Hi readers, just wanted to leave a quick note. Thanks for the messages/reviews from the last chapter! I work two jobs now so I haven't had time to check on the story at all since posting. Forgive me if I don't reply separately but I did read them all. Thanks for the warm welcomes : )
Disclaimer: I do not own KHR.
Out of everyone in the group, only Ryohei seemed enthusiastic to explore the abandoned monastery. The boxer was positively brimming with energy.
Tsuna was envious. He wished he could exude that much optimism but all he felt was dread. He gazed back at the ruin apprehensively. It didn't feel real to him until now. They were finally here, the start of the nightmare. Once again, he had the urge to just tell everyone to stop, turn around and run all the way to Sicily on foot if they have to. As if it wasn't bad enough that it looked straight from a horror movie, there was a fifty-fifty chance of them making it out alive, that is if the monster lurking in it doesn't kill them first.
Just as fast as the urge came it was roughly shoved aside. It was different now. He was different. His friends needed him. Mia needed him. He can't afford to be a coward now.
He felt Mia fumble around, searching for his hand, unable to tear her eyes away. He caught it and intertwined their hands together, squeezing hers reassuringly. Her skin was still hot. He had hoped that by coming here her symptoms would alleviate a little bit and they could rest for while and start exploring in the morning but that wasn't going to happen now. She was running out of time. He didn't know much about fevers - he really needs to learn basic first aid - but he was sure having a temp that high for this long was not good. He wasn't sure how she was able to stand for so long. He had been sick before, his highest was fourty-one and he could barely move then when his temp was on the thirty-nine.
He felt her squeeze his hand back. "Don't stray from me?" She glanced at him sideways.
"I won't," he promised.
"This is it Miss Vongola, Tsunayoshi-kun." Mukuro came to stand beside them. "This is as far as I can go. I'm already starting to feel its weight bearing down on this place. Anymore and I'll lose connection to this body."
Mia finally tore her eyes away as she slowly looked up at her father. There must have been something in her expression as it elicited a reaction from the man. Nicolas' brow's furrowed together, as if he was slowly coming to understand something. "We're off. Watch over him please." She whispered.
Nicolas blinked, eyes shining until Mukuro wrestled for control. He looked stricken and swallowed. "Go," he said hoarsely and briskly turned away. Hibari took his place.
"I'll keep watch," he promised quietly. Mia didn't seem to hear him. He shared a look with his Cloud Guardian. Tsuna didn't often talk with Hibari or see eye to eye but in that moment the boys had an understanding.
"Thank you," Tsuna told him. Hibari paused, then lifted his arm. In his grasp, hanging by the scruff of his shirt was a terrified Lambo. Tsuna wondered where he went — Hibari must have caught him earlier or took him from Hayato. His youngest guardian looked at him with pitiful pleading eyes. He looked ready to burst into tears.
"Tsuna-nii... Mia-nee..." Lambo hiccuped. "Let me come too!"
At that, Mia finally managed to compose herself. "Not this time piccino." She kissed his cheek. "We'll come back soon. Look after Pa for me please?"
Lambo was still sniffling. "B-But I'm supposed to be a guardian too."
"You are Lambo," Tsuna said kindly. He ruffled the boy's hair. "Keeping Nicolas safe is important to us. Can you do that?"
"O-Okay," Lambo finally gave in, slumping his shoulders. "But do I have to be stuck with the scary guys?" He muttered. He squeaked as Hibari narrowed his eyes at him.
"Herbivores should keep quiet." There was a warning in his tone. Lambo shot them another pleading look and Tsuna knew they would be just fine. Hibari turned around and hauled the boy away, following the direction Nicolas/Mukuro went.
Mia breathed deeply and closed her eyes, taking a moment to gather herself. When she opened them again, they were the steadfast blue he always admired.
They faced the ruin once more. "Let's go."
They took the lead. Inside, the stone walls curved upwards into a dome. There were no pews but in the far back was an altar made of stone and behind it, a small alcove. Whatever was meant to sit inside it — probably a statue — was gone. Hammered to the wall above it, was a crucifix made of wood. To the right was a passageway.
"Let's look at these first." Mia pointed at the corner. Sitting on the side were a couple of crates. "I think these were left behind after... the accident."
Takeshi strode up and using Shigure Kintoki, he pried off the lids and coughed when the thick layer of dust was disturbed. He waved the cloud away and rummaged through them. Most of the items were useless to them but they did find a single undamaged oil lamp, some flares and rope.
Takeshi wrapped the rope over his torso. Hayato lit the lamp and gave it to Mia. Most of the flares were stored in the bejewelled bag that Mia decided to take from Hayato. Among their group, only three had flashlights. Chrome, Ryohei and Hayato held them while the others outside had two. They weren't sure how long they would last so they decided to keep Hayato's in reserve and use the lamp for now.
The lamplight casted an eerie glow against the walls as they pushed into the passage. It was so narrow it could only fit two people side by side, which they did. They partnered up, Tsuna and Mia at the front, Chrome and Ryohei in the middle and Hayato and Takeshi taking up the rear. There were small, rectangular slits carved on the walls, providing a small view to the outside but even then there was barely any light coming in.
"Y'know which way to go Matteis?" Ryohei asked, attempting to whisper.
"I think so." She whispered back.
"There's some lights here," Tsuna noted, looking at the bulbs lined against the walls. "Think we can get them working?"
"I think so... if the generator was left behind, we can try to turn them on. After the earthquake this place had to be evacuated immediately — it was too dangerous to keep on going so a lot of things were left behind. Also, try not to get too close to the outer wall."
"Why? It looks sturdy." Ryohei tapped the said wall.
Mia didn't stop so they kept moving but she shot the boxer a sharp glare. "A huge chunk of this place had eroded over the last hundred years. If it collapses right now this entire section that we're walking on will slide off." Ryohei wisely kept his hands to his sides after that.
They followed the line down a level, passing several collapsed passageways and rooms, into a large open chamber where they found an old generator. Hayato inspected it. "I think this can still work but there's no fuel. Oi, baseball freak. See any gas cans around?"
"Yup!" Takeshi cheerily lifted one. "Wow, people really hightailed out of here." He started pouring the gas in.
"Why would people want to live here?" Chrome wondered out loud, shining her light at the ceiling that was uncomfortably low. If Takeshi were to extend just his arm upwards, he would be able to to touch it.
"Something about wanting to be closer to God," Mia answered.
"For someone who doesn't remember much, you sure do extremely know a lot." Ryohei noted sagely. "What is this room?"
"Its where they eat Senpai. The kitchens were that way." Mia pointed to the left and looked away. "Things are coming back to me and I just remember as we go." She grimaced. "This was the farthest I was allowed to go but I was always so curious... when they weren't looking I would slip away and explore on my own."
"Didn't you have school?" Tsuna asked, wondering how a child was able to roam in a place like this.
"I was homeschooled," she explained, surprising him. He didn't know that. She approached the other doorway to the right and peered into another long passage. "My parents didn't want to leave me alone, not even with a nanny. We didn't have any other family here either so they brought me along. I didn't mind - I was happy. It felt like we were on an adventure..." she drifted off, lost in memory. She tilted her head.
"You hear that?" she whispered.
It was one of those things you wouldn't want to hear in an abandoned monastery and it effectively creeped them out. There was no wind but they felt a chill in the room. Hayato hurriedly yanked on the generator's cord. It took him a few attempts, his pulls frantic until it finally roared to life and he sighed in relief.
The lights flickered on, illuminating the carved walls. They turned off their flashlights but Mia kept her lamp close.
"Mia?" Tsuna touched her shoulder. "What did you hear?" he asked her.
"We're close." She shrugged off his hand and briskly strode into the next passage. Tsuna followed closely, his anxiety weighing down heavily in his stomach. Guided by some unknown force, Mia led them down a staircase deeper into the monastery. They nearly tripped over their feet trying to catch up to her. They passed several collapsed tunnels, squeezed through partially burried rooms and avoided falling into a pit. The deeper they went, the more obvious the damage to the ancient structure was. Tsuna tried not to think about being buried alive and also swore to himself that he will never go exploring ruins ever again.
Mia slowly came to a stop when the lights came to an end and was forced to use her lamp. The stumbled to a stop just behind her.
"Don't do that Mia!" Tsuna scolded her but she ignored him. She knelt and shined her lamp across the floor, her fingers touching long thin lines that ended where the rest of passage had caved, stretching far by several feet. On the opposite side, Tsuna could make out the slanting outline of debris. Now what? He thought, distressed. It was a dead end.
"The sepulcher is just below us," Mia said. Her voice shook with supressed emotion. "We're almost there."
"A seppuku what?" Tsuna heard Ryohei whisper, confused.
"Sepulcher turf top," Hayato corrected quietly. "Its a crypt."
"Oh." He paused. "That's extremely good because what I had in mind was just — woah."
Tsuna's hand twitched toward his pills. A crypt. Of course they were heading there. He almost preferred Mia's term. That way he didn't have to think about it.
"If its below, how are we supposed to get down?" Takeshi wondered worriedly. He traced the hilt of his sword with his finger, his almond eyes flickering towards the hole ahead and the way they came. "Is there another way we can go through?"
"No," Mia said, shaking her head. "This is the only way through. We can still get there by going down from here but we need to climb down. You still have that rope?"
Takeshi hesitated. "Yeah but I don't think its a good idea to use it. It's — "
Dirt spilled on their heads. They stopped. Nobody even dared to breathe. Then the ground shook violently. They stumbled and clung to the sides. Mia, who was dangerously by the edge, nearly fell in if Tsuna hadn't pulled her back. She dropped her lamp and they fell back on solid ground with an oomph!
When the shaking stopped, they looked at each other alarmingly. They quickly got to their feet.
Ryohei swallowed. "That was extremely scary. What the heck happened just now?"
Hayato turned his head upwards, his brows furrowing. "That felt like it came from above."
Chrome fell on her knees, clutching her stomach, groaning. Takeshi knelt beside her and grasped her shoulder.
"You okay Chrome?" he asked her.
"No..." She gasped. "M-Mukuro-sama lost connection with Nicolas-san. T-They were attacked!" She dry heaved.
Attacked? By who? They've done their best to hide their tracks. How were they found? The itch on his back started to act up again. Frustrated, scratched it and his fingers caught on something small. Brows furrowing, he reached lower, grasping the thing between his fingers and yanking it off.
It was tiny. Smaller than a button in the shape of a capsule, it was green and it was blinking. A fucking tracker. Of course it was.
"Damn it!" He crushed it beneath his heel.
"What's wrong Tsuna?" Ryohei asked.
Tsuna ran a hand through his hair, angry at himself. "They put a tracker on me — the ones that Verde sent! It must have been the time they got the jump on me!" He felt sick. He had been too careless! And Lambo and Nicolas were up there! Hibari would be fighting but he was all by himself.
Mia pulled on the collar of his shirt until they were an inch apart. "This is not your fault." She told him, her tone implying that if he continued blaming himself she'd make him regret it. "You didn't know. Okay?" When he didn't reply immediately she pulled him closer. "Okay?"
Wide eyed, he jerked his head to a nod. Mia let go, suddenly tired. She swayed on the spot. "Good..." she muttered and promptly fainted. Tsuna caught her before she hit the floor. His shoulder didn't appreciate the sudden exertion but he can bear with it. She twitched, her body jerking as if she was having a nightmare.
They held their breaths, but so far Pandora hadn't sprung to life yet. Tsuna waited for a few more seconds and when nothing happened, gently set her down. If Mia was fighting it back, there wasn't much he could do. The ground rumbled again.
He licked his dry lips. "Chrome, did Mukuro tell you where the others went before he was cut off?" he asked her. "How many were there?"
Chrome pushed herself up with her staff. "Yes Boss... they were pushed back into the entrance. There were... too many."
If they were pushed back then they were effectively boxed in. They were surrounded. If they went out to meet their pursuers head on they might have a chance but might destroy the entrance in doing so. Mia couldn't afford to fail and he had a feeling that if they left this place without finishing what they came here to do, something terrible would happen.
"Hayato." The bomber looked to him, face smeared with dirt and sweat. "Could you find the others and bring them in?"
Green eyes widened. "What if we're followed Tenth?" Hayato asked.
Tsuna hesitated, then steeled himself. "If you have to, destroy the entrance. Block it off." He ordered.
Hayato didn't hesitate. He shot off where they came from, his light quickly disappearing. Hayato had the best memory out of all of them, he wouldn't get lost. As soon as the bomber left, Tsuna met the gazes of his friends.
Feeling calmer than he had been in a while, he said, "You guys can be mad at me when we get out of here later."
He had expected them to be angry, to start yelling and probably punch him but it never came. Instead Ryohei commented, "Is it alright to let octopus-head go by himself?"
Takeshi shrugged helplessly. "I don't think it would be a good idea for either of us to go. The girls aren't exactly fighting fit right now." He lifted the rope over his head. "Its tight in here too, my sword won't fit."
"I can fight!" Chrome protested. "I just... need to catch my breath." There was a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead.
Takeshi raised his hands, surrendering. "Sorry, sorry, I take that back."
"You guys aren't mad?" He unintentionally blurted out. They turned to him.
Takeshi grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "Nah man, I get why. Don't sweat it Tsuna."
"Yeah Tsuna, don't worry. We'll find a way out somehow, even if I have to extremely dig my way out!" Ryohei exclaimed.
In spite of himself, Tsuna let out a breathy laugh. His friends managing to surprise him yet again.
"Boss." Chrome inched closer to the edge. "You may want to see this."
Tsuna immediately made it to her side. At least twenty feet below, Mia's lamp had shattered. The spilled oil however, was still burning but it was quickly being consumed. There was another floor below, just like Mia said.
"Takeshi, how's that rope we found?"
"Its a bit worn out but I think it should hold."
Tsuna thought about it. "Can you lower me down first?"
"Well, yeah, but maybe me or senpai should go first — "
"No." Tsuna cut his friend off, shaking his head. "I'm light — if the floor gives away I can always fly." He pointed out. "I can check out if the next level is safe."
Takeshi sighed. "Alright."
Chrome had given him her flash light. They weren't knowledgeable with rappelling but Takeshi did know a few fisherman knots. As another explosion rocked the monastery, this one stronger than before, with cracks starting to appear on the ceiling, Takeshi quickly finished up.
Soon, they were lowering him down slowly. As he descended, Tsuna tried to think of happy things to distract himself from the darkness that was trying to squeeze the air out of him. Hanging out with his friends, going to the arcade, the movies, the park, playing games, long naps, dates with Mia...
When they get back he was going to demand his Cloud Guardian to find someone else to be his secretary. After all that they've gone through this trip, he'd fight the prefect any day of the week if it meant they could finally have a proper date!
Before he knew it, his foot met solid ground. "Okay, stop!" He slipped off the rope and looked around. The air was damp but there wasn't a single water source. He looked around. To his right, the whole passage was filled with debris. To his left were a set of stairs down a familiar corridor.
Shining his light, he caught sight of a large tomb at the end.
He moved towards it but lost his balance as the strongest tremor yet knocked him over. He rolled away to avoid getting crushed by a piece of the ceiling that fell off. It shattered by his feet. The tremors didn't stop and for one terrifying moment, he thought that this was it.
Thankfully, they did stop. Tsuna sank to the floor and on his back, his legs becoming jelly. He lied there for a moment to catch his breath.
"Boss, are you okay?" He heard Chrome call out in worry.
He hauled himself up, dusting off his shirt and wiped his forehead. "Yeah, I'm okay! Are you guys okay?"
"We're good Tsuna!" He heard the boxer boom, his volume loosening dirt from cracks. Tsuna cringed and heard as the others immediately shushed him.
Tsuna sighed in relief. Some rocks tumbled on the side and Mia's head peered down at him. She squinted when he shined the line on her face.
"Hey." She said as if she hadn't fainted earlier.
He pointed the light away, relieved that her eyes were still blue. "Are you okay Mia?"
"Yeah, I'm coming down in a bit." And she disappeared.
"W-Wait!" But she didn't listen. He couldn't exactly hear what she was saying to the others but from her tone, it sounded intimidating. He bit down his protests, knowing full well that she wasn't going to stop. After a short while, she was climbing down. She struggled for a bit but managed without falling and dropped down.
"I need to open the door." She said striding past him. He caught her elbow, whirling her around to face him.
"Mia... about the others — "
"I know," she said quietly. "It wasn't easy, I know Tsuna. You did the right thing." She placed her hand over his reassuringly. Her skin felt warm now, he realized. "We'll find a way out."
"And your dad?" He wasn't sure if Nicolas would be able to process this.
"I'll figure it out." She pulled away but he could tell she was worried. "But that door needs to open. I'd rather do it now before the others get here."
"Okay." He looked back up. "Guys, we'll go on ahead. Meet up with us when Hayato and the others gets back!"
"Sure thing Tsuna!" he heard Takeshi reply.
He turned back to Mia just as she finished tying her hair back. He couldn't place it, but something was different. He reached out and touched her forehead, startling her.
"Tsuna?" she asked him. Her temperature was going down, he was sure. He wanted to ask her again if she was okay but saw that she was trying her best to keep it together, most probably for his sake. The pool of anxiety in his stomach deepened.
"Nothing. Let's go." Together, they entered the next chamber.
Before she passed out, Mia was fading in and out of her memory. She had been fighting very hard not to since they stepped in this place, but this particular corridor, seized her by the neck. This is where her Mama had fallen to her death. It was covered now, but during the earthquake she remembered a huge fissure chasing their heels. It caught up to them. Before they fell together, her Mama threw her with everything she had. Mia had bounced away to safety but her Mama had fallen half-way in, clawing at the stone floor.
Mia scrambled back to her, hand reaching and failing by a hair's width. Then she was gone. The story concocted by journalists was that her mother had plummeted into the jagged rocks below but in reality she was found a day later, neck broken and washed ashore below the monastery. They never bothered to correct them.
The floor still had her claw marks. She would have stayed there, locked in that memory if Tsuna hadn't yanked her away. Suddenly she was back in the present and eventually succumbed to the fatigue after squeezing the last of her strength out to make sure Tsuna didn't blame himself.
As everything faded to black, Mia braced herself for a fight. Just as she predicted, it lunged at her for control and in response she slipped into the lake of fire inside of her. It was a complete knee-jerk reaction, out of desperation and borne from the single-minded thought to redirect her consciousness somewhere else before she was overwhelmed.
Somehow, against all odds, it worked. It freaking worked. Like a reverse dream where instead of waking up when tripping, she found herself falling into it. It was the weirdest thing she ever felt as she was suddenly floating over her lake and felt that she may have done something she shouldn't have.
Her victory was short-lived however, as it shrieked in her ears, furious that she dragged it with her and locking it out of her body. Here, it was a blazing orange inferno that shifted it's shape constantly. Only its eyes remained a complete gold. It thrashed wildly, striking out against her flames but never touching it as she pulled it back, remembering her experience with Xanxus. Having no body before, she couldn't tell what attribute it had until now. Now she did. She could also see that it was bonded to her. A tendril of fire was attached to — is that a foot? She'll settle for a limb instead — its limb like a chain.
Skies are bound, she remembered.
It stopped thrashing and looked to her slowly. Its eyes that were in slits, slowly dilated.
And you are mine. It echoed slowly in her voice, in an accent she did not recognize, and it startled her.
Common sense told her not to engage with a centuries old monster that lived rent-free in her head. Looking at it now, it reminded her of a cornered animal. She couldn't help but let her curiosity get the best of her. What are you?
Lost. It communicated brokenly. It couldn't exactly speak but she felt it. It was... sad. She also had a feeling it didn't know a lot of words and it might have been echoing words it picked up over the years. It was like speaking to a child. For some reason, this struck her hard. Her memory hadn't returned completely but there was something that she was forgetting. Something about Pandora. Her flames churned restlessly.
This threatened Pandora and it reeled back, its eyes hardening. You left. It accused. Alone. Left me!
I didn't! She snapped back. Her flames burst into columns. One of them struck Pandora and it shrieked in pain. Horrified, she quickly reeled in her emotions. I'm sorry!
Sorry. It spat with venom. You promised! Don't leave me! Left me!
A promise. Yes, she did make a promise, she realized. Her gut twisted uncomfortably.
I promised to take you outside right? She tried to approach it again.
Outside. The longing she felt from it was raw and powerful, her throat tightened and it brought tears to her eyes. Wide blue skies, the crisp air, the wind in her ears... she shook herself out of it. It wasn't her longing but Pandora's.
How long have you been here?
The impression she got was blank — meaning it didn't know. The emotion following its response nearly crippled her. The hollowness that she felt was on the edge of overwhelming despair. If she had been concious she would have been on her knees. It was a terrible feeling and suddenly, she could understand its desperation.
It came to her slowly.
Don't leave alone. It repeated. Promise. Its gold eyes bore down on her. A myriad of feelings passed through to her but only one rose above the others. Hope. A hope so earnest it hurt. It had been waiting all this time for someone to hear its cries, someone to set it free - someone like her. She lifted her hand and it moved, as if it was barring its teeth. It backed away. It didn't trust her because she had lied to it. Even to the monster she was a liar. That cut her deep.
She had been all over the place since this trip began. She had been scared, confused and torn. Every choice second-guessed. But not anymore. She would make things right.
I'll find you this time. She swore. Promise.
It eyed her warily but the temptation of freedom was too strong. It came close again. This time, it lowered itself to meet her eyes.
Promise. It touched its head against hers.
Then her eyes snapped wide open — to Chrome's fright — and she woke up.
The first thing she realized, upon gaining consciousness, was that her body hummed with energy. Like she had six shots of espresso that she was wishing for all day. Second, she felt Pandora's withdraw its presence to the farthest corner in her mind. It will wait, it seemed to say but the unspoken threat was still there. Renegade again and it will come back, force her if needed. Third, it still hurt. Her head still felt like Reborn kicked it. She could still use a week of sleep, but her mind was hers for now and she couldn't afford wasting time right now. The two life-sized statues greeted them with open arms, and just as she remembered, their faces had been struck off. Between them was a massive marble tomb, it's engraved name chipped away by age.
"Can I borrow your light?" Tsuna handed it to her. His face said how creeped out he was. She didn't blame him.
Mia knelt down, her fingers running the side of the tomb, searching and avoiding the overlarge thorns growing through the cracks. It was here somewhere... "Got it!" she exclaimed, crouching down.
"What did you find?" Tsuna looked over her shoulder.
Using the sleeve of her jacket, she wiped down a small part of the area, brushing away any loose dirt and picking at it until it revealed a smooth metal face. It was just a cover, one that she slid aside, revealing the metal ornament of the order's symbol - a blackthorn tree.
"Do we press it?" Tsuna asked.
"No," she replied. Another memory surfaced. "We feed it."
"What?" Mia could tell by the tone she sounded crazy. Well, she felt crazy too.
She touched it with the tip of her fingers. Instantly, like a magnet, her hand was pulled flat against it. She felt her flames act up, being sucked into what she now realized was the lock. All around them, one after the other, the torches lit up. Tsuna jumped but to his credit, did not scream. Then came the clicking, like clockwork, something inside the tomb sounded off. What sounded like thousands of unoiled pieces started moving, it screeched and clicked. It all culminated into the tomb's lid opening outwards, the doors laying on the statue's outstretched hands. When it was fully opened, Mia was finally able to pull her hand away.
A section of the tomb pushed out and she backed away. It clicked in place as a stepping stone and finally, it fell quiet. Her arm tingled and she rubbed it. Tsuna gaped at the entrance while she stared at the abyss. It stared right back at her.
"Tenth!" That startled Mia and she latched on to Tsuna with an undignified squeak.
He chuckled, quietly enough that she could feel it. He patted her back and her cheeks burned. She let go, to glare at Hayato who had stopped to take in the sight of the vault's opening that might have been taken straight from a horror game. His face was pale in the torchlight.
"Hayato, where's Pa and Lambo?" She called out to him. "Hayato?"
The bomber blinked and shook himself. "I... er... they're here. They're okay! Nicolas is just... um..." Her anxiety spiked as he paused. "Well, he's conscious but..."
"But?" She took a step forward to him. Hayato cringed before his shoulders slumped.
"He's pretty out of it Milady. I don't know what happened but he's really disoriented. Chrome said it might have been because Mukuro was forced out all of a sudden. He'd been... occupying the Professor for some time now so him leaving like that and coupled with the previous head injuries too... he's pretty out of it."
"That's not going to be a permanent side-effect right?" she asked, concerned.
Hayato shook his head. "Chrome didn't think so... for now he thinks he's dreaming so it might be for the best. I thought I should let you know before you see him." He wouldn't meet her eyes, feeling guilty as if somehow it was his fault her Pa got hit in the head several times and was possessed.
Mia exhaled softly, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her head was killing her, "Okay." She licked her lips. "Everybody just follow my lead alright? I'll handle him. Thanks Hayato." Hayato nodded and went back to get the others.
"Are we going to have to lie to him?" Tsuna asked her.
No, she didn't want to but... "We've come too far... we need my Pa to cooperate if we're going through this. If he's okay, he might understand but if Pa can think all of this was just some bad dream, I would rather he have that than go through this awake. Who knows, maybe one day he might even forget."
"But you won't," he said sadly. The light of the torches reflecting in his eyes made him look older. "I wish you didn't have to go through this." He sighed. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Oh this sweet boy. She found herself smiling.
"I won't forget," she agreed. "But I'll always remember I had you. That I wasn't alone, that I was with my friends. That's enough for me."
The rest shuffled in cautiously. Mia was relieved to see Lambo wasn't hurt albeit he was dirty. He clung to Takeshi, his eyes wide and quiet as a mouse. The sepulcher intimidated him. Hibari followed, his jacket lost. There was a cut on his cheek but otherwise he was unharmed. Lastly, limping in the rear was her Pa who was being supported by Ryohei who had his arm over his shoulders. His eyes were clouded, unfocused and he kept mumbling but he changed when he saw her.
"Mia? What are you doing here?" He slurred out. He looked around, frowning. "Where are we?"
All eyes fell on her. She forced a smile while she walked up to him. "She's hiding Pa," she lied. "Remember? We were playing hide and seek. You were it." Hide and seek. It used to be her favorite game to play with her parents as a kid.
His eyes darted around before focusing on the floor. "I... was it. Yeah, Elaide was good at hiding. Liked to jump out... and scare me for kicks." A dreamy smile spread across his face.
Her tongue felt heavy but she forced herself to continue. "Yeah! I know where Mama is hiding."
He glanced behind her, at the opening to the vault. "Oh no," he groaned, exasperated. "Let me guess, she's hiding somewhere dark and wet?"
"Probably?" Mia drew out, unsure and a bit perplexed.
"I swear if she dumps another mummy on me..." he muttered before shaking his head. "Okay, lead the way Mia. You're harder to scare." He reached out and turned her by the shoulder. He nudged her forwards and looked down at Ryohei. "I don't like mummies." He explained. "Last one we found was a poor bastard that was buried alive."
"Uhhh..." Ryohei looked to them for help. Mia gestured for him to go along with it.
As interesting her Pa's stories were, Mia took it as a sign to go before he realized he was not dreaming. No going back now. A cold draft blew against her cheeks and she pushed on, the others following her lead. The moment she stepped through the entrance, crystals embedded into the wall hummed to life, illuminating the long staircase. At the bottom of the steps, a grand sight greeted them. Several gasps sounded behind her.
Just as she remembered, the vault held rows and rows of shelves that towered over them, filled with all kinds of unusual items, sealed chests and crates. Illuminating the start of each row were strange lamps that burned without fuel. The rest of it remained in the dark. The ceiling could barely be seen and if it wasn't for the occasional pulsing of light that streaked like shooting stars, Mia would have thought the shelves would go on forever. The vault was completely devoid of life, not even a single spider was present. In the distance, she heard something whirring and remembered Ian's warning.
She didn't remember running into a Sentinel when she was younger but she may have been lucky then. She'd rather not find out what it was. "Stick close and don't. Touch. Anything. Capiche?" The nodded except for Hibari and her Pa. The prefect was looking where the sound originated from, eyes narrowed, his tonfas in hand. Her Pa was looking around in awe, mouthing things she couldn't catch except 'College', 'Excavate', and 'Scones'. She had no idea what the last one was about but he may have just been hungry.
"I'll extremely keep an eye on him Matteis," Ryohei promised.
"Chairman?" She called out to him.
Hibari didn't turn, but he did say, "Just go little cub. There's something here with us."
That was enough to get them going. Not wanting to know what else was with them, Mia picked a row. She was surprised when it lit up, didn't think too much on it and started trekking the long hall. Occasionally, her Pa would recognize something but before the professor could take a closer look, Ryohei would pull him away. Mia herself didn't care to know what secrets the Order decided to hide. At least, she didn't care about what was in this vault. There were a few items that caught her eye - there were odd tools that she had never seen before, scrolls that looked suspiciously made out of human skin and a giant two handed hammer that looked straight out of fantasy novel.
Mia didn't know how long they walked. She thought her nightmares had exaggerated it but the hall really is long. After nearly an hour of walking, Mia wondered what crazy madman would want to build something like this.
The air smelled old and musty. Mia wondered if there was an aqueduct under the vault. Where water flowed, there had to be a way out of here and into the ocean. At best they can follow the water out, at worst, they can get washed out. Like Mama did? She imagined their broken bodies drifting and being washed up on shore. She furiously shook her head. Don't think about it you idiot!
"You okay?" Tsuna looked at her worriedly. He spoke quietly, but his voice still carried through the hall.
"I'll be fine," she assured him in the same quiet tone. "I'm just... nervous."
He didn't seem to believe her but he let it go. "Its just up ahead right?" He pulled out his mittens and slipped them on.
"Yeah... are you sure you need to do that?" She searched for her Pa and found him eyeing the items dreamily. Tsuna took out two pills. Behind them, she heard Pa. "Oh wow, a shinai!" Takeshi must have drawn Shigure Kintoki out, following Tsuna's lead. Hayato must have too.
He flashed her a smile. "Just in case."
She felt herself smile back. Mia would never have made it this far without Tsuna. She would have balked before setting one foot in this place. Having him and everyone here filled her with courage. She was still terrified but with them she felt like she could actually do this. It just hadn't sinked in until now. So far they were relying on her memory to guide them through but memory alone wasn't enough. Ian swore there were traps and she believed him. It was weird that she was able to traipse around here without getting impaled when she was younger. The best that she could guess was that it had something to do with her able to open the lock. As they progressed deeper and deeper, the more she started to believe her guess might have been right. She noticed that the lights only lit up where she led them. The other rows remained dark. Curiously, she thought about exploring the row next to them.
As if the vault sensed her thoughts, the row on their right blinked to life, startling the others.
"Holy shit!" Hayato swallowed a yell.
Holy shit indeed! She though about staying in their row. The lights on their right winked out. Lambo started to cry.
"L-Lambo-san doesn't like this place!" He bawled. Takeshi bounced him in his arms.
"It's alright Lambo. We're almost out, right Tsuna?"
Tsuna forced a smile. "Yeah! We're very close. You're doing a great job Lambo. Just a little more okay?" Lambo had snot dripping from his nose but he nodded bravely.
"Fascinating..." Her Pa said out loud.
Mia silently agreed with her Pa. If she wanted to, she could probably have a raving light show. Not wanting to frighten her friends, they kept going. Somehow, her will was attuned to the vault. It slightly made her feel better. But if that was the case, how come a trap triggered in the past?
"What is that?" Chrome pointed. Ahead of them was a pedestal, sitting on top of it was the strangest book she had ever seen. It was large, its cover was completely made out of some metal. Seven round hollows, the size of a small ball, circled it's cover. Instead of buckles, the book was clasped shut by clawed boned hands on either side. One of the index fingers, Mia noticed, was missing a claw.
Mia approached it. It had no name. She felt a hand on her shoulder as her Pa took a peek at the book as well. He staggered forwards and Mia had to support him. Ryohei gestured at her apologetically when she turned to him for an explanation. "I don't believe it - is that the Arcobaleno Compeneri? So it was here after all! She was right!"
Her brain screeched to a halt at the word 'Arcobaleno'. "The what?" Mia gasped incredulously. "Arcobaleno Compeneri?"
Pa nodded, excited. "Yes, the Rainbow Compendium! Elaide and I have been searching for it for years!" He reached out to touch it. Mia panicked and grabbed his arm. His brows knitted together. "Mia." He chastised her.
In her sweetest voice, she mustered up all her powers of persuasion. "Papa, what's the Arcobaleno Compeneri?"
He was still frowning but answered. "Its a compendium of several figures that appear throughout history. Tales of their exploits, deeds and gifts. The Strongest Seven." Several jaws dropped, including hers. "It was written by Lucian Corvo sometime around..." He blinked, trying to recall. "Ah! Yes, around four hundred years ago. According to the scriptures we found, Lucian forged the cover himself and when he finished the book, he died holding it." He tilted his head. "I suppose that last part wasn't exactly true."
If the hands on the cover didn't belong to Lucian Corvo then she didn't want to know who or what they belonged to.
A book on the Arcobaleno however... Mia exchanged a loaded look at her friends. Expressions ranged from bewildered to just as surprised as she was. The only exemptions were Lambo, who was bored of the topic and Hibari. He looked disinterested in the least, his focus somewhere else in the dark.
What were the odds that it was what her parents were looking for? All these years she never even bothered to find out what brought them to the monastery in the first place. She felt stupid. Mia didn't know what to think but she knew, if she had that book, it might have details about the curse... This could be the very thing that could help Reborn and the others! So why? Why was she hesitating to take it?
Some part of her was wary. There was a reason why the Order had locked it away, why they were willing to leave it forever lost. Taking the book may cause more harm than good and it didn't exactly guarantee it would help. The other part, the one that was completely Pandora, urged her to leave the book. It nearly sent her into shock. She had almost forgotten it was still present in her mind. The impression she got was a grim warning.
"Mia." Tsuna looked to her, his eyes hopeful. "It could help."
"No," she blurted out. "We can't. We came here for one thing only." His expression fell.
"But - " He started just as her Pa moved. In her carelessness she had allowed herself to be distracted and lost her balance as her Pa stumbled, trying to get closer to the book. He grabbed on the book and the moment he did, she knew they made a mistake.
Mia felt the air seize up around them. Don't touch anything else. Ian had warned them. The lights rapidly started shutting off towards them before completely dowsing them in total darkness. Distantly, the doors to the vault slammed shut, locking them in. Several exclamations ranging from fear to suprise exploded throughout the group. They quickly turned on their flashlights.
Leave. Leave the vault. Run! Pandora seemed to say.
"What in the world?" Pa asked. He swayed and Mia had to use all her strength to keep him upright when he teetered. "El? Where are you?" he called out. "El?"
"Papa please be quiet!" she pleaded. He looked to her, struggling to comprehend what exactly was going on.
"What was that?" Takeshi silently handed Lambo to Chrome. He readied his sword.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. Heavy metal steps approached them, followed by whirring and clicking. They turned to face it. A humanoid marched out from a corner from behind them. It was six feet tall of lost mechanical engineering dressed like a roman soldier. It clumsily mimicked human movement but even then, its jerking movements added to its menacing presence. It had a bronze face set in a permanent scowl, a red glow emanated from the gaps in its plating. Hisssssss. Steam expelled from its joints.
"A Sentinel." It was an automaton. The Order had freaking automatons guarding its vault! As if it wasn't scary enough, the tip of the spear it was holding burst into flames, lighting up their row in blood red. That... was much worse. An automaton that can wield flames. Mia didn't know what the other types did but she knew it would be extremely bad if they were so much as grazed by it.
Hibari rushed out, quick as lighting and struck out. CLANG! It managed to block his attack. Somehow, it looked angrier than it did a second ago.
"Chairman..." No no no no, this was bad idea. "We should run!" She tugged at her Pa but he was rooted just as the rest of them were.
Hibari pushed on it, his arms straining. It's joints groaned and for a moment, Mia almost believed Hibari overpowered it. That is, until it pushed back and all but launched him over their heads. Mia caught a glimpse of surprise on his face before he twisted in midair and kicked off one of the shelves. As if predicting his movement, the Sentinel's right arm retracted into a cannon. Mia thought it was going to blast fire, instead it fired off blistering steam. Hibari maneuvered himself away as best as he could in midair. He narrowly avoided it but his left hand got caught.
"Chairman!" Mia was horrified. The skin on his knuckles had completely melted off, exposing the thin stretch of muscle and blood beneath. It didn't deter him and his grip on his tonfa tightened. The prefect got up again and charged. The Sentinel didn't fire again, probably to recharge, but it perfectly blocked his attack with its spear.
It's face clicked apart, its metal skeleton grinning as it opened its jaw.
Hibari leaped away, rolling as it breathed more steam. Mia could hear several more making their way.
"Run!" She pulled her Pa away from the book. "Just run!" He finally moved, seconds before he was impaled by the tip of the spear thrown by another Sentinel.
Tsuna grasped Nicolas' other arm, his forehead alight as he had already entered Hyper Mode. "Everybody, go!" At his sharp command they took off running. Together, they got her Pa moving. Hibari clicked his tongue but thankfully followed.
Mia saw more Sentinels come out from the sides. One threw a spear at them that Takeshi deflected. It hit one of the shelves, still burning. The shelf began to deteriorate and fall apart rapidly. Another one appeared ahead of them, ready to fire steam. Hibari threw his tonfa with pin point accuracy. It hit the Sentinels head, disrupting it mid charge and bounced up.
"Oraaaaaa!" Sasagawa-senpai charged and delivered a haymaker to its face that completely blew it off its feet. They ran past it and in one smooth motion, Hibari plucked his tonfa midair. If Mia didn't know any better, she would have thought they rehearsed it.
"Damn these guys are extremely durable!" Ryohei exclaimed as the one he knocked down got up again.
"No talking! Just keep running!" She snapped. The vault dimly lit up as more and more marched towards them. Another spear missed her by an inch, forcing her to let go of Pa and skid to a stop. Chrome, who was still holding Lambo, barreled into her. She lost her grip on him and Lambo bounced across the floor. Hayato then ran into Chrome, forcing Mia back on her face on the floor, the flashlight in her hand clattered away.
Chrome cried out in pain.
"Owwwww!" Lambo wailed.
"Shit! Chrome! Lambo!" Hayato quickly got back to his feet. "My Lady, are you okay?"
"Just go!" Mia barked, quickly getting back on her feet.
"I can't!" Chrome gasped. "I think my ankle — "
Hayato didn't let her finish. He picked her up an dropped her over his shoulder like a potato sack. "Come on!" He ran.
Lambo, not wanting to be last, shot forwards as fast as his small legs carried him — which was far faster than Mia was. He quickly overtook Takeshi that sliced past a few Sentinels.
"Pa!" Mia frantically searched but couldn't see her Pa in sight. He wasn't ahead with the others — where could he have gone? "Papa!" she screamed.
"Mia!" She whipped her head to the side. Her Pa was in another row. Without thinking twice she went after him, avoiding a Sentinel as it reached for her. Her Pa had been backed into a shelf and on the ground. A Sentinel stood over him. Various artifacts had littered the ground, having fallen off the shelf. Among them was a revolver with full length barrels. It was an old design she recognized. A Pepperbox. She grabbed it as she ran towards him.
One would think that it was a stupid idea to pick up a god-knows-how-old gun and expect to use it without bullets, black powder or anything but she didn't care. She had an idea — a stupid idea that could blow her hand off — but it was an idea.
The Sentinel raised its spear over its head.
It was now or never. Her flames surged into the gun. She raised it, took aim, and fired. An ear-splitting bang, echoed the vault. The token in her pocket shattered into pieces the same time the Sentinel was blown apart, tearing it off from its legs. It landed several meters away, its armor charred and cracked.
Mia dropped the destroyed gun, its barrel smoking, blown into a mangled metal mess as her arm shook from the recoil. She staggered towards her Pa, who looked up to her with wide eyes. She didn't know what he saw through the haze but in that moment, his eyes were flooded with clarity. Maybe he finally comprehended the danger they were in or seeing her had triggered something in him but he quickly pushed himself up.
"Mia! Nicolas!" Tsuna came flying around the corner. He saw them and dropped, kneeing another Sentinel that got too close.
He propped himself up beside her.
"Are you okay?" he demanded, orange eyes eyeing her up and down.
"Is your head on fire?" Her Pa asked at the same time, gaping.
She couldn't move her arm. As far as she knew it was still intact with all fingers attached and that was enough for her right now. "Yeah," she replied and quickly looped her arm around her Pa's, who was still blinking, unable to believe his eyes.
"I'll cover you guys." Tsuna's expression hardened. "Don't look back, you hear me Mia?" A Sentinel rounded the corner, spewing steam. Tsuna whipped out a flame shield and met it head on. "Go!"
"Mia, Tsuna is —"
"He can handle it!" Mia pulled on her Pa. He didn't fight back and together they half-ran. She could hear the others fighting close by but even then it was too dark. She didn't even know if they were going the right way.
At this point, Pandora had crawled out of the corner in her mind.
"Can you guide me?" she asked it out loud. Her Pa looked at her with concern.
Guide. It affirmed and urged her to take a left. Seeing as she had little choice, she decided to trust it. They shortly ran into Takeshi and Hibari. The prefect was a whirlwind of steel.
"Professor!" Takeshi beamed at the sight of them. "Thought we almost lost you guys!" He ducked and struck at a group of Sentinels behind him. His sleeve was completely torn.
Mia felt another urgent mental tug. She looked to the right. "Come on — this way!"
Tsuna kept an eye on them as they moved, never letting any of the Sentinels fire off their steam attacks. But no matter how many they took down, more replaced them and the worst part was, the ones the boys already destroyed, didn't stop moving. Mia caught one cannibalizing another of its kind and reusing parts.
Up ahead, she could hear the others.
"There's another door here!" Ryohei yelled from up front.
"There has to be a lever of something around here!" Hayato frantically ran his hands over it. Chrome stood next to him, using her staff for support.
"Stupid door, open up!" Lambo pounded on it.
Large double iron doors loomed over them. If it was anything like the entrance — Mia didn't think, just acted. She slammed her useless arm against the door. At her touch, it lit up and she felt her flames being sucked in.
Pa yelled something but she couldn't hear him. Ryohei yanked her down to avoid her head from becoming a pin cushion but her hand remained glue to the door. Just when she thought her arm was going to shrivel up and fall off, it finally swung inwards and she fell in.
Before her face could kiss the centuries old floor again, Pa held her up.
"I got you." Pa lifted her. He hauled them through the doorway, before collapsing on his knees. Lambo scuttled in next, then Hayato and Chrome. The bomber's face was red with exertion and roughly put Chrome down as his legs gave out. Mia hauled herself up and quickly looked over her shoulder.
Tsuna came next but as soon as he passed the doorway his flame extinguished. He yelped and flailed in the air, before crashing into Hayato. Takeshi and Hibari brought up the rear.
The Sentinels that were marching towards them stopped an inch from the doorway. They rested their weapons in perfect sync and stared at them. They stared right back. For a while, the room was filled with their hard breathing. Even when it was clear that the Sentinels would not be able to get in, they did not relax at all.
"Why aren't they extremely following?" Ryohei wondered out loud, still poised to fight.
"I don't think they can." Hayato kept an eye at the line of Sentinels while helping Tsuna up. He frowned and looked around. "What is this room?"
They were in a dimly lit circular room. It was probably dome shaped from the way the ceiling curved but she couldn't tell as she couldn't see the top. Old faded banners hung on the side. Apart from the door they came from, there were three other doors that were much smaller around them. All around them, small bones littered the ground that crumbled and cracked when they stepped on it. Mia noticed deep groves marked the floor, forming three rings and in the center, was a large metal grate. She remembered tossing a rock in there when she was younger. She never heard it hit bottom.
Mia remembered it was safe then. She wasn't so sure now. She stood up on shaky legs. Her head was pounding again but she pushed passed it. The Sentinels wouldn't follow them because they can't? Or there was no need to? Pandora prodded her mind again, urging for them to keep on moving.
"Should we... close the door?" She heard Chrome suggested meekly.
They didn't have to. The doors moved on its own. Hinges groaning, it slammed to a shut. But it didn't stop there. What sounded like clockwork started moving. It boomed throughout the room.
"This place sucks!" Lambo cried. "I hate it! I wanna go home! I wanna see Maman! There's bones everywhere!"
"Weren't you the one who was whining about coming in with us?" Hayato sniped back, irritated.
"Shut up bakadera! Mia-nee!" Lambo threw himself at her waist. "He's bullying Lambo!"
"He's bullying 'me'," she automatically corrected and cringed. "Sorry, sorry, force of habit." Her head was aching again. She was still thinking but patted his head gently.
"Mia?" Chrome hobbled towards her.
"You should sit down for a bit Chrome," Ryohei suggested. "You look extremely hurt."
Tick-tock.
Mia gently pried Lambo off and knelt, touching the grooves on the floor. "Mia-nee?" Lambo asked, confused.
They ran deeper than she thought. They weren't here for just decoration. She walked ahead and took a look at the groove closer to the other doors. The flame from a nearby brazier blew her way and she saw a flash of steel deep in the crevice. Another mechanism. She sprang back to her feet, surprising Lambo.
"Guys, we should keep moving."
Tick-tock.
"Chrome might have sprained her ankle. We'll need to make an extreme splint first." Ryohei said. He looked around. "But I don't see anything around here."
"No. We can do that later but we need to go. Now." She poured all her conviction into it. They hesitated and she resisted yelling. They hadn't rested since they left the van. They were all tired but they couldn't stay here.Tsuna looked to her questioningly. She looked at him as part of the puzzle. He can usually leave Hyper Mode on his own. This time, he was forced out of it. That wasn't a coincidence.
Tick.
The floor rumbled and shook. They stumbled. "The hell is happening?" Hayato cried.
"Ah!" Chrome fell back on Ryohei.
Tock.
Floor began to rotate. Each ring alternating between clockwise and counterclockwise. "Woah!" Takeshi rounded past her, his arms thrown wide as he tried to regain his balance.
"My Lad — !" Hayato zipped past her.
"Miaaaa!" Her Pa yelled, his voice lost in the vortex.
They screamed as they started spinning faster. Suddenly, the room began to grow brighter as Tsuna's ring lit up, followed by the others. All at once, they slammed against the floor, held by some force, as if their rings kept them anchored.
God I wish I was them, Mia thought frantically as her feet lifted of the ground as did her Pa. Takeshi managed to grab her Pa's hand, holding him there but Mia had to cling to the edge of the grove with one hand.
"Miaaaa!" Tsuna was completely plastered to the ground. His ring keeping him anchored in a way he couldn't move his head at all.
"Don't. Let. Go!" Her Pa's voice faded in and out.
Her fingers were slipping and she sobbed. Is this how she was going to die? Thrown against the wall 100 miles per hour, splattered like a bug?
What little strength she had was gone. She searched for Tsuna but she locked eyes with her Pa instead. She could see in his eyes it was hopeless. They both knew what would come next.
Her fingers lost their grip and she was airborne. Some people would have their entire life flash before their eyes. Others managed their final words. She didn't get either, not even a goodbye. As she hurtled through the air, she felt something wrapped around her leg than then dragged her straight into the abyss.
Author's Note: I may have taken a lot of inspiration from my DnD game while writing this. I was also listening to a ton of horror game soundtracks lol.
While writing this chapter (I wrote 52 - 54 in advance) I remember looking at my notes and saw Mukuro highlighted with a ton of question marks. Like, what is the extent of Mukuro's power? Can he actively possess two people at the same time and keep Chrome alive? Things like that. Also poor Nicolas. I can't seem to give him or Mia a break.
Anyways, thanks so much for reading. I might probably go back to edit some chapters for grammar/spelling updates in between posting so you might see that. Have a good week everyone!