Three days. It sounded like a short amount of time, but Tsuna felt acutely aware of each second as it ticked by, each one feeling slower than the last.
None of the boys could muster up the will to continue with their daily tours. The disconcerting knowledge of Yuri's torture weighed heavily on everyone – it was not a time for carefree activity. Each of them had a different method of coping, finding their own ways to pass the time.
Ryohei, predictably, threw himself into physical activity. He could be seen anywhere on the property, running hard enough for his shirt to be drenched with sweat. When he wasn't running, he was doing calisthenics, one hundred sit ups and push-ups and swings of the jump rope at a time. And when he wasn't doing that, he was shadow boxing, which occasionally involved throwing his fist through the wall rather than the air.
Yamamoto had an equally difficult time keeping still, and adopted the mission of exploring the entirety of the building. He claimed he was memorizing different routes, maybe even thinking about drawing up a map in his free time. As he roamed the halls, however, he rarely looked curious or explorative. He was more likely to walk the same route over and over again, going in circles with a glazed look in his eyes.
At first, Gokudera had discovered the library and stationed himself within it for hours at a time, books piled up around him. When they learned where Yuri was being held, however, the bomber had abandoned the post. When he glanced in later, Tsuna found the piles of books untouched, with no signs that they had even been opened.
The prison cells occupied an entire wing of the building, supposedly underground. A heavy wooden door in the foyer denied them access, heavily bolted on the other side in several places. The thought made Tsuna's skin crawl. For weeks on end, he had been passing through the foyer, lounging in the seats and making small talk with his friends, completely unaware of the fact that a door was all that separated them from a prison. None of the boys were eager to hang around the disquieting door – none except for Gokudera, who wordlessly took a seat in front of it. For hours on end, he simply sat there with his head in his hands, unmoving.
Tsuna was by far the most restless. He simply couldn't settle on a single method to occupy himself with, especially when he was seeing his friends in this state. Twice, he caved and decided to accompany Ryohei on one of his runs. Several times, he joined Yamamoto in exploring the building. Too often, he paced back and forth in the foyer, keeping Gokudera company. Sometimes he swore he could hear the sound of faint screaming, and he was left unsure of whether it was real or in his head, unsure of which scenario was worse. By the third day, his nerves had been rubbed completely raw.
"Tsuna," Bianchi's voice held a note of surprise as she entered the foyer, finding him curled up on a couch, gnawing at his fingernails. There were drops of blood in several places where he had bitten them down to the bed, his mind far too occupied to notice.
"Ah," Turning to glance at her, he immediately brought a protective hand to his stomach as he noticed the tray in her hands. She had been keeping herself busy in her own way, practically locking herself in the kitchen and coming up with one atrocious concoction after another. "G-good morning."
"Did you sleep here?" The dark circles under his eyes were a plain indication that he had not slept at all, but he had clearly spent the night there. As his gaze wandered towards Gokudera, she just let out a small, "Ah."
"What are you doing?" He kept a wary eye on the food in her hands, wondering if she was bringing them breakfast. Rather than approaching him, however, she began walking towards the door. Lifting his head wearily, Gokudera silently shifted aside, granting her access. Tsuna had assumed the bomber had been sleeping, but the circles under Gokudera's eyes matched his own.
"I'm bringing her first meal down to her," Bianchi replied, pounding her fist against the door. From the other side, Tsuna could hear the clicking of locks being unlatched.
"You have access to her?" He asked, standing from the couch and moving towards her.
"Someone has to feed the girl," As the door swung open, she strode in quickly, obviously eager to get inside. A familiar purple haze wafted from the tray, making the guard's face go green as she passed by him.
"…w-wait, you're going to feed her your food?" If the past three days hadn't killed Yuri, being fed poison cooking right afterwards just might. "Wait a second-!" Tsuna barely had time to speak as the door was slammed shut again.
"It's fine, Tenth," Gokudera spoke up, making Tsuna glance at him in surprise.
"But…poison cooking!"
"Don't worry," Even in his current state, Gokudera was still putting forth the effort to set Tsuna's mind at ease. The thought was simultaneously reassuring and worrying. "She's immune to the effects. Or she may have just developed a strong tolerance for it – either way, it'll be fine."
"How is that even possible?" Tsuna took a seat beside the Gokudera, bumping the bomber's shoulder with his own.
"It happened to a few different people back at our house, mostly the kitchen staff. Yuri was a guinea pig for my sister the majority of the time, though. She was either too nice or too scared to say no. After a while, she just stopped reacting to the food altogether."
"But you weren't so lucky?"
Gokudera's mouth twisted into a wry smile. "Not even close." It was nice to see a smile, even if it was tired and wan. The building had been devoid of them for too long.
How was it that a single teenaged girl had changed all of them so much in just a matter of weeks? Tsuna could see his friends being forced to grow up alongside him, far before their time, and he felt helpless to do anything about it. And then there was Yuri herself, who was another matter entirely.
"It's been three days," Tsuna muttered. "Do you think they'll let her out?"
"I don't know," Gokudera replied despondently. "Maybe."
"If they do, what are you going to do?"
"I don't know."
"I wonder if she'll need to be taken care of…I wonder if they'll let us…or if she'll let us, for that matter."
"I…" Heaving a large sigh, Gokudera rested his forehead against his palm. "I'm sorry, Tenth. I don't know."
"Ah…" Tsuna shook his head apologetically. "No, don't listen to me, I'm just thinking aloud at this point…try to get some rest," Getting to his feet with a small groan, he gave the bomber a friendly pat on the shoulder. "I'm going to go talk to the Ninth."
"I'll go with you!" Gokudera responded predictably. Tsuna's first instinct was to reject the proposal and have the boy try to get some sleep. Thinking it through, though, he realized it was likely a lost cause – it would probably be good for the bomber to stretch his legs a bit.
"Ah, thank you." Tsuna nodded at him appreciatively as they made their way towards the Ninth's office.
"Come in," The man's muffled voice called out after they knocked lightly on the door, and Tsuna turned the handle, hesitantly poking his head in. "Ah, perfect timing!" The Ninth exclaimed as he looked up from his desk, waving them in. His expression sobered as Gokudera stepped in, taking note of their harrowed looking condition.
"I-I hope we're not intruding," Tsuna said. "I was just wondering about-"
"Yuriko, yes; I was just about to send for you so that we might discuss that." Setting his pen down, the Ninth rubbed his fingers over his own bloodshot eyes. "The child is resilient."
"…what do you mean?" Tsuna didn't know whether he should feel hopeful or distraught by the word choice.
"Truth be told, we've managed to get absolutely nothing out of her. She hasn't said a word in the last three days, regardless of what-" The Ninth cut himself off as he saw them wince, opting to let out a tired sigh instead. "In any case, our usual tactics have had no effect."
"S-so…"
"Don't worry," Leaning forward, the Ninth gave them a reassuring smile. "I promise, her life won't end by my hand – I have no intention of causing her any further harm. I'm worried, though, that the decision may not be up to me."
"…right." Tsuna glanced down, not needing any clarification. The Ninth had come to the same conclusion as him – Yuri had lost her will to fight, to live. She had given up.
"I'd like you to give it a try."
"I'm sorry?" Glancing back up, Tsuna blinked a few times in confusion.
"Call it intuition, if you will…I simply have a feeling that you may succeed where we have failed."
"You mean I can go…see her?"
"I'm practically begging," The Ninth gave him a wry smile. "I need a statement, if you can get it – an explanation as to why she did what she did. I don't doubt that Giordano did something to provoke her, and that something may just be enough to clear her name…not to mention the fact that it's a valuable piece of information that belongs in our records. I try not to repeat my mistakes."
"O-of course," Tsuna nodded, pressing his lips into a tight line. "I'll do my best."
"Good luck."
Backing out of the door, Tsuna gave him a grateful smile before turning down the hallway. "I don't know if I can do this," He admitted to Gokudera a bit too quickly. "After the last time she saw us…do you think she'll even listen to me?"
"…" The bomber was silent for a moment, glaring at the ground as they walked. "Of course, Tenth," As he looked back up, Tsuna could see the resolution in his eyes. "There's not a doubt in my mind. You can do it."
"Ah…" While the bomber looked utterly confident, Tsuna's gaze was downcast in worry and fear. "I hope you're right."
As they cautiously approached the looming door, it suddenly opened up and Bianchi stepped out.
"Oh," She looked as though she were in a trance, right up until she nearly bumped into them. "What are you two doing?"
"The Ninth asked me to go see her," Tsuna explained, tilting his head curiously. "How…how is she?" The woman's jaw clenched tightly for a moment before she shook her head.
"I'll let you see for yourself. I think it's a good idea…for her to see you, I mean." Her words only put a lump in Tsuna's throat. Turning, she passed the message on to the guard inside before brushing past them, brushing her fingers over his shoulder. "Good luck." Somehow, the words only made him feel worse.
"Well…" Stepping forward, Tsuna allowed Gokudera to enter ahead of him. As they passed the threshold from light to dark, Tsuna glanced up at the sentry, who gave him a curt nod. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust once the door had shut. It was much dimmer inside, fitting the prison motif well.
"It's the third cell on the right – the door is already unlocked." The guard told them, jutting his chin in the direction they were headed, and they approached it wordlessly.
"Um," Glancing at the bars in the door, Tsuna dropped his voice down to a whisper just in case she could hear them from inside. "It might be better if you wait out here."
"Of course," The bomber nodded, surprisingly compliant. With a deep breath, Tsuna braced his shoulder against the heavy metal door and pushed it open, slipping inside quietly. It was still dim, but he was able to make out the details of the room. A cot had been set up, the tray of Bianchi's food sitting untouched beside it. Letting his eyes roam, Tsuna jumped slightly when he realized the unmoving lump in the corner was breathing.
She didn't look good. Her coat and shoes had been taken away, leaving her rather exposed in her typical uniform. The tank top she wore revealed a good portion of her upper back, and he could see each individual vertebrae of her spine jutting out unnaturally in her huddled position. Her hair was greasy and tangled, sorely in need of a shower; upon closer inspection, Tsuna could see that it was matted with sweat and blood, as were her clothes. She didn't have any visible wounds, but he knew they were there. Her feet were bare, a set of dirty bandages wrapping their way up her calves as well as her hands and arms. Taking a seat on the ground in front of her, he could see gauze on her neck and cheek as well, and one of her eyelids was swollen shut. Her eyes were dull and glassy, but they flickered slightly as he sat, showing that she was aware of his presence.
"…Yuri?" He tried hesitantly, his voice too soft to even be called a whisper. "A-are you…alright?" He felt stupid as soon as the question had left his mouth. She only responded by lowering her gaze further. "Um, listen…you can get out of here; this can all be over really soon. I talked to the Ninth, and he said you could easily clear your name. I just…I need you to say something. Can you talk to me?" He stared at her hopefully in silence for a while, but she remained unmoving. "Please?" Pulling her knees closer, she only tucked her face further out of sight, curling into a tighter ball. Letting out a long, slow breath, Tsuna ran his fingers through his hair a few times before nodding slowly. "Okay…that's okay. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. You can just let me talk for now – let me know if you get bored of me, though." Letting out a nervous laugh, he scooted across the floor so that he was sitting beside her instead of in front of her.
"You know," He began slowly. "I don't think anyone blames you for what you did. There was probably a different way that you could have gone about it, and I can't really say what you did was right…but I can tell you that I'm glad. That must sound pretty horrible, but it's the truth. I don't think I ever knew what it felt like to hate someone so completely until I met Giordano. If you hadn't gone ahead and done it yourself, I might have actually…" Glancing down at his hands, Tsuna could see that his fingers were trembling, and he clenched them into tight fists. "I don't know. I guess I won't ever really know. I just…" Tilting his head back, he let out a heavy sigh. "I wish you would have let us help you, Yuri. I wish you would let us help you now. You don't have to do this alone." He glanced over at her hopefully, and grew slightly more optimistic as he saw one of her eyes peeking at him over her arm, shrouded by her bangs. He decided to keep trying. "I know things have been hard. But you're brave and strong, you've fought through all of it, and that's amazing. You can't give up now, Yuri, not when you've made it so far. You've been alone for a really long time, but you have us now…we'll help you, I promise. You have me, and Bianchi, and Gokudera…" As he spoke, her eye disappeared from view and she turned away from him completely.
Licking his lips, Tsuna bounced his head lightly against the wall a few times before trying once more. "I understand why you're angry. I don't know who should be blamed, really, but I understand. To have a friend turn his back on you…to feel abandoned, betrayed…I can see why you would be upset with Gokudera. I understand how seeing us that night might have been the final straw. We were intruding, sticking our noses where they didn't belong. I should have listened to you, trusted you…because that's what friends do. And if you can't forgive that, I understand. If…if we were what drove you to this point…I'm sorry. I really am." Casting one more look over at her, he was disappointed to find she was refusing to look at him. It hadn't occurred to him before now that he might actually be to blame for this, and as far as he could tell, the assumption was right. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he pushed himself to his feet and moved towards the door, not wanting to make things worse.
"You're wrong." His feet froze in place as she suddenly spoke up. Her voice was hoarser than usual, but there was no doubt that the words had come from her. Turning around, he could see she was staring directly at him, though her arms still shielded her lower face. "You've got nothing to do with it. Neither does Hayato. None of this is his fault…I know that." As Tsuna returned to sit by her once more, she slowly uncurled her body from the tight ball she had been in, her expression pained as the stiff joints cracked and popped into place. "I just needed someone to be angry at, someone that I could hurt, even if it didn't help me at all. There was really only one bit of truth I said that night – I was never his responsibility. Honestly, Tenth, you think you're the reason I'm here?" She cracked a sardonic smile. "You're the best thing that's happened to me in years. When you came, with Gokudera and Yamamoto and Sasagawa…I was happy. I had forgotten what that even felt like."
"Then…if it wasn't us…why?"
"I wonder," Leaning back against the wall, she tilted her face towards the ceiling. "Because I'm weak, maybe…my fingers are stained with blood, Tenth; blood that never deserved to be shed."
"You were-"
"Being used. I've crossed off dozens of names on a hitlist. Dozens. There was a time when I would vomit after every kill, but it stopped happening after a while. I thought I was hardened against death – I grew numb a long, long time ago. I thought there was nothing left that could rattle me. But a week ago…" She let out a shaky breath, squeezing her eyes shut as though she were trying to block out the memory. "My order was to kill a young woman. It was straightforward enough, a well-aimed shot through the chest from a distance would do it." Lifting a hand to her mouth, she traced the wound where her lip had split with trembling fingers. "A day later, rumors began to spread around the brothel. A story, really, of how Signor Giordano's wife was threatening to leave him; a story of how he had impregnated his mistress, and how she had been threatening to tell his secret; a story of how that mistress was found, dead from a bullet straight through her heart." Laying her hand over her eyes, Yuri bit down on the wound hard enough to draw fresh blood, the red liquid pooling around her teeth. "Do you understand, Tenth?"
"Y-you couldn't have known-"
"But that's not the point, is it? The woman was innocent. Her only crime was trying to protect herself. Giordano is a corrupt man – I knew that, yet it had never occurred to me before this. How many other people, innocent people…how many have I killed? Even if she was the only one…she had a child; a child that's now an orphan – a child that I orphaned. When I realized…that was the last straw. So I made a decision right there – I had to kill him. I didn't even intend to get caught, originally – I've done this enough times by now that I didn't even have to worry about it."
"So, what happened?" Tsuna asked out of genuine curiosity. Letting her head roll to one side, she gave him a passive shrug.
"When I went in, I was so angry. I thought I could see everything that was wrong with the world in the face of this one man, and I just wanted him gone…but when he fell…it was just over so quickly, and all I felt was…tired." Sighing, she brought her knees back up and buried her face in her arms once more. "I'm just so tired."
Those four words seemed to suck the life right out of her, and she deflated like a balloon in front of Tsuna. Her entire body sagged, and she looked like a shadow blending in against the walls. Where she had lost her anger, though, Tsuna only found more. Unfortunately for him, there was no easy way to dispel the flames racing through his veins, begging him to hurt, to hate, to destroy. He just knew he had to do something.
"Then rest," He finally said, pushing himself off of the ground. "Don't think, don't feel, don't worry…just rest. You deserve it." Scooping his arms under her, he lifted her with ease, marveling at how light she felt. It was sickening. "You're free to come out whenever you're ready to, alright?" Laying her down on the cot, he knelt beside her and gave her hand a small squeeze. "Thank you for telling me."
"…is it over yet?" She asked miserably.
"Almost." Her lips curled into a bitter smile.
"You're a bad liar, Tenth."
"That's because I'm not lying. I'll take care of everything – you just get some sleep."
"…okay." Her eyelids slid shut, and she was asleep within moments, too exhausted to fight the urge after three days of sleep deprivation. After making sure she was truly asleep, Tsuna exited the cell.
"…T-Tenth," Gokudera pushed off from against the wall to greet Tsuna. The bomber's face was red, his eyes filled with pain. "I…"
"I know," Tsuna smiled sympathetically at him.
"I knew you could do it." Tsuna's face grew hot as the bomber bowed deeply. "Thank you, Tenth."
"Eh, n-no, it's nothing!" Chuckling awkwardly, Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck until Gokudera rose again. "I'll leave her in your hands – take care of her when she wakes up."
"Wha- Are you going somewhere?" Tsuna nodded, the smile slipping from his face.
"I need to take care of some things."
The sun was just beginning to touch the horizon when Tsuna returned, the sky cast in a warm orange glow. With his clothes covered in dirt and other stains, he decided it would be better to sneak in from a side entrance, rather than through the foyer. Some of the stains were red, standing out starkly against the white of his shirt – knowing his family, they would probably jump to the wrong conclusion before he could offer an explanation.
Slipping in through the kitchen, he bowed his head slightly to greet the staff before sneaking into the halls, dashing for his room as quickly as he could. He made it without any other run-ins and let out a long, slow breath as the door shut behind him. He leaned up against it for a moment, resting his eyes before glancing down at his clothes in distaste.
"Well, that was messy," Blowing a few stray hairs out of his face, he moved to the dresser and gathered a set of clean clothes to change into. Stepping into the bathroom, he stuck his head under the sink faucet in an attempt to clean his face and hair of the dirt – it would have to do until he could take a shower later. He ran a comb through his hair quickly before rushing back out, eager to check up on everyone, but found himself slamming into someone else as soon as he turned the corner, knocking both of them backwards.
"Whoa, careful!"
"S-sorry!" He immediately apologized, glancing up at the other person. "Oh!"
"Well, if it isn't the heir himself," Lyric grinned down at him.
"Hello again," Tsuna bowed his head slightly in greeting. "We haven't seen you since the day we arrived."
"I'm hard to catch," Smiling, she pointed up towards the ceiling. "I'm probably up there ninety percent of the time. I've been grounded for a few days though; I have to fly some VIPs in and out. Sorry about the formal attire," Pulling the pilot's cap from her head and tucking it under her arm, she made a face and ran her fingers through her hair a few times. "It's good to see you again, though – you look like you've settled in."
"Ah, well…" Tsuna's gaze drifted to the side as he reviewed everything that had happened over the past couple of months.
"It looks like you have a better understanding of what I told you that day."
"I…I think I do. I've learned a lot, anyways."
"Ah, right, the girl."
"You know about Yuri?" Tsuna's surprise was evident in his voice.
"It's been all the buzz. Schnitten filled me in after I landed."
"Do you know where she is? I was planning to go check on her."
"I'd check the foyer," Jutting her thumb in its direction, she started leading the way. "Last I heard, Timoteo had permitted her to rest here overnight – that's her, right?"
They came to a stop at the edge of the hall and Tsuna peeked out from behind her in order to get a glimpse, his eyes widening at the scene. "Wow, I...yeah, that's her."
She didn't look much better than she had when he left her, to be perfectly honest. It looked like she had gotten a shower in as well as some clean bandages, but her skin was still pale and the circles under her eyes were so dark they looked like bruises. She was curled up on the couch with a heavy blanket wrapped around her shoulders, a mug of steaming liquid clutched between her fingers.
It wasn't Yuri herself that surprised him, though – it was her company. She was crowded on the couch, with Bianchi on one side and Yamamoto on the other, while Ryohei stood behind them and Gokudera sat directly across from her. Ganauche occupied one of the seats off to the side, as did several other unfamiliar faces.
"Rumors spread quickly around here," Lyric explained, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. "It's rare, but there are several people in the house with hearts softer than cotton – the kitchen staff in particular." The thought brought a small smile to Tsuna's lips, even though Yuri looked a bit uncomfortable with all the company. She was surprisingly focused on whatever Gokudera was saying, who looked excited to have someone listen, and Tsuna stepped closer, curious to hear what they were talking about.
"You see, flames correlate directly with the strength of a person's resolve," Gokudera was saying. "There are seven types all together, each with a different characteristic and ability."
"What do they look like?" Yuri asked, leaning forwards slightly.
"Ah, well…here," Glancing at each other, the boys nodded and each lit their rings, holding out their fists for her to see.
"…incredible…" Her eyes were wide enough that Tsuna could see the dancing flames reflected in them. "I never knew the Vongola had this kind of power." She stared at them for a bit longer, hesitantly reaching up in and running her fingers over each one, trying to tell how much heat they emitted. "And everyone has them?"
"Yes…well, to a certain extent. Everyone is born with wave energy of varying size and balance, but you need a ring to make a flame," Gokudera continued to explain. "The ring reacts to a wave with the same attribute and converts it, producing high density energy, which is what the flames really are."
"How do you know what type you have?"
"I think the only way to find out is by trying to light one." Hearing this, Yuri only hummed thoughtfully, glancing down at her own hands.
"Would you like to try and find out yours?" Ganauche spoke up, grinning at her. "There are cheap rings you can use, compatible with all types of wave energy. Since they're so generic, the flame will be small, but you could give it a shot."
"I don't know…" She looked doubtful and hesitant.
"Why not just try it for fun?" He pressed, fishing a plain silver band from his pocket. "Satisfy my curiosity."
"…I can try…" She still didn't sound at all convinced, but she held out her hand and allowed him to press the metal into her palm.
"Ever the optimist," Lyric murmured beside Tsuna, pulling his attention away from the conversation.
"Eh?"
"Ganauche," She clarified. "Assuming she'll be able to light it. It takes an incredible amount of willpower and intent to create even a weak flame. Does she look determined to you?"
"Um…" Glancing back over, Tsuna saw the boys crowding around her, each trying to coach her to light it in their own way.
"You need to turn your resolution into a flame! Imagine it as a well of energy inside you and move it into your arm, then your hand and fingers – it's like electricity in a way, with how it…" Gokudera was trying to explain it scientifically, as always, while Yamamoto attempted an intuitive approach.
"It's kind of like a feeling bubbling in your chest, and you just let it bukubukubuku…!"
"GUUOOOO!" Ryohei attempted to mimic the sound of a flame coming to life. "FIGHT TO THE EXTREME!"
It was a lively scene, but Yuri was sitting motionlessly in the center of it all, looking at the ring with a despondent expression. It looked as though everyone believed in her except for herself.
"Don't get me wrong, after what she's gone through, I can't blame her," Lyric continued, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "She's been…broken. She's completely lacking in resolve."
"…Well, it's not that what you're saying isn't true… but I don't think you're right." Tsuna finally responded, continuing to observe the scene. It was true, Yuri looked more like an empty shell than a person…but there was a certain life in her eyes now, with these people around her.
As he spoke, he watched her eyes harden and her fist clench tighter, frowning in concentration…and a moment later, color sprang from the ring – but it wasn't a color they were familiar with. Hovering over her finger was a flame, pitch black in color. It couldn't even be called a flame – rather than dancing and emitting light, it squirmed and writhed, an inky gunky mess that made Tsuna sick just to look at.
"Is…is that supposed to happen…?" Yuri's voice was quiet, her cheeks growing red. As she glanced around, taking in their surprised and somewhat horrified expressions, her face fell.
While everyone else was speechless, however, Lyric had inhaled sharply through her nose, prompting Tsuna to tear his eyes away from…whatever it was that Yuri had just created, in order to look at the older woman. She looked shocked, but her expression lacked the confusion that everyone else had. There was a spark of recognition in her eyes.
"Come with me," She said suddenly, grabbing him roughly by the arm and pulling him back into the hall.
"Eh? What-" Tsuna winced as her fingers dug into his flesh. He let out a small breath of relief as they loosened when Lyric noticed Schnitten approaching from the opposite direction.
"Oh good," Lyric said, completely ignoring the hand he lifted in greeting. "Where are you headed?"
"I heard the girl was awake and talking," He told her, giving her a strange look. "I thought I would go try to gather some information. Are you alright? You look a little…manic."
"Listen, I need you to gather the other guardians and send them to Timoteo's office, and get the girl into a bed." Tightening her grip on Tsuna's arm again, she pushed past the swordsman curtly, tossing another word over her shoulder. "Immediately."
"Ah, ow," Tsuna muttered under his breath as he stumbled along after her. "Lyric? What's wrong? That…black stuff…do you know what it was?"
"Yes, but Timoteo is the one that needs to explain this."
"Can you at least tell me if Yuri's okay?"
"…No, she's not. She's dying."
"I don't understand, where are we going?" Yuri looked confused, and more than a little irritated at this point as Tsuna continued to drag her through the crowded street of the city.
"We're nearly there, I promise," He placated, turning down another side street, this one nearly empty. After a few more twists and turns, he stopped at the door of a small building. They could hear the sound of children shrieking and laughing inside, and Yuri's expression only grew more confused as he turned to her and said, "Here it is."
"Here…what is?" She let out a soft sigh, looking far too exhausted to even get angry. "Tenth, I'm really not-" Before she could even finish the sentence, Tsuna grabbed her and pulled her up to one of the windows.
"Look inside," He commanded.
"…I've seen children before." The inside looked like a daycare, with walls painted in bright colors and shapes, and the floor strewn with all types of toys. There were several adults inside, playing with dozens of infants and toddlers.
"It's an orphanage," Tsuna explained. "Look in the back over there – you see the little girl with blonde curls?"
"…That's..." Yuri fell silent as she put the pieces together. "Are you telling me that's her child?"
"She looks happy, doesn't she?" He asked with a smile. "I tracked down the name yesterday and found her here. I spent some time helping out – they left me covered in dirt and stains, but if you don't mind the mess, we can go in. Do you want to see her?"
"I…" She thought about it for a minute with a distressed expression, before finally shaking her head. "No. This is enough. I don't…"
"That's fine," Tsuna reassured her softly. "I just wanted you to see. They're taking good care of her here. I made sure they had a copy of her mother's information, so she'll have it when she's older. She'll know who her mother was, and that she was loved." Yuri nodded soundlessly, her lips pressed together in a tight line. "If you're willing, there's one more thing I'd like to show you."
It wasn't difficult to figure out what that thing was, especially when another ten minutes of walking led them to the edge of a cemetery. "The funeral was three days ago." Tsuna explained as they walked past the rows of gravestones, careful not to step on any flowers that had been placed at their bases.
"I didn't think they'd have one so soon," Yuri muttered, eyes widening as they finally came to a stop. It was a simple stone, no fancy engravings or designs, simply her name and the dates of her birth and death. There were a few small bouquets around the base, and a couple trinkets sitting on top of it.
"She didn't have much family, but someone arranged it – I'm not sure who." Giving her a sidelong glance, Tsuna stepped around the grave. "Would you like a moment?" Swallowing heavily, she nodded, eyes never leaving the stone.
Taking that as his cue, Tsuna walked away quietly, picking out the nearest tree to sit against. Leaning against the bark, he rested his arms against his knees and breathed out slowly, staring up at the tree's branches. Though he wanted to give her privacy, he couldn't help glancing back to look at her. His view was partially blocked by the gravestone, but he could see that she was on her knees now, her lips moving imperceptibly as she whispered her apologies. Tsuna knew this was something that she needed. Any sort of catharsis was good, more than she realized.
"No, I don't understand – Lyric said she was dying! What does that mean?" Tsuna had been almost hysterical in the Ninth's office the evening before.
"Calm down," The Ninth had looked just as rattled as everyone else in the room was, and he was clearly having a hard time organizing his thoughts into a good explanation. "It's true that her situation is bad, but it's not as dire as you're making it sound. She'll be fine for a while yet."
"Okay," Tsuna took a steadying breath and sat back down beside his friends, trying to keep the tremor out of his fingers. "Okay…so what is it that we need to know? How is she dying?"
"You're already aware of the seven wave energies that run through our bodies – they're a life force, in a way, in direct correlation with your emotions."
"So her…flame…that's a result of what she's been through?" Gokudera asked, his jaw clenched as tightly as his fists were.
"Exactly. Just like anything else that is good, flames can be corrupted. Imagine the human body as being made up of gates, through which the energy flows. A healthy individual has most of these gates open, allowing the energy to circulate properly – it's the opening and closing of these gates that determines the strength of your flame. For instance, when you enter your hyper dying will mode, Tsunayoshi, you are opening all of those gates. When an individual experiences a large enough form of trauma, though, the opposite happens – nearly all of the gates shut, as a defense mechanism, which can drastically disrupt the way in which wave energy flows. When that happens, it begins to stagnate, which is the cause behind the corruption."
"So this has happened before?" Yamamoto asked while the others tried to process the information.
"It's unfortunately not as uncommon as you might think," Lyric answered him. "The energy will always begin to deteriorate in that kind of situation, but it's how the individual reacts and copes that determines its type."
"You mean there's…more than one?"
"Six in total that have been discovered so far. Just from seeing the color, I can tell you this much: her method of coping involves compartmentalization and dissociation. It's not hard to believe that she's been dealing with conflicting values and emotions, between who she is as a person and what she's been forced to do as a means of survival. She may well have originally had a very strong sense of self, but in order to avoid that cognitive dissonance, she had to divide herself up into separate self states that could allow those conflicting ideas to coexist without tearing her apart.
"So she uses avoidance as protection, either by shifting the focus of a conversation to a different topic, physically removing herself from a situation, or in the case that she's unable to do either, dissociating – completely detaching herself from physical and emotional experience. The effect this has on her energy is disastrous – not only is it blocked, it's either being forced to flow backwards or it's being completely rerouted. Of the six corruption types, hers is the second most destructive. You can imagine what that kind of energy might do when it's trapped inside of you."
"…you'd decay from the inside out." Tsuna guessed half-heartedly, sinking further into his seat as Lyric nodded.
"It shortens your lifespan. It grows out of control, more like a disease than a healthy part of their body, and it begins to eat away at you. At that stage, it's impossible to harness like a flame – you can't control it. More often than not, it drives the host to insanity first, before leading to death. It's painful, too, like having sludge instead of blood in your veins. I'm amazed she looks as put together as she does, especially at that stage."
"This is extremely useless," Ryohei finally spoke up. "If she's sick, then you just heal her to the extreme."
"Correct!"
"What?" Tsuna leaned forward earnestly. "You can fix it?"
"Absolutely – I recovered, and I was much more of a mess at the time, so I'm certain that she can."
"Wait…this happened to you?"
"Mm-hmm," She hummed in assent. "But that's a story for another time. Now that you understand what's going on inside her, I can get to the good part – how to stabilize it."
"Stabilize?" Gokudera asked, looking disappointed. "You mean you can't reverse it?"
"Unfortunately, we've found no way to bring a corrupted flame back to its natural form. But listen closely, this is where the good news starts. The corruption isn't a death sentence - if you can stabilize the energy, she'll be right as rain and healthy as a horse."
"How do we do that?" Tsuna immediately asked.
"It's simple – you just get rid of all the bad stuff."
"Tenth," Tsuna shook himself out of the reverie as he heard Yuri approach. "I'm ready."
"Ah," Pushing himself to his feet, he brushed the grass and dirt from his pants and pushed his hands into his pockets. "Was that helpful?"
"Yes," She glanced down for a moment as they started walking out of the cemetery. "…thank you."
"Of course."
As they made their way back onto the main street, he stole a glance over at her. He could tell she had been crying, based on the blotches of red under her eyes, but her lips were curled into the barest of smiles.
"So," He said, trying to hide his own satisfied smile as they climbed into the car that was waiting for them by the curb. "Where were you planning on going this morning?"
"What?"
"When I came to get you this morning," He elaborated. "You were already awake and dressed, the bed was made, and you were packing a bag."
"Oh…" She looked like she had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "I…don't really know. I just didn't want to overstay my welcome, and I thought it would probably be better if I just showed myself the door."
"I didn't know you had things to pack – didn't you just come here with the clothes on your back?" At this point, Tsuna was just having fun teasing her. He knew exactly what she had been doing, but it wasn't often that she squirmed, and he doubted it would happen much in the future.
"I…" She glanced out the window to avoid meeting his gaze. "Well…"
"You weren't planning on going back to the brothel." Tsuna supplied the explanation for her. "But you don't have anywhere else to stay, so you needed supplies, right?" She looked down, chewing on her lip as she nodded.
"I'm sorry," She apologized. "I just thought that if I needed to steal things, it was better to do so from a place where they wouldn't be missed." Tsuna let the silence hang for a moment, before a snort of laughter escaped from him, making her glance at him in surprise.
"It's fine, you don't need to look so guilty!" He continued to laugh, trying and failing to smother the sound with his hand. "Actually, the kitchen staff had purposely put the food out for you, and the clothes in the drawers were all for you anyways."
"I-I…but…" She was too confused and surprised to even get angry, which pulled another bout of laughter from him.
"Really though, I'm happy." As he finally got his giggles under control, he smiled warmly at her. "That you weren't going back to the brothel, I mean. We were worried that you might try to – and if there's one thing we've learned during this trip, it's that we honestly can't stop you from doing what you want. You're strong, but…well, anyone could see that you had given up. We thought you were going to just lie down and take it, and we were worried you might not get back up."
"That's…not for you to worry about. My problems are-"
"You're responsibility, I know. You're capable of handling everything on your own. But the thing is…you don't have to. The single best thing you can do for me as a friend, you know, is let me help you. That's what you do when you trust someone – you trust them to help you when you need help…just like I trust you to come to my rescue if I ever need it."
"…Tenth…" As the car pulled to a stop, he grinned at her reassuringly and opened the door, climbing out before speaking again.
"It's okay – I just want you to know that we really are here for you, and I don't blame you for trying to leave. I'm glad that you're planning to take your life into your own hands…it would've been nice if you had planned to at least say goodbye, though."
"I didn't want to be a…" As they walked towards the building's entrance, she bowed her head. "I'm sorry."
"No no, it's alright!" He backpedaled, not wanting to make her feel bad. "I'm just happy that I caught you before you left…because, actually…we're going to be leaving sooner than expected." Hearing these words made her head snap right back up.
"What?"
"I've been trying to find a good time to tell you," Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "We were talking with the Ninth last night, and…well, he's been keeping tabs on me, apparently. He said the way I handled things, like tracking down Giordano and finding the woman's daughter, had impressed him. Even though it's earlier than planned, he wants to give us our first assignment – in America." Exhaling loudly, Tsuna glanced up at the sky, still feeling overwhelmed by the news himself. "I…I decided to accept. We'll be spending the final month of our summer vacation there before flying back to Japan. W-we leave tomorrow." They stepped inside the building as he finished, and the sudden change in lighting made it difficult to see Yuri's reaction.
"…Oh." She finally said. "That's…" She lifted her head, staring straight ahead, and Tsuna could see she was blinking hard. "That's wonderful. I'm happy for you, Tenth. You're really stepping up, it's about time." It wasn't the first time he had seen her hold back tears, but every time she had cried before this had been out of anger or frustration. This was purely from disappointment, and it pained him to see her fighting so hard against it.
"Would you like to see the others?"
"To say goodbye?"
"To say whatever you want." She chewed on her lip for a moment, staring stoically at the wall, before nodding. "Let's go, then – I'm sure they'll appreciate it." Placing his hand lightly on her shoulder, he started guiding her towards the Ninth's office. "They'll be discussing plans in here." Stopping, he knocked loudly on the door.
"Come in!" A muffled voice answered, and he twisted the handle. Sure enough, everyone was seated inside.
"Yuri," It was hardly a surprise that Bianchi was able to tell that the girl was distressed, immediately jumping from her seat and opening her arms like a mother does to her child. "Come here, what's the matter?"
"I just told her about the change of plans," Tsuna explained for her.
"I just…well…" Yuri's eyes were flicking back towards the door, already looking for an escape route.
"It's okay," Bianchi said reassuringly. "Go ahead."
Inhaling deeply, Yuri nodded and started moving toward the three boys on the couch, who stood to greet her. Tsuna wandered over to the Ninth's desk and took his place beside the older man, who gave him a sympathetic smile as they watched quietly.
"…Sasagawa, you…" Trying to speak, Yuri ended up letting out a strained laugh. "You were honestly a huge pain in the neck."
"You handled it extremely well," The boxer replied lightheartedly. "We'll be going on an even more extreme run next time!"
"Ah…" She chuckled as he held out a fist and she bumped it lightly with her own. "I don't doubt it."
"Now now, there's no need to get upset," Yamamoto jumped in with an infectious laugh. "It's not like we're saying goodbye forever!"
"I…guess not…" While Yamamoto was convincing, she didn't sound so sure.
"Hey, come on – we'll visit again!"
"Mm…It's just," She began picking at her nails nervously. "Having you guys here, it's…it's the first time I've ever had fun, and everything's changed so much so suddenly. I guess I just don't know what I'm going to do now."
"Well, you're planning on leaving, right?" Gokudera asked. "The brothel?"
"I…" Her mouth hung open for a moment as she stared at him, before lowering her gaze. "The manager's going to be angry, and he has the resources he needs to track me down. If I'm caught, it'll be really bad for me. I'm good at running, but…it may not be the smartest choice."
This was not what any of them were expecting to hear.
"What?" Nearly everyone exclaimed in unison, their voices overlapping loudly as panic set in, but it was Gokudera who truly acted.
"You can't!" He demanded angrily, grabbing her roughly. Immediately, her eyes hardened as her mouth twisted into an indignant frown.
"Is it your decision to make?" He backpedaled quickly, if reluctantly, seeing that his approach was only making her more defensive.
"Look…" He hesitated for a moment, struggling to say the words that were on his mind. Scratching the back of his head with a conflicted sound, he decided to just start talking. "I messed up when we were kids, I know that. Even though I knew you always followed me, I went to dangerous people, and I…I admit that I made a mistake-"
"That's in the past. There's no point-" He wouldn't allow her to even finish the sentence.
"No." He insisted, his expression twisted with pain. "I screwed up. I acted selfishly and I put you in danger because of it, and that's…it's unforgivable and I'm sorry, I'm so…so sorry." As he forced the uncharacteristic words out, Yuri's stunned expression began to crumple even though she had clearly been trying not to cry. It was painful to watch, but nobody tried to step in as Gokudera continued.
"You've been in an awful situation, and you've survived through it on your own. Everything you said to the Tenth and I that night…you were right – you're strong and you don't need anyone to save or take care of you, but that doesn't mean you have to keep living like you have been!" He was speaking rapidly, the words spilling messily as he tried to get them all out as quickly as possible. "You'd have to be a complete idiot to go back to that place! What are you, some kind of twisted masochist?" Yuri flinched at that, a few tears finally slipping down her cheeks as she clenched her jaw, the harsh grinding of her molars almost audible.
"Oi, Gokudera," Yamamoto stepped forward, taking hold of the bomber's arm as his words suddenly grew more vicious, but Gokudera was quick to shake him off.
"Tch! Shut up, I know! My fucking point is-!" Taking a deep breath, he steadied his temper and tightened his own grip on Yuri's shoulders, holding her in place as if she might run away at any moment. When he spoke again, his voice was impressively level. "My point is…I can't let that happen. I can't possibly live with myself, knowing you're slowly killing yourself in that shithole, knowing that I put you there. I won't let you. I won't move from this spot until I know that you're not going back."
His face was wrought with multiple emotions as he roughly yanked her into an awkward hug, holding her so tightly it felt as though he were desperately trying to keep her from floating away. "I won't let it happen." He promised. "No more, Yuri. It's over."
"…stop," She finally spoke, her voice breathy and weak. "Stop, stop, just stop it, please," She begged, voice wobbling uncontrollably as she reached up slowly and pushed uselessly against the boy's arms. Her head was angled as far down as she could push it, bangs falling over her eyes so that her expression was unreadable, little more than a shadow. "Let me go."
"Like hell. As long as you plan on going back to that place, I won't budge an inch."
"Don't be such an idiot," She continued to struggle, but her attempts were weakening quickly. "I can't just-"
"You don't need to torture yourself."
"What are you-?"
"No, damn it woman, just listen to me. None of this is your fault."
All at once, she stopped struggling.
"Don't." It wasn't a plea this time, but a command.
"It's not your fault."
"Stop it, just…stop."
"It's not your-" With a harsh, frustrated sound, Yuri finally pushed him hard enough to lose his balance, forcing him to let her go.
"Don't screw with me!" She screamed, fists clenched at her side as her entire body bowed under the weight of her emotion. "You think I don't want to make it all end? That I don't want to run away? Of course I do, but Benussi still owns me, and as long as that's true, he'll make my life a living hell wherever I go! That's just the way things are, and if I have to live with that-!" Her voice cracked as she shouted, and she had to lower her voice to catch her breath. "If I have to live with that, then at least let me know that I've done something to deserve it."
Gokudera was clearly trying not to yell back as he shook his head over and over again, slowly stepping back towards her. Taking hold of her shoulders once more, he jostled her roughly.
"You really are an idiot, aren't you?" He scowled as her head wobbled slightly with the movement, bending down to flick her lightly on the forehead. She glowered right back at him. "Aneki's a hitman too, isn't she? So are Reborn and Shamal. They're the same as you, aren't they? Are you saying they all deserve to live the way you do?"
"No," Yuri pulled back at the implication. "It's not the same-"
"Don't flatter yourself," He cut her off with a roll of his eyes. "Being a hitman in the mafia is dirty work – do you honestly think you're the only one who has regrets?" She opened her mouth in an attempt to retort, but no sound came out. "If the Tenth was in that situation-"
"No." She cut in, refusing to look at him. Instead she stared at his feet, shaking her head slowly. "I…I wouldn't allow it."
Her words sent a sudden wave of elation through Tsuna. Just a little over two weeks ago, she had been saying she wouldn't do anything to help someone in need. Even if it wasn't dramatic or obvious, she had changed.
"So you do get it," Gokudera realized it too, the barest hint of a smile playing at his lips as he pinched the bridge of his nose with an exasperated sigh. "Look around you. Every person in this room cares – if you go back, you'll be hurting all of them. Isn't…" He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly reminded of the ring battles against the Varia, and what Tsuna had told him when he had been prepared to throw his own life away. "…Being able to laugh together and have snowball fights and watch fireworks…that's what friends do. That's what we fight for, what the Tenth fights for. Isn't that what makes us a family?"
"…family?" She was giving him a strangely befuddled look. "What do you…? I'm not-"
"You are." Tsuna cut in. "You're a friend that we treasure, and that's as good as family for me. Please don't think for a second that we don't think of you as much. We may not share any blood, but we're all willing to be your family if you'll let us."
For a moment that seemed to stretch into an eternity, she simply stood there, arms hanging limply at her sides, stoic expression betraying nothing of what was going on behind her eyes.
Then, finally, she began to move. Slowly, side to side, she shook her head and lifted trembling fingers to her face, hiding it with her hands as she stood there, just shaking, shaking, shaking. She inhaled sharply several times before speaking.
"Is it really-" Her words were quavering violently, and her voice was taking on that nasally tone one gets when their nose is completely blocked with mucus – but they had no trouble understanding her next words. "Is it really okay for someone like me to feel so happy?"
Gokudera gave Tsuna a hesitant glance, unsure of what his next move should be. Now that she wasn't putting up much of a fight anymore…well, he was at a loss. He knew how to deal with an argumentative, stubborn girl. He didn't know how to deal with a crying one. But Tsuna just gave him a slightly pained smile with a small nod, and the bomber's heart filled with pride. His boss was entrusting the task to him.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and stretched his arms out to her, his cheeks reddening as he consciously tried to emulate his sister to the best of his ability, something he never imagined he'd do. It was doubtful that anyone would ever describe him as "motherly", and yet here he was, trying to act the part.
As he was trying to come to terms with it, Yuri suddenly leaned into him, buried her face in his shoulder, her body quaking, trembling, just shaking and shaking and shaking.
When she finally allowed herself to cry, it didn't even sound like crying. It was nothing like the night outside the brothel, or just earlier that day in the graveyard. It was a desperate, ragged gasping that made everyone's hands curl into tight fists, forced them to look away.
She was clutching Gokudera's coat, clinging to him like he was her last hope, the only thing anchoring her to the world right then, and he was gripping her just as tightly, suddenly filled with the strange sense that she was about to fade away completely at any moment.
Everyone felt it, but Tsuna gave all of them a stern look that glued them in place. Truthfully, he wanted to rush to her side and try to make all of the pain disappear more than anyone else. But he stayed still, trying to take refuge in the knowledge that this was what she needed. She was pushing years of grief, misery, and sorrow, out of her heart. It wouldn't fix everything, not by a long shot, but it was a painful step towards recovery, and that was a step she had to take on her own. Any help they tried to give could only get in the way of that. All they could do was stand aside and wait out the storm. And though it took time, it did eventually pass.
Her gasping sobs quieted and slowed to soft sniffles, and her death grip on Gokudera began to loosen. Suddenly, the tension that had previously filled the room was gone – it was safe again, the sense that she was drowning gone from sight, and Tsuna knew they weren't going to lose this battle. Not today.
Finally, she pulled away from Gokudera and began wiping at the mess of tears and snot smeared across her face.
"Yuri," Tsuna chose to speak up then, giving her no time to feel embarrassed as he stepped around the desk. It was time to talk. "If you had the option, then…would you choose to come with us?"
"…what?" She gave him a confused look, still wiping at her nose, her voice thick with congestion. "How does that…?"
"Listen – there's something you need to know," Tsuna said, taking a deep breath. "Last night, we didn't just learn about the new assignment. We learned about…you."
"So if we stabilize the energy…then what?" Gokudera had asked, after Lyric explained how they could do so. "What happens to it?"
"Well, that's the question isn't it?" She had chuckled with a wide grin. "Let me tell you something: what you saw when she lit the ring just now actually looked much worse than it really is. Corrupted energy doesn't harmonize well with normal rings, so it's displayed differently as well. If used with a ring that's actually designed to support the corruption, the flame would still look weak, but not so sickly. It would actually look like a flame, for one," As she spoke, Lyric fished a ring out of her own pocket and slipped it onto her finger. "And if it's given what it needs, it has the power to become something just as beautiful as the seven 'pure' flames." Curling her fingers into a fist, a brilliant flame came to life. It was still black in color, making it look eerie, but still just as dazzling as any of theirs. "At that point, it develops its own characteristic and ability: dispersione – dispersion. It's derived directly from the coping mechanism I explained earlier. Because of this property, it gained its own name – we call them Wind Flames."
"…wait. Do you mean…?" Tsuna's gaze dropped to the ring on her finger. It wasn't quite identical, but it looked similar to the Vongola rings.
"Looks like it's about time to pass these on to the next generation, doesn't it Timoteo?"
"Indeed," The Ninth replied, fixing his gaze on the boys. "It seems it's time to reveal one more Vongola secret."
"This is something you…I mean…what?"
"Let me explain with a short history lesson," The Ninth responded, laughing at Tsuna's flustered response. "Corrupt flames have existed for as long as the flames of the sky have, they're simply much rarer. When the first generation learned of them, they recognized the potential in them – wielders of a corrupt flame have experience with situations that no human being should ever be subjected to. This makes them dangerous and unstable, but Primo also recognized the other side of the coin: if harnessed correctly, the flames could provide great strength. He wanted the Vongola to remain true to its ideals, and he took measures to ensure this would happen – this primarily took form through CEDEF. In secret, however, he formed another group: 'I Negativi'."
"The Negatives?" Gokudera asked, and the Ninth nodded.
"Using corrupt flames was a controversial idea at the time, so the only individuals that were aware of the group's formation were Primo's guardians – no one else. The members that made up I Negativi were scattered throughout the family, maintaining mundane jobs as servants, chefs, messengers, and so on. To the public eye, they were faceless and unimportant…but they were core members of the family, a second set of guardians in a way."
"I don't completely understand," Tsuna admitted, tilting his head. "What was their function?"
"I Negativi, in Primo's words, are to function as the famiglia's very last resort. Should the Vongola ever fall, I Negativi will preserve its history and heritage, rebuilding it from its ashes. On the other hand, should the Vongola grow too corrupt, I Negativi will uphold its history and heritage, and they will eradicate its very existence. You see, something like that can only be accomplished with a power as utterly destructive as the corrupted flames. I Negativi hides in the shadows of the family, and they will only emerge when the worst case scenario arises. But they are true members of the family, as integral as your guardians – and I believe you've just found your first member."
"That's…" As Tsuna wrapped up the explanation, Yuri found herself speechless. Her cheeks were dry and her eyes were already beginning to swell, but that didn't keep her from staring at him with an almost comical look of wide-eyed awe.
"You understand, right?" He asked, uncurling his fingers as he stepped forward, displaying the exact same ring that Lyric had worn.
"I can't possibly possess something like that, the…wind," She protested, shaking her head. "You saw what happened when I tried last night – it was…putrid. It looked nothing like your flames."
"There's only one way to be sure, though." Tsuna insisted, holding the ring out. Her hand was clutched to her chest while she stared at the small loop in fear – she was too afraid to get her hopes up. "Please, Yuri…remember what I said about trust? If you can't trust anything else, then trust me." She continued to stare at it in fear, but her fingers slowly began to unfurl after a moment. Stretching her right hand out, she allowed him to slip the band onto her middle finger. "Go ahead," He encouraged. "Just like you did yesterday."
She had her fingers curled into a tight fist, trying hard to hide their quaking. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut. For a moment, nothing happened…she simply stood silently with her fist held out. It was only when blood began to well around her nails, which were digging deeply into the skin of her palm, that color suddenly sprang to life over the ring – and this time, it was a true flame.
"EXTREEEEEEEEEEMMMMEEEE!" Ryohei was the first to react, punching the air as the others let out their own excited cheers. Yuri's eyes snapped open as the commotion reached her ears, and she froze, staring at the flame she had lit in astonishment.
"I knew you could do it," Tsuna whispered with a relieved smile. "You know what this means, don't you? If you accept the role, you'll be a core member of the Vongola. We'll have the right to completely free you from that establishment – Benussi won't have any power over you…you could come with us." The thought of victory made him giddy with excitement. "What do you say, Yuri? Will you join our family?"
He only caught a glimpse of her face stretching into a teary, relieved smile before she dropped to one knee, bowing her head and clenching her right fist over her heart – a proper bow of respect and loyalty.
"You'll have my allegiance until the end of time," Drops of moisture appeared on the ground as her voice danced with tear-stained laughter. "Boss."
A/N: Wow, it's been a while since I updated - almost exactly one month! Here, have about 10K words to make up for it x) Hope it wasn't too long! I've been pretty excited to get to this point in the story, and I can't believe I've finally made it! I know fan flames are popular, but I wanted to try and rationalize how they might be worked into the story without completely breaking canon - I put a lot of thought into it, and I really hope it makes sense! In any case, this marks the end of this particular 'story arc' - we're heading to the states next! As always, thanks so much for reading , following, and reviewing - and until next time, take care!