Life as Cloud

by Evenly-Baked-Avatar

You know, I had a pretty normal life. That is until I skipped dying, was reborn, and am now a clumsy bucking bronco's sister. At least I know the plot of the story, but somehow I might screw that up too. Did I mention a crazy baby hitman tutor? Cover Art done by Titania.queen.of.fairys

18. Chapter 18: The Rule of Three

Chapter 18: The Rule of Three

---

"There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other."

-Douglas H. Everett

---

"I'm home!" I pushed open the door, startling Bono as I did so.

"Princess," he greeted me with a smile, "you're back fro-"

"Bono!" I hurdled myself into him, almost causing him to fall back. I wrapped my arms tightly, and lifted him in my excitement without even thinking, causing a surprised yell from him. The others walking by gave us strange, but bemused looks. Word of my return would spread quickly, no doubt especially with this entrance I was making.

"Princess?" I almost dropped Bono when I saw Ivan approach, but managed to let the man's feet touch the ground before running to Ivan, who I embraced in a similar fashion.

"I missed you guys so much!" I told them, putting Ivan down as well, and looking happily between the two.

"You were only gone for a month or so, Princess," Ivan said, rubbing his side. I laughed, shaking my head.

"It felt like a lifetime," I sighed, "ten years, to be exact." My attention went to Romario entering the room, walking down the stairs briskly. Ignoring the others confused expressions, I ran towards Romario with open arms, and he greeted me the same, picking me up and spinning me lightly.

"Welcome back, princess," Romario greeted me as he set me down, a knowing twinkle in his eye.

"Nice to see you young again," I teased lightly, gripping him once more.

"And here you are, exactly the same," he chortled.

"Cloud?" Romario released me as I looked up the stairs, recognizing the voice instantly. Dino looked down at me with wide eyes, his breath slightly labored. My bottom lip shook as I stepped away from Romario, unsure of what to do. He was right there, so close to me. My brother.

"Hey," I said, chokingly. He grinned widely, something I felt like I haven't seen in so long.

"Hey!" He ran the rest of the way down the stairs and tackled me into a hug. I blinked, hesitating to wrap my arms around him as well, surprised by his enthusiasm.

"Hey," he called, again, causing me to look up at him. "You okay, Cloud? Nikita?" His brow creased, worry evident on his face. I blinked, my eyes already watery and put my head on his shoulder, squeezing him tightly.

"I am now," I choked out, "that I'm home." He smiled softly, and let me cry into his shoulder, my brother, not the empty shell I left behind in the future. This was my Dino.

"Welcome back, Sis."

---

"Did you ever feel scared?" I pursed my lips, thinking through the question.

"A few times," I admitted, shifting slightly, and pushing myself up from leaning against the tree. "Like when I was alone in the beginning, with Byakuran," I recalled, the memory causing me to wrap my arms around my knees as I pulled them up. Dino frowned, and slung his arm around me, reminding me that he was there.

"He can't hurt you anymore," He reminded me. I looked away, almost guilty. I turned my head to smile at him, recovering quickly so he wouldn't notice.

"I was never really alone. I had others," I explained, "and they always helped me. But, I wasn't their Nikita," I sighed, looking back around the garden, "and there was no getting around that."

"Sorry about that." I shook my head, looking back at him with a sharp expression.

"It wasn't you," I reminded him. "That man wasn't you." I huffed and fell back, eventually leaning into Dino's shoulder.

"But it could have been," he argued, almost a musing.

"It won't be," I insisted, "I won't let you lose what he did."

"You?" He asked kindly.

"Everything," I corrected, thinking of what the others told me and how much the Dino of that future had lost.

"Even if I lose everything, Cloud," He told me, putting his arm around me, "the last thing I want to turn into is our father." I winced and would have pulled away if Dino's arm hadn't anchored me.

"You remember that?"

"He needed to hear it," Dino breathed out. I blinked and looked over at him. Sometimes I forgot that my father left demons to Dino as well.

"I'm just glad that I have my Dino back," I relented, closing my eyes blissfully. He laughed lightly.

"You really missed me that much, huh?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," I confirmed, "and Bel, Squalo, Lussuria... everyone. It wasn't the same."

"I'm glad you're back too," he cocked his head to the side," even though I didn't exactly know where you went. Did you complete training before you went to the future?"

"Hm?" I lifted my head, having completely forgotten about what I was doing before I went to the future. "Ah, that's right. The Giegue…" I trailed off, then smiled happily. "That went great," I confirmed, making a point to never, ever, tell Dino the exact methods I went through in order to get stronger. Something I still haven't truly tested out, I mentally noted.

"I'm glad to hear," he said, relieved, "I was worried when you first left, but then, you know… I remembered that I have to let you go sometimes, right?"

"But I need to let you know what I'm doing," I reminded him, smiling softly.

"That would be nice," he agreed, laughing lightly. I held up a pinkie.

"Honesty pact?" I offered, recalling our previous conversations about this exact topic.

"Honesty pact," he affirmed, nodding. We intertwined pinkies, and gave a firm shake.

---

"Confirmation," I said, picking up one of the pictures scattered across my bed and holding it up to look at, "we remain hot in the future."

"Ushishi, naturally," Bel snickered on the other end of the phone. "You should expect no less from the prince. You already talk with your brother?"

"Yep," I popped, repositioning the phone between my head and shoulder, moving on to another picture of us. "I'm just glad to have him back. I told him everything and even showed him Jian and Kashi," I relayed, looking over at animal rings on my nightstand, along with the three original rings my future-self had. The few other boxes I was given were sitting in a chair on the other side of the room, along with the jacket.

"Box weapons, right?" Bel asked. I nodded, then realized that he couldn't see me.

"Yeah," I restated, out loud. I could just imagine him grinning, which caused me to smile as well.

"Uhishsi, neat~ The prince wants to meet them."

"And I want to see you too," I admitted, laying fully on the bed. "and the others too," I added, thinking of the rest of the Varia as I gazed at the ceiling, "but you have missions, right?" I could practically hear his frown as I reminded him of that small fact. He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Fine. As soon as the prince is done, you have to visit me," he ordered. "Or, I could just visit you."

"If you do, let Dino know at least," I sighed, knowing he'd get his way, either way. "He doesn't like your little sneak-ins, which usually result in my sneak-outs."

"Whatever," Bel dismissed. "Ah, duty calls. See ya, princess~"

I rolled my eyes and snapped the phone shut, going back to sorting through the pictures I was given. I smiled softly, amused by the next picture I came across. A slightly older Zhanna glared back holding a ridiculously large weight with one arm and flicking the camera off with the other. My eyes narrowed, remembering something. I reached for my phone again, picture still in hand and stared at it while it rang.

"Zhanna?" I asked as soon as someone picked up, switching from Italian to Russian. "I need your help with something."

"The fuck, not even a hello?" was the response on the other end, "your first conversation with me back from the future and this is the fucking thanks I get?" I opened my mouth to retaliate, then promptly closed it.

"You know about the future?" I questioned.

"The brat gave me memories from my future self," Zhanna explained dismissively. "Glad to know I can still kick ass in the future though." I blinked, adjusting to this information, thinking back to Uni.

"Just you?" I asked.

"Just me," she confirmed, "I told them what happened t-"

"Hi Nikita!" I winced and pulled my ear away from the phone. "We miss you!" I sighed and waited patiently, hearing loud cursing and noises form the other end as Zhanna drove Shura and Sasha away.

"Fucking little shits!" Zhanna yelled after them, then returned to the conversation. "Now, what the hell did you want from me, little horse?" I hesitated before I continued, not sure whether or not I should ask her this, especially considering that she had her memories now. I sighed.

"Fuck it," I decided offhandedly before answering directly, "I need you to help me find Dayita." The answer was immediate.

"Fuck no."

"But, Zh-"

"Fuck no," she restated firmly. "It would be a hella lot better if we never found her at all."

"Zhanna I need her," I pleaded, "and I need you to help me find her. Can't your sister help?"

"I'm not asking her to help me find that piece of shit," Zhanna restated roughly. "Look, I'm living a pretty much bitch-free life as it is would like to fucking keep it that way."

"Zhanna, ple-"

"Fuck no," she repeated, ending the conversation. "You're on your own for this one, little Cavallone."

---

"She's not coming tonight," Hannah stated, opening her eyes to meet Mukuros.

"Ah," he breathed out, a bit disappointed. "She must be too tired from her return. I suppose I won't be able to talk to her tonight, will I?" He turned to leave, but whipped around on the girl as she grabbed his sleeve. She fell on the ground at his sharp turn and immediately looked away from his stern gaze.

"You…" she started hesitantly, then found more confidence, "You won't tell her, will you?" He smiled menacingly, causing the girl's stomach to churn in guilt. The wind twirled with uncertainty, reflecting the girl's turmoil. However it was weaker, losing power.

"Won't tell her what, Hannah?" Mukuro sneered. "That you were the cause of her future self's downfall? That you're to blame for everything?" Hannah winced with every accusation, visibly losing color. Select flowers shivered in the garden, wilting slightly. Mukuro narrowed his eyes, then frowned, noting this.

"I'll keep this from Nikita for now," he allowed, looking down on her disdainfully. "My future-self was able to handle you," he warned as he turned away, not even looking back, at the girl, still kneeling on the ground in shame.

"You should hope I don't have to do the same."

---

"Princess- gah!" Bono stepped away as Ivan fell back, nailed with a pillow to the face.

"Ah…" they heard her voice mumble, "ungodly," she complained, Bono peeking in to see her covers shifting, her head popping out from the mass of pillows and covers, "waking me up at this hour."

"Princess," Bono said, smiling, having missed this part of her too, "it's eleven o'clock in the morning."

"Ungodly," she repeated, giving him a dirty look, pulling herself from her bed irritably, dragging a blanket with her. "I nailed him pretty hard," she noted, yawning as she went over to them, stepping out into the hallway. Ivan groaned, removing the pillow from his face and pushing himself up.

"Your aim," he grumbled, "has improved, princess."

"Thanks," she muttered dryly. "You're lucky you didn't try to wake me by shaking," she admitted, blinking slowly, "that would have been a lot worse, trust me. What do you guys need, anyway?" She asked. "You wouldn't wake me if it wasn't somewhat important."

"There's a…" Bono trailed off, as he looked down at Ivan for assistance.

"Package for you?" the other man tried, pushing himself up, and handing the pillow to her. "A gift?"

"A gift?" she repeated tiredly. She sighed, running a hand through her wild hair, rustled from sleep. "Well, whatever it is," she called, moving towards the kitchen, "can wait until I get some coffee."

---

"I wasn't aware," Dino started, standing next to me as I held my coffee, not even drinking it at the moment, staring at the extravagant mass of flowers before us, "that you had any admirers I needed to worry about."

"I don't," I said, blinking slowly, trying to take in all the flowers, "at least, I'm pretty sure I don't." My eyes narrowed, seeing movement towards the back. "Is there a person behind it?" I asked, taking a sip of my coffee and squinting.

"He delivered the flowers," Romario stated, moving up beside us, "and said he had a message."

"Miss Cavallone?" a tall Indian man asked, peeking out from behind the flowers. I blinked, then realized he was addressing me. I nodded, and he smiled, moving up to us.

"I have a message for you, from Miss Dayita," he told me. Me and Dino glanced at each other surprised. He presented me with a dark red envelope, laced in perfume, judging from the smell. I took it almost hesitantly, handing my coffee to Romario first. The man then handed me another envelope, and bowed.

"Miss Dayita sends her regards and will be expecting you. Thank you for your time," he nodded, then turned to leave.

"Wait!" Dino called out as I opened the first envelope, "What do you mean expecting?" My eyes scanned over the letter, mentally reading it in her voice.

"She wants me to come to see her," I informed my brother, scanning over flirtatious words and curvy handwriting, "in India. Said there was a plane ticket in the other envelope…?" I mumbled, rearranging the letters to open the second, seeing that yes, there was a plane ticket.

"India?" Dino repeated, frowning as he finished watching the man's car drive away before focusing back on me.

"I want to go," I said quickly, turning to him. He sighed, tilting his head, running a hand through his hair.

"It's the illusionist right?" He recalled, "From the future?" I nodded. "Can we trust her?"

"I think so," I stated, nodding slightly.

"… that's not reassuring, Cloud," Dino told me, his expression deadpanning.

"She saved my life multiple times," I reminded him, "and helped us a lot in the future. She wouldn't harm me, Dino," I convinced him. "And besides, I can take care of myself." He sighed once more, his hand dropping.

"Fine," he let out gruffly, finally coming to a decision. "You can go, but you have to keep in contact with me."

"Thanks, Dino," I said happily, linking arms with him and smiling warmly. He let out a chuckle, smiling back.

"Um, Boss," Romario addressed, calling our attention towards him, "where exactly are we going to put… this?" he asked, gesturing towards the ridiculous flowers. Dino sighed, rubbing the back of his head again.

"I guess we have to find a place for them…."

"All the flowers have romantic connotations," I noted, being reminded of her 'gift'.

"…. Should I be concerned?" Dino asked as we watched Bono and Ivan struggle to carry the large array of flowers in.

"…probably."

---

"Ipin, I promise you," I said, smiling softly, "I'm completely fine." I paused, listening. "Yes, Master is too," I assured her, making a mental note to get in touch with him as well. "Everyone's fine, Ipin," I repeated, "I'm sure it was just a bad dream." I frowned, not wanting to lie to her. But, Reborn insisted.

"I'll visit as soon as I can," I promised her warmly, having finally gotten her to calm down. "Love you too, Little Sister." I sighed sadly, leaning back in my seat, watching as other passengers boarded, walking past first class to get to their seats.

"Was that really necessary, Reborn?" I asked once I knew that the hitman was back on the line.

"She was too young to understand the memories of her older self, and naturally, panicked," Reborn told me. "It seems that the only thing she firmly grasped was your death and Fon's death."

"Which are the worst things she could have grasped," I sighed, frowning. "I just don't like lying to her."

"Some things are necessary, Cloud," Reborn reminded me, unknowingly reassuring me of what I was travelling to deal with in the first place, and unknowingly giving me a bit more closure. "She wouldn't stop crying until she spoke to you. Even Lambo and Mama couldn't get her to stop."

"Well," I reasoned, "at least she feels better now. Ah," I noted, seeing the attendants coming through the aisle telling other to put phones away, "I have to go Reborn."

"Going somewhere, Cloud?" Reborn asked curiously. I smiled, looking down at the red envelope in my hand.

"Just to see a new friend."

---

Mukuro's eyes narrowed as he inspected the wilting flower between his fingers. A memory, he corrected himself, remembering his first encounter with these. His eyes slid to the girl who was curled against the vine covered wall, who was staring off blankly.

She too, he noticed, was wilting. Her skin was much paler than before, and the color of her hair was dull. It was much more noticeable now, he realized, recalling his memories of the future, where she had first started to slowly lose her color. But now, it was leaving her at a much faster pace, so fast that the rightful owner of the mind had yet to notice it.

How odd, he thought. This might have benefited him, if it were not for the wilting flowers, the memories disappearing.

That, he decided, was a problem. But not one he wanted her to know about, he decided, turning to the owner of the mind as she appeared. He was lucky, in fact, that she seemed to be preoccupied with something else. However, it was quite annoying that he did not know what that something was. Yet.

"Ah, Little Cavallone," he greeted coolly, "Welcome back." She smiled up at him cutely, taking the hand he offered to pull her up.

"It's good to be back," she allowed, smiling up at him cutely. Sunlight warmed the area at a comfortable temperature, reacting to her mood as usual. However, he noted, her mind was beginning to favor Nikita much more often than Hannah now a days. Ever since his future self had that 'talk' with Hannah, if he recalled correctly. Curious.

"And now that you are back," Mukuro started, eyes only narrowing slightly as she greeted Hannah with a wave, noting the concerned look Nikita had on her face and quickly moving to distract her, "you can get to work on our little promise."

"Hm?" She glanced back over to him, blinking. "Ah, you mean, Chrome, yeah?"

"You haven't exactly done much to watch over her," he reminded the girl coyly. She huffed, and rolled her eyes, completely drawn into the conversation and even had a blush on her face, the temperature beginning to rise to a point that he could only describe as rosy. A success on his part.

"Well, excuse me if I haven't exactly been around that much be her gal pal," Cloud retaliated, turning away so he wouldn't see the blush on her face. Mukuro smirked in mock amusement, keeping her focus on him as he set up small illusions around Hannah, making sure Cloud did not notice her too much. "If you haven't noticed, I've been busy being carted around in the future, treated like a sack of potatoes," she complained, sitting in the seat he provided her, bringing up a thrown for him as well.

"And what a pretty sack of potatoes you make," he teased lightly.

"Thanks," she said blandly, then sighed, "I haven't done much of anything, actually." She scrunched her nose. Her eyes wandered over to Hannah one again, but Mukuro's illusion covered her well, causing Cloud to see nothing more than what she expected. She blinked, confusion in her eyes, then looked back towards Mukuro, starting her sentence slowly.

"I'll go visit Chrome after I finish with…." she trailed off, realizing what she was about to say. Mukuro hummed thoughtfully.

"And what exactly are you finishing with, little Cavallone?" Mukuro mused, interested. She was getting better, he noticed, holding back an annoyed frown, at hiding things from him, even in her own vulnerable mind.

"Nothing that you need to concern yourself with," she decided, crossing her arms and titling her head away from him. Mukuro narrowed his eyes and smiled dangerously.

"I don't like secrets, little Cavallone," he reminded her, spinning his trident lightly, "especially ones I don't know."

"Trust me, Mukuro," she told him truthfully, shaking her head with a small bemused smile, "this is one secret you definitely wouldn't want in on."

---

"You're kidding me," I muttered, almost shielding my face, looking away in embarrassment at the excessive sign bordered with large flowers that spelled my name in large, gold letters. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," I repeated, embarrassed enough to shift myself away when the man, the same man who delivered the flowers, recognized me and walked over to me.

"Ah, Miss Cavallone!" He loudly called in Hindi (much to my dismay. I was positive Dayita was to blame for the man being so flamboyant in getting my attention), bowing slightly when he was at arms distance. "I see you've had a safe journey."

"Was the sign really necessary?" I asked, now able to look in his direction with the abomination not being held up high in the air.

"Miss Dayita was specific in her instructions," he told me.

"Of course she was," I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"If you would kindly walk this way, I'll lead you to the car," he smiled brightly. I simply blinked at him in response, which did nothing to deter his enthusiasm. "Your luggage can be picked up later by a different party," he explained as we walked.

"No need," I shook my head, shifting my backpack, "this is all I brought." He stopped, and looked back at me with a blank expression.

"That won't do at all," he tutted, shaking his head. "Miss Dayita won't like that… or rather, perhaps she will…" he trailed off deep in thought. I followed uneasily, looking at the other cars around us picking other people up from the airport, not knowing which car I was being lead to, and seriously hoping it was the limousine. Naturally, since the world hated me, or rather, Dayita did, it was.

"Ah! Forgive me for forgetting my manners," the man turned back to me as he opened one of the doors. "My name is Aja."

"Nikita, or Cloud," I nodded back as I slipped in, "but you already knew that."

"Miss Dayita is quite fond of you," Aja hummed happily, slipping in beside me.

"So I've gathered," I sighed, leaning back as the car began to move, my eyes edging towards the window. I had intents to take in the landscape since it was my first time in India. Aja handed me bottled water as he continued talking in a fond tone. I was barely listening as I took a sip, eyes still out the window.

"I always enjoy escorting her dates and lovers when I'm able to; she always manages to attract the most interesting people." I choked on my water and began coughing and shaking my head.

"It's not what y-"

"The sister of the boss of the Cavallone," Aja mused, hand on chin, looking out the window curiously. I stiffened and my eyes narrowed, his expression still happy, but his demeanor changed. "Although, she has wooed royalty before," he continued with a flick of his hand, "I believe there to have been a few princes and princesses, but never someone with such high connections in the mafia."

"We're not dating," I said coolly, regaining my composure and keeping it, "Dayita's a friend," I corrected, almost hesitating with the word.

"Ah?" His eyebrows raised, seeming genuinely surprised. "I suppose, after the flowers, I just assumed. And, you do fall under the miss's type." He looked over me once more, allowing me to realize how cold and calculating his eyes truly where; something he had hid behind his cheery attitude. "Shame. It could be beneficial for us, after all. And don't worry miss," he smiled, colder, "for your side as well. My boss has a large influence over Asia as well."

"You work for Dayita's mother," I guessed, recalling the illusionist herself telling me of her mother's organization.

"Second in command actually," he proudly revealed, his smile a bit more genuine. "I am very close to Chhaya's family, and keep them close to my heart in return. I owe them, after all," he admitted with a shrug, crossing his legs and looking back out the window.

"I enjoy doing these things for the children," he admitted. "It's a nice break from my normal job, and what a dreary drag that is!" He finished with a chuckle, eyes flickering back over to me, noticing I was still alerted. He waved a hand lazily in the air.

"Forgive me for my earlier behavior," he apologized, dipping his head slightly. "I meant nothing by it. I tend to analyze these things. It's my duty to look for ways to expand our company, and your possible relationship with Miss Dayita is a lovely opportunity. And, as always, we have to research whoever visits the estate, for security reasons."

"It's fine," I dismissed, "your position just surprised me."

"Understandable," He allowed, a twinkle in his eyes, "I don't look like much do I?" I shook my head, causing his smile to drop.

"Hand to hand?" I guessed, tilting my head, then shook it, "No, not your go to. You use weapons. But still close-ranged, right?"

"Daggers," he affirmed, the twinkle back. "Good eye."

"Thanks," I sighed, noticing we were approaching a large gate, quite a ways away. The estate itself was miles away from the nearest population. "I would be dead if I didn't know," I admitted, almost shivering recalling Colonello's quizzes, forcing me to have at least a well-educated guess at what an opponent's way of fighting was. Alik's training only strengthened that. Aja's pocket buzzed once before the man answered it.

"Miss Dayita specified," he spoke into the phone, "the visitor is not to be searched. Thank you." He snapped it close and sighed. "Giving security a headache, as usual," he sighed. I didn't have to ask who he was referencing, having guessed it easily enough, just knowing Dayita's personality.

"Snipers?" I asked, spotting a few on the way up the long driveway.

"Security," Aja replied. "We have many enemies."

"Noted," I said, not really paying attention anymore as we approached a ridiculously large and beautiful home. Somehow, it was befitting of Dayita. I sniffed the air as I stepped out, Aja holding the door for me.

"There's a lovely ocean view on the other side of the estate," Aja informed me, noting my actions. He motioned for me to follow him up the stairs. He continued talking as we walked through the house (if one could even call it that) as I trailed behind, trying not to gape.

I mean, I grew up in a pretty impressive home, but this was ridiculous compared to the Cavallone estate (So far, just walking through, I've already seen two open courtyards). However, with the mass of the house, it was almost eerie that we didn't meet anyone as we milled through. Coming from a home that was filled with Dino's men and others who helped around the house, it was strange and almost unnerving to be walking in a place of this size and be utterly alone. I felt small.

"Much of the design was based off the Raj Palace Hotel," Aja continued with monologue of the architectural facts of the house as we walked on, "particularly, the Shahi Mahal Suite. Chhaya is a fan of a multitude of colors, and of course, wanted her children to grow up in a vibrant environment, as well as one filled with culture. Because of this, and through her work, she has collected a fine multitude of art in this home, most of which cost more than your life," he said, looking back at me.

"I'm guessing you're not kidding?" I said, making a point to step away from a vase I happened to be standing by.

"Unfortunately not."

"And you said this home?" I asked again, "Which means there are more?"

"Chhaya owns multiple houses all over the world, naturally," Aja explained, "This house, however, is where she was raised, and likewise, her children were raised, and now live. Currently, Chhaya is not here but I am leaving to pick her up from America…" he trailed off, raising his wrist and looking at his watch, "about now would be the appropriate time. Miss Dayita should be waiting for you in the next lounge area. Continue ahead until you see a large opening on your right with red drapes." He bowed slightly, and I nodded back.

"A pleasure, miss Cavallone. I am to assume I will see you again when we return."

"Thank you for escorting me, Aja," I bid, dipping my head in acknowledgement.

"Until then," he nodded with a smile, genuine this time, and turned on his heel.

I watched his figure until it was out of sight and around a corner, not standing for long, still finding the lack of people disturbing. Following his directions, I continued down the hall, noting the doorways and openings until I came across one with red drapes obscuring the entrance, just as Aja described. Without hesitation, I lifted the drape and stepped into the room.

I blinked, taking in the multitude of colors, looking around at the pleasant, and comfortable room, covered in pillows and drapes layering the windows, tinting the light filtering through, giving the room a warm atmosphere. My eyes landed on a familiar, yet younger figure, laid out on large pillows sitting opposite of the entrance. She smiled coyly, her eyes, ambered in the light, practically shining with amusement.

"Nikita Cavallone," Dayita cooed, "how I have missed that face. I take it that you received the flowers?" She asked, motioning for me to join her on the pillows. "Lovely, weren't they? I picked them out myself, from the gardens here."

"How kind of you," I teased, already feeling familiar with her once more. She sighed happily, almost starling me when she cupped my face after sitting down. She gazed at me longingly, and only grew more amused seeing me blush heavily from the sudden contact.

"Just as beautiful as the memories, but much more prone to blushing," she clucked, smiling beautifully. Even in her teens, she held the beauty of a woman, I noted, now closer to her. Youth suited her just as much as age, but I assumed that she would always be beautiful, no matter how old. She was just one of those people. Other than the obvious age, there were few differences in her appearance, compared to her future self; she had less piercings for one. Only one was in her nose and she had yet to get her eyebrow pierced. Also, I noticed the lack of hell rings on her fingers, but that didn't mean she didn't have them at this time. Much of Dayita was still a mystery to me, after all, no matter how comfortable I had become with her in such a short period of time.

"Darling," she cried, releasing my face, and leaning back on the pillows, repositioning the shawl around her shoulders, "now that we're reunited, and you're at least near my age, would enjoy a night of romance with me? Dinner perhaps?" she waved her hand. "We can go out if you want, there are many lovely places in town."

"I'm not here for a date, Yita," I reprimanded her, having expected this, but blushing even heavier despite. I briefly considered whether or not I would ever want to be romantically involved with Dayita.

"Shame," she tutted, not looking the least bit saddened. "I go through all the trouble to find you just for a no."

"You knew that when looking for me," I reminded her, despite not sounding entirely confident with that fact. She shrugged, laughing, her shoulders rolling back in amusement.

"Can't hurt to try," she guessed, sitting up suddenly and grabbing my hands, pulling me forward. "But, I'm so delighted that you came looking for me. Just the thought of you caring so much about me makes me absolutely joyous. I have you to thanks for many things, after all," she admitted with a brilliant smile, "Without the memories I received from my future self, I would never have gotten my hell ring so quickly," she revealed with a flick of her hair.

"You already found your hell ring?" I asked, impressed she had managed that in so little time.

"Naturally," she scoffed, almost offended that I had doubted her. "I had to get if before Mukuro," she said his name with a sneer, "and the man was no match for me. I didn't even have to use mother's ring. Not only that," she moved on, "but with the information I gave Varick, he's already working on box weapons."

"Your brother, yeah?" I asked. Her eyes lit up, and she gripped my hands tighter, becoming excited.

"Ah! He's going to absolutely die now that you're here! You absolutely have to meet him!" She squealed in delight, practically bouncing. I leaned back, the sudden change frightening me slightly. "After I showed him my memories of you with illusions, he's become enamored with your flames," she informed me. I frowned, recalling another certain, green-haired scientist who held a fascination for my flames.

"My flames?" I repeated, my attitude becoming reserved. Dayita immediately picked up on this.

"There's no need to worry," she dismissed, waving her hand with a soft smile. "If Varick does anything to make you the least bit uncomfortable, he knows he'll have to deal with me," her smile became dark, and for a moment, I felt slightly sorry for her sibling.

"And besides," her demeanor changed immediately, " he's practically your biggest fan. He'd be mortified if he insulted you in anyway." I raised an eyebrow, not knowing how to respond to that.

"Okay?" I tried.

"Oh, but I'm getting off topic!" Dayita clapped her hands together, remembering. "You said you need something for me, yes?"

"Yeah," I said, shifting my body. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for this conversation, knowing that I needed to make this clear before I continued. "But I need to ask you something first; full disclosure." Dayita's eyes narrowed slightly, noting the serious tone I took on. She smiled softly and caressed my hands once more.

"Of course," she nodded.

"Are you okay with me using you?" I asked seriously. Her eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips, releasing my hands gently. Her playfulness diminished completely and she took on an attitude I had never seen her in before.

"In what way?" she asked blankly, completely devoid of emotion. Her features turned stone, cold even. I mirrored this, not used to this Dayita. This was new to me.

"You're the only one who'll let me do what I want, without questions asked," I explained clearly. "I need you to do this for me without expecting anything in return."

"Well that's idiotic, isn't it?" she asked harshly, eyes sharp. "We both know that's not how it works. I do a favor for you, you do one for me. That's," she stated intertwining her finger and smiling, "how the world works. You know this."

"And when that time comes when you need a favor," I agreed, "I'll do it with no questions asked, the same luxury you'll give me."

"Then we've reached an understanding," she concluded, her eyes lighting up, returning to the Dayita I knew.

"So," I asked, making sure one last time, "you're okay with me using you?"

"As long as you're find with me using you," she reminded me with playful eyes.

"I can deal with that," I admitted, nodding, determined.

"Now, Nike," she began, leaning forward in a seductive manner, batting her thick lids, "what is it that I can do for you?" I sighed, running a hand through my hair, asking myself the same question that I've been asking myself ever since I got back from the future.

Do I really want to find this person? I nodded, answering my own question. Yes, I do. I need that closure. I need the comfort this person can provide. I turned my head back to look at Dayita, assured now.

"I need you to find someone."

---

"Again," I muttered, looking the right wall of the hallway, "ridiculous."

A large shark stared back at me on the other side of the glass, equally unimpressed. At least, I assumed it was looking at me. Then again, the aquatic animal didn't seem to care enough either way. It lazily circled around, swimming out again, supposedly done checking out the new small creature that was staring at him.

"If your name isn't Squalo I will be severely disappointed," I informed the shark as it swam away, only to narrow my eyes to see another shape approach from the other end (was there an end?) of the impossibly large tank. I paled and took a considerable step away from the glass when I realized that this shark was even bigger than his friend, as impossible as that seemed.

"And there's Xanxus," I confirmed with a nod. I tilted my head, running through all the facts I knew about sharks, which considerably, wasn't much. However, I was almost positive that they usually didn't grow to be this big, at least, not normally. I was also positive that sharks did not almost completely blend in with their surroundings, nor did they have strange markings on them when they were clearly visible. Then again, I was no shark expert.

"What the fuck kind of shark are you guys?" I muttered curiously. It stared back at me in an unhelpful manner. "Right," I nodded. "Ridiculous."

I turned on my heel, heading for the door at the end of the hallway. Dayita's directions were surprisingly clear for how unclear of a person she was normally. After agreeing to find them with little resistance, a big surprise on my part ("Darling, close your mouth, it's quite arousing"), Dayita set off immediately to do the job. While she was gone, she insisted that I meet Varick and spend the time to get to know her brother.

After going down to the bottom floor using the hidden elevator and putting in the code she gave me to use said elevator, I arrived in the hallway with the shark tank wall. And now, here I was, getting stared down by two giant sharks and staring at the metal door, not knowing what to do. My hand hovered in front of the black side panel and my eyes flickered to the two cameras in the corner above me, adding them to my camera-count I had collected on the journey down. I tapped the panel hesitantly.

"Hello?" I asked, shifting. A voice stopped me before I began prematurely knocking on the door.

"How did you get down here?" It was surprisingly clear for coming out of speaker.

"Dayita let me in," I informed the blank voice. There was an annoyed sigh and slight mutterings.

"Of course she did," it drawled, clearly miffed. "And who exactly are you? I told Dayita she can't use me to impress her dates anymore."

"Not her date," I clarified, holding up a finger, "and she wanted me to meet Varick. That you?"

"Answer my question first," he repeated, still sounding vaguely annoyed, but mostly bored.

"Cloud," I introduced. I blinked, the voice having gone silent. I shifted, now looking fully up at the cameras, giving them a clear view of my face. "Nikita Cavallone?" I tried again, unsure whether he heard me the first time.

I tensed, slightly startled by the sudden noise from the other end, sounding like someone falling over. There was scrambling, and a squeal of excitement? I shook my head, guessing (hoping) that I misheard. The door opened suddenly, causing me to step back and squint my eyes, the room beyond drastically brighter than the hallway, with it's only source of light being the tank. I adjusted quickly, evaluating the figure in front of me.

Wild, thick, dark hair was pulled away from his face by glasses, pushed to sit on top of his forehead. His eyes were wide and excited, and he wore a grin matching that excitement. I could easily pick out stubble against his dark skin, and the bags under his eyes suggested a regular lack of sleep. Still, even with his obvious lack of care for himself, there was still a rugged beauty to his face, reminding me instantly of Dayita.

I quickly wondered if Dino and I looked as obviously related as these two. I pushed that thought back, opting to focus on introductions instead, seeing that Varick had yet to move from his position standing in the middle of the doorway, still staring at me with a sloppy, happy grin. I boldly held out a hand.

"Like I said," I continued, expecting him to take my hand. "I'm Cloud, or Nikita. Nike even. You must be Dayita's brother."

He blinked, the grin dropping as his eyes plunged down to my hand. He raised his own hand slowly, and for one happy moment, I thought he was going to take it. His hand wavered in front of mine, shaking. His eyes darted between mine and the hand I held out, as if he didn't know if he was actually allowed to touch it. Deciding to go the distance, I moved my hand forward, initiating the shake.

He almost squealed, and for a moment I thought he was going to faint, then and there. He stared at his hand in admiration as I retreated my own, and stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He looked up suddenly again, and shocked me by lunging forward arms open.

"Woah!" I said, pivoting to dodge and then grabbing his arms, locking them behind his back, straining them. I blinked, then quickly released him, causing him to fall forward. I stared down at him as he pushed himself up and then rubbed his arms tenderly where I had gripped them.

"The fuck dude?" I asked, placing one hand on my hip and held the other one in the air as a question.

"Sorry!" He bowed suddenly, causing me to lean back slightly. "It's just," He started, rubbing the back of his head, a blush covering his face as he looked away awkwardly, then snapped back, "it's you!" He gestured wildly at me. I blinked, my expression going blank. "And you're here! And that's amazing!" He cupped his own face, squishing his own cheeks.

"I mean, there's so much to do," he continued, almost sprinting past me into the open door. I sidestepped, leaning in the doorway to watch him, wondering if I should follow. I looked back at the elevator on the other end of the hallway, then met eyes with both the sharks, who had wandered closer to watch us, their figures wavering with their camouflage. I sighed, my whole upper half drooping and entered the room.

I lazily watch Varick scrambled about the large room, my eyes roaming over a number of computers and devices spread across the room. The tables were littered with objects, all science related, occasionally chemicals and beakers, but mostly mechanical and weaponry. It reminded me of Verde's lab but… messier. Much messier. There was however, a large table-looking object in the center of the room, devoid of any objects. Strange.

"I don't even know where to start," Varick continued, flipping through one of the notebooks found lying about the room, "or, maybe I do!" he cried, his head snapping up and briskly walking to the other side of the room. My eyes narrowed, noticing something very strange about the way he walked. It was barely jagged, almost lagging. However, it was almost unnoticeable. Prosthetics? No, I shook my head. He didn't have prosthetics.

They were real legs, at least, but something was… off about them. My eyes wandered over to the wheel chair I had noted earlier when first looking around the large room. It sat completely abandoned in the corner, looking like it hadn't been in use for a considerable amount of time. There was a large, closed panel on the wall it was sitting against, the panel itself taking up a large section of the wall.

"Found it!" I blinked, tilting my head to focus back on Varick, who was holding a couple of crumpled papers up in the air victoriously. He rushed back over to me and nearly skidded to a halt. "I am," he breathed out, staring at me with wide eyes, "so happy that I finally get to meet," he took a deep breath, savoring the moment and dramatically pausing, "you."

"Thanks?" I replied, taking it as a compliment.

"When Yita first showed me her memories," He started, beginning to move again to type in one of the computers set into a wall, "I almost didn't believe her," he admitted, rolling his shoulders a bit with a casual shrug, "but, as cruel as she is, she wouldn't dare lie about someone like you to me," he finished laughing then stopped suddenly. "She'd be locked out of the house for a month, no," he shook his head, pausing his typing to reconsider, "3 months." He nodded, and then continued. He stopped suddenly, whipping around to face me.

"It is true, right?" He asked, his expression growing cold and cautious, "Her memories of the future." I nodded in response, alerted by his sudden change. "Great!" He ran over and tried to grab my hands. I sidestepped him once more.

"No touching," I reprimanded, then softened when I saw his pouting look, "I deal enough with Dayita, I don't need another person like her."

"Ah," he nodded, "understandable, of course. Since the memories are true, I won't need you to prove your flames," he move on immediately, "and that would just waste precious flames anyway," he said with a frown. He looked up suddenly. "Have you eaten a full meal today? Are you feeling tired or nauseous?"

"Not particular," I answered suspiciously, "but the only thing I've eaten all day was a couple snacks on the plane." He frown, the expression verging on a scowl.

"Annoying," he spat, scrunching his nose. He hummed, flipping through the papers he had found earlier. "But you are staying for a while, are you not?"

"Yeah," I shrugged, cautious at this point, "basically." He grew cheery once more.

"Great! Wonderful!" He approached my putting his hands on my shoulders. I stiffened, but allowed it, deciding to be polite and not throw him across the room for suddenly touching me. "That means I can just take a small sample now and get more later!" He threw his hands up in the air and practically skipped off, leaving me even more confused.

"Sample?" I repeated, turning to him as her entered a code into a keypad on the wall the large panel was open. "A sample of what?"

"Of flames of course!" he answered happily. I blinked watching as the panel slid away, revealing rows of round, glass containers, hugged by metal on each end. All were about arm's length and a majority were empty, showing that they were on some sort of conveyor belt behind them. Seven however, were filled with bright green light, moving spastically inside their confinements.

"Are those lightning flames?" I asked, moving closer to get a better look.

"My own," Varick nodded, moving in front of me to retrieve one of the empty containers. "Just in case," he added. I titled my head, confused by what he was implying, but remained silent. Meanwhile, Varick fit the empty container in a medium sized machine nearby.

"And what's that empty one for?" I asked uneasily, already positive I knew the answer. He scoffed, and looked back at me with a humorous expression.

"And Dayita said you were smart," he tutted jokingly. "What part of sample didn't you get?"

---

Mukuro lazily watched as the girl's hands clutched her head, the strength of her grip surprising considering the weakness the rest of her body was displaying. It was lucky, extremely so, that Nikita was too occupied with that annoying woman and her family to notice the slow and pathetic disassembly of her past self. No doubt, the weak-hearted girl would try to convince Hannah to hold onto the little strength she had left to reform herself. After all, Hannah had absolutely no physical presence, leaving her existence entirely up to her mental state.

Before, Mukuro theorized, Hannah's existence was merely because of her resentment and hatred towards the true owner of the mind; a simple poltergeist of regret Nikita had unconsciously held onto; a memorable from her past life that was fated to grow dusty on a shelf from extreme under use.

When he had first discovered this, there was concern, naturally. This negative mutation had the possibility of leaching off of Nikita's mind, and destroying it, leaving the girl completely useless to him. However, he was put at ease when he realized that Nikita herself was capable of containing Hannah. But, he realized, frowning, that Nikita was far too soft hearted to completely erase the problem. A fact that eventually led to her future self's death.

"It's not true!" Hannah shouted, glaring at the older Mukuro, "I would never do that!"

"You already have," Mukuro replied coldly, "Do you really think that you could stay in her mind forever without having a negative effect? Your entire existence is an infestation of hatred."

Hannah winced at his accusation. Her eyes flickered to the other illusionist, Fran, but he simple looked away, putting his hands in his pockets. Frowning, he looked up at the leafy canopy. Hannah shook, seeing this small act of ignoring her plead for help, as a sign that he blamed her as well. What else could he do? She can be easily blamed for the death of one of the people he held closest to him.

"You may not be a threat to her now, but we all know that won't last," Mukuro continued, icily glaring at her. "You're the one that pushed her to take her own life. Even if you try to deny it, you can't deny that it already happened." Hannah shook her head slowly, clutching it.

"I wouldn't do that," she muttered, shutting her eyes tight, "I would never push her to do that!"

"You did, and you will," Mukuro restated, becoming annoyed with repeating himself. "It'll be better for everyone if you would just disappear now before you end up killing your version of Nikita."

"Why don't you just kill me now?!" Hannah shot back, anger boiling inside to hide her shame.

"Simple," the future Mukuro replied, coldly smiling, "You deserve to die like this, devouring yourself, just like you devoured her will."

"I haven't done anything to her yet," Hannah seethed, bringing Mukuro back from his memory of the future.

"And you expect me to wait until you do?" Mukuro chuckled, pushing himself up, "No, that would be far too sympathetic of me. You may have her fooled, but I will not give you the same leisure. I won't let you kill her like you killed her future self. I still have use for her after all." Hannah scoffed weakly, the small spark of ferocity having smoldered once more.

"You keep acting like you don't care about her," Hannah muttered, breathing heavily and slumping against the tree, "about anyone."

"Ah," Mukuro chuckled, slipping into his usual smirk," it's adorable that you think I do." Hannah watched, half of her focus on him, half keeping her concentration on willing herself to stay, and not fade away. Mukuro turned leafy, vine covered wall, his trident materializing before stepping forward.

"You're going to get lost in there." He chuckled in response to her weak threat.

"This mind has grown used to me," he reminded her causally, "and even bends to my own will at times. As we stand now, I have more power here than you," he finished with a malicious smirk. "Until next time," he bid with a mocking bow. He turned to leave, pushing aside the plant life with his trident, but paused, barely turning his head to look back at her.

"Ah, my mistake," he drawled in an amused tone, "there might not be a next time for you."

---

"Are you sure this is safe?" I asked, eyeing the machinery Varick was fitting around my arms.

"Of course it is!" He replied, dashing a blaring smile, "I would never put you in danger! Or rather, I would never put myself in danger, and I've done this plenty of times," he elaborated, moving to the screen set up nearby. Again, I noticed that strange way his legs moved and made a note to question him about it later.

"Great," I replied blankly, "Is there a reason why there's an oxygen mask and concentrator nearby?"

"Oh, we shouldn't need that today," Varick waved me off as his eyes scanned the screen.

"Today?" I repeated.

"Probably," he shrugged. "I'm only taking a small sample today since you have managed to neglect your own body," he drawled irritably, losing his cheery demeanor. "You're going to feel slight…." he trailed off, looking up in thought, "discomfort?"

"It worries me that you're saying that like it's a question," I noted, frowning, but laying back in the chair he put me in as he motioned for me to. "Will it be painful?"

"That's not the right word," he corrected, "but discomfort is the closest I can come to describe it. Relax your body and try not to move."

I sighed, and shifted until I laying back comfortably, closing my eyes and concentrating on his placement in the room. Despite my relationship with Dayita, I decided it wasn't wise to completely trust her brother yet. There was something… off about him. Something I wasn't entirely comfortable with. The problem was that I couldn't pin point what that something was. It was similar to the uneasy feeling I had around Verde, but somehow different. This annoyed me, of course, but there was really nothing I could do about it.

"Ready," he called, and typed a few things on his keyboard. I stiffened, feeling a strange pulling sensation started in my palms, then slowly spread to the core of my body. I tensed considerably, scrunching my face. This sensation wasn't exactly physical, but…. at the same time it was. My veins tingled uncomfortably, and I struggled keeping my body from squirming. Varick seemed oblivious to this, and continued watching the previously empty tank slowly fill with yellow, sparking flames.

I recalled him explaining earlier that it would take a bit longer than his usual extraction sessions because of my three types. I figured that this selective withdrawal also caused more 'discomfort' for the patient, since the machine had to remove only a specific flame, and thus has to filter it.

I wondered briefly, to distract myself from this awful feeling, if this is what Bluebell felt like when I was stealing flames from her. This drain of my core, my very flame of existence; did I really want to put someone else through that? My breathing become as heavy as my eyelids. Black webbed around my vision. I faintly heard Varick hum, and the draining sensation edged away until I was left with an empty tiredness. I stiffened, hearing him near me, but relaxed a bit when I realized he was simply putting the oxygen mask on me. I allowed five minutes to recover and for him to get the machinery off my arms, then sat up.

I sighed, taking the mask off of me, and throwing my legs over the side of the chair. After turning off the oxygen concentrator, I turned to him, only to find him engrossed in yet another machine, looking at the screen as it evaluated my flames.

"Uncomfortable, huh?" I complained, flexing my arms and inspecting my skin, the tingling sensation still slighting enveloping it.

"I told you that wasn't the word," Varick replied blankly, scribbling quickly in a notebook. I sighed and rubbed my head, still feeling a bit woozy. I looked back at Varick.

"Yo," I said, raising a hand slightly to remind him I was still in the room. He blinked, his head snapping up to me as if just recalling that I was there.

"Ah," he said bluntly, "you're still here. I don't need you anymore, at least, not for now" he said briskly, standing up to cross the room to type into another keyboard. "You can leave now." I frowned, a little miffed that he dismissed me so quickly. I then shook my head, and got up, walking toward the exact I had entered through.

"Whatever," I dismissed, not going to let it bother me.

"Return the same time tomorrow," Varick said, typing on his computer to open the door for me, "if I'm correct, which I much pretty always am, I'll need more flames by then. I'll email Madhi your new diet plan-"

"Diet plan?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. He sighed, and approached me.

"Naturally, I'll need you in full health if I'm to get top quality flames from you," he explained blandly, "but until then," He put his hands on my shoulders and gently pushed me backwards, out in the shark tank hallway again, "I need some time alone with my research." I blinked as the door shut, leaving me to stare at its blank surface.

"Ah, that's right," I murmured, "he's only obsessed with me for my flames." I huffed and turned on my heel, looking at the tank once more. My eyes narrowed, making contact with the larger shark, who was lazily swimming by the glass.

"What are you looking at?" I questioned. Then sighed again, realizing what I was doing. "Talking to a mutated, mega shark," I mused, my body slumping, "great." I moved towards the elevator, setting off to explore the house since I had nothing better to do.

Dayita was off finding them, and Varick was obsessing over my flames. What else was a girl to do? Stepping out of the elevator and into the main hallways, I was once again reminded of the eerie lack of people around the estate. I hummed, and put my arms behind my head.

"This place may be bright and sunny," I murmured, looking around, "but it's creepy as fuck without any people around."

I perked up, hearing a melodic, aged voice wafting through the hallways. I proceeded with caution until I made my way to a large kitchen area. A small, old woman was singing a lullaby-esque tune, and putting what seemed to be groceries away. After deeming that she didn't seem like a threat, at least, not threatening to me for now, I fully entered the room and approached her. I waited patiently as her song finished, and she turned to me fully.

"That was a beautiful song," I commented, not knowing what else to say.

"It was Dayita's favorite as a child," the woman told me, closing the cabinets and gathering the empty bags. "She was always more musically inclined than her brother, when he was here and not with their father. Tea?" She asked, throwing me off.

"Sure," I allowed, sitting down at the counter when she gestured to it.

"You look exactly the same," the woman sighed as she retrieved a kettle from the stove nearby, already filled with hot water, "as you did in the future, that is."

"You were there?" I asked, eyebrows furrowed, not recalling her in my time in the future.

"Ah, my apologies, miss," she laughed lightly handing me a mug with an infuser, "I forgot that my appearance had changed in the future."

She dipped her own infuser in, and waited while it steeped. Awkwardly, I did the same, waiting patiently. She spoke as soon as I was taking a deep drink of my tea.

"I'm Madhi," she introduced herself, giving me a warm, grandmotherly smile, "Dayita's Ayah."

I choked on my tea, sputtering it a bit. Madhi remained placid, watching me with a small amount of concern.

"Sorry," I apologized after clearing my throat, "You're Madhi?" I stared at the old woman, trying to find the resemblance between her, and the young, twelve year old girl I had met in the future.

"I'm happy that you remember me," she chuckled, handing me a cloth for the small mess I had made, "after all, I was with you for a very small amount of time in the future. As always, I was running errands for Miss Dayita."

"Right," I said, still majorly confused, "only, the Madhi I met was-"

"A young girl," the old woman finished for me.

"Yeah," I continued, after she gave no clarification. Almost a full minute passed. Madhi spent that time smiling warmly at me. "So," I said, practically shattering the silence, "am I going to get an explanation for that?"

"I suppose you'll find out eventually," Madhi vaguely replied.

"Yeah," I sighed, accepting my fate, "that's what I thought."

"But in the meantime," Mahdi started, changing subjects, "Miss Dayita has given me instructions to take care of you and tend to your needs while she's away. Whenever you're ready, I will lead you to the room, along with any other area you might be interested in. Our estate has may activities to offer, and Miss Dayita specifically mentioned your interest in both the library and the gym, and made it clear that you would want to know where they are and how to get to them. As for meals, it seems that Varick wants you on a strict diet."

"He was serious about that?" I whined, slumping down. I had never been a fan of strict food portions, or strict anything for that matter. Over all, I don't do well with being told what to do.

"He is very intent on making sure you're well fed," Madhi elaborated after I voiced my concerns, "and although you have access to the gym, he has clear instructions for you not to over exert yourself."

"Of course," I huffed, staring into my tea, slightly pissed, "he wouldn't want his new lab rat to get hurt. Speaking of that," I brought up, "Is he always so..." I trailed off, my hand circling the air in small motions as I looked for the word, "...excitable?"

"Ah, no," she shook her head, "rarely, at least with people. He only gets that way when he becomes taken with a new project."

"New projects?" I asked, perking up once more. Madhi nodded after taking another sip of her tea.

"Varick is an extremely talented intellectual," she began, "from a young age, that was clear. Prodigies in their own rights, both of them," she added, clearly referring to both Varick and Dayita now," but while Yita was always a genius when it came to people and emotions, Varick was obsessed with the scientific and mechanical sides of things. He took after his father, of course, which is why he was never around the house much in his childhood. He's accomplished many things, and often jumps around to different areas. Once, he spent a large amount of time with DNA splicing, and creating new species from that."

"The sharks," I guessed immediately, paling slightly, guessing their first use. Madhi nodded.

"Augusta and Raphaela," the old woman named, "but after he constructed them, he grew bored with that area and ceased all research there. His father suggested selling them for military purposes," Madhi explained, confirming my guess, "But Varick has no interest in sharing his discoveries. He's never been interested in fame or fortune; after all, he's had that within his reach the whole time. Without his consent, his research for genetic mutations used for war could not be used, and he made sure it couldn't be stolen from him. Nothing angers him more, after all, than someone else using his research. And so Augusta and Raphaela stayed with us. They recently just stopped growing, which is thankful. I used to think they would outgrow their tank, and we could never release them into the ocean; with their camouflage, size, strength, temperature adaptions and other mutations, they'd destroy every ecosystem there is."

"Sounds pretty Jurassic Park to me," I commented, having gained a bit more respect for both the sharks and Varick.

"Varick's lack of ambition in this respect is most likely the reason his father doesn't fear him," Madhi theorized, "After all, he's already passed his father in many fields at the young age of 19."

"So it's all for himself?" I asked.

"Very much so. Varick's quite the selfish person. He becomes caught up in many things, and won't give up until he's satisfied. When he sees an opportunity to create something, or comes up with an idea, he becomes taken with it immediately. He was mesmerized by your ability, and, as of now, you have become his new obsession."

"My flames have become his new obsession," I corrected her, finishing my tea. She shrugged, taking my mug and moving to rinse both hers and mine out in the sink.

"He needs you for those, Miss. Luckily for you, you'll have power in what he uses his creations and research for, since you have an equal part in this. It's not often that this occurs."

"Really?" I titled my head.

"Varick may be selfish, but he will give credit where credit is due. Dayita wouldn't have shown him to you if you wouldn't have benefitted from this, and in turn, she would benefit from you two working together."

"That sounds like Dayita," I admitted. "Speaking of which, does she just expect me to sit here and wait for her until she gets back."

"She expects exactly that, Miss Nikita," Madhi replied, turning her head to smile at me. "Until Yita returns, you can just relax."

"Relax?" I repeated, the concept unfamiliar with me at this time.

"I can show you to your room now, if you want," Madhi continued. "I do believe that you will find new clothes there for your stay, since Yita has been informed of your lack of wardrobe you have brought with you."

"Of course she would be concerned with that," I drawled, rolling my eyes. Madhi laughed, a dainty hand moving to cover her mouth.

"Miss Yita does seem to have her priorities straight."

"Nope," I said, shaking my head and almost backing out of the room Madhi led me to, "she definitely does not have her priorities straight. What's with all these clothes?"

"I've actually seen much worse from Yita," Madhi admitted happily, obviously amused by my reaction, "this is small compared to some gifts she has given."

"I can't even see the bed," I pointed out, nodding my head to the mass of shopping bags I could only assume covered the bed.

"You got lucky, Miss," Madhi informed me, "She's filled rooms before." I paled considerably, then nodded.

"Yeah," I admitted, "I should be grateful." I sighed loudly, folding my arms behind my head.

"Do you need any help, Miss Nikita?" I shook my head and waved her off.

"I'm good, Madhi," I assured her, "I'll get this mess sorted, then probably head to the gym or library you showed me," I summarized, recalling the rooms she had showed me on the way over, along with the pool, gardens and shrines.

"Hey, before you go," I called out, causing the old woman to turn around, "why are there no people around here?" I asked, the fact bothering me. "Usually, places this big have people milling about and such," I elaborated, "but it's completely empty."

"Ah, yes," Madhi nodded slightly, "Miss Chhaya has never wanted her children to depend on others to much, and so I am the only help when it comes to raising the children. Even then, I am only really here to watch over them. I've been helping Miss Chhaya's family for a very, very long time," she explained with a twinkle in her eyes, "and she trusts me completely. Miss Chhaya is also not a fan of having too many people near her children where she cannot protect them. That is why, when others do come to do weekly clean ups and repairs to the house and estate, they are all part of her organization and have been thoroughly checked. The security is also very skilled and thorough, and receives the same treatment."

"Lots of enemies, huh?" I guessed, wondering what kind of woman Dayita's mother really was.

"Indeed," Madhi agreed, "will that be all?"

"Yeah," I smiled genuinely, "thanks for everything."

"If you need me, just call," Madhi bid, bowing and then exiting. Turning back to the mess of shopping bags, I stretched my arms, looking around the room, planning where to stash the unnecessary amount of clothes Dayita had bought for me.

"At least," I sighed, moving to get to work, "this will distract me from thinking about what I'm going to do when she finds them."

---

Mukuro rushed out the door, and slammed it shut behind him. He grimaced as his arm throbbed in protest and the beast on the other side pressed against the door. He sighed when it gave up, or the memory froze, waiting until another poor soul opened it and looked in.

"Why," Mukuro sputtered, pushing himself upright again, "does she even have that room?" He sighed, and glared down at the banquet of flowers in his hand, then traced up his arms, taking in the awful wounds running up it. Although he was pleased that his theory was correct, his trek through Nikita's mind was anything but pleasant.

The back, neglected, shattered bits of her mind were even worse than he anticipated. His journey to find memories of the plot to aid him before they were completely gone turned out to be much harder than he thought. It was as if the memories had been sinking all this time, and once they were lost in the depths, they began to fade.

Of course, the way in which this worked, meant that Nikita herself could never be aware of this, with its gradual movements. Hannah, however, was the cause of this. Before the manifestation could completely fade, however, he was going to gather as many memories of the 'plot' that he could.

He sometimes pondered why he was doing this, and would then answer that it was for himself. When questioned if that was really the truth, he either didn't care, or didn't want to think about it. And that was fine with him.

There was no doubt that the girl was only useful to him with the memories of the plot, weak emotions showing or not. And from the few memories he had gathered, there was a great battle coming. He repressed a shudder, recalling one of the memories having to do with the Vindice returning and attacking him. It was problematic that the memories he had found were not in order. Some, he knew had already happened, and left those to fade. The rest, were a confusing, jumbled mess of foreboding, with only a few happy memories, and never any with him in them. If that bothered him, he wouldn't show it.

Why should he receive a happy ending, after all? Here he was, forging through someone else's mind, one the most sacred places, taking precious memories that are not his, and trekking in a place that he was never consented to. He was an awful person, and he could admit this. And yet.

He received punishment, of course. With each memory he had plucked, his arm was wounded horribly, having him wonder if this pain had transferred to his physical body with the amount he had felt. Black liquid dripped from the fist in which he gripped a small banquet of flowers; the few memories he had deemed crucial to him. One held times, something he did not understand now, but had the feeling would come in handy later. However, he had yet to find any memories that seemed to correspond with the near future, or anything that seems like it was happening now.

"I swear this girl has the most disorganized mind I've ever seen," he grumbled aloud, looking in another door to see a memory of her and the blonde prince of the Varia. With a nightmare in one room, and a happy memory in the next, it was going to take time to search thoroughly.

And was it worth it, he asked himself, continuing his search down the dimly lit, moss and vine covered, aged hallways of a mansion he had seen in various memories.

"To have my body back," he decided, out loud, barely glancing at a torn picture of what he assumed to be a young Nikita and her father, "it is."

---

"You did all of this in one day?" I said, staring at the screens Varick had referred me to.

"Of course," Varick said blankly, as if confused I would even ask a question like that. "Some of these will take a bit more time, such as the serum that uses both your cloud and sun flames. That one will be a bit trickier, but is possible in theory. The sun thread will take a bit more time as well."

"But it's totally worth it," I said, smiling widely. "These are awesome, Varick!" His eyes widened, his demeanor shifting once more from professional scientist to fanboy.

"You really think so?" He asked, clasping his hands together. He blushed deeply, and rubbed the back of his head, "I mean, I had thought up a lot of these when Dayita first showed me your ability, but once I had your actual flames, then I could actually test the properties and see what was really plausible!"

"You said you wanted to see my weapons, yeah?" I asked, thoroughly impressed.

"Particularly your box weapons," he elaborated. I frowned, and unconsciously put my right hand behind my back. "Not to mess with them particularly," Varick quickly corrected himself, "I don't have the technology yet to upgrade the animals in particular, but I can easily add, extensions I suppose you could call them, to your box weapon."

"Extensions?" I parroted. He nodded excitably, and typed on the keyboard, pulling another concept folder up.

"For your defense," he started, pointing at the objects on the screen, "I could copy the properties of the bamboo itself, and transfer that to daggers. Right now, with the technology I have, I would only be able to make them compatible with cloud flames, but eventually, I may be able to get these up to par with the actual box weapon itself. I designed it, after all," he concluded.

"Other than that, I couldn't do much else with the box weapons. Your other weapons however," he trailed off, finding other folders, "I could make your old gloves rain compatible, along with your sun flames, so you could use them for offense and not just healing. I could also do the same with your rifle, and make it cloud compatible."

"That's great, Varick," I smiled, "more than I could ever ask for."

"You brought your weapons down with you as I asked, correct?" I nodded, and shifted my hip to reach into my bag. He examined my gun after I handed both it, and my gloves to him, along with my two other personal guns. He scowled after a while, causing me to frown.

"I should have known," he spat, "that he would have gotten to you before me."

"Verde?" I guessed correctly. Varick crossed his arms and leaned back, much in the manner of a child. He was practically pouting.

"I hate that guy," he sneered, "he's the only one that's close to being as good as Father and me."

"Why don't you guys work together then?" I suggested, earning a rather humorous reaction from Varick. He sputtered and almost fell off his chair.

"As if I would ever work with an ass of that caliber!" Varick exclaimed, "That brat is beneath me, and he knows it!" I couldn't help but laugh, despite my attempts to muffle them. Varick shot me an accusing glance.

"You laugh now, but just you wait, Nikita Cavallone; I'll build you far better weapons than Verde ever could!" He declared triumphantly. I hummed in amusement as he rose and set to work once more on setting up the machine to extract more of my flames. Despite knowing I would be exhausted after this (he was taking a full does, of all three types of my flames, Varick explained in blurs as he ran around the room), I couldn't help but feel a bubble of excitement.

I loved getting new toys.

---

I didn't particularly remember passing out. But apparently, it happened, since I woke up with an oxygen mask on, and feeling like a considerable amount of time had passed if my stiff limbs had any input.

I vaguely note that I haven't talked to Mukuro or Hannah in a while, since I had been too exhausted the other day, and today from my flames being pulled. I sat myself up gently, still feeling a bit drained and swung my feet over lightly. I looked around, expecting Varick to be occupied in his research, but was surprised to find no one standing in the room.

"Oh good, you're up…" I pushed myself up immediately, and made my way to the voice, picking up the pain in it.

"What happened?" I asked as I approached Varick laying on the ground, twitching slightly.

"Still a few bugs," he scoffed, brushing off that he had clearly collapsed, "happens every so often." He held up a hand when I tried to lift him. "Get the wheel chair first," he told me, pointing to the corner of the room I had noted the wheel chair to be in earlier. I nodded and swiftly retrieved it. His legs were completely limp as I lifted him to sit in the chair.

"Do you need me to examine you?" I asked once he was secure. I wasn't sure if I should take any liberties, since he acted like this was a normal thing. He shook his head, confirming my suspicions.

"No need," he elaborated, "just let me get some of my flames, then I'll tell you how you can help." I nodded and stepped away, watching his actions carefully. Putting a code into the panel again, he retrieved one of the containers that held his own lightning flames. He returned to me with it in his lap. After I cleared the table off for him, he motioned for me to lift him up.

"I'm glad you're here and not Dayita," he admitted casually, removing his shirt as he did so, "although she has steady hands, she always makes this a big ordeal," he added, rolling his eyes. My eyes narrowed, seeing a mechanical device on the small of his back as he shifted his torso to get his shirt off. His bare back showed a similar, but smaller device on the back of his neck as well.

"I need that cord," he ordered, causing my eyes to snap away from my examination of his back. I nodded numbly and retrieved it, my mind jumping to a conclusion that I didn't like.

"All right," he clapped his hands together after screwing one end of the cord into the container. "Lay me down flat," he instructed next. "Now that it's connected, I need you to press the button at the very top of the container for exactly thirty seconds. Now, it's very important that it's thirty seconds; no more, no less. Ready?" I nodded numbly, hand on the button. "Go."

I counted down robotically, focusing on anything but this sick realization. Varick's hands gripped the edge of the table, and his body jerked. I released exactly after thirty seconds. He let out a loud sigh of relief. I stepped back, startling myself as I bumped into the table behind me.

I gripped it tightly, feeling the blood drain from my face, and knowing it had nothing to do with my low flames.

"That went well," Varick stated happily, pushing himself up and unscrewing the cord himself. He swung his legs around and hopped to the ground, only stumbling a little as he did so. With a small smile of contentment, he picked up the now empty container and walked to put it back on the conveyer belt with the other lightning containers. Again, I noticed the strange movements of his legs, but now, I knew exactly what caused it.

"You're paralyzed," I stated, "you're paralyzed from the waist down."

"An accident on my part," Varick explained as if I had asked him how it happened, as if I cared how it happened, "it was stupid really."

"You fixed it," I continued, gripping the table to point where my knuckles were white, "you developed a surgery and a machine that cures paralysis." I felt sick as he laughed lightly and rubbed the back of his head, as if I just complimented him.

"I wouldn't say cured," he waved his hand lightly, "more like temporally solved. One of the many uses I found for lightning flames. Not many think to use it medically, but weak lightning flames work perfectly. Strong ones, of course, would completely wreck the nervous system, which is why the machine falters so much. It's annoying sometimes," he complained in a tone that should have been used for complaining about the weather, but not this, it was far too causal for discussing something like this.

"Sometimes, even a little shock is enough for it to shut down, but that's why I have so many of my flames stored up; I just reboot it. So why fix the bugs, you know? It works fine as it is." I bit my bottom lip, anger boiling against the nauseous in my stomach. As a healer, no, as a fucking human being, I could never imagine doing something like this.

"You just use it for you?" I asked quietly, now knowing exactly why I had such a strange feeling about Varick. He blinked, looking up from the research he had returned to as soon as the ordeal was over.

"Who else would I use it for?" he asked. A spark of anger flashed through me, and the metal table behind me dented as my fist tightened, strengthened by sun flames. Varick didn't notice, having already returned to his work.

I wavered slightly, the lack of flames, my state of mind, all tolling up. I turned swiftly, making my way out of his lab as fast as I could.

"Ah, leaving?" he noted, not even looking up as he put in the code to open the door for me, "It might be a few days, but I'll send for you when I've made progress."

I didn't answer as I nearly fell out into the hallway. I let out a heavy breath of air, leaning against the cool glass of the tank.

"All the fucking people," I muttered angrily, "all the fucking people he could help!" I growled, sliding against the glass until I was kneeling on the floor, "And that sick bastard just uses it on himself!" I couldn't decide if I felt more sick or angry. Why did this affect me so much? Why did this bother me, anger me? I blinked, coming to the sudden realization. Lifting my hand, I scowled at it.

It was because I was afraid I would turn out just like him. Would that be my future? Keep my power to myself and not help anyone else but those around me? But was that enough for me? Just to help those closest to me? It's not like there was a sensible way I could help more people. At least, not yet. My mind drifted to Gabriela, who I hadn't heard from since she started medical school. Could I at least try to help people like she was doing? I thought back to the last time I met with Verde, and the threat he almost initiated. If Zhanna hadn't been there, I often wondered how that would have ended.

I sighed heavily and let my face lean fully against the cool glass. I looked over placidly to see both the sharks, Augusta and Raphaela, staring at me through the glass as they swam lazily by. Or perhaps, maybe not lazily. Tired, extinguished; the movements of creatures who have long ago given up and accepted their fates.

"Lab rat, or monster?" I mused out loud, looking the largest shark in the eyes, "I wonder?

---

I had managed to avoid Varick for a whole day, which, admittedly, wasn't hard to do since he spent all of his cooped up in his lab. I had declined delivering his meals down to him as I had done the previous days. Madhi pursed her lips and took in my expression after I had politely refused.

"Ah," she muttered, nodding to herself, "so you know." She sighed and gave me a sympathetic expression. She was used to this, and that was a sad fact to me.

I still hadn't talked to Mukuro or Hannah, but I was fine with this fact as of now. Draining my flames had taken quite the toll on me, strangely enough, more mentally than physically it seemed. In a way, that made sense to me, since flames originated from my core.

I spent the day reading in the library as opposed to working out, keeping my mind much more preoccupied than dwelling other worrisome things I had recently discovered, not to mention the apprehension building up when Dayita returns any day now, and I have the long awaited talk with them. With that said, I was somewhat of a mess when I made my way to the kitchen the next morning, having spent a large portion of the previous night reading an entire book on herbs I had discovered in their intensive library.

I walked in the kitchen for food, and brightened, thinking the woman to be sitting at the counter with a mug of coffee to be a Dayita. I moved to greet her, but in the same moment, stiffened, realizing that, no, this wasn't Dayita.

Alarm bells went off in my head when I realized that the woman had entirely no presence to her. The only proof I had that she was here was my own eyes.

"You must be Miss Cavallone," the woman greeted, her voices as calm and pleasant as the smile gracing her lips. "I'm very pleased to meet you after so long. My daughter has told me so much about you. Sit."

I immediately moved to the seat she had gestured to. For an odd reason, she reminded her alarmingly of Xanxus, which, with their demeanor, and physical appearance, and, well, just about everything else, was a really, really, odd comparison. Then again, Xanxus was about the only other person I would obey instantly without hesitation. Their voice and attitude simple demanded that you listen to them, unless you be burnt to a crisp, at least in Xanxus's case. However, for some reason, I feel like this woman would do much, much worse if someone disobeyed her.

"I assume you already know who I am," she assumed, handing me my own cup of coffee, already made perfectly for my liking.

"Dayita's mother," I confirmed, nodding in thanks and taking the mug. "Chhaya."

"Smart indeed," Chhaya teased lightly. "I make a habit of getting to know those who become close to my children," she informed me, "Think of this as an evaluation of sorts, not to make you nervous or anything."

"I'm not," I informed her. She raised an eyebrow, and looked me up and down, once again, reminding me of the boss of the Varia. Strangely enough, her resemblance to Xanxus put me at ease more than anything.

"You're not," she concluded, a smirk tugging at her painted lips. "You've dealt with my type before."

"You could say that," I allowed.

"You haven't taken a drink of your coffee," she noted, her eyes flickering to the drink in my hands.

"It could be drugged," I stated simply.

"And what reasons could I have for drugging you, Miss Cavallone?" she asked slyly, propping her chin gently and beautifully in her hand, elbow slopping on the counter.

"Ransom," I said first, "negotiation tactics. Or maybe just as a test. But I'd be much more useful to you alive, and in good graces."

"So you would be," she admitted, the smirk blossoming into a full, dazzling smile. Dayita certainly took after her mother, I noted, recognizing that smile instantly.

"I remind you of someone," she said suddenly. "Who?" My nose scrunched, revealing my first unguarded facial expression since I stepped in the room.

"You might not like who it is," I admitted, eyes shifting away from her.

"I'm sure it'll amuse me in at least one way," Chhaya hummed, hand reaching to gently lift my chin so I was looking her in the eyes once more. "Tell me."

"Xanxus," I said, almost wincing as I said his name, "the boss of the Varia." Her expression fell, going completely blank. A moment passed, and her hand fell away from my chin in order to hold her stomach. Chhaya doubled over, laughing hard, her face a picture of pure amusement.

"That is a first," she admitted, wiping her eyes slightly after her small fit was through, "I've never had the pleasure of meeting him, but rumors speak for themselves, do they not? Oh, this is priceless!" she chuckled again, covering her mouth slightly. "No wonder you're so fearless speaking to me, if you have experience speaking to him!" Her laughter dwelling to a simple humorous hum.

"I suppose you've passed, Miss Cavallone," Chhaya allowed, "I hereby give you permission to date my daughter."

"We're not dating," I said, a little to quickly, my face going red instantly. Chhaya's eyes widened slightly over the brim of her coffee mug as she finished drinking.

"Oh?" She questioned, placing the mug on the counter gently. "Then I have been severely misinformed. I'll be sure to talk to Aja about this misinformation," she murmured, mostly to herself.

"What about Varick then?" She asked, almost causing me to spit out my coffee I had finally deemed safe to drink. "No?" She questioned as I attempted to hide my coughs. "Shame."

"You're trying to set me up with your children?" I asked her.

"Naturally," she shrugged, "you're pretty enough, physically fit, and you come from an influential family. Forgive me for trying to be a good mother. And besides, Yita's been quite the rebel lately in her choice of partners. It's about time she's picked a proper one. I've long since accepted that Varick is too involved in his research to start a relationship of any kind. I want grandchildren, mind you," she said, wagging a finger at me, "biological, or adopted, I don't care either way, I just want to squish some cheeks," she sighed sadly, "I miss being doting." She put a hand on her cheek and looked out the window dramatically, "it's been so long since I've been alowed to be a mother. Children just grow up too fast. You understand, of course."

"I actually don't," I pointed out, the sudden change in behavior confusing me. She was talking to me like an old friend, who, maybe, got pregnant and had children around the same time, and often got to together to complain about husbands, and children and such over wine. She was reminding me less and less of Xanxus as the conversation continued and more and more of Lussuria. I had yet to know what I thought of this.

"Ah?" She questioned, turning back to look me in the eye.

"I'm just fourteen?" I informed her politely, "I've only really dated on person," I recalled, referencing Takeshi, "and that was more of a casual thing where we were just seeing where it was going."

"Truthfully?" She asked, surprised. I nodded. "But you're such a cute, young thing," she mused, hand on cheek once more, "it's a surprise that people aren't just falling for you left and right. Or, perhaps, you just don't notice it?"

"I'm pretty sure that's not what's happening," I interjected, now feeling that Chhaya has taken to a daughter-mother scenario.

"Shame," Chhaya tutted, "such an oblivious, naive child." My eye twitched, not sure whether to be offended or not by her statement.

"I do hope you find true love soon," she concluded, standing gracefully and moving to leave, "will you be a lamb and wash out my mug for me? I've got an appointment in Hong Kong that I simply can't miss."

"I'm fourteen," I reminded her, turning to watch as she left, "isn't that a bit young for finding true love?" She laughed bell chimes and waved me off.

"Not at all darling! I found my true love when I was sixteen and had him marry me at seventeen." I blinked, recalling Dayita telling me that she had been the head of her organization when she married her husband.

"Whether you find it with my daughter or not, I hope you have a wonderful relationship with whoever you choose," she bid, her vibrant clothes billowing behind her as she left the room. "Until we meet again, and if we meet again, Miss Cavallone; it has been a pleasure."

I blinked, taking in the suddenly empty room. I looked back on the counter at the empty mug she had left me to clean.

"What is up with this family?" I muttered, shaking my head as I moved toward the sink.

---

"Ah, yeah, it's awful here," I drawled through the phone, stretching out on the comfortable pool chair, enjoying the rays of the sun. "Raining all the time, cold sea spray, I haven't even been outside once."

"That's a lie, isn't it?"

"The only awful thing about it is that Dayita bought me way too many clothes for one visit," I admitted, smiling brightly, "although, I was surprised that the clothes she got me were clothes I actually like and would totally wear. Example A, this brand new, beautiful bikini that I am currently sun bathing in."

"Again, should I be worried about that?"

"Chill brother bear," I chided, laughing lightly, "I decided I do not see Dayita as a possible romantic or sexual option. No matter how many people think we're dating and how fuckign pretty she is," I muttered, frowning slightly. "And I think her mom tried to set us up?" I added, tilting my head.

"Did you really have to say the sexual thing?"

"I just wanted to be clear," I shrugged, despite the fact that he couldn't see me. "Anything new happening on your front?" I changed the subject before he could ask about my other statements.

"Well, you'll be surprised to hear that we received invitations for Tsuna's Inheritance Ceremony." I suddenly felt cold, the warmth from the sun draining from my body completely.

"Ah," I said, keeping my voice level, "already, huh?"

"I'm just as surprised as you are," Dino admitted on the other end. "I'm a little worried, though."

"You think something's happened," I finished for him, "or, at least, something's going to happen."

"Bingo. I knew you'd think the same thing. The ceremony is in five days in Japan," he informed me, "can I trust you to get there on time?"

"Yeah," I managed to keep my voice from cracking, "I'll be there."

"Bring your box weapons," Dino advised, "they should be able to slip in undetected since they're rings. I have a bad feeling about this, Cloud."

"I do too," I admitted, relieved that I could let a little bit of my true emotion into my voice.

"Ah, I've got to go," he said suddenly.

"Boss business?" I joked, glad to know I still had some control over my voice.

"You know it. See you there, Nikita."

"Love you," I concluded, then held the cell to my chest, letting the cold feeling wash over me completely, now safe from the worrying ears of my brother. "Why," I muttered, raking my mind for a reason, "why do I feel like something terrible's going to happen?" I mentally reviewed the plot in my head, forehead scrunched in concentration.

Tsuna and his guardians meet the Shimon, and get to know them. Then…. something happens and Tsuna goes through with the ceremony. What happens at the ceremony?

I paled. What happens to make Tsuna have the ceremony? He didn't want to go through with it in the beginning, but something happened, something awful, something that terrifies me even now without even knowing it. I came to the realization all at once.

There were gaps in my memories of the plot. Huge ones, gaping ones. I thought back to the previous arcs, and realized I could only remember what I lived through, and what others told me. I thought forward, and was a bit relieved to find more memories of the representative arc, and yet, those gaping holes were still there.

Why were those memories lost to me now? Used to, I would just know what happened next, and if needed, I would look at the details with Mukuro or… Hannah.

"I need to see Hannah," I stated out loud, looking up. "I need to see Hannah now."

---

"What the fuck is happening to our memories?" I immediately questioned once I opened my eyes to the garden. My head immediately went to where Hannah usually was, but my determined expression dropped when I took her state in.

"Hannah," I said, rushing over to her. She flinched away from my touch, causing me to lean back. He skin was translucent, flickering in and out of existence. Her, my, once fiery red hair had dulled into wisp of what it used to be. Sunken, widened eyes looked up at me with fear, and longing, and confusion.

"Hannah," I asked softly, giving her room, feeling an immense sense of dread and guilt for not having talk to her in days, and wondering how, wondering why, she had suddenly become like this in so little time, "what happened to you. Please," my hand moved to gently touch hers. Her hand felt like glass, cold, feeble, so easily shattered. She winced at the contact, but stayed where she was, "you can tell me. What happened?"

"I don't know," she muttered, her eyes wide with fear, and then she repeated louder, "I don't know! Who are you!?" Her head shot up suddenly, startling me. Her eyes scanned my face frantically then calmed, slightly. "You're me…" she muttered, then shook her head sadly, "no, you're not me; you're her. You're not me. I'm not me…"

"Hannah," I shushed her, "it's okay, I'm right here, okay?" She calmed slowly, and I continued stroking her hand gently until she was leaning into me.

When had she become so small, so frail? Was this my fault? Was she like this because of me? Her frantic breathing calmed as snow began to fall around us, falling even through the leafy canopy of the trees that had grown from what used to be he canyon wall we leaned against.

I had no idea what to do in this situation, I realized. She was broken, far beyond repair. I bit my bottom lip, realizing that I came too late to help her.

"Where's Mukuro?" I asked suddenly, a spark of hope in me, "he might kno-" Hannah shot away from me suddenly.

"No! Not him!" She yelled, scrambling away once more, "he blames it on me! It's all my fault, and he's right!" she cried, clutching her head once more, "he's right it's all my fault! It's because of me, it's all me…." she trailed off into sobs. I froze, unsure of what to do, letting the snow gather on my legs, covering the green grass around us, freezing the trickling river that ran behind us.

This all had happened so fast, I realized once more, she had become broken so fast. But was she really whole to begin with?

"I need to let go."

"No," I said, suddenly, a little too forcibly. I took a breath and reaffirmed my voice, "Hannah," I said, her eyes flickering to me, as if her name was the only thing that called her back, "Hannah," I repeated," you can't do that. Okay? You can't let go." She shuddered, shivering, dislodging some of the snow that had gathered on her, not melting like it had been melting on me. "Hannah, ple-"

"Just leave me alone!" She yelled at me suddenly, lashing out. "Just leave me the fuck alone! I hate you, you know that!" she continued, color and firmness returning to her body slowly, edging back into her, "I hate you so fucking much! You're everything I could have been, and you have this perfect life, with perfect friends, and I hate you for that! I'm the one that's supposed to have that, I'm the one that left my real family and this is all I get! To become some broken memory in someone else's mind, forced to watch them have everything that I want?!" She was crying now, sobbing, and I realized I was too. The snow melted instantly around us, the flakes turning into heavy droplets of rain.

"I hate you so much, and now when I want to let go, you have the audacity to tell me to stay! Do you hate me that much!?" she heaved, folding into herself.

"I don't even remember their faces," she admitted sadly, "I don't even remember my own. Just let me go," she whispered, "I have to let go, please." I slumped forward, letting the rain wash over me, not even bothering to go over to her. I felt everything she felt, and I felt shame for it. It wasn't justifiable for me.

"It's okay, if you need some time. For now… don't let go. Please. Just know I'll always be there for you, okay? And you'll always be there for me." Hannah scoffed, drained once more, her temper, her will, long gone, washed away by the rain. She had lost too much to be angry at me for my words at this point.

"Not always... not in the way you think."

---

Side Story: She Gets What She Wants

Dayita had always been an observant child. In contrast to her brother, who actively investigated and tinkered and such, the girl had always been content to watch, learn, intake, before ever interacting, if she did at all. Even when she did participate, it was in a rather inactive way, where she would never be in the midst of conflict. She lingered, on the outskirts, making others do work for her, daintily manipulating, inflicting charm, but never fighting. Dayita did not fight.

She conquered. She never stepped into a battle that she could not win, that she could not dominate. She didn't fight, she played, she tinkered, much in the likes of her brother, but instead of his machines and weapons, she found her playthings in the form of people, the living, the ones whose emotions and goals and ambitions she found so interesting, so dull, so charming. She adored people, her playthings, her entertainment, and found them so simple, and yet on the brink of complexity. Some, she found, much to her delight, went beyond that simplicity. She enjoyed those few, if not annoyed with them. There was a fine line.

Nikita Cavallone was one who passed that brink. And although angered by the fact that Dayita could not enchant her with her visions, she found the girl to be endearing, bright. A healer by heart, a fighter for others, a true martyr. Everything Dayita was not. And seeing this, recognizing this, wanting this, made Nikita so much more interesting to her. So much more valuable. The fact that the girl blindly trusts Dayita (but perhaps trust is too strong of a word; she does not trust Dayita, and rightly so, but that reliance is there, it remains, but is far from trust) creates another fascination for Dayita. She was beautiful in her words, her actions, and of course, in physical appearances as well, being an added bonus. Truly, she was the embodiment of victory, pyrrhic or not. Yes, Dayita enjoyed Nikita Cavallone. One her favorites.

Hibari Kyoya was another story. Although he excels simplicity, the irritation associated him is overbearing for Dayita. True, she enjoys poking fun at him every once and a while (the truth of that statement being much more often than the statement implies), but there is always that doubt, that line, that if she truly does cross it one day, could she truly defend herself? As much despise there is between them, she recognizes his endless potential, his unlimited strength, growth, and she sometimes, very rarely, wonders if she can win, if she can conquer him, if needed, if provoked, if defending. Of course, this is something she'll never admit to; Dayita does not doubt herself, her abilities, even in the abyss of her own mind. Even so, she is mindful to not cross this line with him, but continues to dance around it, on the edge. Always on the edge.

She viewed the strongest member of the Giegue family in a similar fashion, but perhaps held her in a more cautionary grasp. Hibari kept a marvelous temper compared to Zhanna, and at least, with him, he showed signs of his irritation. The Russian however showed no such signs, and seemed to be in a constant state of irascibility. This lead to Dayita not being able to tell when Zhanna would snap. And this lead to her annoyance, naturally. Although, the play is fun for the little time it lasts. And what little time that is.

Mukuro Rokudo, she found, was much too similar to herself to like. If there was something she hated most, if seeing herself in others. It was dangerous, and made them an adversary; a problem, an irritation. Dayita saw much of herself in Mukuro, as well as seeing a lot of himself in her. Something else, she did not enjoy dwelling on.

Looking down on others is a familiar concept to Dayita. A queen, a deity, tyrant, ruler; call her what you will, but she is aware of her place above others. Which, is why she's surprised, aroused even, when she meets someone's eyes to find that they are on the same level. Perhaps they are not aware of their height (like a green eyed girl she was so fond of), or perhaps they were well aware of their standing, their strength, but Dayita would be a fool not to acknowledge them. She created illusions, yes, vibrant vision, enchanting others, enveloping them, dulling them, blinding them, but she has never disillusioned herself. Dayita was no fool. No, she told herself nothing but the truth, knowing it be unwise to not to. She was an illusionist, after all. One the best. She knows how dangerous illusions can be.

She's aware of her keen fascinations, these sprees of inspiration where she is taken with people, only to grow bored, playing with her toys. She had possessed so many, after all. But Dayita liked owning things. She was especially sharp on surrounding herself with beautiful, pretty, bright things. Being shallow was the least of her flaws, and she was content with admitting that. With these sprees, however, follows a lull, a time when she realizes that the object she held with such desire, such want, no longer attains its lust, its appeal. It becomes boring, she realizes, with much distaste, and so it is abandoned. She moves on, as she always does, constantly moving, constantly searching, constantly entertained. The fault for this, is not on Dayita. It is to others advantage that they continue to entertain her, to be relevant, so they are not dropped, thrown away. It is to their own ability that they continue to favor her, because Dayita herself, definitely makes no move to pursue them. She doesn't pursue, after all. She doesn't chase.

At least, not often.

There have been times where her hand has been forced, where her interest is peeked, and she is the one chasing. How so, very few times that it. But in those few times, in these chases, Dayita is confident, cool, for she knows very well, that she will catch her prize, another pretty darling to add to her collection. Because although she may pursue in the chase, she knows one fact that has never been wronged, whether in battles, illusions, words, arguments, negations. To call her spoiled because of this is absurd. She deserves her things, her toys, and she works relentlessly to get them, no matter how much she must try.

Dayita always gets what she wants. Always.

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AN:

Whoo, so the Shimon Arc will most likely be done next chapter, then onto my favorite arc ever!

As always, thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites!

-Evenly