The strong scent of rubbing alcohol filled Alice's nostrils. A faint beeping sound resonated in her ears, giving her a brain-splitting headache. Her mouth felt as dry as a desert. Alice licked her lips, craving for a glass of water.
"Alice..." A male voice called out to her, but she didn't feel like responding.
"Alice..." It called again, more urgent this time.
"Alice!"
She opened her eyes, temporarily blinded by the bright light. "God?" The bright light took on a green blurry form. "What the..." She said in a hoarse tone of voice, sounding like an old woman. As soon as her vision cleared up, she saw a pair of blinking eyes gazing into her shocked ones, a green paw sticking out to her as the green creature snapped with his beak.
"M-monster!! Monster!!"Alice freaked out instantly, throwing random objects that happened to lie close-by. A vase crashed against the wall, missing Romario's head by a mere fifteen millimeters. Romario backed away from her, fearing for his life.
"A heated mafia battle between two families is a walk in a park compared to this chaos." He muttered under his breath, straightening his glasses as Reborn chuckled softly, his black beady eyes sparkling in his amusement. Laughter filled Alice's ears as she blinked her eyes, ceasing her violent actions.
"It's just a turtle." Dino laughed as he threw his head back, running his hand through his blond hair, untangling it in the process. His gentle coffee-brown eyes locked with her crystal-blue ones, still laughing like mad.
"What's so funny?" Alice eyed him in a curious manner. Dino's reply to the situation was to shove a snapping turtle in her face. "Alice... This is Enzio, my pet turtle. You haven't met him yet, so I figured this was the right time to do so." Dino uttered a partly stifled laugh, his lips curved into a big smile.
Alice struggled to sit up straight. Dino helped out, acting like a Father as he fluffed up her pillow with care. "So it's not..." "It's not a monster. He's harmless." He said as he placed the turtle in her hands. Alice watched it squirm in her grasp, the turtle keeping a close eye on the girl.
Hell, if I were him, I'd do the same thing.
"Just keep it away from any type of liquid." Reborn piped in, tilting the brim of his hat downwards to cover his eyes, making him look mysterious. "Sure, whatever."Alice replied, not really listening to the baby hit-man. "How are Tsunami and the others doing?"
"They're fine. Just a little shaken up is all." Reborn answered, seeing as Dino was too busy checking out the hospital machinery. "If they're fine, how come they're not here right now?" Romario coughed suspiciously, turning his eyes away from Alice.
"I send them away when you were still unconscious. You needed your rest." Came Reborn's explanation. Alice gazed at Reborn from afar, averting her eyes as she looked down upon the turtle, still trying to escape from her grasp. "Oh..."
"Aren't you going to throw a fit?" The baby inquired. "Why? You're the one with the brains. I give my enemies something to think about, not the other way around."She retorted with a roll of her eyes. "Speaking of brains..." Dino interrupted, practically tearing his eyes away from the machinery.
"You're brainless actions brought us in a dire situation." He explained with a smile, making it clear to Alice that he wasn't insulting her. It sure does feel like it.
"I know you wanted to help, but taking those rings from Squalo was a big mista-" "How's Flame boy doing?" She cut him off, remembering the kid from before. "He's fine." Romario replied. "His wounds are shallow, unlike yours, Alessa." The man smiled in her direction, appreciating her concern for the boy.
Dino handed Alice a glass of water, having noticed her dry lips. She gladly accepted it, placing the brim of the glass on her lips as she gulped it down in a greedy manner. Enzio crawled out of her grasp, making his way to Dino.
"So?"
As Alice placed away the glass, she held onto Enzio, ignoring his attempt at escaping. "What's all this about the Vongola rings?" "Half Vongola rings, actually." Reborn cut her off. "Fine. The half Vongola rings."She sighed. "They were supposed to be held in a secret location for three more years. They are the Vongola Family's treasure." Reborn explained.
"Uhuh..."Alice played around with Enzio, beginning to like the snapping turtle." An untold amount of blood has been spilled over those rings in the Vongola's long history. They're rings with a dark past." "No offense, but those rings look like the rings you get in a cereal box." She said, earning a chuckle coming from Romario's direction.
"Well, maybe that's because the rings you stole were a fake." Dino replied, making her look up at him in a lazy matter. "They're a fake? Are you telling me I risked my life for a bunch of cereal box rings?" Dino gulped under her gaze, looking quite uncomfortable.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you."
Alice's right eye twitched uncontrollably as Dino sighed. "That's okay... It's fine." She muttered under her breath. Her hold on Enzio tightened as a faint crack could be heard. "Enzio!" Dino held onto his pet turtle, fully examining the cracked shell of the defenseless animal.
"Sorry..."
"That's okay. I'll just pretend I didn't see you break Enzio's hard shell." Dino said, holding a sarcastic tone in his voice. "He'll recover." The blond Italian messed up her hair, in which Alice rolled her eyes. He's such a goody two-shoes.
"And these are the real ones." Dino showed off a black box, the same as the one before. "A certain individual asked me to give these to Tsuna." "Then what are you waiting for? Go and give those damn rings to Tsunami."Alice huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest, turning away from Dino.
"Yeah... He ran off as soon as I mentioned that they're after the rings. Silly huh?" Dino scratched the back of his head as he laughed nervously. "No-good Tsuna." Reborn shook his head, feeling disappointed, not to mention ashamed of Tsuna's actions.
"He still thinks he can run away from his position as the Tenth Vongola Boss. I'll have to knock some sense into that boy." Reborn said. Alice sweat-dropped at his calm posture, knowing full well what he's capable of doing to Tsuna.
"To make matters even worse... Because you stole the fake rings from Squalo, they'll be here sooner than we had planned." Dino sighed, putting away the rings in his pocket. "I'm sorry, okay? How was I supposed to know they were a fake."Alice pouted childishly.
"It's no use crying over spilt milk. What's done is done." Came Dino's response, looking ever so serious.
"The Varia will reclaim the Vongola rings, and there's nothing we can do to stop them, unless Tsuna takes his role as the Tenth generation Boss of the Vongola Family seriously." Alice's hand shot into the air like a Nazi salute. "The Varia?"
"The Varia. An independent organization of assassins who are said to be the strongest within Vongola." Reborn answered her question. "Varia are very loyal to Vongola and have completed many difficult missions. It is a shadow organization, never meant to come to the surface." The baby hit-man gazed at Alice with his beady eyes, scanning her face for any signs of fear. She arched her brow at his actions.
No way I'd show my fears to anyone!
"But one day, its members rebelled. They've come to the surface to attempt taking control of Vongola." "In other words... It's just like what happens in the movies. Bad guys VS good guys. Good guys win."Alice sighed as she clenched her hand into a fist. Her shoulder felt hot at the sudden action, stinging a bit.
"I hate that kind of movies." She said truthfully, making Dino stare at her with his eyes bulged out of his eye-sockets. "You want for our side to lose?!" "Who said anything about losing?"She turned to Dino. "She's talking about her taste in movies, Dino. Don't punish the girl for a crime she didn't commit." Reborn commented upon seeing his ex-pupil's shocked reaction.
Dino coughed in his embarrassed state, realizing his mistake.
"Normally, Basil would have provided us ten days to prepare for their arrival. But since you foiled our plans, there's no telling when they'll be here." Dino hung his head in his depressed state. Alice smirked, catching Romario and Reborn off guard.
"So he'll come for the rings, huh?" Her eyes gleamed dangerously, liking the challenge that is to come. "Let them come!!"Alice yelled out while jumping out of bed, pumping her fists in the air. Dino and Romario looked at her as if she was hopping around in a bunny costume, while Reborn chuckled softly, his big beady orbs scanning her attire in his calm state.
"Nice legs..." The baby hit-man grinned, teasing her.
Alice looked down, suddenly realizing that she was wearing a pair of shorts and a blue shirt. Her face turned crimson as soon as she spotted Dino's playful grin, looking at her with those coffee-brown eyes of his.
She grabbed onto the sheets, covering herself with the cloth from head to toe. The whiteness of the sheets only made her face look even redder. "Not until after the wedding." She pouted as she slammed the door behind her.
As the sound of her barefoot running echoed in the hospital hallway, followed by a loud crash, Dino couldn't help but to wonder what got into her. "Alessa's in that stage, Boss. No need to worry." Romario reassured him.
"Geez... There's no need to be so shy." Dino muttered out with an amused smile plastered on his lips.
"About this certain individual you were talking about earlier." Reborn mumbled out. Dino averted his attention to his ex-tutor. "Are you referring to Sawada Iemitsu? If so..." "That's him alright." Dino messed up his hair, acting like he was suffering from a severe headache.
"As expected... Something big is happening in Italy."
Alice's POV:
The next morning, I got up surprisingly early. I slipped on my slippers with a yawn to follow. Looking at myself in the bathroom mirror, I yawned again, revealing my pearl-white teeth in all their glory. "Man, I look like a brain-dead monkey." I spoke to myself while scratching the side of my head, trying desperately to correct my bed hair.
"You okay in there, honey?" Ami called out to me. "I'm fine!" Came my answer, hoping she wouldn't barge in the bathroom. It wouldn't be the first time she did that.
"Alright dear! Just hurry up. It's unlike you to stay in the bathroom for so long!" I huffed as I crossed my arms over my chest. Gah... Must she say that out loud? But still... "Dino will have to feast his eyes on the eye candy that is me, once I'm done." I grinned, much like a deranged psychopath would.
As I did my morning routines, I was startled by a male voice at the door. "Alice? You alright in there? Ami tells me you've been in there for a long time now." "D-Dino!" I jumped up, holding onto the now empty tube of toothpaste.
Ami! She just had to involve him in this!! I panicked in my mind.
"I'm fine! Just give me a sec-" As I turned around to face the door, I managed to slip on the toothpaste that was sprawled all over the floor, making it extremely difficult for me to prepare myself for the fall that is to come. A few clattering sounds and a loud thud later, I was lying in a mess of bathroom supplies, practically knocked unconscious by a big-ass hairdryer.
A faint click reached my ears as the door opened, revealing the person that I was trying so hard to impress. After seeing me in the mess I caused, he placed his hand on his face, not even looking at me. I screwed up bad!! Oh man!! This is so embarrassing!!
"I-I'm sorry... I'll clean it up, I promise. Just don't be mad." I whispered out, feeling worthless. "I just wanted to put on some make-up or sumthin'." Dino couldn't hold it in anymore. His soft chuckle became loud as he laughed his heart out, clearly not minding the mess at all.
His eyes were filled to the brim with joyful tears and his lips curved into a delightful smile, making me smile as well. "And all this time..." He continued to laugh between gasps of air. "I actually thought you were depressed over what happened yesterday." "Y-yesterday?"
What happened yesterday? I don't even remember what I had for dinner in this crappy hospital. Tough chance of remembering anything at all, for that matter.
"You don't remember?" Dino crouched down to my level, removing a stray towel from my head. "Does it have anything to do with-" I stopped talking, suddenly realizing what Dino was talking about. That embarrassing moment we shared after he saw me in my pajama's!! How could I forget!! I screamed in my mind.
Dino smiled warmly at me with a chuckle to follow. I instantly tried to cover myself up. Dino's fingertips brushed my skin, holding onto my wrists as he stopped me from doing so. I held my breath at his actions, my eyes scanning every trace of his face, my heartbeat increasing tenfold as I felt his coffee-brown eyes on me.
"There's no need to cover yourself up. You're a beautiful young girl." He said with that goofy smile on his lips. I grew fascinated with every part of him. His ears and his neck, the line of his eyebrows and that corner of his mouth that curled up. Just a bit, not enough for anyone but me to notice, when he was secretly amused.
Dino drew me into his arms. I relaxed against him and clasped my arms around his back. Dino felt solid and comfortable, not to mention familiar. "You okay?" He asked as his warm breath tickled my neck. I didn't answer. I just held onto him like my life depended on it.
I felt a wave of sadness well up inside of me, struggling to keep it locked within the walls of my heart.
Dino's POV:
"You okay?" I asked jokingly as I felt her tight hold on me. She always clings onto me like this, but I don't mind. Not at all. I was knocked back into reality at the sound of hearing Alice weeping over my shoulder, holding onto me even tighter, if it were possible.
I cupped her face with my hands, wanting to look her in the eye. Her face was twisted into a mask of anguish as the tears streamed down her cheeks. "Alice." I say, trying to comfort her as best as I could. "I..." She sobbed. "I miss him. I miss him so much." She struggled to say as she continued her violent weeping.
"It's okay. It's okay Alice." But of course it isn't, and she knows it. I was unsure on how to comfort her, but as soon as I touched her shoulders she collapsed into me, pulling me down to my knees, burrowing her face into the crook of my neck, holding onto me as she lets out a long, shuddering cry.
"It's alright. Go ahead and let it all out. I'm not going anywhere." I reassured her, not knowing what else to say at a time like this.
When it comes to her battle scars, she shows it off like a medal. But her emotional scars, the scars engraved on her heart she keeps locked inside is another story.
--------------
Alice fell into a deep slumber while crying, letting out all of her pent up grief, sorrow and pain. As she lied on her bed, sound asleep, I tucked her in, being careful not to wake her.
"She looks tired. What'd you do?" Reborn made his way through the door with that usual smirk on his lips. "Reborn... You're the one who told me to compliment her on something." I sighed, taking the time to relax.
"The result?" Reborn questioned in his curiosity.
"She cried like a newborn baby." I answered, the crying image of Alice still fresh in my mind.
"You've done a good job, Dino." He congratulated me. "Yeah, sure..."
"It might seem cruel to you, but she has to release her bottled up emotions from time to time. She'll feel refreshed as soon as she wakes up." Reborn explained, making himself comfortable at the foot of her bed. I sat down on a chair beside Alice's sleeping form.
Alice turned in her sleep, murmuring a few incoherent words under her breath. "By the way, what is it that you said to her, exactly?" "After putting me through all that, you still think it's alright to ask?" I crossed my arms as I looked away in a childish manner, earning a chuckle coming from Reborn's direction.
Alice's POV:
I woke up for the second time that day, yawning loudly from the lack of sleep. "Huh?" I looked around the hospital room I resided in, expecting to see Ami at my side. But she wasn't there. As I sat up straight, I noticed a faint sparkle from the corner of my eye, practically screaming for my attention.
My eyes fell upon the bedside table, growing confused upon seeing the sparkling object, glistering in the sunlight. "You gotta be kidding me." I said, holding the Vongola ring between my index-finger and thumb, rolling it faintly as I held it high.
"There's no way I'm going to defend this crappy looking excuse of a ring." "I thought you'd like the challenge. How sad." I rolled my eyes upon hearing Reborn's voice. He was sitting at the foot of my bed, sipping his hot espresso as he gazed at me with mild interest.
"Had a nice nap?"
"How do you know about my nap?" I inched closer to the baby, pulling his hat down. He readjusted his black hat, silently taking another sip of his espresso.
"I heard Dino was quite the charming stallion." He said afterwards. "So it was you who pulled the strings. I knew it was too good to be true."I sighed, plopping onto the bed with a soft thud. "You're surprisingly easy to read. And you're supposed to hold the Ring of Wind…" "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, fully observing the ring between my two fingers.
"That ring you hold in your grasp is proof that you play a vital part in the Vongola Family. A very, very important part. One that cannot be forgotten." I gazed at the ring as Reborn's words echoed in my mind. The symbol of an elegant wing graced the surface of the ring. It sparkled for a split second, burning my eyes.
"You are one of the chosen ones to protect the Tenth generation boss of the Vongola Family." Leon yawned as he stretched out his limbs, blinking at me afterwards. "The first Vongola Family had a variety of unique members. Their traits helped shape the rings."
I balanced the ring on my index-finger, allowing for the object to roll in my open palm.
"The first boss was said to be like the sky, colorful and engulfing everything, open to all things. So his ring was the ring of Sky." "Uhuh..." I nodded my head, playing around with the trinket.
"And the other rings were named after various kinds of weather phenomenon that color the sky." He continued to say, taking a small break as he sipped from his espresso ever so slowly. "The merciful shower that washes all away, the Ring of Rain." Reborn finished his espresso. Thank God! His constant sipping was beginning to annoy me.
"The turbulent gale that fiercely blows, the Ring of Storm." Fiercely blows? Hell yeah! I stifled a laugh, earning an odd look from Reborn. "I'm sorry... Please continue."
"The drifting cloud that is never trapped by anyone and walks its own path, the Ring of Cloud."Hmm... I get a weird vibe from this one.
"Wait a minute. How can a cloud protect the boss?" I asked while facing Reborn, sitting upright. Leon transformed into a large hammer, making me inch away from the murderous baby. "O-okay. I'll keep quiet." I stuttered out, truly fearing for my life.
"The illusion that prohibits knowledge of its true nature, the Ring of Mist." Leon changed back into his original form, making me sigh in relief. "The orb of fire that brightens the great sky, the Ring of Sun." "Ring of Sun..." I mumbled under my breath, rolling my eyes without Reborn noticing.
"The thunderbolt that strikes a zealous blow, the Ring of Thunder. And then there's the ring, which is complete, that you hold in your hand." I gazed upon the ring, growing curious as to why it's a whole one, unlike the other seven.
"Traveling at the speed of light and staying hidden in its own shadow, knowing the pattern behind all the weather phenomena thus breaking the laws of their limits, the Ring of Wind." I scratched the back of my head in my confusion.
"So that's what this ring stands for, huh?"
"If you still refuse, I'll have to-" "Look, little baby." I interrupted him, eyeing Reborn with a look of boredom gracing my face. "I'm all up for the part of protecting Tsunami, but who says I'll get along with the rest of the members? I ain't gonna roll over and play for dead, you know." I explained.
Reborn smirked in my direction, making me arch my brow at him. "The members are people you know by heart, except for one." I grew even more confused.
"It can't be... Is it-" "If you dare mention Dino, I'll clobber you."
"Never mind."
Reborn got on his feet, tossing the empty cup over his shoulder. He's such a badass baby. "You fit enough to meet two of the mystery ring bearers?" "Mystery my ass." I grumbled, hoping it's not who I think it is. "Get dressed. And don't you dare leave behind that ring." "Yes sir..." I yawned, not really caring as I slipped the ring on my finger.
But in reality, I felt my lips curling up into a devilish smirk.
Third POV:
Once changed into a pair of loose-fitting destroyed jeans, a blue hooded sweater and a pair of flashy colored sneakers, Alice hurried out of the elevator and down the hall, her twin- tailed hair trailing behind her. Reborn was nestled in her arms. Once she reached her destination, she slid to a halt before the surprised looking Bucking-Bronco.
"I'm here!!" She beamed as Dino laughed.
"So you are."
Reborn rolled his eyes at the sight of seeing Alice slip into her own little world. The baby hit-man jumped out of her arms and landed on the counter with grace.
"Pierce-san?" Tsuna's voice brought her back into reality as she turned around.
"B-Babyface..." Gokudera struggled to say. His eyes darted over to her shoulder in an inconspicuous manner. "Keh... So you're still alive." He tried to sound disappointed, but it came out all wrong.
"Hey Alice. You're looking well." Yamamoto took over, saluting the American girl with a cheerful grin. "Hey Takeshi!" She beamed happily, about to hug the clueless baseball player when Gokudera's fist connected with her head, causing for her to crash face down on the floor.
"Do you have to be so happy?!! You just recovered from a major injury, so take it easy Babyface!!" "B-but I..." She pouted, her crystal blue orbs filled to the brim with unshed tears. "No buts!!" Alice placed her hand on her mouth, trying her best not to laugh.
"What the hell is so funny, lamebrain." Gokudera hissed, his bangs covering his eyes as he clenched his teeth. "Y-you said no buts..." She burst out in laughter, being her childish self again. Tsuna slapped his face, earning a chuckle coming from Dino's direction.
"Alice... I'm sorry for before. I shouldn't have left you behind like that." Yamamoto broke the laughter, looking ever so serious. "It's not your fault. It was a mere coincidence that I encountered Flame-boy and the loud Hippie." "F-flame-boy?" Tsuna piped in, finding Alice's choice in nicknames very bizarre indeed.
"At any rate..." He sighed. "I'm glad you're okay now. I was really worried."
"No worries. I can survive anything. I'm like a cockroach!" She exclaimed with pride as she got up on her feet. "Y-yeah... A cockroach. How swell." Tsuna sweat-dropped. "Seriously Takeshi. Don't blame yourself for what happened. You guys came to help me in the end, right?" "I guess so." Yamamoto shrugged, still not convinced.
"Look at it this way. You can have your revenge on the silver haired Hippie, because I have something they're after!" Alice grinned from ear to ear, showing off her ring as Tsuna and Gokudera's jaw dropped to the ground. Yamamoto eyed the ring in his curiosity.
"You have a Vongola Ring too?!! Hell no!! I ain't doing this!!" Gokudera complained. "Huh? What's his problem." "Yeah... The thing is... We also received a ring such as yours." Yamamoto explained carefully, showing off his half Vongola Ring of Rain.
"Alice Pierce. Meet Yamamoto and Gokudera, the holders of both the Ring of Rain and the Ring of Storm." Reborn chuckled, amused to no end. "This is so awesome!!" Alice jumped up and down, unable to contain her happiness.
"I am NOT happy." Gokudera grumbled under his breath.
"Wait... You're the storm that fiercely blows?" She laughed, pointing directly at a pissed off Gokudera. "You're dead meat, stupid American!!" Gokudera was about to pounce on Alice, when Dino stopped him in his tracks, holding onto the gray-haired Italian.
"Let go of me Bucking-idiot!!" Gokudera growled while giving Alice a deadly glare. "S-sorry... I just couldn't contain myself." Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose, silently wishing this was all a dream and that he would wake up any moment now.
"Why is Alice's ring a whole? Ours are cut in half." Yamamoto turned to Reborn. "The Ring of Wind can't be cut in half. It is useless to do so. You have to keep in mind that Alice is not a Guardian. Her job is to support the Family from the shadows, which makes her a very important asset to the Boss and Guardians."
"Kewl." Alice commented with a quick nod.
"So that's how it is. I'm irreplaceable." She grinned from ear to ear.
"Everyone's irreplaceable, Babyface!!" Gokudera yelled out, still in Dino's tight hold. "All of this doesn't matter anyway! I don't want to be dragged into this mess. I don't want to fight. Why do you always get us involved, Reborn!" Tsuna was clearly upset as he showed his half Vongola ring.
"We're just a bunch of kids, and you expect us to fight against a group of mafia-related assassins?!" Tsuna exclaimed, standing face to face with Reborn. "Pierce-san could have died."
It turned silent.
Tsuna clenched his hands into fists, closing his eyes in his agony. Alice had a guilt-ridden expression on her face as she looked down.
"This is far from a silly Mafia game. This is serious. And I don't want to be responsible if someone close to me got hurt. If someone died because of this stupid Mafia war. I can't bear to see that happen." "I understand how you feel, Tsuna. But if you refuse to do this. If you refuse to fight... It will be treated as a loss." Reborn gazed at his pupil.
"And when that happens, all of your friends and family members will have to pay the price." Tsuna fell silent after hearing that. He realized that there was no way out of this mess. "How much time do we have." He whispered.
"Five days." Came Dino's answer as he released Gokudera. Alice's eyes glowed like coals for a split second as she tried to smile. But she hung her head, feeling ashamed as she placed the blame on herself for the lack of time.
"You okay?" Yamamoto asked her, in which she shook her head, crying a river.
"At any rate, let's do our best, Tenth! We'll show them a thing or two!" Gokudera beamed happily as he patted Tsuna on the back. "That's right. We can only grow stronger, and in the following five days, we'll train like never before." Yamamoto backed him up. Alice felt like she was being watched, which she was.
Gokudera, Yamamoto, Dino and Reborn were practically burning a hole in Alice's skull with their eyes alone.
"Y-yeah... Go team Vongola." She pumped her fist in the air in slow motion, acting like a zombie from a horror movie.
"I'm off!" Yamamoto made a run for it, ready to prepare himself for the following five days. "In five days, I'll be reborn as a man who won't put this ring to shame!" Gokudera followed soon after, closing the door behind him. "Hayato and Yamamoto are ready and willing to train. How about you, Tsuna?" Dino placed his hand on Tsuna's shoulder.
"W-what about me?" Alice pouted as she pointed at herself. "You're going to have your own exclusive home tutor, since Reborn can't possibly train the remaining four guardians by himself." Dino turned to Alice.
"For each person with a ring, there will be a home tutor." Reborn commented. "Let me guess... I'm stuck with Reborn, as always." Tsuna sighed in a depressed manner, not really looking forward to the training. A ray of holy light was cast upon Alice as she clasped her hands together, looking up into the unexplainable light.
"Pierce-san..." Tsuna slapped himself in the face. "She's so happy." "I've never had a home tutor before." She sighed while blinking her eyes. "That's how you're supposed to act, Tsuna. You make it seem like I'm a bad home tutor."
"You are a bad home tutor!! I can't believe you actually think the lessons I receive from you are normal!!" Tsuna cried out. "Where is my home tutor." Alice turned to Reborn as she gave him a dark look. "He'll be here soon." At that moment, the door slammed open, damaging the wall. Alice jumped up in her excitement, feasting her eyes upon the man that will train her for the following days to come.
"ELDER PAO PAO!! I'M READY FOR THE EXTREME TRAINING!!"
"Onii-san?!!" Tsuna jumped out of his skin from the shock.
"He's my home tutor?" Alice whispered tentatively while pointing at the clueless boxer.
"If you want him to be." Reborn retorted as Alice rolled his eyes at the baby. "Tsuna, Alice... Meet Ryohei, the man with the Ring of Sun." "Great... Can I meet my home tutor now?" Alice glared in Reborn's direction. Dino laughed at her cold behavior, thinking nothing of it.
"Be patient Alice. It's not like you to act all cold over something so little." Dino made his way over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders as she crossed her arms over her chest, looking away in a stubborn matter. "That's exactly how she is, Dino-san..." Tsuna muttered under his breath. He's so easy to deceive. But then again... Pierce-san makes it hard for others to see her true colors, so I can't blame him.
"But I can't wait! When's he gonna be here! We only have five days to train." She argued while raising her hand as she shoved it in Dino's face, showing off her five fingers in the progress. "ONLY FIVE DAYS TO TRAIN?!! I'M EXTREMELY LATE!!" Ryohei's voice pierced through Alice and Dino's ears, startling them, which is only logical since the pumped up boxer stood a mere two feet away from Dino and Alice.
"You're not late, Ryohei. You're right on time." The baby hit-man turned to his glowing pacifier, earning a not him! look from Tsuna. "You're home tutor is the one who's late, the slacker." A loud crash occurred from the window, reducing the glass into tiny shards. A soft thud followed soon after, the faint clicking sound of an anti-tank rifle echoing into the silence.
"Take that back, maggot!" Colonnello ordered, holding his rifle in a steady grip while Reborn didn't even blink. "Why would I take back my words when I'm right?" Reborn retorted. As Colonnello kept his rifle aimed at Reborn, he noticed the others from the corner of his eye. With a loud cough, he removed his rifle, placing it away from harm.
"I won't harm you in the presence of a woman. You've lucked out, maggot."
"It's okay, really! I like violence!" Alice piped in with a wicked smirk.
"Just don't say anything. He'll ma-Oof!" Tsuna struggled to say when he felt Colonnello's foot deliver a solid kick against his head. "Long time no see, maggot!" The baby said as he send Tsuna flying into a wall. Dino helped the boy up.
"I believe the two of you haven't met." Reborn said, referring to the two blue-eyed blondes in the room. "Alice Pierce, this is Colonnello, the holder of the blue pacifier." "SIR YES SIR!! IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU, SIR!!" Alice saluted like a soldier standing in line.
"She's American..." Reborn whispered lowly, treating her like a deranged psychopath. "Oh, I see. That explains a lot, maggot." Colonnello eyed the grinning Alice, growing weary of the happy-go lucky teen. Falco, Colonnello's pet bird, fluttered on top of Alice's head, his sharp claws digging into her skull. She looked up, still standing in that silly salute from before, looking nervous all of a sudden. Dino and Tsuna winched, feeling Alice's pain as the bird didn't move from his spot.
"Umm... He's not gonna poop on me, is he?" Dino, Tsuna and Ryohei each took a step away from Alice, taking her words for granted. "He likes you, maggot!" Colonnello beamed, his eyes filled with joy. "Don't get too excited over her, Colonnello. She's not the boxer you're looking for."
"She's not? Then who is, maggot!"
"THAT WOULD BE ME TO THE EXTREME!!"
"Okay you guys... This isn't funny. I really think the bird is gonna poop." Alice looked at Tsuna and Dino, pleading for their help. "In that case, I hope you came prepared! If you manage to survive my training, you'll be ten times stronger than you are now, maggot!!"
"I WOULDN'T WANT IT ANY OTHER WAY TO THE EXTREME!!" Ryohei roared as he thumped his chest, Tarzan style. "Then follow me to our training destination, maggot!" Falco removed himself from the top of Alice's head, holding onto his partner as he flew through the door. Ryohei was too pumped up for words as he ran after his home tutor.
"H-hey! Just great… Another happy customer." "You don't know what you're saying, Pierce-san!" Tsuna groaned in his dismay, pulling on his hair. Alice shoved her hands in her pockets, looking absolutely bored. "Well, I gotta run." Dino said. "I'm assigned to train someone as well."
He felt a pair of hands holding onto the back of his shirt, stopping him in his tracks. He turned around slowly, looking straight into Alice's puppy-dog eyes, pleading for him to stay. "I can't hang around Alice. I've got stuff to do." "Not so fast, Dino. Before that, I've got another assignment for you." Reborn's beady eyes glittered as he turned to look at Dino.
"Accompany the girl to the school grounds. I have a feeling he'll be waiting for her there." Dino shrugged his shoulders as he made his way to the door, all the while being followed by Alice like a little chick after the mother hen.
He abruptly stopped, causing for Alice to bump into him. Dino sighed, holding a small smile on his lips. He held out his arm in a courteous manner, acting like a first-class gentleman. Alice jumped at the chance of being close to Dino, so naturally, she accepted his gesture without a doubt in her mind.
"Bye bye Tsunami!" She waved at her classmate who couldn't keep his eyes off of them. "You're up to something again, Reborn." Tsuna gazed at the baby hit-man.
"What makes you think that, Tsuna? You don't trust me?"
"Hell no!"
--------------
"Strawberries…? Or cherries?" Alice barely hesitated to ask a whole row of pointless questions. But to Alice, the pointless questions she fired at the clueless blonde meant the world to her. This was her way of getting to know her charming prince even more.
"Strawberries, I guess?" Dino replied with a goofy grin as he kept walking. "I knew it." Her eyes drooped rapturously, leaving slits of sparkling blue. "What about you?" Dino asked, breaking Alice out of her train of thoughts.
"Who me? I eat everything."
"I don't doubt that for one second, but what do you like the most?" He looked down at her as they waited patiently for the traffic light to turn green. "Hamburgers." She replied almost instantly, making Dino laugh. "It sounds like you won't hesitate to kill, just to get your hands on a burger."
"That's the way it is."
Dino froze to the spot, tracing a serious tone in Alice's voice as she said that. The light turned green. Alice and Dino crossed the street, halting to a stop in front of the abandoned Namimori-middle school. Almost immediately after looking around, a playful grin danced on her lips. She let go of Dino, much to his surprise, and whipped out a pair of spray cans.
"Where'd you get those?" Dino arched his brow, wondering what she's up to this time. "These were in the shrubs over there. I have like, tons of hiding spots where I keep these babies. Comes in handy when you want to piss of a certain person." She explains without a trace of shame.
Alice didn't wait around for Dino as she ran into school property, looking around as to where she'll put her weapons of destruction to work. She fell in love with one of the school walls, looking as clean as ever. It's like the prefects are begging her to vandalize their precious school.
"Ku fu fu…" Alice chuckled out as she pictured Hibari's horror-filled face when he'll lay his eyes on her masterpiece, God forbid if that really did happen… She started spraying immediately, the tip of her tongue sticking out in her concentrated state. Once she was finished, she took one last look at her piece of art, which consisted of a weird doodle; a life-sized retarded looking Hibari Kyoya.
"What do you think? Neat huh?" Dino was speechless as his jaw dropped, gazing at the ridiculous looking doodle of Hibari Kyoya. As shocked as he is, he couldn't help but to think that she did a good job. It was the spitting image of Hibari, only more retarded than usual.
He kept that piece of information to himself, though.
"Umm… This isn't how I planned on getting Kyoya's attention, that's for sure." "What's that supposed to mean?" Alice arched her brow, confused as hell. "Forget about it. Let's just go and find that home tutor of yours, kay?" Alice gave him the eye as Dino looked uncomfortable under her gaze.
Alice mustn't find out about me, training Kyoya for the upcoming Varia battle. She'll get into another fight with Kyoya, no doubt. I guess the two of them will never get along. Dino sighed.
"What the hell is that?" Alice turned to the roof, spotting a strange shady person staring right back at them. "Who invited the weird looking foreign hobo?" Dino sweat-dropped at her choice of words. "That would be your home tutor, Alice." He turned to the stranger. "He still looks like a hobo." Alice continued to say with a lazy expression gracing her face, tossing the spray cans over her shoulders.
With a blink of her eyes, she found that the supposed foreigner disappeared without a trace, only to reappear with god-like speed before her very own eyes. The man wore a pair of large dark sunglasses, looking like a complete outsider. The collar of his long dark-blue coat, which was a traditional Chinese one, hid his face even more from the outside world. Add a dark-blue Chinese mandarin hat to conceal most of his hair, and you've got yourself a foreign hobo, as Alice puts it.
"Well, that's my cue. Good luck with your training session, Alice." Dino ruffled up her blond hair, throwing her a faint smile. "W-wait! What are you talking about?! You're seriously thinking of leaving me like this?!" She argued, but Dino was already out of reach, making his way into the school building.
After that, it fell silent, which made her edgy for some reason.
"Umm..." Alice spoke, getting a creepy vibe from him.
"You do speak Japanese, right?"
The stranger said nothing as he turned his back on her, beginning to walk off. "H-hey! I believe I asked you a question!" She ran up to him, completely dismissing the thought that if he really doesn't understand Japanese, it would be impossible to answer, let alone understand what she's saying.
Alice cast one last look at her school, hoping to catch a glimpse of Dino. But there was no sign of the Italian blonde. "Stupid Dino." She grumbled under her breath. "How can I know for sure if I can trust this guy..."
She fastened her pace, keeping a close eye on her supposed home tutor.
Alice's POV:
The sky is messing with me. It's one of those perfect spring days, the kind that seems to be trying just a little bit too hard, the kind I just want to smack in the face, and the sky is bluer than it has any right to be. Really, an obnoxious, overbearing blue that implies that staying home is a crime against humanity.
Not like I hate hanging out on a day like this.
No.
I just had to tag along with Mister foreigner into the mountains, without a survival kit or food, or anything for that matter. I'm showing signs of extreme paranoia, thinking that in truth, he's a serial killer, and that he'll kill me as soon as he gets the chance.
There will be no witnesses, except for an occasional predatory bird, flying high above us in the sky, letting out a low cry. To make matters worse, he still hasn't said a single word to me!
Suddenly, my home tutor turned his head to face me, his gleaming sunglasses catching me off guard for a few seconds. "What?" I said, keeping my eyes on him. He gestured for me to take a seat, not making a sound. But where? There's no chair or anything!
"Fine."
I sat down Indian style on the lush grass with a soft thud. "Can we start the training now?" I arched my brow upon seeing the man that is assigned to be my home tutor, gazing at me as if we had all the time in the world. But we don't have that much time! I swear, if he doesn't start the training right now, I'll freak!! I thought to myself as I frowned deeply in his direction.
An hour has passed since our eyes (or sunglasses) met, neither one of us moved an inch the entire time. "That's it." I sighed as a vein popped up on my forehead. This guy is an expert at pissing me off. I got up on my feet, dusting off my jeans. "I ain't gonna stick around for this." I leaned back and clasped my hands behind my head, beginning to make my way down the mountain.
Suddenly, I felt something soft and furry clasp itself on my face, blocking my view. Because of this, I couldn't possibly see where I was going. I tried to pull the creature off of my face, but it wouldn't budge! I was so concentrated in doing exactly that, when I tripped over a stray rock.
"Shit!"
I spat out as I lost my balance, tumbling downhill in a painful fashion. As the creature jumped off my face, I could see faint green blurs of the surrounding trees pass me by. "Sonuva-biscuits!" I yelled out in pain as my left knee connected harshly against the surface of a large rock. At the foot of the hill, I spotted a family of wild boars, a mother boar and her little piggy's stepping on the scene.
"Crap!!"
The startled mother looked up, holding a shocked expression on her face as she ushered for her kids to move. Another rock caused for me to dive forward into the air. I closed my eyes, feeling myself fly for a short while, feeling the wind pass me by. As my eyes fluttered open, waiting for the hard landing that is to come, I spotted a figure from the corner of my eye.
My jaw dropped in utter shock as I watched my home tutor discard his clothes and shady glasses, revealing his true identity.
"A BABY?!!" I yelled out, seeing the little Chinese boy take a deep breath while holding onto a dumpling laced with the scent of garlic. "Gyosa-Ken." His voice was surprisingly light as he held out his hand, sending a wave of garlic straight at the boar family, engulfing them with the stench.
The baby raised his hand in a slow motion, letting them hover a couple of meters above the ground. My fall ended painfully as I slid on my tummy, sliding ever so hurtfully under the family of boars. After that was over with, the baby lowered the boar family on the ground, allowing for them to continue their existence into the world with no worries.
"Oww…" I sobbed, feeling the need to cry. He leaned in on my face, smiling at me. "How odd. You have the ability to dodge, but you chose not to. Instead, you take on every object that comes your way." "Urg...." Was all I could say as the darkness overwhelmed me, closing my eyes in my tired state.
Third POV:
Alice's eyes fluttered open as her ears picked up the sound of a flowing river. Oddly, as her vision became clear, she noticed that the trees were upside-down. Everything was out of order. She spotted the Chinese baby, also known as Fon, placing a kettle above a roaring fire.
He looked at Alice with the same smile from before.
Her hands were tied up as Alice was dangling upside-down against her will.
"What do you plan on doing with me, lousy minion! Just wait until I get my hands on you!" She growled, threatening the little baby as she moved about. A pair of scissors, along with a ruler and some pencils dropped down to the ground. "Oya oya, be calm. There is no need for your violent actions." "What do you know about it! It's hard not to think of anything violent when you look exactly like my arch nemesis! Unhand me and fight me like a man!!"
"If you calm down, I will release you." He took a sip from his tea, taking in the peaceful environment as he sighed in contentment. "You're a liar!! Why would I believe you!! You tried to kill me, remember!!" "As I recall, you were the one with the clumsy feet. Your fall had nothing to do with me." He retorted in a peaceful tone of voice.
"C-come on. Give me a break! I can't… I can't waste another minute, dangling like this." She closed her eyes, feeling frustrated and angry, but mostly angry at herself for letting this happen.
"You have a good heart." His facial expression softened.
"S-so you'll set me free?"
"Once you've taken the time to calm down."
"I am calm."
"You're not."
"I am!"
"You're not."
"I am."
"Not."
"Am."
"Not."
"Am."
"Not."
"Am!"
"Not."
"Goddammit! When will you start training me!!"
"I'll start training you as soon as you calm down."
"I am calm."
"Not."
"I really am!!"
"Not, not, not."
Fon seemed to think this was an amusing game. Alice clamped her lips together, refusing to be caught again. "Come on! Just beat me with a stick and get it over with!" Alice cried her eyes out, sounding a lot like a wailing siren. The sound of defeat…
Fon sighed. He couldn't bear to see her cry like that. It reminded him of a certain egg-headed pupil of his. "He got up on his feet and walked over to where Alice was dangling off a rope. He took a deep breath while closing his eyes, detaching himself from his physical surroundings. Alice merely blinked, wondering what he's up to.
As he opened his eyes, Alice felt the rope give way from above, allowing for gravity to do the rest. Alice crashed down on the ground with a loud thud in a coughing fit. "How'd you do that? You didn't even move." Alice discarded the rope and got up on her feet, dusting herself off. Fon looked up at the tree with a smile. Alice followed his eyes, spotting a small monkey on a lone branch.
"Great… He's made a monkey out of me."
"So he has."
Alice averted her gaze to Fon, smirking in a devilish manner. "Never trust a person you just met, Chinese baby!" She yelled out as she dived towards Fon. The baby jumped up with grace, performing a perfect kick packed with destructive power, sending the poor girl flying into a tree.
"The same goes for you, wǒ de xuéshēng." (Student of mine.) Alice got up on her feet, rubbing her head to relief the pain. "When I get my hands on you…" She fumed, growing more than just annoyed at the Hibari-lookalike before her.
"Let's see you try." Fon smiled as he got into a fighting pose, pissing Alice off even more. "Just who do you think you are, Jackie Chan?" She commented with a roll of her eyes. "Fine. You can't possibly be faster than I am anyway." She smirked, disappearing from sight.
Fon seemed to be amused by this, his lips curving into a satisfying smile. Alice appeared right behind the baby, but Fon already saw through her as he jumped up again, avoiding her grabbing hands. He delivered another hard kick against her face.
She stumbled backwards, holding onto her cheek in disbelief. But Alice didn't plan on giving up just yet. She surrounded Fon with multiple copies of herself, earning a low 'hmm?' coming from Fon's direction.
"Getting dizzy? I can go faster, you know." Alice cackled. "There's no way you can escape no-Oof!" She was cut off in a rude manner, her face plastered against another tree. Fon kept smiling, already having anticipated that she would only focus on him, not on the surrounding area. She has much to learn. He thought to himself, looking forward to seeing her blossom into a well-trained warrior.
"Well?" Fon began to say.
"Come at me with all you've got."
Alice sends him a death-glare wanting nothing more than to wipe that stupid smile off his face. "I'll kill you!" She exclaimed in her rage, running after Fon. Fon jumped out of the way, landing on her head. As Alice was about to smack him upside the head, he removed himself from his position, kicking her again on the back of her head. She lost her balance and stumbled forward, landing face first in a pile of dirt.
Fon's macaque jumped down from his tree, using his hands to help dig out Alice from her unfortunate position. "Bleh…" Alice spat out the remaining dirt from her mouth, sticking out her tongue in disgust. The friendly primate patted the American girl on the back, telling her not to give up.
"That's enough." Fon walked up to her, ignoring her low grows of displeasure.
"You have great potential."
Alice grumbled a string of profanities under her breath, acting as if Fon insulted her with his words. "Unfortunately, you back it up with useless emotions packed with hate, such as anger, rage and irritation." "How else am I supposed to act!!?" Alice faced her home tutor, demanding for a clear answer.
"The wind is serene and peaceful. But it is also unpredictable and violent if it must be." Alice allowed for his words to sink in, gazing at the small baby before her. "You are always filled with anger and rage, and you think violence is the answer for everything. Therefore, you have yet to learn the serene and peaceful side of the wind." Fon explained as his pet monkey placed himself on Alice's shoulder, nodding his head.
"What good is there to learn the serene and peaceful side of the wind? It's not like the enemy will appreciate my peaceful approach. Violence is the best re-Oww!!" Fon smacked her upside the head, making her wonder how he got up there in the first place. "There is no need for you to use violent methods." "Same goes to you, dude. Ease up on the blows to my head." Alice snapped.
"Do you trust me, Alice Pierce?" Trust him? Hell no. The girl thought, feeling Fon's eyes on her. "I do-Oof!!!" She groaned in pain once Fon's fist connected with her jaw, sending her flying a couple of meters away. "Let's try that again… Do you trust me?" He said while containing a peaceful atmosphere, hiding his hands in his oversized sleeves as he crossed his arms.
"HELL NO!!" She roared. This didn't seem to bother Fon much.
"I thought so."
"You really piss me off, you know that?" Alice got up again, ignoring the stabbing pain as best as she could. "Don't get mad. Focus on keeping yourself sane." "Are you calling me insane now?!!" Alice was about to charge up to Fon, when she saw the little baby prepare himself for another blow to the head. Alice sighed as she hung her head, her anger subsiding dramatically.
"Fine." She got down on her knees. "I'll try to stay calm and cool." "You've become wiser already." Fon complimented his student. "We'll start the real training from this moment on." Her head shot up as her eyes sparkled with joy.
"You mean it?!!" She jumped up, totally exited.
"Since you're a martial artist, can you teach me to deliver a kick just like Bruce Lee did in Enter the Dragon? He totally broke a guy's arm with that kick! It was so awesome!!" Alice kicked the air as she got into a fighting pose, forgetting about the pain she felt earlier.
Fon arched his brow at her demonstration, seeing a lot of mistakes in her technique.
"Or how about teaching me a couple of Jet Lee moves. The heart-stopping, physics-defying moves, sensibility of a jaguar, the suave of a true kung-fu master." She took a deep breath, exhaling afterwards as she punched a tree with a devastating blow. To her fist that is…
Fon shook his head at the sight of seeing her act like a fool once again. She held her hand, trying her best to shake off the pain as she jumped up and down.
"Or maybe… Well… A falling round kick, possibly? Like how Jackie Chan did in Rush Hour?" Alice nurtured her hand, not even thinking of copying what Jackie Chan did in the movies.
"Everybody loves kung-fu fighting~" She punched the air according to the beat of the song, singing without shame. Fon sighed.
"Měiguó rén hé tāmen de chīmí wǔshù diànyǐng..." (Americans and their obsession with martial arts movies...)
