It was to a raging headache that Mia awoke to. The worst that she experienced yet. Thousand of needles pricked from the base of her skull to her temples and when she opened her eyes, it was like staring into the sun. She hissed. After a moment that felt like hours, her death grip on the sheets loosened slowly.
"Don't move too much." Mia faintly recognize her Pa's voice.
"Pa…?" she croaked.
"Here, drink slowly." He carefully lifted her head and pressed a glass to a lips. Slowly, she took a few sips. Not wanting to burden her Pa for long, she gathered her strength and gingerly pushed herself up to sit. It wasn't any better now that she was sitting but it beat having to lay down. She took a moment to absorb her surroundings, how her clothes were sticking uncomfortably to her skin, the sunlight streaming through the windows, and the stinging of a different pain across her arms and legs.
It took a while for last night's memories to catch up to her, as they did, she had to stop the wave of nausea threatening to overcome her.
"How is it that every time I see you, you look worse than you did before?"
Of course Mukuro had to be here. But why now? Why Pa?
"Calm yourself,it was not my intention to possess your father." Mukuro huffed. Pa's form faded and Mukuro took his place on the chair. "My connection with Chrome was blocked - I couldn't reach her for days and when I felt a new connection open up, naturally, I came to investigate. Your father seemed to have scratched himself on my trident." To prove it, he showed her the small nick on his left palm. "I had no choice but come over and fortunately, at the right time too."
His explanation did little to ease the feeling in her chest that was threatening to explode into a full blown panic attack.
"Calm down," Mukuro repeated. "The sooner I know, the faster I'll leave and there's no point in telling me what's going on with the Mafia. I have heard whispers from the Underworld... enemies are flocking to eliminate the Vongola's Tenth heir before he succeeds the Ninth."
Her mind was heavy but the fear in her heart worked through the fog. Mukuro genuinely sounded like he wanted to know but she couldn't shake off the fear he might use Pa's body against her. No, it was better to comply. "T-Then what do you want to know?"
"Last night," he started. She flinched. "You were behaving unlike yourself. Almost as if you were... sleepwalking." He paused. "Or possessed."
The headache returned in full force, almost splitting her head in two. She held her head, trying to keep her skull together. But she could feel it. There, lurking in the corner of her mind she felt it watching her.
"You'll pierce your own head doing that." Mukuro said quietly as he pulled her hands away. "Here." He pressed something against her face. A towel? Mia blinked as the pain faded. It was then she realized her nose was bleeding. Her fingers trembled as she took the towel and tried to staunch the flow.
"When you fought my control you had the same reaction. I don't believe you can fight it for much longer... not unless you want to die from blood loss." He took some pillows and stuffed them behind her.
If Mia hadn't been so distressed with her current situation, she would have been horrified at how Mukuro was uncharacteristically kind in treating her. As if he sensed it as well, he pulled back and glared at his hands.
"Kufufu, how unpleasant." He shook his head and returned to his seat by her side. "Anyhow, you're far more collected than I thought you would be."
Was she? Mia didn't know. Now that Mukuro brought it up, she could no longer deny the presence that lingered in her mind that grew stronger with every passing moment. It didn't move but she could feel it waiting, watching and it freaked her out. She tried not to focus on it yet but had a horrible feeling it was waiting for her to let her guard down. "You said... the Order came what is owed. You think — you think they sent that bird after me?" Did they know what she was thinking? Was this a warning?
"It was a guess. I've heard rumors inside of Vindice. Men of ash with furnaces for eyes that worked with an organization that not even Vindice could find. Keepers of oaths that are often accompanied by ravens... and, I saw one last night. It was looking right at you."
Despite the warm summer day, Mia felt cold. "I don't remember that."
Mukuro shrugged. "You were too busy with the bird, I doubt you would have noticed."
"Takeshi... he killed it, didn't he?"
"I don't know," Mukuro replied. "I saw him hit it as well but it disappeared."
Mia tried to scrub the tiredness from her face. Resigning herself that it was no point hiding it now, she confessed. She still didn't trust Mukuro but as he was the most supernatural person she knew, she hoped he could offer advice or anything really before she went crazy. "I... I was given an order. Its an initiation I guess but I have to retrieve something from one of their old abandoned vaults. Tsuna and the others are aware of what's going on but the thing they want me to retrieve is something they called... Pandora's Box. I didn't... I didn't want to go anymore."
"And you thought that they came after you." Mukuro finished. She weakly nodded. "An abandoned vault sounds interesting but Pandora's Box? Such an on-the-nose name. Kufufu, I disagree. I think they were there for another reason" He tapped his knee, a habit her father had when he was deep in thought. "It looked like they were preventing you from being taken over completely. Ravens, for hundreds of years, are known as creatures of intellect and clairvoyance. Perhaps they saw something in you too."
Her fingers twitched. She hadn't thought of that. Maybe Mukuro was right? Since the blood had stopped, Mia put down the towel and pulled the covers off of her. Her arms had scratches but her legs bore deeper gashes, especially the one on her upper right leg. Blood had seeped through the bandage. She stared at it. She had been so deep in her nightmare it took that deep of a gash to wake her from it. Her hand hovered over it and knew it would hurt if she even slightly touched it. Without thinking much, she pressed hard on it.
Mukuro yanked her arm back as white dots danced across her vision. "Are you a fool?" He chastised her.
"I... couldn't focus," Mia gasped. The pain cleared her head and the presence receded slightly. She blinked the tears away. "Y-You were right. They were helping me so you can let go now."
Mukuro let go and she let her arm fall.
"It?" he questioned.
"P-Pandora's Box. The thing they want me to retrieve. I don't know what it is but its alive and it wants m-me to come to it. I think... I think I found it, when I was younger. I don't know how but I think I've... I've made a promise. It doesn't make any sense though, why now?"
"Perhaps because you're closer to it now than before." Mukuro pushed her firmly by the shoulders back against the pillows. She didn't resist and stared up at him quizzically. "It takes a lot of power for me to possess someone if they're too far. Much like now — its taking a lot just to be here. If my body was closer, I would be able to maintain a steady control."
"Wouldn't that be the same with Chrome? You said your connection to Chrome was blocked — but she's okay? Should've it been disconnected?"
"Possessing someone is different from maintaining a connection. We are still connected form our pact. As long as Chrome has my trident with her, a physical anchor of my power, our connection would never be broken. But in this case, Pandora's Box or Pandora, somehow put a damper on our connection, hence why Chrome could not hear me."
"That makes sense... I guess," she muttered. She glanced at him. "Don't the others know that you're here?"
For a second Mukuro looked chagrined, then it was gone. Oh no, she didn't like the look of that.
"Did... something happen?" she asked, worried.
"They are... upset. As you can imagine, Tsunayoshi is not happy."
Alarmed, she straightened. Something wasn't adding up. How long had she been out? What was Mukuro doing in that time? What about the others? "Mukuro... what did you tell them? Do they know? Does Tsuna know?" Mukuro didn't answer, he just looked her directly in the eyes. She sunk back, speechless. Tsuna was going to be furious with her.
"I presume you didn't tell them."
"How am I supposed to say it exactly?" She snapped. "They know I have nightmares but this - I have no idea how to explain any of this." She gestured wildly at herself. "Why are you really here Mukuro? What do you want from me? Where are the others?" If they knew Mukuro was here, how was it that she was alone with him?
"The truth," Mukuro said simply. "I wasn't exagerating when I said I was not pleased I could not reach Chrome. I wanted answers. Tsunayoshi was quite angry I came to possess your father and asked for me to leave him. Kufufufu of course, I refused."
Mia wanted to strangle him. "You refused because you wanted to talk to me."
Mukuro's lips curled to a wicked grin. "Correct, so we came to an agreement. After my talk with you, I will strengthen my connection with Chrome and I can finally leave this blasted body."
Mia made to grab him but nearly fell off the bed instead. She caught herself, groaning. When were those meds going to kick in? And why did she feel so heavy?
Mukuro shook his head at her. "I've stayed long enough." He rose and his image misted away, her Pa appearing in his place. "Your father will not remember this conversation. As interesting as this is Miss Vongola, I look forward to see how this will end." He stepped back and left her, shivering under the warm rays of the sun.
Tsuna was waiting outside by the door when Nicolas — Mukuro, he remembered with a scowl — came out. "Your turn Tsunayoshi-kun. I warn you, she's a bit.. unbalanced." The illusionist said with a smile. It was only a second but there was a hint of worry in his eyes.
Tsuna's eyebrows rose. Mukuro shook his head and his regular cold composure returned. If Tsuna didn't know any better, it was like he couldn't control his emotions.
Tsuna thought back to when the illusionist came in. Last night was a literal nightmare. He had stumbled around the house looking for Mia when Nicolas and Takeshi came in through the backdoor with Mia wrapped in her father's arms. The moment he laid eyes on the professor, he instantly knew it was Mukuro. His first instinct? It was to punch the illusionist right out of Nicolas. It was only by sheer will that he held back, reminding himself that Mia would be upset if anything happened to her dad. Then he had to stop the others from attempting the same thing. Hibari looked like he was going to give Nicolas permanent brain damage and Hayato was close to blowing up the house.
First hitmen, now Mukuro. Tsuna wondered if any of the Arcobaleno was going to show up next.
"Also." Mukuro leaned down, speaking quietly. "I don't think she has much time. She's weak and exhausted, eventually she will give in and the monster will try again but I don't need to remind you of that, do I?" His heart jumped into his throat. The professor straightened, gave him one last knowing look, then went off to find Chrome downstairs.
What the hell did he mean by that? Frowning, Tsuna went in, opening the door carefully and closing it behind him so he doesn't startle her. Mia had her face pressed against her knees on the bed, her arms wrapped tightly around her bandaged legs.
Concerned, he approached her. "Mia," he called for her softly. She didn't reply even when he sat down by her feet.
"Are you okay?" he asked. Mia remained silent. He reached out and touched her head and was worried on how warm she suddenly was. A horrible suspicion grew in him. He recalled her vision in the van, how she got sick then too. "Mia," he called again, his voice tight. "Please, look at me."
She finally lifted her head but didn't want to look at him. He recognized the guilty expression but didn't understand why she felt that way.
"I wasn't hiding it intentionally," she whispered. Her voice was small, frightenend. "I swear, I was going to tell you. I just didn't know how to say it."
His stomach dropped. She thought he was mad at her for not telling him? "Mia no," he quickly scooted to her side and gently pried her hands apart. "That's not it. I'm not mad, I swear. I — " he took a deep breath. "You don't need to tell me. I know. I... was there." He waited for her to understand and when she did, her eyes rounded in shock. She searched his expression and despite looking feverish, he was amazed at the speed she was able to comprehend his awful explanation.
"You saw. You were there," she breathed softly. She frowned as something occured to her. "But you weren't last night?"
He wasn't sure what to think of it but he told her the best he could — he told her about the dreams he had, the things he had seen in hers, how he had even taken part once. Recognition sparked in her eyes during that part. Then last night, how he was forced to be a spectator again and his voice grows quiet. He mentions her mother and the heartbreak in her eyes made him falter. He quickly reached the end, when he had woken up shaking, terrified as she had been and found her gone from his side. He didn't mention he had fallen out of bed in his mad scramble to look for her.
Mia wept silently. His heart ached for her. He pulled her close and she buried her face in his neck, clutching his shirt. Her shoulders shook but she didn't make a single sound. He would rather she shout, cried to her hearts content. When she went quiet was when he would really worry.
His throat constricted and he felt like crying too. "I'm sorry Mia," he murmured against her hair. "I'm so sorry." Not for the first time, he cursed himself at how helpless he was.
"Don't be sorry," she said thickly. He rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. "I thought I was losing my mind... the fact that you were there somehow... thank you. I thought I was alone."
"It just... happened," he confessed. "But I'm glad if it makes you feel better."
She chuckled weakly. "Its probably because of your Hyper Intuition. I've always heard of stories about stuff like this. People with a sixth or supernatural sense just able to see or hear stuff you know?"
Before, Tsuna didn't like to think about his heritage too much. He used to think it was one step closer to be Vongola Tenth so he rejected his abilities. Then Mukuro and the Varia came along and he was forced to use anything that could help him and his friends. He still resented it, then this happened.
He sent a silent prayer to his ancestor, apologizing for acting like a brat. It terrified him that he could just waltz in her dream like that but if he hadn't, Mia would have been alone. Primo, if you can hear me, please forgive this idiot of a grandson. Once they make it back home, he'll try to visit his ancestor — assuming he was buried in Japan.
Mia hummed thoughtfully. "You know, Reborn told me something before. He said that the gift wasn't all that strong with the other bosses. Yours seems to be the strongest its been in generations since Primo."
"Really?" He tilted his head, interested to hear more of what his tutor said and welcomed the change in topic.
"Yeah and that it would be really helpful if you could figure out when the enemy would strike."
Tsuna snorted. Leave it to Reborn to somehow weaponize his ability. "I wish. I can't really control what I do. I can sense stuff, not predict things."
"Tsuna?" She tilted her head up.
He leaned back to look at her. Her eyes were swollen from crying. There was sadness in them that still tugged on his heart but there was strength too. "Yeah?" he said.
"I don't have a lot of time."
He pursed his lips. He was hoping they didn't need to talk about this yet. "Mia you're sick — you're not in any condition to go."
"That thing — Pandora — its waiting for me Tsuna and it will have me there whether I want it or not." She touched his face. "I nearly walked out of here, in my sleep. Almost without anyone knowing. The next time I might not be able to control myself. This isn't like the time with Mukuro — I can't force it out."
He'd seen it. How it stalked her, called for her and all he wanted to do was take her and run away, everything else be damned. He'd rather fight every single family after his head than deal with that thing at the monastery.
"Mia — "
Her eyes sharpened and he stopped. "This has to end. I need to do this. Please, help me." She pleaded with him.
Tsuna wanted to say no. That this was dangerous and that he wouldn't see her get hurt. How could he? But she was right. He hated it. It was with great difficulty that he finally answered. "I will. I'll help you, we all will." He kissed her forehead.
He felt her shudder in relief and he prayed he was making the right choice.
"We need to get ready to leave soon." Mia made a move to get up but Tsuna held her by his side.
"Rest some more." He ordered her. "I'll take care of it." He touched his forehead with hers. Her skin was getting hotter. He made a mental note to have someone come up with medicine for her fever.
To his relief, Mia didn't argue with him. "We can't take too long," she reminded him.
"Two hours," Tsuna said.
She shook her head. "Thirty minutes."
"One hour." He countered.
Mia blinked and conceded with a small sigh. "Okay." She closed her eyes.
Silence fell between them. He will have to go eventually, but for now he wanted to spend a few minutes with her and it seemed she wanted the same too.
"I'm glad I got to see her." Her soft confession was tinged with sadness. "I can't tell if I forgot because of the trauma or because of the Order but... I'm glad I remembered."
He hadn't expected to see Elaide Matteis. Seeing her for the first time, he had mistaken her for Mia until he realized who she was. Asides from obvious differences, they were identical down to the last dimple. It saddened him that her most vivid memory of her mother had been that and Mia had been glad to remember that?
He mentally chastised himself for the thought. No, there was more to the memory than that.
"She loved you," Tsuna said, choosing to think about the woman who courageously smiled for her daughter in the dark. Mia picked on his shirt. Struggling with an emotion he couldn't quite place.
"After this... I'd like to visit Mama. Would you like to come with me?"
He responded without missing a beat. "Of course. I'd would love that." She looked to him, eyes shining with gratitude. He couldn't help it and kissed her gently. "I better go. Just stay put for now okay? I'll get things ready."
"You've got less than an hour now." She sighed. "You're wasting time on me."
He kissed her cheek this time. "Time with you is never wasted," he muttered in her ear before pulling back. Her face had become redder. Whether it was the fever or not, he didn't know. He smiled at her, trying to hide the worry that gnawed at him, and left her to rest. As soon as he stepped out, his smile dropped.
The others swamped him with questions the moment he came down, all of them if Mia was okay. He told them she was but they needed to leave soon. Sensing the urgency in his tone, his friends shot off without asking. Fortunately, they had already prepared in case they needed to make a quick getaway again.
Outside, Chrome was speaking with Nicolas. The man had his back to him. Tsuna felt a tingle from the back of his head, a sign that Mukuro was still there. As he got closer, the worry on Chrome's face deepened. She saw him.
"Boss!" They turned.
"Mukuro, I thought you were going to leave Nicolas," he said tersely. Its been almost a year since their fight with the Varia, since Mukuro fought for their side, but he still couldn't fully trust the illusionist. Still, he did help them out and for that reason he wasn't openly hostile to the illusionist.
Mukuro shared a look with Chrome. "Change of plans Tsunayoshi-kun."
Tsuna frowned. Chrome stepped up as if knowing that if it came from her he'd be less inclined to disregard what they were about to say. "Boss... I know this isn't ideal. But it might be best for Mukuro-sama to be in Nicolas' body for now — just until we get to the monastery. If the professor knew... I don't think he would go there willingly."
Tsuna considered that. She had a point but that didn't mean he liked it. He weighed their options while Mukuro watched him. Tsuna ignored him. Before he decided, he asked, "Did Mukuro tell you Chrome?"
Her lone eye drifted downwards. Tsuna sighed. "For now, could you keep this to yourself? I'll explain it to the others."
She nodded.
"Fine, you can stay for a while Mukuro."
"Boss... is Mia okay?"
"She's — " What, fine? Grieving? "She's running a fever. Chrome, could you take care of her for a bit?"
"Of course!" With one last look to Mukuro, Chrome jogged back inside. Leaving just the two of them together.
"Is it... wise to proceed?" Mukuro suddenly spoke, sounding surprisingly unsure. He also sounded genuinely concerned.
Tsuna looked at him in disbelief. "Okay, something is wrong here." He pointed at the professor. "You're acting like... like you care. Like care care." Something was wrong with Mukuro. He wasn't acting like himself.
Nicolas' left eye flashed red in irritation. "Its this body," he seethed disdainfully. "His emotions are...overflowing."
"Wait, Nicolas' emotions are... affecting you?" Tsuna said incredulously. "Is that even possible?"
"If you can recall Tsunayoshi-kun, my actual body is deep within Vindicare, hundreds and thousands of miles away and I've been inhibiting this body for hours. My power is stretched thin between Chrome and possessing this man. His... emotions are strong and... kufu its somewhat influencing me." He seemed thoroughly disgusted at the thought as if he were saying, ew. Feelings. Disgusting. Won't happen again.
Tsuna would have laughed but standing in chokehold range, he held it in. "Well, I guess you're driving then."
"I will but you haven't yet answered my question. Do you have any idea what you're walking into? This entity Pandora..."
Any humor he felt, immediately died. "No, not really." He gazed at the endless lush of green that surrounded them, to the hills in the distance. Mia's old home was beautiful but he couldn't find it in himself to appreciate it. The things he'd seen in her nightmares, the monster that lurked within in, robbed this place of the warmth it had.
"I sense its power and I know you do too."
He did. Every single part of him was screaming not to go through with this. He had a sense that it was old, very old and it was very, very, very feral. "Mia won't back down."
Mukuro scoffed. "Of course she won't," he muttered. "I've never met a woman more fixated on anything like she is. She was like this last time too — "
"Last time?" Tsuna frowned.
"It was in Tokyo and she was hunting down that agent from the Order." Mukuro casually threw in. "That doesn't matter right now. You're the Boss. Can't you reign her in?"
"Even if I didn't want to, Mia would find some way to go. That's just who she is and I'm her boyfriend, not her Boss." He scowled. "Besides, you said it too — she doesn't have time. Is this about Chrome? Is it Chrome you're worried about? I'll ask her to stay outside and guard." He glanced at the illusionist.
Mukuro/Nicolas was frowning but he didn't object so that's that. Tsuna wasn't planning on having everyone go in. At least, he hoped it wouldn't come to that. He sighed and looked to the sky. Dark clouds were approaching from afar. That was never a good sign.
He could hear his friends bickering while loading the van but other than that, it was too quiet. He didn't like it. Ever since their last encounter with the hitmen he hadn't felt safe when things got too quiet. And there was something else, it was bothering him for a while now but he couldn't help he was forgetting something. Something inportant.
Mukuro suddenly spoke up. "I suppose you all managed to hide your tracks last time?"
Ah. "Shit." Tsuna swore.
"I take it you haven't."
Tsuna turned around and ran back inside. He was probably just paranoid but still, he had to make sure. He had just stepped through the doorway when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Something heavy dropped suddenly on his back and he went down with a yelp, his busted shoulder lighting up in excruciating pain.
The front door slammed shut. Then the rest of the door throughout the house slammed close. For one wild moment Tsuna thought the house was haunted, then he felt a presence stand behind him. He couldn't see it, but he knew someone was there. Before they could tie his hands, he rolled to his back and legsweeped. His leg caught something.
It tumbled and fell back with a loud thwack! against the front door. The image shimmered and glitched and Tsuna saw someone wearing a full neon green spandex suit. He recognized it.
"Tenth?" he heard Hayato call through the door.
"Hitmen!" Tsuna yelled back.
"What?! How the hell — "
The assassin groaned. Before he got up, Tsuna kicked him in the face, knocking him out cold. He pulled off the neon green mask. "Verde." He growled. Tsuna hadn't met the Arcobaleno yet, but when he does, he was going to set fire to all of his inventions. He tossed it aside and nudged the assassin aside with his foot. The body or a floating head — considering the invisibility feature was still on — slid to the ground.
He guessed he should be grateful that this attempt was as bad as the first time. At least he didn't need go be a child to see them. He reached to open the latch when he remembered all too late that in the last attempt, there had been two assassins. The other grabbed him by the waist and threw him back into the hall and landed on his back.
His intuition kicked in and he caught his attacker's wrists. The air shifted before him and he could make out the outline of a hunting knife just centimetres from his face. If he hadn't caught that...
Someone was banging on the door. "W-Who sent you?" Tsuna asked through gritted teeth.
"Regards from the — "
Glass shattered across the living room as Ryohei jumped through the window. He turned sharply, then barrelled towards Tsuna. His attacker tried to pull away but Tsuna just tightened his
"Ahhhh!" Ryohei collided with the assassin. It seemed this one's suit was sturdier than the first one, as it stayed invisible despite being rammed into a wall. Ryohei threw a punch and he succeeded in creating a hole instead.
"Where did they extremely go?"
"Tenth!" Hayato and Takeshi broke down the door. He hoped Mia and Nicolas won't kill them for that.
"They're invisible!" Tsuna coughed. "There's one more!" Reaching behind his shirt, he checked if he was bleeding. He felt something prick him earlier but when he found nothing, he dssmissed it as a splinter that got tangled in his clothes. He could survive that much and readied himself for another attack.
"Hey you!" Ryohei exclaimed from the kitchen. "Show yourself you extreme coward!"
"Tsuna-nii!" Lambo appeared through the front door. He held two grenades above his head, his fingers curled around the pins. "Where are they? I'll bury them alive!"
He looked as threatening as an enraged chicken. Lambo looked up and panicked. "Tsuna-nii look out!"
Tsuna jumped out of the way as the other assassin crashed where he was. His suit flickered and cackled before something burst. The invisibility turned off and he had to forcefully swallow his bile back. The assassin was dead, his neck broken from the fall. He winced and looked away from the sight.
Lambo cried out in protest, wanting to see what happened but someone — probably Takeshi from the sound of it — had picked up Lambo and had covered his eyes.
Tsuna would have stared forever if he hadn't heard Chrome cry out. "Mia don't! Stop!"
He tore his eyes away. Gritting his teeth, he sidstepped the body and ran up, followed by Hayato and Ryohei. When he got to the room, he was not expecting the sight of his girlfriend holding another assassin by the throat against the wall. The suit had lost its invisibility. Chrome was pleading with her, trying to pull at her arm that was choking the man but Mia didn't seem to hear her or care.
Wrong.
"My... Lady?" Hayato said in shock.
"Mia stop!" Chrome cried. Mia roughly shook off Chrome and the girl fell backwards. Ryohei caught her.
Wrong.
"Mia." Tsuna finally found his voice. "Mia!"
At his shout she tilted her head. Tsuna finally thought she had snapped out of it until she threw the assassin with such unnatural strength it destroyed a part of the wall, leaving a large hole, the assassin gone from sight. Then she turned. Her eyes glowed molten gold — the very same from her nightmares.
Wrong.
"Holy sh — " Hayato never got to finish as a steel tonfa came hurtling through the hole she made. Mia smacked it aside where it then ricocheted before getting stuck on the floor.
Hibari jumped through the wall, his brow creased. "You." Tsuna have never heard the prefect sound so cold and hostile before. "I will bite you to death."
Mia just stared at him. Hibari swung his tonfa. She stumbled backwards like a newborn, trying to avoid it and fell. She looked up, dazed before her face twisted into a snarl. They moved to attack each other. Before they could clash, Tsuna sprung forward and tackled Mia to the floor.
It had gone quiet all around them as she struggled in his grip and shrieked like a caged animal. Her cries were full of desperation. She elbowed his chest. "Mia!" Please stop. "MIA!"
It took a few minutes and during that time Hibari had come over and helped him pin her down. Eventually, she stopped struggling and convulsed. "Ughhhh..." she whimpered.
"Roll her over," he barked.
They rolled her to her side while Hibari held her hands behind her back. Her eyes were flickering between gold and blue. Blood trickled down her nose and her breathing was harsh. She growled.
"What the hell is going on?" Hayato said in shock.
Tsuna didn't know what to do but he knew she was fighting for control. He touched her cheek, hoping it would help. "I'm here," he rasped, still breathless from when she hit his chest. "You can do this."
She closed her eyes and she whined, low and in pain. "Tsuna... move!" she gasped and struggled to get on her knees. He gave her space and she stayed in that position for a moment, her head against the floor.
To his horror, she threw her head back and slammed it against the floor with a sickening crack. Horrified cries echoed around the room. Hibari jerked her back, pulling her arms behind her but she didn't resist. Her head hung limply, her gash thankfully didn't reopen but there was a bump on her forehead.
Tsuna scrambled on his knees. Before he could touch her, she moaned. They stilled, holding their breaths. Unsure if it was the monster or her. Then she lifted her head and looked at them tiredly, her eyes back to blue. "I guess that worked." She mumbled. Hibari loosened his grip.
It took a second for everything to process in his mind. When it did, it burned in his words. "You guessed?" His guardians flinched.
"Hey guys everything alri — " Takeshi had just poked around the doorway when Tsuna started shouting.
"You nearly killed yourself. Are you fucking kidding me?" Some part him realized she didn't deserved to get yelled at. But in that moment, she scared him. "Have you lost your goddamn mind?!" Somehow he ended up swearing in Italian.
For the second time, their friends were in shock but Mia just looked at him with her wide blue eyes. The worst part? She didn't even look sorry. It just made him angrier. He was going to give her the worst tongue lashing of her life when she reached up and touched her nose.
"Oh." She said, sounding surprised. As if she didn't realize her nose had been bleeding.
"Oh?" He repeated, exasperated and backed away before he tried to shake sense into her.
Chrome kneeled down beside her. She inspected Mia's face. "Boss, we should get moving. Mia's strong but she's tired. She can't resist being possessed forever."
"Possessed?" Hayato choked.
"So this is where you all are." Mukuro/Nicolas appeared at the doorway, scaring Takeshi aside.
"Woah!"
Mukuro glanced at the giant hole in the wall, at Hibari's growing murderous intent at the sight of him, then at them at the floor. He frowned. "I warned you Tsunayoshi. Its getting impatient. We should get this over with before Miss Vongola loses her strength or worse, more hitmen and assassins."
"He's right," Mia said. "W-We should go."
"Um..." Ryohei interrupted. He raised his hand. "I'm extremely ready to go anytime but... what's extremely going on?"
Mia wiped the blood off with her sleeve. "Let's talk in the van."
Five minutes later. They were back in the van, speeding towards their destination as fast as they possibly could. Mukuro/Nicolas had taken the wheel with Hibari in the passenger side. The prefect had been adamant in doing so. With the way he was glaring at Mukuro, he guessed the prefect wanted to watch over the illusionist so he can bite him at the right time. There was a lot of pent up energy there, having been denied of a fight since they have been here.
Well that made two of them. Still, he insisted on explaining it to the rest. Mia didn't fight him much on that but only asked to keep their dream-sharing a secret and had crawled to a corner to watch the scenery. They swaddled her in blankets as she felt cold, the beginning of a bruise showing on her hairline. She even took medicine for her fever without protest. Looking at her, Tsuna couldn't help but let go of his anger.
For the most part, Tsuna thought they took it well. Hayato was visibly rattled but overall, none of them were freaking out and he counted that as a win.
"That's... pretty much it." Tsuna finished.
Hayato kneaded his hands, frowning deeply. Every now and then he would glance at Mia. "But how is it that Pandora was able to possess the Lady just like that? Wasn't she conscious?"
"About that..." Chrome avoided their gazes. "We got into a fight with the assassin and well... she got hit in the head."
"I blacked out," Mia added quietly. She opened her eyes and smiled wyrly. "It didn't want me dead so it just jumped at the chance."
"'It' doesn't want?" Hayato questioned, catchinf on. "My Lady, can you read its mind or something?"
"No," she replied and frowned. She rubbed her forehead. "I just get a... feeling. It doesn't talk. I don't think it can."
"Kufufufu rather ominous isn't it?" Mukuro chuckled from the front. "Do you really have no idea what this Pandora's Box is? No? How about the monastery?"
Mia frowned. "No... but Pa does." Slowly, she turned around and their eyes met through the rear mirror. "I never knew why my parents took an interest in that monastery. Why?"
"Your mother suspected there was more to the structure since its founding in the nineteen fourties." Mukuro instantly responded. Then he frowned.
"Wait how did — " Hayato started but Mia raised a finger at them, signaling them to be quiet. She had that look — the I'm working on something here look.
"Like what?" she prompted slowly, carefully.
"A sublevel or more but the structure was fragile. To excavate would risk a huge chunk of the cliffside falling with what remains of the monastery. I thought the design was deliberate, meant to disuade thieves but — " Mukuro hit the breaks and they skidded to the side of the road. Mia would have matched Nicolas with head injuries if Takeshi hadn't grabbed her. He looked over, furious.
"How did you do that?" He growled.
"You okay Mia?" Takeshi worried over her.
Mia shook herself. She was obviously frightened because it was still her father's face but she remained impassive. "You can perform anyone's moves as long as you're possessing them right?"
"Even if that is the case I do not have the ability to know every little thing in anyone's mind and if I did — " Her eyes glinted like a predator on the move.
"Pa can recite a hundred facts about the Vatican to Chantelle mushrooms from the top of his head!" Mia returned sharply. "Its like muscle memory — all he needs is a trigger and his brain just kicks in."
They glared at each other. Tsuna couldn't help but feel like he had been here before — oh wait, he was — like he was trapped between two hurricanes except Nicolas was possessed. But he couldn't help but wonder in sheer amazement at Mia's gall.
"Mukuro-sama?" Chrome called out hesitantly.
Mukuro turned back to the wheel. His knuckles were white. "Do not ask me anymore," he gritted out, directing it at Mia.
"Hn. Sensitive, are you?" Hibari says and he actually sounded amused.
"Zitto skylark or I'll drive us over a cliff." Mukuro threatened.
Seemingly in better spirits, Hibari leaned back on his seat and if Tsuna didn't know any better, he would have thought the prefect was napping.
Chrome crawled over to Mia as the van started moving again. "Mia," she said disapprovingly. "Did you know?"
"I just... guessed." Tsuna knew Mia. It wasn't a spur of the moment, she must have thought about it at some point. Tsuna didn't understand why Mukuro was so upset but somehow Mia figured it out.
"How did you extremely know the professor would answer Matteis?" Ryohei asked her, his arms crossed over his chest.
Mia picked the blood off her nails. "He's always been like that for as long as I can remember — you can never catch him off guard on a lecture." She cracked a smile. "Kinda like how Takeshi can catch a ball without thinking or how you can dodge on reflex senpai."
Ryohei nodded slowly. "I see, I see."
"You should ease up a bit though Mia," Takeshi said. "Try not to strain yourself too much alright? You have almost how many close calls by now? Last thing we want is for you to get a concussion from annoying Mukuro too much." He secured the blanket on her shoulders so it wouldn't fall off.
"Okay," she murmured.
Tsuna mustered a smile for his friend. "Mia, how are you feeling?"
"Tired," was her short response. Tsuna reached over and checked her temperature. Her nosebleed had stopped a few minutes back but her temperature had remained the same. Which was not better at all.
"Why you sick Mia?" Lambo asked. They all jumped. Tsuna had almost forgotten Lambo was there, he usually wasn't that quiet.
"Not sure," she mumbled and rubbed her face. "Maybe I'm going to self-combust." Tsuna didn't know if she was joking. "You know what I could use? Coffee. No, six expresso shots. Maybe a barf bag. Ugh, I wish we could get a burner phone and talk with Reborn." Tsuna perked up at that. He didn't want to admit it but he might actually miss his tutor from hell.
"What's a burner phone?" Lambo asked.
"Its a cheap phone that you can throw away anytime. So your calls can't be traced." Hayato answered. "I think I know a place to buy some." He scooted to the window. "Hey Pineapple Head, there's a gas station in a couple of miles. You should stop over for a bit, get some gas."
"Why should I?" Mukuro drawled, still irritated.
"Just please do it Mukuro," Tsuna said, not in a mood for bickering. "I got a bounty on my head remember? I think some backup would be good." The illusionist huffed but didn't argue any further. They did stop by another station but Hayato didn't want any of them to come with him.
"Its better if I go alone. If the guy I know is still there, he could get spooked by us." He reasoned. "Its not far Tenth, really. I'll be back thirty minutes at most."
Tsuna reluctantly agreed. "Okay but if you're not back by then we're going to look for you alright?"
"I'll be back, no worries Te — I mean T-Tsuna!"
"Could you get me some ice?" Mia added. She had her head in her hand, probably nursing her self-given head injury. Hayato saluted and left. Tsuna sat down next to her. She shifted and laid her head on his good shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her.
"You think this is a good idea?" He asked. "Isn't it a bad idea to separate?"
"Hayato can take care of himself. He knows best out of all of us for stuff like this and you said it yourself — if he takes too long we'll come and find him."
While they waited, Takeshi had taken to keeping watch outside of the van with Ryohei in case they were being followed. Lambo had fallen asleep, as did Hibari and Chrome sat on Mia's right.
"How are you holding up?" He asked her. "I'm sorry for earlier by the way. I... It was wrong of me to yell. I didn't mean to get so worked up like that." He felt her smile.
"Its alright, I understand. I'd be surprised if you hadn't exploded already. I'm... holding on. Its just — there's this buzz in my head the closer we get. I've trying really hard not to pay attention to it or else..." she drifted.
"Are you sure you don't want to sleep Mia?" Chrome, who was sitting to her left, asked.
"I'd rather not."
"But — "
"Chrome," Mukuro interrupted. He hung the nozzle up. "Its best if she does not. In her state it might just take over again."
"Oh." Chrome blushed sheepishly. "I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry."
Mia waved her hand dismissively, basically saying she was fine and stayed quiet. Probably trying to conserve her energy. While Mia zoned out, Tsuna looked forward to getting a chance to talk with Reborn again, how his Mom and the kids were. He hoped Reborn would be able to help them. When twenty minutes had passed and still no sign of their friend, Tsuna made up his mind to go looking for Hayato. Mia grabbed him however.
"It hasn't been thirty yet Tsuna," she reminded him.
"But - "
"Hold on." She looked to where Hayato went and squinted her eyes. Tsuna followed her line of sight but there was nothing there, just trees and small buildings. "He's just coming around the corner." And he did, carrying a colorful bejeweled purse in bright pink. His face was red.
"How did you - " Tsuna started to ask but she had turned away from him.
"Octopus-head is back!" Ryohei exclaimed. Tsuna had thought Hayato was red because he had been running. Turns out he was just embarassed. The guy he brought from had a weird character apparently and insisted he take the purse with him too, said it was from his ex-girlfriend. Since they were on the clock, they all piled back in the van and drove away.
"I'm sorry my Lady, I couldn't find any ice." Hayato apologized dejectedly.
"Its fine. So what did you get?"
Hayato shook the contents of the purse out. Two burner phones, some candy for Lambo and painkillers that Tsuna took gratefully. His shoulder had been throbbing uncomfortably for a while now. Mia however, declined.
"The pain keeps me awake," she explained seriously. Picking up one of the phones, Mia turned it around her hands and decided to use it first. It looked nothing like the flip models they used at home, more like a small brick with a keypad. Tsuna couldn't remember what number Reborn used but thankfully she did. To his relief, he heard his tutor pick up after the fifth ring. Mia had explained up until they were at the motel when she grimaced in pain. Her headache had returned. Tsuna took over then and told his tutor about their run-in with hitmen, assassins and the Order, minus the dreams they shared. He didn't fully understand why Mia wanted to keep it a secret, especially since it was Reborn, but respected she had her reasons.
When he finished, Reborn made a sound of dissatisfaction.
"Uh... Reborn?"
"This doesn't bode well at all." Was the hitman's grim response. "But its the hand we're dealt with. Listen, Mia's 'friend' is here. The one you don't like." Startled, Tsuna sat straighter. "We found a rat where the leak came from so your Dad is cracking down hard on CEDEF. As you can imagine, its pandemonium over here. He won't be able to send people right away but the Ninth will. I'll let him know but soonest I can be there is in a couple of hours."
"Wait - you? By yourself?"
"I have a crew. Can't let you brats have all the fun now can we?" Tsuna grinned, despite the situation they were in. He also felt relief that the hitman had their backs. They weren't completely alone.
"How's Mom? Ipin? Fuuta?"
"They're okay. Worry about yourself Dame-Tsuna, you're in no position to worry about anyone else. You still have your pills?"
"Yeah, they're in my pocket." Tsuna patted his right pants pocket. "You think I'll need them?"
"Where you're going, definitely." The hitman gravely confirmed. He paused and Tsuna could hear another familiar voice. "Also, he has something to share with you, isn't that right?"
The was a pause at the other end. Then a familiar dry voice spoke up. "I would like to say that I am being held against my will right now. I don't know much but I'll tell you what little I know." Ian said wearily.
"Ian," Tsuna grudgingly acknowledged. "Mia said your family built the lock. Do you know anything else that could help us?"
"All Vaults that the Order built have been designed to self-destruct after a given amount of time. It could be from thirty minutes to several hours. It varies and the sequences is never the same. This was also before my time so I'm not sure but I heard that there were things called Sentinels guarding the older vaults. Never seen one myself but try not to run into those and that means not touching anything. Got that?"
Tsuna made a noise of assent. He looked to Mia and relayed the info. She bit her lip. "Its not much but its better than nothing," she said with a sigh. Tsuna didn't like the sound of it. In fact, the more he knew the worse the idea of going to the vault seemed.
"I've told her about the key already. I don't know anything else — I swear!" Ian yelped. Tsuna imagined his tutor was threatening him. "Ow!" Tsuna resisted the urge to chuckle. Gods, he was starting to act like Reborn.
A moment later Reborn was back."I hope you got all that Tsuna. I don't wanna hear any of you dying alright?"
Tsuna felt oddly touched. It was the closest to worry he'll ever get from his tutor. "Yeah," he replied, his voice tight.
"Good. Now pass me over to Mia." Tsuna couldn't help but be curious. He obliged however and offered the phone to Mia. She took the phone from him, concerned but he smiled at her reassuringly.
"Hello?" She said softly. Tsuna didn't know what the hitman said but the bleakness in her expression cleared and her eyes glistened. "I'll remember that." She ended the call and handed the phone back to him. Takeshi took it and under Hayato's urging, they watched as he threw it as far as he could outside through the window and with Takeshi's strength and natural talent, sent it zooming a hundred yards away.
"What now Tenth?" Hayato turned to them, as did the rest. The plan had been pretty simple so far - head to the monastery. Check. Possibly fight their way through any surprise attacks. Check. Try not to die. Working on that. So far they've done an okay job on their impromptu road trip but what to do at their destination, Tsuna wasn't completely sure. Mia had to find Pandora's Box and from what he remembered, it was locked deep underground guarded probably by a hundred traps and something called a Sentinel.
"Mia?" He prompted her.
Mia thought for a moment. "The structure is unstable so we'll need to be careful and that means no bombs - " she sent a warning look at Hayato and Lambo. " - no yelling - " she moved on to Ryohei. "And no busting through the walls wih brute force. Okay chairman?" Hibari didn't respond. "The last thing we need is for the entire place to go down while some of us are inside."
"Wait, 'some of us'?" Hayato questioned.
"You can't be really thinking of leaving us behind Mia?" Takeshi said, showing disapproval for once. When Mia wouldn't answer, Takeshi turned to him. "Tsuna?"
Silently, he agreed with her. Lambo was too young and Nicolas was with them. Faced with the determined faces of their friends however, he knew they wouldn't give up without a fight. "You're can't go alone. We talked about this remember?" Tsuna reminded gently.
She held his gaze before turning to the rest. "I've already lost my Mom there... I'd rather not to lose anyone else." No one spoke at that, stunned that she even brought it up. Ashamed, some of them looked away and Takeshi sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. Mia sighed. "If we have to I'd prefer if Pa and Lambo stay behind. If someone else could, I'd appreciate that too."
Lambo went red, his face screwing up, ready to throw a massive tantrum when Mia pinned him down with a heavy stare, instantly crumbling the small cow's spirit. He whimpered dejectedly and threw himself at Ryohei. The boxer caught the child and murmured small words of comfort.
"Kufufufu, you won't hear any complaint from me." Mukuro said from up front. "But you are free to do as you wish Chrome." Chrome sighed in relief. She would have stayed if Mukuro told her to but it was obvious she wanted to go.
"Then who wants to stay behind?" She asked the rest of them. Surprisingly, it was Hibari that volunteered.
"I will," the prefect said. From the mirror, Tsuna could see that the prefect still had his eyes closed. Sensing however that someone was staring at him, he cracked one eye open. "I hate crowding." Was his explanation. Somehow, it felt like a jab at the rest of them but Tsuna didn't reproach him for it. Hibari had been brought along against his will and he had been unable to fight as much as he had wanted to. It was a miracle that he had lasted this long without biting any of them to death.
"Thank you Chairman," Mia said gratefully. "Okay, now that that's done I think we can - "
She never finished, as a bullet pierced the van, richocheting to the ceiling and missing Hayato by an inch. Mukuro swerved the van and they scrambled to the sides, Tsuna pulled Mia to him while Ryohei flattened himself and Lambo. Chrome and Hayoto plastered to the sides. As Takeshi was the closest to the back doors, he leaned up to look over the window.
"We got company!"
Tsuna risked looking out. Rushing towards them were three more black cards. Mukuro slammed the gas pedal and the van lurched forward, putting some distance between them but he knew it won't be too long before they close the gap again. Most of them were close range fighters except - "Hayato!" The bomber snapped to attention to him. "How much dynamite do you still have?"
His friend gave a menacing smile. "Plenty." Hayato crawled to the back then pressed himself to the corner, by the hinges of the door. Takeshi took the spot opposite of him just as several bullets hit them again, the glass shattered, others hit the ancient pillows, scattering white bits all over and another grazed Ryohei by the shoe.
Hayato yelled over the carnage, gesturing to the door on his side. "Alright baseball head, open on three - one... two..." The last bullet hit, then a moment of nothing. "Three!" Takeshi lunged forward and opened the door. It swung open and Hayato tossed his bombs on the open road. The ends popped off and eight sticks of dynamite went whizzing towards the cars with astounding accuracy. Hayato must have been experimenting with his bombs again because the giant explosion resulting from the collission, propelled them forward, nearly sending the van flying.
Hayato would have fallen off if Takeshi hadn't grabbed the back of his shirt.
"Holy crap," Takeshi said. All that was left were charred vehicles. One that was flipped off the road, landed upside down, had caught on fire. They saw a person frantically crawl out but was too late as the car exploded. Tsuna was thankful they didn't hear any screams from the carnage but it was a while before they relaxed. It wasn't until the black smoke in the sky was nothing but a thread that they feel they could breath again but even then Mukuro didn't take his foot off the gas.
"No more stopovers." Mukuro said. If it wasn't for the red eye, Tsuna would have thought it was Nicolas. "I don't think this thing would survive if I stopped now." Their van had taken a beating and was making some concerning popping sounds.
Chrome had casted an illusion on the van. For most of the ride, it was invisible but if they went through any town, it appeared as a small bus. It wasn't long before they didn't need it anymore. Mukuro veered off the road at some point to a dirt path, slowing down enough so they wouldn't run into a tree. The ground was so uneven their teeth chattered but their beaten up hippie van, which wasn't meant to travel over difficult terrain, persevered. They ascended, climbing higher and higher. Soon they reached a point where they could not drive anymore. Mukuro parked the van and they got out. From there, Mia took the lead.
She led them on a hike on an overgrown path. She stumbled at times and Takeshi had to support her. After the fifth time, Tsuna insisted they rest. Mia shook her head, her face pale. "Its going to be dark soon. It won't be long, we're almost there." There was an urgency in her eyes that he couldn't say no to. However, Tsuna was reluctant to keep going. Her breaths were becoming shorter and shorter the higher they go.
Mukuro came to stand beside him. "Its better to keep on moving. If you must carry her then do it. If she passes out here there's no telling if that thing will take over again and we wouldn't want a Blair Witch running around do we? Kufufufu."
If Tsuna wasn't thinking about it before, he did now. He blanched and Mia actually laughed. Hayato made a sign of the cross. They had seen it before Takeshi joined their circle. Mia was that one that insisted it. Tsuna never liked horror movies, Hayato did too. What surprised him however, was that Mukuro did. Did the illusionist watch horror movies for fun or inspiration? Somehow he could believe it if he did.
"What's a Blair Witch?" Ryohei asked.
"Isn't that a horror movie?" Takeshi followed up
"Yeah, its a western horror movie." Hayato confirmed. "Can we just stop talking about it?" He whined.
"Alright," Tsuna intervened before they end up bantering. "Takeshi, if its alright could you carry her? I would but..." he gestured at his arm.
His friend gave him a thumbs up. Mia started to protest. "Come on Mia, I'm alright. Just point and I'll go!" Takeshi said.
Mia scowled but one look from Tsuna made her relent. She let him carry her on his back. Takeshi straightened carefully, frowning in concern at the heat her body was emitting.
"Okay, all set." Wordlessly, Mia pointed in a direction and they set off again. They did this for the next hour and as the sun set lower and lower and the forest grew darker, Mia continued to lead them through the mountain. Tsuna didn't know how she did it. Somehow she managed to keep them on the old trail without getting lost once. At some point they did have to use the flashlights they took from the house.
When it was completely dark, Mia had finally led them out of the foliage and into a small clearing. Distantly, Tsuna could hear waves lapping on the beach and taste the salt in the air. Under the moonlight, he saw the edge of the cliff.
"Here," she said and wriggled, forcing Takeshi to let go of her.
"Hey, careful now!" Takeshi steadied her as she stumbled ahead.
"Its here." She pointed ahead but there was nothing but trees. She frowned. Tsuna and Mukuro came to stand on either side of her.
Ryohei squinted from over her shoulder and pointed his light. "Uh... Matteis, there's nothing extremely there. You sure about that?"
"Chrome, come here." Mukuro gestured for her to come closer. "Can you feel that?" He placed his hands on her shoulders and guided her to his spot.
"Oh!" she gasped. "There's an illusion!" She looked up at him warily. "But Mukuro-sama this..."
Mukuro nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, its strong. If we tried walking ahead I'm not sure what would happen."
"There's something like that?" Fascinated, Hayato joined them. "Did the Order set this up? To keep people away?"
"Most likely," Mia replied. "Can you guys get rid of it? We might just walk into the entrance and I gotta warn you all, its made out of stone. I don't want to walk off the edge either."
Both Mukuro and Chrome shook their heads. "I don't have much power to spare," Mukuro admitted. "Whoever set this illusion up is incredibly skilled. If you hadn't been so sure Miss Vongola that it was here I would have missed it kufufufu."
"Its impossible for a single person to keep this up though," Chrome noted. She reached out with her trident and lightly swung it. Tsuna's senses tingled. He couldn't see it, but he felt it. Like a ripple of cold water. "It looks like its been here for a long time. How did they do it?"
"Its being powered by something." Mia said, her voice low. None of them attempted to breach the illusion, except for...
"Let's extremely go!" Ryohei barrelled past them before they could stop him, Lambo right on his heels.
He disappeared in the foliage and Hayato lunged at Lambo, sweeping him off his feet. "I wanted to explore too!" Lambo wailed.
"Senpai!" Takeshi cried.
"Stupid cow!" The bomber scolded him. "You could get yourself killed!"
What happened? Where did Ryohei go? Tsuna's pulse spiked. What if he ran off the edge?
"What?" They jumped and swerved to their left. Ryohei stood, confused but alive. Deeply relieved, they all sighed except for Hibari and Mukuro.
"Could you please not do that again?" Tsuna beseeched his friend.
Chagrined, the boxer scratched his cheek. "Er... Sorry Tsuna. But that was extremely weird!"
Mukuro turned back to where the entrance supposedly was. "Kufufufu. I suppose that answers it. An illusion to misdirect any unwanted visitors."
"Why a misdirect? Couldn't a normal illusion be enough?" Hayato asked, still holding a struggling Lambo.
"They don't want to draw attention," Mia answered tiredly. "The monastery was built on a cliff. If people came here and fell to their deaths, it would just draw more... attention to... it..." she faltered then doubled over.
Alarmed, Tsuna held her shoulder to stop her in case she toppled over. "Mia?" She had her eyes shut tight..The others stepped back, tensed and Lambo fell silent. They waited with bated breath, unsure what to expect.
"I'm okay," she finally rasped out. "Just... felt dizzy for a sec."
"We need to get inside." Chrome reached out with her hands, probably to get a feel of the illusion in front of them but from the frustrated look on her face, she was having a hard time grasping it.
Mukuro looked around, frowning. "We cannot overwhelm it the way we usually do with other illusionists. This illusion is anchored. Either we find the item it is anchored to and destroy it or cut off its supply of power."
"Or," Mia bit out. "We break it."
"I believe one of you already did that." Mukuro pointed out dryly.
Mia reached into her shirt and yanked her necklace off. Tsuna realized it was the token from the Order. It burst into flames in her palm, filling up the area with bright orange light. Like his own flames, it didn't hurt her.
"Woah!" Ryohei skirted around to get a closer look at it. "I know you and Tsuna could do it, but can anyone else do it too? Or is it just extremely you two?" He asked.
Mia let out a small smile. "Everyone has these flames but... drawing them out requires a... conduit. And resolve. If we had more time I could teach you." They reacted, looking at each other excitedly. Mukuro had a gleam of interest in his eyes and Hibari looked thoughtful.
Takeshi came to stand next to Ryohei. He grinned. "Sounds like a plan when we get home then!" He said cheerily. When they get home. That sounded wonderful. From the look on Mia's face, she thought so too.
"Alright, could you guys give me some space?" The backed off but Tsuna stayed right behind her. She looked over her shoulder questioningly. He merely smiled at her. He wasn't going to take any chances. He will be here to catch her just in case, whether she wanted it or not. Shaking her head, she turned back towards the illusion.
Mukuro looked at her dubiously. "How exactly are you going to disperse that?"
"I've had some experience," she answered cryptically, glancing at him. "And... I've also got an idea." Her eyes sharpened, clearest they had been for days as she concentrated. Tsuna had seen her focused before but this was new to him. He felt that he shouldn't get in the way. Mia breathed deeply and the flame shrunk in her hand. Tsuna had no idea what she was planning but was alarmed as the token, started to bounce on its own and glow red.
"Uh...my Lady?" Hayato worried.
Mia closed her hand over it but the flame didn't go out. It flickered brightly, licking the corners and gaps in her hand. With her other hand she held it out in front of her and paused. Then she lay her hand flat against the air. For a moment, nothing happened.
Lambo made a sound, quickly getting bored. "Nothing is happe — "
Crack!
They jumped back and Lambo yelped. Tsuna stared. Tendrils of fire spread from her hand and they watched as it crawled across the air, crackling and spitting, revealing a wall of mist. Where her flames traveled, burning holes began to bloom.
"Just a little more..." she griped, sweat dripping from her brow. She pushed and the entire thing caught ablaze and fell apart. Mia stumbled forwards.
Tsuna caught her before she face planted. "Mia, are you okay?"
She lifted her head, exhausted but alert. "Did it work?"
"It did." Mukuro said, sounding surprised in spite of himself. "Oya oya Miss Vongola, you're just full of surprises aren't you? Kufufufu."
"Gotta keep people on their toes somehow," Mia quipped back.
Hayato stepped forwards and raised his flashlight. He gulped. "So this is it huh?"
The trees and shrubs that blocked their way was gone. Carved into the very mountain, uncomfortably right next to the edge, was a small desolate church. There were no windows, just an open arching doorway sectioned off by torn yellow tape. Much of it had been reclaimed by nature as ivy ran along the cracks and the cobblestone yard was overrun by grass. Tucked in the corner was a large and rusty metal sign, its message faded.
"Yeah. This is it." Mia blew strands of her hair away. "Ignis Fatuus Monastery."
Hello, its been a while, I know. To everyone that messaged me and left reviews for this story in my absence and to those that visited my profile and read my very short update, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. For a while I wasn't sure if I would ever come back to writing. Too much has happened. Wasn't sure if I had it in me to even write anymore.
But here I am and hopefully, I'm here to stay this time.
I hope my writing hasn't changed too much. Like everything else, I'm in the process or relearning a few things so please forgive me if my writing doesn't live up to my old one. But I do hope you like this chapter dear reader. Also, just out of curiosity, do you have a song in mind when it comes to Tsuna and Mia? I've been listening to song suggestions from previous reviews - thanks again by the way readers - and its helped me get back into the groove of things as well as plan for future chapters. Thanks again and see you all on the next chapter.