Guess who's back and here to serve yall some action and feels?!

Word Count: 10,955

"THIS DOESN'T HURT AT ALL!" Ryohei screeched, laying belly down on a mat as Kyoko went about extracting chunks of wood and glass from his back. "NOT ONE BIT!"

"Nii-san, you're trying too hard," she scolded, tweezing another piece from his skin.

I breathed loudly through my nose as I leant against the rockwall not too far away from my siblings, Lambo resting against my chest, fast asleep despite the bustle of the campsite. We were hidden away in the forest that Tsuna and Hayato had begun their Future in, a cavern acting as our shelter for the night. It wasn't the most sanitary, and the girls were running around making sure no one got infected, boiling water over the small fire we had chanced, deep in the cavern, to clean the wounded.

Hayato had made a point to sit as far away from me as physically possible, but none of the others had caught onto the new tension between us. It was likely because of Takeshi beating him over the head during their Gamma fight, but the Storm wasn't letting his newborn suspicion get in the way of cooperation.

I tried not to pay too much mind to his mistrust, but now and then, I'd tap at our Forge, urging him to, at least for now, trust that I wasn't an enemy.

I sighed and wrapped my arms around Lambo tighter, Ryohei's jacket draped over the both of us to guard against the moist chill. It carried the usual scent of heavy deodorant that Ryohei wore to try to smother his sweat's stench, and was comforting, especially when Takeshi was so far away and unaccounted for.

Lambo's breath puffed against my breast, his face nuzzled into my chest to keep the air he breathed warm and ward him from illness while we ran. His hands were all fisted up and tucked under his chin, the boy curling up into a cute little ball in my arms that I just wanted to cuddle and kiss until he whined for me to stop.

"Love you, baby," I cooed, touching his soft cheek with my fingers, holding him tight against me. "Love you so much."

I felt the little Lightning twirl against the darkness and smiled down at my son, craning my neck to press a kiss to his forehead.

I-pin was fast asleep too, resting in Chrome's lap who looked down at her with some kind of hesitant affection. Since the Millefiore attack, we had all been very attentive to each other, making sure everyone was within eyesight and ear-shot. Even Hayato had checked up on me a few times, stopping by to ask about my injuries and to give me my dinner since I had been occupied by Lambo.

Mephisto laid beside me, sleeping restlessly, eyes closed but ears twitching at every noise of the forest. I rubbed my hand across his belly in attempts to soothe him, and he gave a soft noise as his tail thumped the ground, a paw hooking over my wrist.

"Bite the blanket, brother," I warned, touching his shoulder and rubbing circles into his skin. "Take a breath and breathe through it or you'll get light-headed again."

Ryohei huffed up at me before he dropped his chin on his forearm and pouted - then Kyoko got out the disinfectant from the first aid kit and he started singing.

Mephisto was on his feet in seconds, tail and ears high in alert and growling. I hushed him and let him sniff my hand before I scratched his ear, keeping an eye on the Sun who writhed.

Lambo stirred in my arms at the unholy screech and I looked away from my brother to hold my dearest tighter, patting his back in a soothing manner. He made a noise before green eyes opened and peered up at me from under the jacket; the scream shocking him awake and making his eyes widen.

"It's okay, honey," I soothed, brushing his hair from his face and kissed his forehead. "It's okay, Ryohei's just being dramatic. We're safe for now."

"Where's Daddy?" he asked, voice so very small. "Is he back yet?"

"Not yet, my little love," I breathed, smiling softly when he reached out and grasped my fingers in his small hand. "Daddy's okay, though. I promise."

Lambo looked so sad for a moment and it broke my heart.

"Come on, give Mama a kiss and back to sleep with you," I hushed before my child reached to kiss me lightly and then cuddled back into my chest. "Sleep well, baby."

"Don't want to sleep," he murmured, still clutching my hand and hugged it tightly.

I paused before giving a tired sigh and nodded, helping the boy sit up in my lap. He shuffled around and pulled Ryohei's jacket closer up his shoulders, back pressed to my chest and my arms forcibly drawn around him.

"Are you hungry?" I asked softly, wrapping him up tight as he began to idly play with my engagement ring and the gem on my Rings.

"A bit...Not really," he hummed, "Thirsty. Want milk."

"Sorry, honey, no milk right now," I sighed, "Only water for now."

"Okay," Lambo accepted, taking the water bottle I handed him and sipping from it.

The voices of the Skies began to raise and drew the attention of the group. It made my lips twitch downward slightly before I pulled Lambo closer and combed his hair, unravelling tangles.

"It is the one thing I have known for certain, since long ago," Uni sighed, brushing dirt off her knees. "That this place would serve as the battlefield for the final battle with Byakuran-san. That, come tomorrow, dawn will signify the start of the battle that will decide it all."

Then she spun on her heel and smiled over to me, her face forcibly bright, smiling through the pain. "Right, Daiki-chan?"

Hayato glared at me as everyone's eyes dug into my face. I huffed and cradled Lambo securely; the child glancing up at me for a moment before he went back to watching the firepit.

"Bro..." Ryohei breathed, glancing around at the burning attention I was on the receiving end of.

"From what I understand from listening to Uni-san here," I scoffed, "That Millefiore bastard is feeling the pressure. He's going to gamble everything on one last battle."

"Anything else to add, you fucking giant?" Hayato growled, and I gave him a look out of the corner of my eye.

"We should be careful. Like Daisy-san's supposed immortality for the Game, Bya…The Millefiore may have another trump card."

Ryohei, all bandaged up, came and sat beside me, keeping me company with his warm skin against mine.

There was a stir in the group, I had apparently said what everyone was thinking but no one wanted to hear.

"Um," Haru began, giving the atmosphere a tense look. "When this fight is over, we'll be able to return to our own time again?"

"Yes. Although Byakuran-san shared his knowledge across multiple parallel worlds, if you think about it logically, it also means that all of these worlds are interconnected and there is only one solid being."

"...I don't get it," Ryohei admitted lowly, and all I did was nod and let him lean his head against my shoulder.

"Destroy one, and you will be able to return to a peaceful past, completely free of fear."

I shifted in my seat and my brother gave me a concerned look before he sighed and got comfortable again. I rubbed Lambo's stomach as he leant back, and despite his own insistence, his head nodded as he began to drift off.

"Sleepy, baby, sleep," I hushed, and he grumbled in denial before he slumped against my arms."You too, brother," I continued, turning my attention onto Ryohei who was staring at the firepit with half-open eyes.

"Need to be alert..."

"Need to be rested," I scolded, kissing the top of his head. "You need to be ready for dawn."

"So do you," he huffed before we looked up and Kyoko came and nested between us.

"Both of you go to sleep," she ordered, drawing us both to lean against her, Miphy coming to curl up in her vacant lap. "Your little sister will keep watch."

Ryohei and I looked to one another before we let out a huff and curled into the girl's sides, her arms coming to wrap around us as well as she could. Despite how small she was, her arms thin and hands slender, I felt the safest I had that night. And from how quickly we heard Ryohei's snoring, he too felt the same.

"Night, aunty 'Ko," Lambo murmured from my arms, barely conscious.

"Night Bo-kun," she whispered, and I smiled as I fell asleep with my head on her shoulder.

. . .

They gave Ryohei nor me roles in the next battle. Despite Ryohei's huff and insistence, we both knew that making us sit out was the best choice; we were tired, and we were still injured.

It didn't mean that Ryohei didn't complain every other moment.

"We've still got our Boxes, bro," I soothed, my arm around his shoulders as we sat together, those mobile enough bustling around. "We can help from afar."

"Okay," he pouted, before he looked at me from under his lashes and carefully uttered, "How do you think Takeshi is?"

I paused and looked up, the rocky roof of the cave stained with smoke. Dawn was approaching, mere moments away.

"I think...Takeshi will be okay."

He was going to be okay, but God did I want him here. If not here, then for me to be with him instead. I had already been separate from him for so long, to be apart from him now made me anxious beyond belief.

God, I wished Reborn had just shut up and let me and Lambo head back to the base with him.

"Mama..." Lambo murmured, a little hand reaching up.

I blinked before stitching a smile onto my face and grasped his tiny fingers. He cooed as I pressed kisses along his face, bundling himself against my chest.

"Mama's okay, baby," I assured, "Thank you though."

"Daddy will be back soon, Mama," he said, patting my chest. "Lambo promises!"

I couldn't help myself and curled around him tight, holding my baby like he was the last thing I had to cherish on Earth. He squirmed to get comfortable as I kissed into his hair, holding onto the back of his onesie with a brutal grip so no one could take him away from me.

"I love you so much, Bo-kun. You're wonderful, don't let anyone tell you otherwise," I breathed to him and he beamed up at me. "Give Mama a hug."

Lambo latched onto me with a vengeance and smothered his face into my shoulder. I felt him shiver in my arms and I pulled Ryohei's jacket around him tighter, not wanting him to catch a chill while we were running.

"Daiki!" I blinked and turned to Tsuna, suddenly feeling eyes on me and wondering what I had missed. "Gamma-san thinks if we double layer your Synchronisation with an Inter-Box Combination then it'll be doubly as powerful."

"Cool," I uttered slowly, "But I can only Sync with Ryohei, so I don't know how much help it'll be."

"We can use you as a model," Gamma huffed and I withhold the need to bristle. I knew his character and the more logical part of me said that he was a 'good guy' now, but the memory of Hayato and Takeshi being electrocuted over and over still made my pallet sour around him. Gamma seemed to sense this as well, but he had yet to comment. "It'll be a hack-job at best considering the short time, but if we've got an Inter-Box going, then we should be able to copy you."

I pursed my lips in precaution and looked to Ryohei for his thoughts. My fellow Sun was already grinning at the notion of 'Syncing up' again, an ungodly twinkle in his eyes.

"I guess that settles it then," I murmured, and he gave a roar of approval.

"Bro and I will get started EXTREMELY Synching right now!" Ryohei howled, and I leant my head away as my ear began ringing. "Let's get started!"

"Okay," I winced, and Lambo slowly crawled out of my lap to get breakfast with I-pin and the girls. "Say thank you to Kyoko, baby."

"I will," he nodded and jumped on top of the chocolate ration bars, making me sigh.

Mephisto grumbled as he got to his paws and shook himself down before bounding after the little Lightning, sniffing around I-pin for a moment and then laying a lick on her cheek. He huffed and sat himself down beside the children, lapping at the water Haru cupped in her hands for him.

I winced and promised that when we got back, Miphy would be allowed to gorge himself all he wanted, as well as a new toy. The poor pup deserved it.

"...Ready, bro?" I asked and Ryohei bounced in his seat, wounds doing little to keep the Sun grounded as his Flames rose up, ready for mine to intertwine.

We stood up and began to walk around each other. Ryohei and I were both physical learners, and we needed to move to get things done; Synchronisation was no different. The burning in our blood made us restless and shook the rhythm off course, so we paced around each other until our footsteps mirrored perfectly like our bodies were attached by a thread.

Ryohei. My brother, my fellow, my friend.

It took four more steps - one, two, three, four - and then I felt the frequencies of two Suns come to a perfect resounding hum. The sound of the perihelion dogs of the Sun.

Ryohei grinned and spun around to face me as I turned as well, a look of satisfaction and pride intermingling across our Forge.

"On your mark, Tsuna!" he called, eyes still fixed on me, both of us ready to move at the slightest suggestion.

"Everyone!" Tsuna called, and they snapped to attention. "Let's get our Boxes open! There's no way in hell we're not going to use this!"

Ryohei and I punched out Rings into our Boxes, absolutely flooding them with perfectly Synchronised Flames until creatures burst forth. Lickey screeched as he was released and swung around to Kangeryuu. The Sun Kangaroo huffed out through his nostrils as the bat flapped its leathery wings and came to splay across his skull, between two long ears.

"Hehehe, bats," Ryohei giggled, and I slapped his arm with a harrumph.

"It's a spectacle seeing them all together like this," Hayato hummed, still slumped across the ground. "I mean, we're missing-" the bomber made a face, "-Takeshi's and Kyoya's but...all that's left is to get Basil's Brain Coating for the Inter-Box and we're good to go."

"Okay!" Basil nodded, and I barely took a moment to realise I had never been properly introduced to the new Rain. But, I supposed, pleasantries and introductions were second to the literal war for the world.

"Whenever you're- Wait, hey, Natsu!" Tsuna yelped, twisting around as a little flaming kitten of a lion scrambled to hide behind him, intimidated by the menagerie of Animals roaming around. "Sorry guys, outside of battle mode he's a complete wuss."

I snorted and got a shove from my brother who hissed out a 'shhh' at me, both of us wearing the same sharp smile. Then I spluttered as leathery wings latched onto my face and a warm little tongue assaulted my cheeks, the chipped chirps of Licky all too familiar along with the smell of bat saliva.

"Pfft-spppp," I spluttered, trying to keep the saliva out from the seam of my lips. I groaned and managed to get a hold of the microbat, letting him flap about on my hands and cling to my shirt. "Hello to you too, Licky. Ready for some action?"

The bat chirped loudly, laying out on its back and staring up at me with wide eyes, a huge smile taking up his face in ways that only animals could accomplish.

"Cutie!" Kyoko gasped, running over and looking at the creature. "Oh, what a cutie!"

"Careful, he'll lick you an inch of your life," I warned, but it was all for naught as the said fiend launched himself onto the girl and began sampling every inch of skin he could reach. "Oh get off, you're worse than Shamal-sensei, I swear you little bat."

Licky chirped and squeaked as I brought him back to my chest, tiny hands hooking into my collar as he got comfy against my chest.

"Bro! You need to meet the coolest dude, Kangaryuu!" Ryohei called, and I turned to see him in a one-armed hug with the fully decked out kangaroo.

I made a bit of a face, completely unsure how to go about greeting this creature. A handshake? Bro fist? Or should I get ready to get my organs kicked in and gouged out...again. I shook my head and coughed a bit to righten my mindset before I pottered over and gave a solid, appreciative nod to the creature of Flame.

Kangaryuu continued to give me the same, pupilless glare and for a moment, I thought I had pissed him off. He reached out with a boxer mitt-clad paw and softly nudged my shoulder. Then he did it again, a little firmer.

"Uh..." I blinked, before yelping as Licky grabbed a lock of my hair and all but dragged me forward until I was chest-to-chest with the glaring kangaroo.

Short, muscled marsupial arms reached out, and I gawked as the Sun Animal held me in an uncoordinated hug, its snout pressed flat against my chest. I heard its claws scratching the inside of the boxing gloves, and could only imagine it was trying to grab hold of me through them to no avail.

"Well," I uttered slowly, reaching out as well and hugging the kangaroo. "I guess all the Box Animals missed me after I...yeah." I looked down to the Sun Animal hiding in my chest and reached my hand up to run my nails over the short fur that grew on his nape. "It's good to see you too, Kangaryuu. Thanks for looking after our Ryohei here."

A huff of air was blown out against my chest and I smiled as the creature stepped back, regaining his height and posture.

"God, what is this, some kind of school stage act?" Gamma grumbled, and I withheld the childish and petty desire to flip him off from across the clearing. "It's nearly shocking that this group of brats all managed to get through this alive."

"Try and keep your Synchronisation going, Sasagawa-san, Yamaguchi-san," Shoichi requested, and us Suns looked to him. "I know you're still new to it, but we're going to need to blueprint."

"Understood," I nodded and rekindled my attention to Ryohei, who echoed the hold. "We're ready when you are."

"Mama," Lambo called and tottered over to me, Mephisto on his heels.

I dropped my gaze down to the boy and smiled as my baby tugged at my pants, reaching up to be lifted. My arms came around and scooped him to my chest, soft clicks coming from my vocals as he got comfy.

"Did you eat enough?" I asked, Ryohei coming over to start poking the child.

Lambo didn't respond to me, too busy slapping at the affronting hand of his uncle who continued to prod his ticklish points. Off to the side, I could hear the rising voices of the Vongola, but didn't pay them much mind as Kyoko and Haru came over to assist Ryohei in his prodding attacks.

"Mama!" Lambo squealed, trying to hide in my shirt, arms squished to his sides to protect them, occasionally lashing out to smack one of six hands. "Mama make them stooop!"

Mephisto barked at our feet, tail wagging and slapping Haru's calf until she dropped and began lavishing the pup with pets.

I smiled and let out a laugh before gathering him up properly and waving off the assailants, two Suns grinning at me as they loomed, ready to attack. My hand came up and gently petted the back of Lambo's head, hushing his pouting as he glowered at the family surrounding him.

"I'm sorry, but I can't follow your orders!" Hayato bellowed and any side chatting fell silent as we all turned around.

"Oh, wow," I uttered.

"He's defied Tsuna for the first time ever," Reborn hummed.

"Ack! Wait, no, that's not what I meant!" Hayato choked, but Tsuna still had a face of maximum uncomfy.

I shook my head at them and returned to soothing Lambo, touching his little face with my fingers and letting him play with my Rings. The little boy made faces at his reflection and fogged up Sun and Cloud gems with his breath, a smile playing on my lips as I watched him distract himself.

"Okay, we're splitting up!" Tsuna announced, and I looked up just as Lambo tried to fit his mouth around both Rings.

I listened closely as our group was diced up into three teams, Ryohei shifting beside me as he and I were sorted together, but Kyoko was drawn into Tsuna's team. I hushed him quickly, a glance sent his way suggesting this might be for the better, despite how he wanted our little sister in arm's reach at all times out here.

"Bro, can you tell me anything about this?" Ryohei asked as more people were designated, Lambo cuddling into my chest.

'I think I know who's going to meet up with who out there,' I signalled, feeling Hayato's eyes scan us all.

'Kyoko's going to run into them?! Shit,' my brother Flame hissed,

'No, actually. Tsuna's group is the only group which doesn't have a run-in.' I assured, 'It's the safest group for her to be in.'

"That dumb Lambo will also be an important part of Ryohei's team. He will fight tonight."

I snapped around and took a sharp breath, Ryohei bristling at my side as he pushed Lambo further into my chest.

"You're going to make Lambo fight!? He's five!" Tsuna yelped.

I grit my teeth as I remembered those days where Lambo had laid unresponsive in his crib, needing daily doses of Sun to heal what had been so badly hurt. It had killed me to see him like that, near on par with those days strapped to a chair.

"I also think that Lambo-kun is an important part in order to show the Vongola Family's true strength," Uni smiled and for the first time, I disliked the child.

Ryohei was practically vibrating beside me with some kind of bottled up emotion, before he stepped forth, eclipsing my form which cradled Lambo. I blinked as he stood strong in front of us, defending us.

"I'll take EXTREME responsibility and protect Lambo, sound good?" He shouted at them all, almost like he was trying to threaten them into agreeing with his demands.

"I'm his mother, Ryohei, I should-" I began, but he looked over his shoulder and huffed at me to shut up.

"You've done enough protecting this time around, bro. Let me handle the load for a while."

I blinked and then lowered my eyes in acceptance, holding Lambo close to me even as he pouted about his 'greatness' being smothered. I kissed his forehead and held him tight, wishing I could hide him from what was coming at least until he was thirteen, fourteen or even fifteen like the others currently were, to give him a chance for a 'normal' childhood. But I knew I wouldn't be able to do that.

"Mama?" Lambo whined, huffing at being smothered into my chest, but I just made myself smile down at him placatingly.

"Well then, Ryohei," Reborn hummed, jumping up onto the boy's shoulder and folding his hands behind his back. "You'd best learn the code that will cause him to switch."

"Switch?" Ryohei echoed, a frown fighting to show on my face despite how I swallowed it down.

"Yes, words that will provoke Lambo and make him release his Will and swap his forms."

I heard Ryohei take a sharp breath as Reborn whispered into his ear, something cold and hateful flashing in his eyes at the words being slipped to him. It made my hands tighten on Lambo, the idea that something that made Ryohei look like that would be soon shouted at my son.

"...There's got to be something different," Ryohei breathed out roughly.

"We don't have time to figure anything else out. This is our only way to get absolute results," Reborn denied, completely unaffected by the simmering Sun under his feet.

"Then I'll think of something else," Ryohei grit, gently brushing Reborn off his shoulder and marching over to me, his large hand landing on Lambo's back and patting firmly. "Jesus Christ, I'm not going to say that to a five-year-old..."

"Ryohei?" I uttered, something in me not wanting to know.

"We'll talk about it later," he shook his head as he said that, "Come on, we've gotta start moving."

I was about to follow him, but paused and looked over my shoulder to see Hayato glaring at me from across the clearing. I stared back at him, before reaching across our Forge and urging him to listen.

'If you need to use it, my gift, then please do. It's not dangerous.'

Then I turned and, with Mephisto at my side, followed my brother into the obscurity of the treeline, Basil, Tazaru and Nasaru all keeping close to us.

"Yamaguchi-dono!" Basil smiled, and I winced sharply.

Dono. God, I hoped the Watanabe were okay. I had been trying to drown out those thoughts since arriving here. No one had mentioned them yet.

"My name is Basil, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," the Rain smiled, and I nodded my head in greeting.

"Please, drop the 'dono', Basil-san."

The boy faltered, something uncomfortable passing his expression. He swallowed a bit, still running beside us even as he wrestled with himself.

"Ah..." he croaked out, and I let out a sigh.

"Nevermind, don't force yourself."

"Thank you, Yamaguchi-dono," he smiled, a look of relief colouring his expression.

I pursed my lips in worry for a moment, wondering what made him so uncomfortable at the suggestion to wind down. But now wasn't the time. If he approached me later about the topic when the dust had settled then we'd talk, but right now I had my son clinging to the back of my shirt while we jumped over tree roots and ducked beneath branches, the rumbling of dynamite explosions in the distance.

Mephisto panted as he tried his best to keep up with shorter legs, but adamantly stayed close. It was only when we started to enter marshy grounds where our feet sunk into the soil did he relent and let Kangaryuu carry him.

"Tazaru, and this is Nasaru-san," Tazaru, a large burly man introduced, and then gestured to the young man beside him, both were heavily injured. "Your husband, the older Yamamoto Takeshi, did a number on him."

Nasaru grit his teeth at me and touched his arm where a gash was still knitting itself together.

I blinked and tried to piece together where TYL! Takeshi and they had clashed and brought up a dusty old memory.

"I'm sorry. He didn't have the full picture. I'm sure if he knew, he wouldn't have been so...accurate," I trailed off, wondering if he had hit in canon - but shook it off, it wasn't important.

"The Yamamoto-san of this time has become rather ruthless," Nasaru grumbled out, trying not to jostle his arm as we ran. "He was always swift before. But he goes for the kill now, no matter what."

I stared ahead of us, not acknowledging what they told me. After I had died Takeshi must have…I wish I had swapped into the Vongola Base, even if only to comfort him for a little while.

"Bro! The Varia have met up with Hayato! They're helping us TO THE EXTREME!" Ryohei boomed before Basil hushed him quickly.

"Awesome," I snickered, seeing Ryohei get smothered by the small boy.

Then a shiver went down my spine and I tore Lambo off my back to hold him against my chest. I grabbed Ryohei and shoved him back into the brush, everyone following without a moment's hesitation.

"Fuck that was close," I hissed out. "They're trying to hide their Flames, I barely caught a whiff of it."

"Who is it?" Ryohei asked quietly and got closer to me, all of us crouched down low.

"It feels like Kikyo-san, he's got a grudge against us after all," I huffed.

"Then we've got to get him first," Tazaru grunted. "We've got the advantage."

"Have you got enough power to get him down?" I asked, trying to remember how this had played out.

Lambo. Of course, it's Lambo. Working him up and making him emotional enough to release his Cambio Forma and electrocute all attacking creatures.

I looked down at the boy who was beginning to sniffle from being out in the cool weather for so long.

"Bo-kun, baby," I breathed down to him, making him look up at me. "Do you want to fight? It'll be scary. We won't make you."

I don't want him to.

"LAMBO-SAN IS THE STRONGEST! IN ALL THE WORLD AND OUTER SPACE!" he grinned, the look of bizarre confidence blooming across his expression. "Don't worry, Mama! Lambo-san will defeat them all for you!"

"If you need me," I soothed, cupping his cheek. "If you get scared, call for me and I'll come get you. No matter what, I'll come running and scare the bad people off."

Lambo smiled wide and snuggled into my chest. I looked up and met the eyes of those around me, Ryohei frowning in solemn understanding. He knew there was something unavoidable coming.

"He's our last resort, bro. I promise."

"Good," I nodded. "However...Our time is up. Tazaru-san, you wanted to launch an attack?"

"Yes," the burly man grunted.

"Make sure it connects, we only get one shot at surprising him."

"It'll connect alright," he sneered with a sharp smile, before bursting out the bush and blasting the high flying Flame.

Light and heat consumed the place and made the air sizzle in my ears, Storm destroying a huge pocket of the forest's shoreline. I could hear the screaming from over Ryohei's radio, Tsuna worried about us.

"Haha, I have to admit I didn't expect to be greeted by so many of the enemy," Kikyo laughed. Then his smile sharpened when he saw just who he had run into, Ryohei and I standing close together. "Well, look at who I caught. Old friends."

"Wow, gnarly scratch you've got there, Kikyo-chan," I hummed, patting Lambo's back as he rested against me.

"Yeah, you should put some, like, cream on that or something," Ryohei agreed, "Have you tried aloe?"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Nasaru wheezing while his elder companion Tazaru stared at us like we were a pair of suicidal idiots. I smiled wide and Ryohei joined me as we saw a look of indignant fury bloom across Kikyo's face.

"I couldn't take him down in one blow," Tazaru grumbled, fixing his hold on his scythe.

"Don't worry, you've done enough," Ryohei assured.

"We'll take him down!" Basil shouted, straightening up and stepping forward.

"Are you ready, baby?" I asked Lambo, getting my son to look up at me and smile.

"Ready Mama, Lambo-san's not scared."

"Open!" Kikyo announced and plugged his Ring into the Mare Box, a rain of velociraptors falling from the sky.

"Fucking dinosaurs?" I stressed, before shoving myself out of the way as they descended upon us.

The dinosaurs were fast and where their teeth couldn't reach their thick tails swiped, powerful jaws snapping at us all. I heaved as teeth came at me and I was forced to bring my arms between us, ancient teeth colliding with my arm braces.

"Daiki!" Ryohei yelled out as the raptor started to shake my arm in its jaws, and then his fist came down and rattled its brain.

"Mama!"

"I'm fine," I assured them both as I pulled my arm back, seeing dents in the metal.

Lambo was clinging to my back, half hiding in my jacket to ensure nothing could grab him away.

'Daiki, I think I'm going to have to-'

'Go ahead,' I winced, hating how readily I had to say that. 'If you think it needs to be done then...'

'I won't say what Reborn wants, though. I'm going to do it my way.'

"Yo Lambo!" Ryohei boomed and both Lambo and I turned to him with equal intrigue. "You're scared TO THE EXTREME RIGHT?!"

"H-huh!? No!" Lambo defended indignantly, but there was an obvious wobble in his voice that killed me.

"It's fine, we're all EXTREMELY scared!" Ryohei continued, lifting his hand up to show the boy how his hands were trembling. Then he clenched his fist and grinned with his usual ferocity. "Come and be scared with your Mama and Uncle Ryohei! Let's be scared!"

I blinked as I listened to my brother's quick speech. It wasn't as short and to the gut as taunting Lambo's desire to return to Nana Sawada - I took a slow breath to quench the ache - but as I looked over my shoulder, I saw Lambo staring at the Sun with a certain shine to his eyes.

"Mama, I wanna get down," Lambo finally said.

"Baby, this is-"

"I wanna get down, Mama," Lambo repeated, smiling softly at me.

I took a sharp breath before crouching down and letting my son slide off my back, the desire to grab him back up overwhelming. I bit it down, however, and took three large steps back, fighting every instinct.

Velociraptors screeched and bounded forward, easy prey in their sights and their tongues lashing through their teeth. Their feet pounded the earth as they sprinted, eyes bright as Cloud bloomed from them.

Lambo watched them come for him, feeling the fear well up in his heart-

"Mama, I'm scared!"

I lurched forward and ran straight into Ryohei's arm, my brother blocking as Lightning sizzled in the air. Lambo let out a wail and a thunderclap, the sudden light absolutely blinding.

The smell of burning flesh filled the air along with the bodies of dinosaurs hitting the ground, each one of them twitching and fried.

"He wiped them out!" Tazaru gaped.

"Shit, that kid's crazy!"

I pushed out of Ryohei's block and knelt down next to my wobbling son. He yawned loudly and reached out for me, looking exhausted and well in need for a nap.

"Mama..."

"You did great honey," I praised, gently guiding him to my chest and scooping him up. "You can sleep now. Mama and Ryohei will look after it from here."

"Lambo-san is the strongest..." he mumbled into my chest and all I could do was laugh.

"You definitely saved us, baby."

Ryohei stepped forward as I ignored the ramblings of Kikyo to watch the rise and fall of Lambo's chest as he dozed off. His cheek was pressed to the lavender colour of my shirt, and I felt the warm puffs of air that came from him.

The last time I had seen my baby bathed in so much lightning, he had gone into a coma. It still scared me. It probably still scared him too.

I kissed his forehead and looked up at a spike of Cloud Flames, water-based dinosaurs screeching as they reared their heads from the lake.

"Bro..." Ryohei breathed, and I touched his shoulder from behind.

"You can do it, and remember we're the best of the worst."

"...Three minutes," Ryohei announced, "I'll knock him out in one round."

"You can't be serious! With your injuries-" Basil began.

"Knock him dead, bro," I scoffed and pushed him forward, the boy already pumping himself up like some sort of berserker. 'Remember not to exhaust yourself.'

Kangaryuu let Mephisto down and the snowy pup bounded up to me, getting up on his hind legs to try and get a better view of the baby.

'Yeah, that dude's coming, right?' he asked, barely recognising the conversation happening in the back of his mind as he battled with Kikyo.

'Mukuro...then Ghost.'

Mephisto barked loudly, and I knelt down to let him sniff at Lambo, his wet nose grasping the Lightning's cheek. He whined and growled as he recognised the charred smell in the boy's hair, a soft hush falling from my lips as I calmed him down.

Ghost. That had been a hard one to explain to Takeshi and Ryohei, the two of them still trying to get their heads around the whole parallel universes, only to then have the idea of a transfer be thrown into it. They had made a valiant effort though, and while I was sure they didn't quite understand half the things I spouted, they at least understood that something dangerous was on the horizon.

"What, are you not joining, Yamaguchi-chan?" Kikyo sneered, dodging out of the way of Ryohei's fist. He already had a hearty bruise forming on his chin from where my brother had walloped him.

"Sorry, I'm on parental leave right now," I shrugged, rubbing Lambo's back soothingly as he got comfy again, his little hand making a fist in my shirt.

"Shame, I was looking forward to crushing you."

"Sure," I hummed, not bothering to look away from my baby.

"Maximum Ingram!"

I looked up as Ryohei made his last strike, the bones of dinosaurs crunching and squelching under his fists. His Will shone brighter than any Sun I had seen before, even my own pesky candlelight.

I smiled with a touch of pride and cradled Lambo tighter, taking a moment to scratch behind Mephisto's ear.

Kyoya stepped out into the clearing and I nodded in his direction in greeting, the boy not so much as huffing in my direction.

'Ryohei,' I signalled, and the Sun winced, hissing out a breath of pain as he doubled over mid-flight.

"Ha, if you hadn't been injured, I might just have been in trouble. But the effects of hyper-activation seem to be setting in. I'll be polite and take away your pain. In exchange for this memory you've given me," Kikyo scoffed, lightly touching the scar on his face. "And you, why don't you stop lurking around."

Kyoya grunted lightly and shifted his weight at being addressed, a look of natural displeasure apparent in his expression.

"So it was you. Why didn't you help poor Sasagawa-san here?"

The Skylark frowned a bit before he uttered, "Our boxing club captain will disrupt a board meeting when his match is interfered with. It's a nuisance. There's usually property damage."

"Like you don't make me do the paperwork for that," I grumbled before shutting up when he gave me a look.

Then I felt the atmosphere shift and tasted Mist in the air. Oh, Mukuro was here.

. . .

"Are they done yet?" Kyoya grumbled as Ryohei made his way over, a slight limp in his stride.

"Nearly, birdy," I chuckled, offering my shoulder to my brother which he readily leant on. "You okay, bro?"

"Yeah, just really need a shower now."

"I can tell."

"Rude."

I blinked and tilted my head as the scent of Mist faded away and lilac no longer crept in the corners of my vision.

"Is the illusion thing over yet?" Ryohei asked, noticing my reaction.

TYL! Mukuro chuckled from beside the frog-headed Fran, enjoying the confusion he had spawned. He was pale. Very pale, and his clothes didn't fit him quite right. His hair was long enough to brush his thighs, but it was thin and almost wiry looking.

'He's not healthy, is he?' I breathed out and Ryohei made a soft noise of agreement. 'That Vindice prison must be an actual hell hole.'

"That pineapple haired bastard isn't an illusion. It's the real thing. I helped my master escape his cells of the Vindice."

'Oops, time to act surprised brother,' I signalled before widening my eyes accordingly.

"What?!" Ryohei blurted, always the visceral and vocal one.

'This is weird. How long have you had to...act your reactions, Daiki?' he asked slowly, glancing to me out of the corner of his eye.

'I don't always have to act,' I answered slowly, taking a moment to wipe the drool from Lambo's mouth. 'Seeing you all get hurt makes me angry, hearing explosions makes me scared, when you all make it back I get relieved, and when you make jokes I laugh. I may know what will pass - to an extent - but you're all still my friends.'

I looked over and assessed everyone else around us, seeing more of the Varia and Hayato's team scattering the field. Hayato looked bad too, and from what I could tell, he hadn't used my gift.

"Hayato," I called, walking across the land to him, a frown on my face. "You're hurt."

"Well, yeah, it's not like I have the luxury of standing and watching like you do," he snapped, rubbing his cheek to try and get rid of dirt. "And don't you try to fucking heal me like last time, or Takeshi will be on my case for the next ten fucking years."

"Use what I've already given you then," I huffed, "I've stored up more since, so there's no point in wasting it."

"Fuck you, I'll use it when I want."

I stared at the Storm and frowned further, feeling his Flames bristle with confusion and suspicion. He knew something was up, but he didn't know what. He didn't know if it was important, or if it was something trivial. All he knew was that I was keeping something from the Family, and that was as good as treason in his eyes.

Ryohei shifted next to me, awkward in the tension. He glanced between us, obviously torn between just blurting the secret and fighting Hayato off in my defence.

We didn't get to ponder on it, however, as even over the fighting between Clouds I felt the bombshell that was Lightning hit me in the core.

Everyone stopped, legs buckled, and-

"Ghost," I wheezed, watching the broken form of what once was a Byakuran walk across the battlefield.

"Ghost?" Hayato echoed.

"That's Ghost?" Ryohei gaped, "That giant?!"

Mephisto growled like his life depended on it, tail high in the air, and bowed forward. He looked half-rabid at this point, but I shifted in front of him, refusing to let the pup come to any danger.

We gave sharp breaths as Belphegor's blades sailed through the air - and without so much as a disturbance, passed right through Ghost's figure. Shouts and accusations rang out through the air and another attack was launched, once again sailing past.

I looked around, my mind racing as I tried to remember as much as I could and how I could help. Ghost drained Flames to make himself stronger; he'd attack everyone in his path, friend or foe. All people to Ghost were Flame containers.

I took a breath and looked around again, counting every person. Twenty-six, there were twenty-six people in total in the vicinity, counting even Chrome who was slowly growing closer from the outskirts.

Could I do it? Just barely, I had never tried but...

"Tsuna," I called, snatching Ryohei's earpiece out and speaking into its comm. "This thing's Flame is greedy, you can tell too."

"H-huh? Uh, yeah!" he responded, still obviously shaken and well in over his head.

"I can help. But only in defence, you'll need to take it down."

From across the field, I could see Tsuna talking rapid-fire to Fuuta, relaying information to him and bouncing ideas. Then he turned and glared in my general direction, a look of determination marring his face.

"Okay!" he nodded, "On your mark! Wait- what is your mark?"

"You'll know it when you see it," I huffed before tossing Ryohei back his earpiece, the boy fumbling to catch it. "Ryohei, I'm going to need you to Eclipse me for this, I'll be out of commission."

"Eclipse?" He echoed, before his eyes went wide and he nodded firmly. "Got it."

Eclipse, among other dumb, solar-based code names Lussuria swears up and down that we shared in the future, pertains to one of us dropping out of the fight while the other takes the helm. Usually, it seemed Ryohei was our figurehead, from the war stories we were regaled with during water breaks.

And even now, that rung true as he slowly pushed himself out in front of me, using his wounded body to protect mine and Lambo's.

"Be careful, brother," I warned and all he did was chuck me a thumbs up from over his shoulder.

I took a breath, long and deep, tasting every Flame in the air, Suns, Lightnings, Rains, Skies, Storms, Clouds, Mists. I dropped down and sat on the ground before bringing my hands together, fingers intertwining, knuckles resting against my forehead, and said to everyone single one of them.

"Hush."

And they all went out.

I saw against the black of the world green Lightning crackle across the darkness, searching out for Flames to feast on. It screeched around, sizzling in the air as it passed over the embers of a Millefiore Storm and then missed out on a Vongola Cloud.

"S-shit, you fucking Giant," I heard Hayato wheeze out from behind me. "What the...hell are you doing to us?!"

It was fair; I supposed. I was putting uneven pressure across everyone. Those I had a better grasp on were being thoroughly smothered compared to the others. But I didn't have the time nor the concentration to explain that, too focused on keeping twenty-six Flames under lock as Tsuna tore through the sky.

I could hear it all across the field, people gasping, people shivering. Kyoko and Haru were huddling close together to keep their skin warm, their tiny Flames not used to being pushed down so hard. Gamma and Uni were gritting their teeth against the sensation. Reborn felt pissed, like it went against every fibre of his being to be letting this happen, but every time he so much as shifted in my grasp I doubled down and crushed him, reminding him that it wasn't fucking worth it right now.

"Daiki," Takeshi whispered, kneeling down beside me and touching my arm.

More?! There were more!? Oh, God - I wheezed, feeling a cold sweat begin to dot my nape - I didn't know how many more Flames I could monitor.

Nonetheless, I took another breath and breathed it out across the new arrivals, forcing two Rains and another Sun down under my grasp. I was merciless, because I wanted them safe, but it hurt when I heard Takeshi choke on the air and buckle onto the floor in surprise.

"Be strong," I grit out, feeling Lambo shiver in my lap. "Just until Tsuna's done."

Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up. C'mon Tsuna, hurry up.

Someone struggled, a Sun or a Storm I couldn't even tell at this point, and I stomped them down. My fingers were so cold and began to grow numb even as I panted across them, my brow furrowed in concentration and fatigue.

I felt lips on my cheek and Takeshi's arms wrapped around me, only now realising just how cold I was. I didn't let it distract me though and soaked up his warmth as I continued to press down.

"Remember to breathe, bro," Ryohei softly called, his voice shaking, and I took a sharp inhalation, my lungs burning.

I could hear the screaming, I could see the blinding lights in the peripherals of my vision. Tsuna was nearly done, that I could tell, and I couldn't be more thankful as the people in my grasp began to wriggle. They had been holding their breath for too long, their skins too cold, their Flames strangled too brutally.

Lightning and Sky were fighting, struggling against one another, trying to devour the other. Two open mouths ripping chunks out and swallowing more and more until-

The roar of fire ended with the sound of a candle being blown out and the smell of lightning faded from the air. Then a hand touched my shoulder, metal-tipped gloves that smelt of smoke.

"All done, Daiki," Tsuna murmured, and I heaved as I released my hold.

I slumped into Takeshi's arms and barely had the strength to flinch as we both hit the ground. My muscles were trembling all over like they had been used past their limits, and Takeshi gazed down at me in concern, his hands rubbing my arm to try and soothe it.

"I'm sorry," I shivered, looking up at Takeshi who kissed my forehead. "I'm sorry, you weren't ready for that, were you. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, you were looking after us all," he assured, holding me tight as he slowly got us to sit up again. "You did such a good job, Daiki. We've still got all our Flames. Ghost is nowhere near as powerful as you remembered him, Tsuna got rid of him so easily!"

"No," I denied softly, head resting on his shoulder. "Tsuna got rid of his with the exact amount of trouble he should have last time."

"Aw~! Now, hey there! Don't ruin the surprise, Daiki-chan!" Byakuran scolded, suddenly hovering overhead.

Faster than even I had time to react, I was wrapped up in arms and dragged behind a tree, Takeshi baring his teeth at the Sky while his hands covered my ears. I blinked and stared up at him as he shouted things, his voice only a harsh mumble to me.

"Takeshi," I called out, and he snapped around, "I'm okay. Just tired."

His hands came off my ears, and he got close, a look of irritated concern on his face. He wasn't going to take insubordination right now.

"You have to help them. Leave me here with Bo-kun and Miphy, I'll be fine."

Takeshi moved to shout, but Byakuran's voice flooded the environment, like he was artificially amplifying his voice.

"I'm honoured to be in the presence of so many notable faces," he hummed, and I squeezed Lambo like he was my lifeline, tucking my baby into my chest and hiding him away. "The Boss of the Cavallone Family, the Vongola's Independent Assassination Group: Varia, Mukuro-kun and his followers, the Guardians of Vongola, the Vongola's Tenth..."

I gripped Takeshi's hand tight, not at all liking how Byakuran's voice had trailed off. He held mine just as tight and remained hunched over me, Mephisto right at our side and his tail high as he growled.

"And, of course, how could anyone forget? The Oyabun of the Watanabe Yakuza, Watanabe-Yamaguchi Daiki," Byakuran smiled, sitting right next to me.

"Shit!" Takeshi yelped, shoving me behind him and swinging his sword blindly, cutting through empty air as the Millefiore man floated off with howling laughter.

Mephisto was absolutely losing it at my side, barking like he never had before and alerting everyone.

"You're so mean in this world, Daiki-chan," Byakuran whined, floating around aimlessly, well out of reach of Takeshi's sword, which he brandished with lethal intent. "You didn't even say hello to Ghost! He had missed you so much since you died. You two were thick as thieves in his original world."

Then he paused and tilted his head with a slight pout, "But then again, that's something that even you wouldn't know, huh?"

Scathing eyes were sent my way, and I just gathered Lambo closer to me, my poor baby shivering as he felt purple eyes cut into his back.

Takeshi spat a curse at the man before backing up against my chest, sandwiching our baby safely between us and allowing me to wrap an arm around his waist and hide from the prying eyes in his shoulder. Lambo shifted on my lap and tugged my shirt weakly, making me look to him and force a smile onto my face.

"Mama," he whispered, pressing his face into my chest.

'I love you, baby,' I crackled to him, his little arms hugging me.

Mist Flames screeched across the field and wrapped around Byakuran tight, some kind of conglomeration of eyes, knives and spines ripping him away from us and slamming the Millefiore man into the clearing.

'Takeshi, Ryohei,' I called, a slight furrow to my brow as I watched Mukuro repeatedly bludgeon the hard-packed earth with Byakuran's body. 'He's...weaker than I remember him. Even if only by a fraction.'

"And we're stronger, thanks to you," Ryohei nodded, and I smiled weakly as Flames, full and strong, surrounded me.

"I'd just love to know what you're talking about," Hayato hissed and Takeshi just threw him a warning glare.

"She'll tell you later," he huffed, a hand resting on my cheek that I leant into all too eagerly. "But right now is a bit too hectic for a good sit down conversation, no?"

I reached out and grabbed his arm, trying to calm him down. Now wasn't the time for domestic quarrels, because as much as Mukuro's efforts looked lethal, not once so far had Byakuran's Flames wavered. Extra, over-powered boosts or not, Byakuran was still powerful enough to take over hundreds of universes.

Takeshi looked to me, his brow still furrowed in aggravation, but the focus of my eyes past him made him turn and we all bore witness to the moment Mukuro's illusions faded away and Byakuran blew a piece of his fringe out of his face.

"Finally done? I was getting a bit motion sick," he smiled, scratching his cheek idly.

"Everyone stay back, I'll take him," Tsuna ordered, and I could just feel the indignant rejection so many people had to that demand.

"Hm, do you have any idea why I came here, Tsunayoshi-kun?" Byakuran asked, a patient smile plastered on his face. "I came because I'm ready...as I'll ever be."

I glanced out of the corner of my eye and seized up as Byakuran's purple eyes met mine and held my gaze, purposefully extending the connection for as long as possible. He knew this was my doing.

I shivered and then Takeshi's back filled my vision, glaring steadfastly at the Millefiore Boss with absolutely lethal intent. I let out a small sound from behind tightly pressed lips and Takeshi shifted back until I could cuddle against his back, leaning my head against his nape as I lightly touched our son who curled in my lap, back to dozing off.

'I love you, Takeshi,' I rumbled from within my hearth, and felt the warmth of Rain curl around me like a light blanket. 'Thank you for being mine.'

"I love you too, and I'll always be yours," he whispered down to me from over his shoulder, and I through the tension that riddled my body, I smiled and planted a kiss between his shoulder blades.

"And I'll always be yours, my darling," I murmured and felt the moment his Rain swelled with delight.

"Look, Daiki," Takeshi urged, "Tsuna's gotten so much stronger!"

A kind of satisfaction bloomed in my chest as I watched Tsuna rather brutally knee Byakuran in the nose, blood spraying out from a broken bridge as the Millefiore man went sprawling.

"Screw him," I huffed quietly and wrapped an arm around Takeshi's waist, pulling him closer as he grasped my hand with his own.

"Yeah, screw him," he agreed without hesitation, running his thumb along my knuckles. "How's our Bo-kun?"

"Sleeping," I answered, brushing a piece of Lambo's hair from his face. "He helped so much against Kikyo-san's Box Animals. He's all tuckered out, our poor baby."

There was a huge impact, and I hugged Takeshi tight, curling around Lambo as branches and shrapnel were sent flying our way. I hissed as a branch snapped at my cheek, a shallow graze stinging under my eye.

"Maybe I didn't get my hands on your Flames," Byakuran smiled, "But you're still all ten years too early to be stepping to me, Tsunayoshi-kun~!"

Tsuna coughed from deep in his crater in the earth, before getting to his feet and launching himself back into it, swinging at Byakuran with all his might. The opposing Sky, however, merely floated around each incoming fist, looking as engaged as one would be in a game of tag.

"Wait, his Cape isn't the only thing Natsu turns into!?" Takeshi balked and I couldn't help but snort, getting a look from him.

"Darling, you're the only person we've met who has the gall to have two Box Animals."

"I'll have you know-" he gasped indignantly, before pausing as I craned my neck to plant a kiss on him. "...I'm still mad."

"But you love me," I hummed.

"White Applause," I heard Byakuran declare, and I snapped to attention, Tsuna's trump card fizzling out within the Millefiore's grasp. "I beat your Vongola Box~!"

"Shit, how did he-" Ryohei gasped, and I grabbed his shoulder before he could launch himself into the fray.

"Aren't you scared?"

I winced sharply and took a deep breath before Takeshi kissed my cheek multiple times to calm me down. I shivered and lent into it, holding onto him with all my might.

"Daiki, is this..." Takeshi asked, face pinched in distress as he watched his friend choked

'I'm sorry,' I rumbled, 'I'm sorry, my love. But be patient, this is all going to Uni-san's plan.'

Takeshi glanced at me over his shoulder in surprise, perhaps not realising that the gentle Uni had been betting on this happening from the beginning. I gave him a soft expression in response and kissed the corner of his jaw, being careful not to irritate his fracture.

"Tsuna will be okay," I breathed out, gazing up at him. "Have faith."

"But it's so much," he pressed, and Ryohei couldn't help but agree, an expression of concern clear in his face. "Can't we help? Make it run smoother?"

"Patience," I warned, "I know it feels like absolute shit but if we interfere, I have no idea what to do next."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Hayato hissed, and I snapped at him.

"Oh hush, little one," I snipped, "Just hush and keep a hold of your Ring, you'll need it as his Right Hand."

I let out a long breath and tried to think ahead, remembering as much as I could with so much noise.

"You three," I called, all three Guardians turning to me with varying expressions. "You share a bond with Tsuna, I don't. But you all still have my gifts. Get ready, I'm going to need you all to give those to Tsuna, he's going to need them soon."

"How do you-" Hayato started, but Ryohei got in the way.

"Got it, bro. On your signal," he said, nodding firmly.

I choked suddenly as Sky absolutely saturated the air, two contrasting but perfect currents humming the same screeching frequency that absolutely deafened. My hands flew up and slammed over my ears, too much too fast. Every one of my senses were flooded by Sky, the smell and taste of their ozone thick on my pallet and the sound roaring in my ears. My skin tingled as tongues of orange flicked around wildly, hair standing on end along my neck.

"Daiki!" Takeshi yelped, spinning around and pulling my head into his chest, completely dowsing me with Rain to try to soothe whatever pain I was suffering. "Daiki, shh, it's okay."

"Guys, look! There's another one of those resonance things heading our way!" Ryohei shouted and I flinched at the noise.

"Who's inside!?"

"Uni-san," I hissed out.

I covered my ears and stared at the ground, too scared to close my eyes and blind myself with the light. If I thought that time back in the Boxing Ring from Tsuna's Dying Will had been painful, this was excruciating.

"Ryohei, can you-!?"

"Go!" Ryohei pushed Takeshi and took over covering Lambo and I, my teeth gritting as Rain peeled off of my Flames and left me in the cacophonous place. "Bro! Bro, you need to pull yourself together, or you won't be able to give us the signal!"

"I can still give the signal," I hissed out, not meaning to be so hurtful to my brother but I was nearing my wit's end. "It's just so fucking loud. Why are Skies always so loud!?"

Ryohei winced and covered my ears double with his own hands, letting me hide in his arms. He softly relayed to me what was happening around us as I tried everything I could think of to dampen my sensitivity, quieting my own Flames repeatedly.

"I don't get it! When Colonello-shisho and the other infants revive, what'll happen next?" Ryohei called out, trying to keep up.

I bristled. Nearly time.

"If they revive, I'll be in trouble," Byakuran hummed, "But from the looks of things, I'm guessing that it'll take at least another hour for the Arcobaleno to revive."

"Now," I wheezed, grabbing onto every person I had gifted my Flames to. Ryohei, Takeshi, Hayato and Kyoya snapping their heads around. "Give them to your Sky, now!"

Four flairs of Sun infused with Storm, Rain and Cloud ran straight for Tsuna as if connected by wire. Byakuran's arms tightened, and the Flames struck home, melting into Tsuna's skin-

And then a sickening crunch as Tsuna's neck snapped.

People screamed, but I was already there, leaning against my brother as I accepted the pain and closed my eyes, finding that one Sky amongst an indistinguishable conglomeration of orange arrogance. I stepped across that bridge the others had forged for me to the little Flame, dying down on its pyre.

It was weak, and it was tired, run ramped and dry after days upon days of working at its best. It withered as I came close, the slightest disturbance enough to make embers fade. It looked rather pathetic there, so small and anemic when surrounded by these plumes of pure Sky strength. So tiny and alone…

"But you're not alone, stop acting like it and get up," I huffed, and the four surged forward.

I could hear the outside conversation, Reborn was talking again, but I was ignoring him for this. Tsuna could listen all he wanted, and honestly, he'd need all the 'support' he could get. Sure, Reborn was trying to nail home that Tsuna and Tsuna alone was going to have to get through this purely through his own Will but…

Why put up such a fucking fuss about the whole 'Family' bullshit if they couldn't help when it counted? Why just make them stand on the sidelines and shout commentary?

Tsuna opened his eyes from across the bonfire and stared me down, the blackness surrounding us on all sides. His hands were fisted on his knees, face pinched in distress and pain.

"It hurt," he said finally, voice shaking. "I've been shot with Will Bullets before but this….hurt."

"Yeah," I agreed, a hand coming to the top of my head, remembering a roof coming down on me years ago. "It does. A lot."

"I'm not dead though," Tsuna murmured, looking both relieved and slightly disappointed.

"No, you're not."

"I have to keep fighting, don't I?" He asked, looking so tired.

"Yes," I stated.

Tsuna shifted in his kneel, the fire of Sky casting the ridges of his face in shadows that emphasised the bags under his eyes and the cuts on his cheeks.

"I have to be strong...But that doesn't seem to be working," the Sky admitted, eyes lowered to his Flame. "Shoichi-san sacrificed so much to bring us back here, you suffered so much because of it and...I don't think I can finish this."

"You're strong Tsuna," I assured, kneeling down in front of the little bonfire that was being propped up by his Storm, his Rain calming down his pained spasms, his Cloud providing more tinder to burn and his Sun fanning his Flames. "But we're stronger."

We stared at each other across the orange fire, Tsuna working through what I had offered him.

"We've...never tried before," he murmured unsurely. "We can barely Harmonise."

"We don't have to. Stop trying to subdue me," I reasoned, "Instead, befriend me."

Tsuna blinked before whatever steely pain had resided in his eyes faded away and was replaced by a smile, one he so often wore in the classrooms of Namimori.

"Okay...I think this calls for a reintroduction," I sighed with a laugh, before shifting my weight on my knees.

Tsuna did the same and our postures were mirrored across his fire, the Flame still burning dangerously low. We watched each other for the faintest twitch of muscle, the faintest inhalation of breath.

"My name is Yamaguchi Daiki," I declared, and reached my hand out into the Sky Flame, fingers right in the centre of the hearth. It didn't burn.

"My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi," Tsuna echoed, and he grasped my hand with his own, the two meeting within the fire.

We felt it then, my Flames rushing forward out the blackness to stand on either side of me.

Then I smiled, one that was unhesitatingly mirrored by the Sky as we said, "Welcome to my side of the bridge."

Sun and Cloud dove into Sky and what was once a dying ember became a scorching inferno.