Well, as I said before, I'm cramming. :D
This scene is a bit longer than others, but it's fine. You really wouldn't notice. Really.
Well, Happy Reading, and please review~!! xD
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"She couldn't have just died like that…" mumbled Soto. "There must be something more to it." He sighed and looked to the already sleeping Jasmine in the back seat. He envied how she could just fall asleep like that, no matter what was going on around her. But he rolled his eyes and continued driving.
The neighborhood was completely silent.
What was Mukuro thinking? No, he wouldn't have just killed Kaia like that. He must have had a method of doing that, too. No, it's something else…
Wait, wasn't he planning to kill that Tsuna? But he didn't – he was probably planning to- No, that can't be, not to Kaia, no…is it?
I need more information…
Soto cautiously reached to the seat beside him, grabbing at his cell phone. He blindly dialed the number again, and he held it up to his ear.
"H-Hello?"
"Ciaossu."
"R-Reborn-" Soto managed. "Get Iemitsu and meet me at the closest bus-stop junction to the Sawada household."
"What's going on?"
"I-I don't know," Soto was obviously panicking – Reborn noted this, as well as the urgency of whatever the matter was.
"Very well then, Soto. I'll see you there in about five minutes."
"T-Thanks," breathed Soto, before flipping the cell phone shut and tossing it hatefully back on the seat beside him.
He didn't know what they would react, but he had to break it to them. He had to.
Otherwise, he probably wouldn't get anywhere taking this all by himself.
A worker wouldn't not use his trusty toolbox, wouldn't he?
And it seems that Soto had found his tools for the job.
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
There it was – the crossroads. Soto's car slowed to a stop, and he got out. The back door opened as well, revealing a rather sleepy Jasmine. The darkness of the night was whole – the lonely streetlights, the absence of a full moon, and two silhouettes outlined in the gloom.
"What is it?" sighed Iemitsu. Soto glared hard at him, but it wasn't his fault. He doesn't know what happened. Reborn looked up to the External Advisor.
"Iemitsu, it's drastically important. I advise you listen."
"You too, Reborn." This time, the Advisor was serious. This settled Soto down a little bit.
"It's Kaia, she's confirmed to be-" Soto groaned with frustration and turned away. "S-She's confirmed to be…to be…t-to…" The Cloud Guardian stumble-walked into the wall, shoulder-ramming it in suppressed anger, regret, and guilt. "She's dead now, goddammit!" His heavy breaths can be heard now, and he slid to the ground.
"How the hell could that happen to her?!" groaned Soto. He looked up, analyzing the reactions of Sawada Iemitsu and Reborn.
Reborn's fedora shielded his face – he was grim. Iemitsu grinded his teeth.
"It could be a rival family," said the External Advisor. "They would have caught wind of it; they would have found ways to get to her. I'll have to either just abandon the post to nobody, or have Tsuna choose – if he survives the Ring Battles." He clenched his fist. "This isn't a good sign." Reborn looked at Iemitsu.
"I'm amazed at your self-control, Iemitsu," remarked Reborn. "This news is probably as devastating as if someone would have come and told you the news of your son's death."
"No," Jasmine said, getting back to the subject. "It isn't a rival family, I know that for a fact. Otherwise, it would be up in the headlines by now. It must be Mukuro." She narrowed her eyes. "Nobody else can do such a thing, and I've heard he's made himself a reality for the Mist Battle, hasn't he? Where exactly did he get that strength? Where exactly did he find the power to stay in reality, thousands of miles away from where he really is? He would have been hitting two birds with one stone, wouldn't it?"
"It's true," nodded Reborn. "He has become reality in the Mist Battle – but the power to do that, after Chrome has already lost her strength? That isn't possible unless he has a hidden power supply." Soto looked to Jasmine, blinking. They had been on the same hunch all along. "Soto, does…does Kaia know how to handle Dying Will?"
"Handle as in how?" Soto looked up ominously. Reborn frowned.
"Control. Can she?"
"I don't know, otherwise, she would have gotten rid of…that problem long ago."
"How strong is it?" asked Iemitsu. Soto looked into the darkness.
"I don't know exactly." He shook his head. Jasmine was silent.
"But if it's strong, then-"
"She couldn't control it – which meant she couldn't call up its full potential, if– only if, it's stronger than what I've seen." Soto remained silent, and then said, "Do Tsuna and his Guardians know about Kaia's-"
"No," confirmed Reborn. Iemitsu shook his head in agreement. Soto breathed a sigh of half-released-relief.
"Then we wouldn't have to worry about telling them of the effects of it."
"No," Jasmine said. "She might not be dead-"
"Jazz – you're a doctor. You should know the signs of death." Soto's eyes glinted in the half-moon-light. "Then we will say she is gone, vanished, not here anymore. We just have to navigate through the events to come by ourselves." A tree nearby stirred, its whisper floating into the night.
"Soto, I know you're-" began Reborn. Soto cut him off irritably.
"Shut it. We're being eavesdropped," he hissed. He turned his head to face the tree, and the tree shivered once more. The group fell silent, but a bird emerged from the tree and flew away into the night. Soto grimaced. "We were lucky we didn't voice the more important information, but even with this information, we're in danger. I'll hunt that bird down."
"No, don't- Soto!" Jasmine stopped Soto as he stood up and began to walk in the direction of the bird. "It could be a perfectly normal bird, and it c-could have been unable to sleep or something – we haven't been eavesdropped!"
"That's what normal people assume," he shook off Jasmine's hand and disappeared into the night. Jasmine looked back to Soto with concern displayed on her face.
"Let's just hope he doesn't meet his student's fate," Reborn said. Jasmine turned. "We should retire now. I have to get up early to get Tsuna training. 'Night…" He left as well, and Iemitsu nodded good night to Jasmine, before following the Arcobaleno back in the direction of the Sawada household. Jasmine looked around with a frown, got back into the car, and looked around for the keys. Luckily, she found them. Jasmine hopped into the driver's seat, started the car, and drove back to Kaia's apartment.
The faint chirping of a bird grew farther and farther away as Jasmine drove away from the crossroads.
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Nice. I'll be updating a few more times today, so please keep on reviewing and reading! :D
Thanks, everyone!
Have an awesome day, everyone~!
