausted mental hand.

Focus. Panicking does not increase chances of survival...Even if it wasn't his survival he was focusing on.

Yamamoto found that everything had gone startlingly calm. Of course, the water still battered and punched at him ferociously, but the awareness of it was fading drastically. A strange, hazy mist fell across his mind, blanketing his fear as consciousness started to waver. It was obvious he was dying, slowly too – but at least the pain had faded. The pressure of the water crushing him was unbearable. No matter how well he could swim under normal circumstances, he couldn't hold his breath any longer. Whatever he'd had left was stripped from his lungs. Dark water flooded his body, choking him.

A sudden flash of silver sparked at the corner of his dimming peripheral vision. Something soft dug into his arms and shoulders – grasping at him desperately. Doubting it was some animal or the river personified, Yamamoto wasn't entirely surprised to see wavering smears of pale skin before his eyes start to coalesce into a face...and certainly a familiar face.

If he could, he would have smiled. It was Gokudera. The Rain Guardian felt strengthened by the thin thread of hope his lover's presence gave him and helped him to hold on a little longer. His lungs struggled to keep the icy water out of his exhausted lungs.

You complete...moron. The charming thought barely held its usual tinge of malice that so regularly accompanied his insults that Yamamoto felt momentarily worried by how drained Gokudera must have been. Even as strong a swimmer as he was, the current took whatever strength the boy's had out of them faster than they could blink.

Though his lungs burned, Yamamoto didn't dare let go or give in to the growing desperation he had for air. The impulsive need thundered through his veins, every single receptor in his body bellowing for him to get to the surface. Through the swirling blackness he could just about make out the Italian's face a few inches from his own.

Oh god...He didn't have much time, Gokudera knew that, even when his vision was blurred by the stinging water. Yamamoto had been down here far too long and was barely a hair's breadth away from drowning.

Please... help me... give me the strength I need to save him... Gokudera silently begged any God who might be listening, fingers slipping in the water as he struggled to keep a hold of Yamamoto.

As the current shifted again, as volatile as a wind, it struck them from underneath, shoving them upwards. Suddenly weightless again, it was a struggle for Gokudera to keep a hold of Yamamoto's body while he desperately clawed for the surface.

Tearing through the icy water, a silver head along with a dark one broke through the churning froth, gasping and choking convulsively for air. Despite the aching exhaustion in his muscles that told he had nothing left to give, Gokudera stubbornly made sure Yamamoto's head was the one that stayed above the surface, even if his had to be dragged back down. Distantly, he saw Yamamoto spit up water, retching and gagging urgently to drag in as much air he could as the rushing flow threatened to pull them both back down.

The best the Rain Guardian could do was clutch Gokudera tightly while the Italian did his best to support his lover until the ragged heaving current finally let his head break the surface again. The moment his chin was above the current, he forced his lungs to drag in all the air he could in ragged heaves.

There was a faint call from his side, and through his blurred and blotchy vision, Yamamoto thought it must have been Dino. A shock of gold sparked at the corner of his vision and the spluttering boy struggled ot make his head turn against the current.

They were free-flowing with the current, but still, just ahead of them, Yamamoto spotted a shape that could only have been the Cavallone boss.

"..moto! Yamamoto!" he cried out hoarsely, his arm lashing out.

Something thin slapped the water, coiling itself around his wrist. Crying out at the tight grip, the boy clawed to get it off him but it was too tightly wound around him.

The blonde Italian was practically screaming at them over the rushing waves of the river in fevered tones, his hands clenched as he tried to rein them in as quickly as he could.

Yamamoto was barely holding on and he knew that far too obviously. Both boys were beyond their limits entirely and it was a miracle they hadn't both drowned. The sizzling panic and paranoia in his gut hollered at him to hurry it up though and he dismissed any marvelling awe he had for the boys' stubbornness. Yamamoto was barely holding onto Gokudera, whose head kept on dipping under the surface and they knew those mafia hitman weren't going to be too far away from them. They had maybe ten minutes at the most to get them out and away from here. Not an easy feat in any way given their physical weariness.

"Dino Cavallone! If you do not hurry this up and rein those boys in within another breath, I am going to-" but Reborn's crude insults were cut loose from his sharp tongue. His large eyes looked over to the furthest part of the river, back in the direction where the Guardian's had all taken a tumble down the cliff-edge and swore under his breath in Italian. There were two darkened figures by a sturdier cliff edge holding what looked like oil tanks in their hands, sloshing the contents into the river tank after tank. The pieces stuck together in the child's mind as one of the men lit a match and he swore louder.

Busy with roping in the two almost-drowning Guardian's, Dino could only ask, "what is it Reborn? What did you see?"

The child swore under his breath again, "cazzo bastardi," he looked at Dino with fire burning in his eyes, "well hurry up you fool! Affrettarsi!"

It was too late though – the match was thrown into the river where the oil was at its thickest and just as the label said, the river erupted in flames. 'Flammable' made the explosion they saw seem tame. The flames rose high in the sky, its hot coiling fingers engulfing all it touched. As the oil fused with the rapid current, the flames lurched forward, their ferocious hot tendrils driving closer and closer.

Judging by the distance both Yamamoto and Gokudera were at, and the physical toll it was taking on the Cavallone boss' body, Reborn had the sickening thought that they wouldn't make it. No, correction; there was no possibility those boys would make it. They would be consumed by those flames and not even he knew what could be done to help the stranded Guardian's without them drowning.

Sick with horror, all Dino and Reborn could do was try and drag the two Guardian's bodies in as fast as they could and beg any supernatural force of nature that the flames wouldn't reach them before they were brought ashore. Sadly as luck would have it, nature and science worked as it should, and all the two men could do was stare in horror as the flames shot forward towards their Storm and Rain Guardians.

A/N: Ok, I am SO SORRY it took so long for this damn chapter to come out T_T I was really into it in the first few pages, but then exams sprung themselves on me and I was utterly swamped with school work for a good six weeks so...forgive the extensive wait...*bows to my readers* The next chapter should be a little shorter *I think I might have rambled a little too much in this one...D:* and I'm sorry that I've thrown up the angst and tension again xD not to worry though, there's a (modest am I?) revelation in the next chapter and a little tender TLC for our dear boys and I was hoping to get in a New Years special, but it seems that it might be a little late, popping up somewhere closer to Easter xDD oh well, maybe I can merge it into an Easter special too xDD Thank you so much for keeping up with this series! I will continue it *determined expression* but the chapters might just take insanely long to come out...hopefully the next one will be out sometime in mid January at the latest!