Disclaimer: I don't own KHR. If I did, then there will be significantly more BAMF females. Even if it is a Shonen Anime/Manga series.
Guys, I want to apologise for how long this took for me to get out. I had to write this out on a TABLET, which took me absolutely years to do. For those that are fans of CDN, expect that to be done for Wednesday/Thursday, because my computer is not working and I'm surprised I even got it to turn on to post this.
Anyway. Flame reveal today. I hope you're ready for it. You get to see Nana's flame in action, and you get the final hint to what his flame could be. If you still don't get it, a more explicit reveal will be done next time.
And I'm sorry for any errors, typing on tablet was really hard for me.
Hope you enjoy this chapter!
"You…you want me to protect Tsuna?" Alex hissed, tone venomous, fists clenched in anger. "Do you even know what you are saying?"
"I am asking you to help me protect my child." Nana stood firm, standing by her decree with the resolution Alex knew she had deep inside her.
"I get that, I really, really get that – I just don't know how I am supposed to help," lost and angry, Alex could feel tears of frustration building in his eyes, emotions getting the better of him, "and what's all this garbage about bloody being a monster?"
"Alex, please…"
"No, you seriously need to hear this." The red-head was tired and annoyed and was probably over-reacting but to him she really needed to see. "You're always smiling, you're always laughing, you're always there ready to give out advice – whenever there is a problem you have a solution. Sure, you can be a bit oblivious at times, and your words can hurt people's feelings sometimes and I think that you could at least try to hide your disappointment at Tsuna but none of that matters because you're Nana Sawada."
He may have been left panting by the end, and he knew that some of that was garbled and nonsensical – but none of that mattered as long as she understood.
As long as she understood that she wasn't a monster.
"You, you aren't a monster," the Brit inhaled deeply, trying to calm his emotions, "you're just you."
The last words sounded weak and pathetic, the rant burning out, dying into cold embers that fizzled away into the night. Alex's soft gasps of air were the only thing that dared to fracture the tranquil scenery, whilst Nana was giving Alex a perturbed look.
"That's nice of you to say…but they are just empty words. Pretty, but meaningless." Defeated, the tired woman let the flower in her hand fall, the abused stem bouncing soundlessly as it hit the ground. "And, just like she did to me, I'm going to be guiding you down that very same path we tread together."
"I think you should know a bit more about my story." She decided, as if it would answer all of his questions.
"A long time ago, exactly one year before meeting Iemitsu, I met someone else that was associated with the mafia. She was beautiful and strong, always with an answer to everything, and she was my very best friend." Nana's gloved hands, free of the yellow chrysanthemum, were folded in her lap.
"But then she died, huh?"
"We hadn't known each-other long, we shouldn't have gotten so close so quickly, but we did. And then, one month before I began my waitressing job, she died, leaving me alone." Nana sighed, getting to her feet. "Today was the day that Iemitsu and I were married, just as today was the day that my best friend died."
"There is just one thing that I don't quite understand…why are you telling me?" Alex couldn't get his head around it – they hadn't known each-other for long. "Of all the people you could have turned to, Gokudera-san or Yamamoto-san or even Reborn–san, why pick me?"
"You want the truth?" Alex nodded, curiosity shining through. "I told you because you deserve to know."
"I deserve to know?" Nana was a walking enigma – every question she answered paved the way for many more.
"You are so much like her. Too much like her. It scares me – when I look at you, I see her. I see everything she ever was, and all the things that she wasn't."
"That…that explains quite a bit, actually."
And to Alex, it truly did. The odd looks that she would toss him – those moments where she would look at him but not actually see him. Those times where she knew far more than what her oblivious persona let on, where she would just smile and let the world carry on treading along. The times where Alex felt like what he was seeing was not truly there, where she seemed to be off in her own little world.
She opened her mouth, as if to continue, only to be interrupted by the loud, piercing jingle of someone's phone. It was Nana's, the emotional woman calming herself down, taking deep breathes as the phone repeated the same tune over and over and over again.
When she had deemed herself ready, she flipped her phone open, answering the call.
"Hello?" If Alex hadn't just bared witness to what had happened, he wouldn't have thought anything was amiss – her voice had returned to its usual merry tenor. "Yea, I'll bring him over now, I'll see you soon."
Her ever-present smile returned along with her composure, she repeated the question once more, an unknown glint in her eye.
"Will you help me protect my precious baby?"
She reached out with one hand, holding it for him to shake.
"Let's go, we've got plans to make," a shadow of a smirk on his face, he met her halfway.
Guess like I'm in this for the long haul – don't worry Tsuna; I've got your back.
Namimori was a dichotomy.
Emerald eyes danced across their surroundings, the young boy trailing after Nana doggedly. They walked in a blissful silence, minds elsewhere, as Alex tried his best to commit this path to memory. They are in unfamiliar territory, as it were – he was used to the more suburban side of Namimori. He wasn't used to, well, this.
He couldn't help but be tense. All around him, shadows flickered, hiding in the deep dark of the alleyways. Ever since stumbling in to this side of town, by complete accident (he still had yet to completely forgive Ryohei for the completely garbage explanation) he couldn't help but be wary. This area was a labyrinth of old, derelict buildings, the dull browns and dirty oranges just barely visible in the nightlight.
You could easily get lost here if you weren't careful.
Alex was just happy that he had yet to see any of the more unsavoury people that lurked around these areas. He may not have seen any dangerous folk just yet, but he wasn't stupid. Drug-dealers, muggers, murderers – all were attracted to these kinds of places. The whys of it he didn't really care for, just as long as he wasn't attacked around here.
"So, where exactly are we going?" Alex stifled a yawn, turning his full attention back to Nana. The staccato click-clack of her heels on the concrete telling him instantly where she was.
"Oh," startled out of her reverie, she replied, "you'll see soon, don't you worry about that mister."
The red-head wondered if it was worth it to question her further, but decided against it.
He had already gone through one major plot twist; he didn't want to have to go through another. It would fracture his already fragmented mental state into small, irrecoverable pieces – if he heard her say something, anything out there then his sense of disbelief would snap and he go off his rocker.
Alex, deep breaths, you can do this. Remember why you accepted in the first place, and you'll be just fine.
"I have to be strong."
And that was that. The Brit would just have to accept things as they come. That's what strong people do.
"Alex-kun, did you say something?" Nana still had yet to turn around, he head turning every now and again to keep track of where she was going.
"No, nothing." She didn't need to know what was going on in his mind, Alex decided.
"If you want to know something, just ask. I'll answer all your questions, as it is the least that I can do." Satisfied in the way that made it clear that she really wasn't, Nana let it go.
"Anything?" The bewildered Brit echoed, mind racing.
"Anything. But keep in mind that I'll be explaining more when we get there." She warned.
The possibilities were endless. He could ask her about anything, and she would answer. He could ask about her past, about the woman that led her to join the mafia, about her husband. Alex had the key to all the knowledge that she held, and in typical Ivy fashion he was going to wring it out of her.
"But that'll have to wait."
And just like that, she took the key back, stuck her tongue out at him and shattered all his hopes.
"Are we…here?" They were stood in front of one of the many broken buildings that littered the area, the same old dusty beige that made up the rest of eastern Namimori. It looked a bit like a home, as if someone had once lived there but time had slowly creeped up on the house and it's inhabitants, slowly moulding it into what it is today.
"We are," she click-clacked over to the busted door, pausing as her hand rested over the beaten door knob, "Alex, it isn't too late to turn back. I can take you back to the house and we can pretend that this never happened."
"I told you, Nana-san," Alex wasn't blind; he heard the vulnerabilities in her voice, "I agreed to help. The consequences of my actions are mine alone, and they really shouldn't be something you worry about."
"I'm proud of you," twisting the door knob, a piercing creak echoed through the empty streets, before she entered.
There was little for him to do but follow her. He couldn't give himself time to second guess his decision – this was something that he had to devote himself to, or he would falter.
When he entered the building, what he saw was not what he was expecting. What he first thought was a house was, in fact, a shop.
A shop that looked more like a walking armada then an actual shop – guns littered the walls, whilst countless katanas lined the wall as if they were common, everyday items. Assortments of weapons were hanged precariously on the walls, ranging from the relatively commonplace to the surreal. His eyes caught onto a bladed hula-hoop, the curves glinting dangerously in the dim light, the metal looking like it could tear through skin as if it was paper. A clock was pasted on the wall, the little hand twitching, convulsing in place as if forcefully frozen in time.
Nana stood at the counter, an old wooden piece that had seen better days, next to what appeared to be an old man. Transfixed, Alex stood in the aisle, painting the man's image into his eyes.
Steely blue orbs seemed more like daggers than eyes, digging into Alex's soul ferociously. If he had to use one word to describe him, it would be dangerous. A proud jawline gave way to thin, chapped lips which sat underneath a large moustache. His silver hair grew unkempt, jutting out wildly and unchecked.
He looked like he has seen war, if the pain that was almost omnipresent on his features had anything to say about it. Horrific scars told their own story, of love and war and death and life, but for what it was worth Alex just couldn't feel pity for the man.
It just didn't feel right to pity someone that had been through so much. All he could do was respect just what this man had been through.
"So this th' boy?" Gruff and rough, his voice was everything Alex expected it would be.
"It is," Nana answered, leaning tiredly on the counter, "I brought him just like I said I would."
"I feel like I'm out of the loop here," Alex, fatigue getting the best of him, was slowly becoming agitated – he didn't like being talked about as if he wasn't there.
"Sorry about that, Alex-kun." She turned to the elderly man, and after a nod, she continued, "this was our teacher, our "Shishou", and if things work out for the best he'll be your teacher too."
"Th' name's Alexander," his muscular arms crossed over a wide chest, he tossed a gimlet stare at the teen.
To Alex, he looked every bit the part of a defender, a conqueror.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Alex was ignored by the man, who had retreated behind the counter, the man grunting in exertion as he bent underneath the counter to search for something.
"Oh don't mind him," Nana giggled, finding Alex's askance expression funny, "he's like that to everyone he meets. What do those anime fans call it?"
"Call what?" He was only half paying attention, mostly focusing on the old man behind the counter.
"That's it! I heard my precious Tsu-kun saying something like this. Alexander-shishou is a tsundere. Or a yandere. Or both."
It was official. Nana has completely gone off her rocker.
"Yea and I'm the Queen of England." Deadpan, the Brit decided to completely write off anything Nana says ever again. It wasn't worth the mental trauma.
"You are?"
Sad as it was, he was already missing the desperate Nana he saw before. Normal Nana was too much for his delicate sensibilities to handle. Kyoko, Ryohei, even Hibari he could handle, but not happy Nana.
No, happy Nana was far too much for him.
"Shut it Brat, you're traumatising 'im," finally finding what it was he was looking for, Alexander straightened himself out, placing a black box on the top for all to see, "do I 'ave to tell 'im about the state you were in after meetin' that lyin' sonuvatool Iemitsu."
"Iemitsu? As in Tokugawa Iemitsu." Alex piped up, realising the irony. "And he called his child Tsunayoshi? What next, he has a grandfather called Ieyasu?"
"Yes? Is there something wrong with that?" Voice clipped, Nana wasn't amused at the jibe.
"Nothing, nothing," placating the woman, he quickly changed the conversation topic, "so, any particular reason why you have enough weapons here to supply the world over?"
"It's a shop. A weapons shop. Whaddya' expect there ta' be? Ponies?" He chortled, amusement flickering on to his grizzled face. "Now, open the box."
"Go on, open it up. It won't bite." Nana encouraged, pushing the box forward slightly as if that would make it more of an enticing option.
Alex had never thought that a box could be so ominous, but if there was ever going to be one, it would be this one. With shaking hands, the boy lifted the lid up carefully, as if it was the most priceless china, revealing the rich velvet underneath.
"It's a weapon." Dumbfounded, he was left looking at the contents in awe.
"A sword and a shield. A good offense and a good defence. It suits you." The mother's smile was soft, warm. "Its previous owner was someone important to us, so I hope you use them well."
"I'll…I'll try." He reached out to pick them up, before stopping, hands instead falling to grip the rim of the box tight.
The blade itself was short, but no less deadly – in fact, this was good for him. It looked like a weapon that needed precision and speed, and didn't rely on pure power like larger, more robust weapons like a Zweihander or a Warhammer. It was a pretty weapon, the blade's edges curving inwards at the tip, coming together at the tip in a manner reminiscent of an arrowhead, and no less painful. The shield held an insignia burned into it, a golden 'V' resting in the centre of the shield like a brand. Its rim silver, the rest was a deep, frosty blue.
"Pick the bloody thing up," the old man was getting impatient, snarling under his breath.
Not even deigning it with a response, the now sword-wielding teen gripped the blade by its decorated hilt, raising it out of its silky grave as if it belonged with him. The blade was soon followed by the shield, his hands resting comfortably on the handle.
"It's a Xiphos, and that's a, well, short shield." The sword in question was gripped ever tighter, whilst Alex was intrigued by Nana's knowledge of weaponry.
"Really? Nana, I wouldn't peg you as the sort to like weaponry." She only smiled tightly.
"I was told." Alex blinked once, twice, three times before connecting the dots.
"Good. If ya Dying Will dint fit it then we would 'ave been fucked."
"Language," tone glacial, the only woman glared death at the shop-owner. "Now that Alex-kun has his weapon, we should head out to the back."
Alex remained silent in favour of following the conversation. If his hunch was right, then soon enough he'll be getting all the answers he could ever want soon enough.
"He's joinin' us then?" Alexander lifted up a loose slat of wood, allowing the other two people to join him. "He's only a kid, not like when it was you."
"I may be a child, as you so aptly put it, but I can make my own decisions thank you very much." He may be going into this rashly, but at least he had a choice in the matter – unlike Tsuna, who was forced into this as a result of some baby's machinations.
"He isn't even the youngest person that's being scouted by the Vongola, my own child is too, along with the young Yamamoto, the Smoking Bomb and the elder Sasagawa sibling," Alex perked up, intrigued, this was the first time that he has heard of this, "Reborn has even called over the Poison Scorpion, and the Bovino heir. They'll be arriving any day now."
"We should continue this further in." Nana looked shocked, as if he had just said something preposterous, but soon agreed.
Decisive, the owner of the shop lead the two of them to an old, wooden door that Alex only know spotted – the brown wood blending into the rest of the surroundings easily.
The room he entered was just as desolate as the area it was in.
A round table was set up in the centre, the group kicking up dust as they walked towards it. Perhaps once many people would have frequented the table, but now only few remained, if the number of chairs were anything to go buy. Seven. Seven empty chairs placed around an empty table in an empty room. Curiously, on each chair there was a symbol engraved at the top, and the closer the redhead looked at them the more they started to look more like thrones.
"It's been a long time since I've seen this place…" The femme-fatale whispered, nostalgia glimmering in her caramel orbs. "You didn't clean it up, like I asked?"
"Didn't see th' need ta do it." He moved to one of the seats, the "Gauntlet", before rummaging through his pockets. "You've got your ring, right?"
The woman just lifted her hands, her bare hands, smiling innocently.
"Your games aren't gonna work on me, known ya too long."
Alex was about to ask about the significance of the ring, before the words died pitifully in his throat as what appeared to be indigo flames dripped off her hands and splashed onto the floor. Left behind by the flames was a ring of silver, a dark sapphire gemstone embedded in the surface.
…What sort of drugs am I on, and where did I get them, because that stuff made no sense whatsoever.
"You aren't any fun," she pouted, "why can't you be more like Alex-kun – see he's impressed."
"I'm not impressed. I'm wondering how on Earth flames can melt." The flames themselves may have vanished, but their effect still lingered on in his mind.
"You've seen my son's forehead burn orange and you manage to bat that off, but it's this that gets to you?" She seemed amused by this.
"…touché."
"Nana, seat." Alexander ordered, short and to the point.
"Ok, Pugno-sama." She took her own seat, settling down at the one inscribed with a fan.
"Pugno-sama?" Alex felt a bit stupid, standing up whilst the others were sat down.
"Our code-names." She answered kindly. "We chose them ourselves, one of the last bits of freedom we get. Alexander was boring and chose the name of his weapon, and I took the name of Kanna."
"Isn't that a little cliché?" Alex thought that this sort of thing only happened in the imagination of children and in the movie industry, not in real life groups.
"Just because it is a cliché doesn't mean it's bad. It may sound stupid now, but, it's nice to have a separate entity," her smile remained, but it was strained, "makes you remember why you're doing these sorts of things."
"You're code-name will be ya very best friend, so choose it wisely." Alexander warned, something clenched tightly in his hand.
"A code-name huh? It can be anything, right?" They nodded in unison. "I've got it. I'll be Alcyone."
"Alcyone?" Alex nodded.
"Well then, Alcyone, welcome to the team." Happy, Nana clapped her hands together, excited. "I'll make you an extra special dinner tonight…today…later! I'll make everyone a western styled meal!"
"Just like that, I'm in?" Suffice to say it felt slightly anticlimactic. He was half expecting to have to fight a bear, or murder a smurf or something crazy like that.
"No." Pugno's gnarled hands gripped the arm of the chair, his topaz ring glittering in the low light. Nana stopped clapping as she realised what had to be done.
"What do I have to do then?" Resolute, he was comforted by the blade in his hands, feeling confident that he could handle anything that they throw at him.
"First, sit at your seat," seeing the confusion on his face, he was pointed towards the seat that was decorated with a sword and a shield – his weapons.
His chair was surprisingly comfy, despite how worn it looked, and he was reminded of just how late it was. He wasn't going to bother turning up for school tomorrow, and unless he wanted to pull an all-nighter he wasn't going to be able to get up in the morning to go.
"I have one last thing to give you before we give you the test." The leader of the group held out his hand, a ring not dissimilar to the ones owned by the others. In fact, it looked exactly the same – a silver band that had a written inscription across it, "Ombra della Vongola", and a gemstone set into the center.
A large, beautiful aquamarine taking the place that the topaz and the sapphire did in its sister-rings.
"Put it on." Hearing it for the order that it was, he slotted it on his finger, marveling at it. It looked expensive. "These rings are symbols of our status, and whilst they aren't as special as the Vongola Rings or the Mare Rings these hold a special little power all of their own."
"Vongola Rings?" Alex piped up, only to be waved off with a laugh and a 'you'll find out soon enough'.
"How am I going to hide this from the others?" The only problem he saw with it was how on Earth he was going to hide it from everyone else. It may look nice, but it was going to be suspicious if he started to walk around with an expensive looking ring on his finger.
"That'll be your problem."
"Thanks. That's what I needed to hear right now." Alex sighed, dismayed. "Well, I guess like I should get this trial of yours over and done with."
"Well then silly, get over here," rightfully cautious, he leaned forward over the table, so that he was close to the woman. Deeming him close enough, the ring in her hand started to glow, sending rays of deep blue throughout the room, encasing her hands in its warmth. "I'm rooting for you, Alex-kun. Good luck!"
That was the last thing that he heard before her hands reached his temples, and his world fell apart from all around him and he knew no more.
Ughh, my aching head…
When he next awoke, it was to the cheers of a massive audience.
The first thing he noticed was the sand he was lying on, the granules warm under the sun in the sky, and the dim sound of static in the background. Sand sticking to him, he stood up, looking around.
He was in a coliseum.
Oh you have got to be kidding me.
Chapter 8, Fin~
The long awaited eighth chapter is out. I hope you enjoyed it.
Thanks for everyone that reviewed and followed/fave'd, and I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! We saw some action going on, the trial will go down next chapter, and I introduce Lambo/Bianchi to the world. Wont that be fun.
Sorry for the cliffhanger, but... :D
Anyway, until next time~
Signed, HalcyonNight.
P.S: Check my profile for status updates. I try to post as much information as I can up there~