2.30 a.m.
I woke up in thick black with my right arm dead in the bed beside me. My shoulder has been patched up nicely. My hair looks as if I slept for a thousand years in a most uncomfortable position; but I didn't, sleep I mean.
I snuck out on my own to the park, saw the sun come up. The whole world was quiet in the half-half light, apart from a few people passing by – who detected and respected my wish for solitude.
"The sky's gone silvery." I said to myself.
The light of dawn is more special than the light of twilight, I think. Recently, I've been more touched by the beauty of the sky. I have found it a constant comfort: the sky always accepts and never disappoints.
"Sounds just like him…" I smiled, thinking of Sawada Tsunayoshi, the boy with the underwear fetish.
4.45 a.m.
My eyes fluttered open upon hearing a familiar voice call out my name. Despite the lack of sleep, I felt wonderfully refreshed when I woke up. "You're okay." A sigh of relief escaped Ryo's lips as I sat up on the bench.
"I must have dozed off…" I said, surprised to see him standing before me. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked.
"Yeah."
"Have any family issues you want to talk about?"
"No."
"So it's completely normal for you to sleep on a bench at night?"
"Of course not."
"Do you feel extremely lonely?"
I smiled despite being caught off guard by his question. "I was just admiring the sky, is all. I'm not lonely." "The sky?" He questioned me, growing confused, which I saw coming. He's not the kind of person to gaze endlessly at the sky, so it's only logical that he would question my words.
"Can I join?"
I laughed. Guess I was wrong. "Aren't you in the middle of running a marathon?" I joked while Ryo beamed, feeling pleased and proud. My eyes fell upon his bandaged arm, my facial expression hardening considerably.
"You can't seriously be running around in your condition." He looked down upon his arm, giving me another confused look, afterwards shrugging his shoulders as if it wasn't such a big deal. But I was serious.
"What would Kyoko think when she saw you now? She'll grow upset for sure." I said, playing the sister card, which is rather harsh. But it's the only way for him to see his errors. "Geez… You're making her worry so much." Ryohei sat down beside me, leaning back on the bench.
The scar on his left temple caught my attention as he closed his eyes, frowning for no apparent reason.
"You're a bad influence on me. Maybe…" I arched my brow at him. Did he actually place the blame on me? "Maybe, if you stop being so extremely extreme, I might take it easy." He opened his eyes, watching the clouds drift by.
"Kyoko wouldn't have to worry so much either."
I couldn't believe it! He's turning the sister card against me! "Seeing you fight every night made me think… If you're out there giving it your all, I should do the same while training. If not, I'll feel like I'm falling behind." "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." I responded while looking away, my cheeks turning a little pinkish upon hearing him complimenting me.
He actually thinks I'll surpass him… Well, I am pretty strong, so yeah. I guess he has a point there.
"You'll make Kyoko worry, you idiot." "Nah! I'll be extremely okay!" Ryo smiled. "No, you'll collapse before you know it."
"If I do, you'll back me up, Alice of the Extreme Shark Kicker!"
"Stop calling me that-whoa!" I yelled out in my dismay, losing my balance as the bench tipped over.
A soft thud followed as I rolled onto the grass, lying there with my limbs spread out in a rather awkward position. My eyes rested on Ryo's face, looking back at me with a half-smiling, half-scared expression. Unable to control myself, I shook with helpless laughter.
"I shouldn't have leaned all the way back…" He said with a priceless air of compunction. I did not say anything, but just continued laughing. Ryo blushed awkwardly, feeling that I was making fun of him.
I fell silent, sighing heavily, the tears of laughter clear in the corner of my eyes. Ryo got up from his lying position on the grass, about to restore the condition of the bench when I pulled on his vest, not wanting for him to do so. "It's cool the way it is. Leave it there."
Ryo looked at me, his eyes blinking as if the sun was shining in them. He didn't question me and stretched out on his back, looking straight up at the sky. The sky was all that we could see, hanging over us as it gradually changed from darker to light.
"You sure there's nothing bothering you?" "I'm sure." I smiled faintly, truly appreciating his concern. Ryo stretched out his good hand, as if trying to reach for the sky.
"I've been wanting to ask you something, but I never had the chance to…" I sensed a serious tension in the air.
Oh God. Don't tell me…
"How do you say extreme to the extreme in English?" I sighed, absolutely relieved at the usual stupid nature of his questions. For a second there, I thought he liked me. I feel bad enough for Takeshi, with him having a crush on me… But Ryo, I cannot handle.
I told him the answer. He smiled and murmured, "Extreme, extreme," as if it amused him. While lying there, waiting for the sun to come up, Ryo learned a score of words in English. He was very eager to learn, which came as a surprise.
We lied side by side and chattered to one another, with smothered laughter; now and then we glanced up at the sky and one of us would say something in an undertone, in which we would end up laughing again.
And to think I felt very useless this morning, as if my life had been a failure. But now, I felt that I was becoming more and more dependent on Ryo and the others for their compassion, and the more I felt this, the better I liked it, and the more I wanted to help them out in the battles that are to come.
"I have a feeling the Mist Guardian is gonna be a pain in the ass…" I whispered lowly, earning a chuckle from Ryo.
"We'll just have to wait and see."
---------------
"Alice," Benjamin said gravely, "You have a visitor."
Alice averted her eyes from the carrot she was peeling, the tip of her tongue sticking out in her concentration. Ami stepped away from the stove, growing curious as to why Benjamin was in an angry mood, and at such times, its best you don't argue with the man.
"Who is it?" Alice asked carefully, having sensed her father's bad mood. "An Italian male… claiming that he knows you." "I'm off!" Alice retorted at the speed of light, which put Benjamin on edge. "See you later Ami!" "Have fun honey." Ami waved lightly with a smile dancing on her lips.
"This is ridiculous. I'm not so foolish as to let you pass, young lady. That man is twice your age!" "Dad, we're just friends. Don't worry so much, will you?" Alice said, sounding the least bit convincing about the just friends part in Benjamin's opinion.
"I'm putting my foot down."
"He's not even Italian. He's Spanish, comprendido?"
"You're doing it again."
"Doing what again?"
"Lying, that's what. You know I don't like it when you lie to me."
"Okay, fine. I won't lie to you. The guy is a saint, really."
Alice slipped past Benjamin and put on her flashy sneakers and her black jacket. "A saint? He's the devil in disguise, tempting my only daughter into doing bad things!" Alice chuckled. She simply couldn't picture Dino like that.
"Dad, he's a gentleman at heart. He's tender, bashful and gentle towards people he meets, and he would never hurt anyone's feelings unintentionally."
"A gentleman is nothing but a patient wolf! He's waiting for the right time to strike, but he won't sink his fangs in my daughter, that's for sure!"
Alice zipped up her coat, smiling childishly while looking up at her father who towered above her. A complete stranger would have caved in by now, fear evident on his/her face. But Alice wasn't a complete stranger. The expression of her eyes, soft, serene and truthful, and above all, her smile, which never failed to transport Benjamin back in the old days, where he felt himself softened and tender, as he remembered having smiled like that in front of his own father in his early childhood.
"I love you Daddy."
"Whatever…"
He rolled his eyes, acting much like a spoiled child who didn't get his way. Alice embraced him affectionately. "Bye!" Just like that, she detached herself from him and was out the door. "Be sure to call if anything comes up!" Ami warned the girl in case of another sleepover or such.
"I haven't agreed yet!" Benjamin yelled after her. Dino smiled apologetically in his direction as Alice dragged him along around the corner. "And he is too Italian!" "Calm down, Benji-kun." Ami pulled him back in, not giving him the chance to run after them.
"I hate the Italian way of life. I hate their food! I hate the attitude of Italian men! Just because you're handsome doesn't mean you have to flaunt it- look! He's holding her hand!" "She's holding his hand, dear." Benjamin grumbled under his breath, not hearing Ami's words.
"I trust him. Sure, he's a very, very handsome young man; good height, with nice features, and don't get me started about his hair." "He looks feminine…" Benjamin spoke as his eye twitched irritably, disappointed with the fact that Ami fell for Dino's charms.
"Hell if I'm gonna sit back and do nothing about this." He spat, slipping on his coat. "And just what are you planning on doing?" "Simple." Benjamin smirked while readjusting his collar in front of the hallway mirror.
"I'll place them under my watchful eye."
"Stalking, huh?"
"Want to come with?" Benjamin stated jokingly, allowing for a smile to seep though his unbreakable barrier like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. "Lead the way, I say." Ami laughed as Benjamin draped her coat over her shoulders. She stopped laughing while looking down at her choice of clothes.
"Amy, you have far exceeded the beauty of when you were a sixteen year old girl; there's no need to feel ashamed." He whispered into her ear, making her cheeks turn bright pink. All the while, she was thinking Benjamin had planned for this to happen all along.
"Now, if we hurry, we might catch up to them."
Apparently, she thought wrong.
At 2.15 p.m., Alice grew aware of her throbbing heart as she walked alongside Dino. He squeezed her hand lightly. Alice resisted the urge to squeal like a brainless ditz, as she thought most girls were whenever they chat about their current love interest.
How different was his hand! Like a rose petal; cool and soft as a snowflake. I'd never thought that his hand could be so sweetly soft! Feels kind of... I dunno, feminine?
"So, care to explain why your Dad's so uptight?" Dino joked with a light chuckle to follow. "Y-yeah... Well, long story short. He's not so fond of Italian men since my Mom remarried back in Italy; even though they're divorced, he can't get over it."
"Ah." Dino showed he understood with a friendly nod. "I figured you had some Italian blood running in your veins." His features relaxed into a slow, deliberate, genuine grin; one that went straight to her heart. But then, the grin died away, and his face grew bleak and serious.
"I was hoping you wouldn't get hurt... But I was hoping for too much, it seems." His voice sounded lonely, so depressed. Alice blushed with a scared look as she realized he thought of her the whole time, simply worrying for her well being, and probably feeling a little guilty about it too.
"There's no need to worry, Dino! I have seen better days... but I can handle it! For sure!" He smiled a tiny smile, which only encouraged her into lifting his spirits. "I thought you'd say that. You're surprisingly easy to read." Said the man who had no clue of how infatuated Alice was with him.
And to think that Alice caught herself imagining the wonder of this being a date, flushing guiltily with the thought alone.
"That's what I expect from my little sister." Her brow twitched in horror, her mouth slightly agape. "Right... little sister..." "You okay? You look a little pale." Dino asked, growing concerned. Alice raised her hand and gathered her composure, enough to speak.
"I'm fine." She smiled as best as she could. Lucky for her, Dino took her word for it. He pressed Alice's head against his chest, laughing amusingly. Alice was surprised by his sudden actions. She smiled afterwards, instinctively holding onto him as she joined in on the laughter.
"Let's get us something to eat."
A steak and tomato-basil pasta was set before Alice; and while she dined upon the Italian dish, Dino sat opposite, watching her as he tried to start a light conversation, in which the girl tried to respond; and failing miserably, might I add.
But this is more his fault than hers, for she really couldn't converse.
Her attention was placed on the remaining large piece of beefsteak on her plate. After many awkward and unsuccessful attempts to cut it with the knife, or tear it with the fork, or pull it between them while Dino remained a spectator to the whole mess, Alice desperately grasped the knife and fork in her fists, like a child of two years old, and began to work with all the strength she possessed.
Once she noticed that Dino grew silent, she stopped with what she was doing and flushed crimson, feeling so embarrassed and ashamed. The corner of his mouth curled in his amusement, having sensed her embarrassment.
"It's been a long time since I last used a knife and fork to eat with..." She muttered, feeling more and more like a little kid, dining with her older brother. And that's all this was, really. She couldn't possibly think of this as a date anymore.
"I understand. I've been in the same situation when I first got here." He said, his handsome voice ringing in Alice's ears as he cut up the meat for her, but it just made the whole big brother issue even worse.
Alice never felt so discouraged. She sighed miserably while looking away, her eyes spotting a part-grown puppy near their table, looking around for some scraps of food with his big emotion-filled eyes. Although the dog looked to be a stray, (no collar) it was a beautiful breed; a snow-white Kishu Ken.
Looks like I'm not the only one who's miserable. Alice thought to herself, keeping her eyes on the dog. The dog's eyes locked with hers, tilting its head sideways.
Alice tore her plate away from a puzzled Dino and turned back to the dog, only to see it run off with a wagging tail, crossing the road as it ignored the traffic light jumping on red. "Shit!" Alice cussed as she ran after the dog, barely dodging a speeding car on the way.
"Alice!" Dino got up from his seat, dropping the knife and fork as he prepared himself to run after her, but was stopped soon after. "Schivando il conto, vero? Che semplicemente non fare, il mio amico." (Dodging the bill are we? That simply won't do, my friend.) Dino smiled nervously while facing the chubby mustached man, which happened to be the owner of the restaurant.
"Quanto?" (how much?) The mafia boss asked as he pulled out his wallet, earning a pat on the back by the owner. He won't be able to chase Alice after this.
Meanwhile, Alice had trouble keeping up with the dog, growing more and more determined to feed it despite the dog's struggle to get away. The dog led her to an unfamiliar place; one that was plunged in a dark mist so dense that the dog became practically invisible.
Once the mist cleared up, she has lost the dog completely, but in return, she stumbled upon an old run-down amusement park.
"Stupid dog." Alice grumbled feeling deceived by the four-legged mammal as she made her way past a rusty gate. A faint rustling sound of some sort could be heard, and with hair on end, the plate still in her hands, she froze on the spot. "W-who's there?" Her words echoed across the abandoned amusement park, sounding hollow.
She heard a pathetic whine, placing her eyes once more on the white dog she followed. "Wait!" She called out to the dog before it ran off again. "I'm not gonna hurt you." She took three steps in the dog's direction. "I come in peace." She seriously felt like an alien of some sorts, with the way the dog was looking at her, stupefied and dazzled at her words as if he could understand her.
"I just followed you because-crap!" She yelled, throwing a fit. The dog ran off again with Alice on his heels. "Don't even think for a second that you can outrun me!" The ground under her feet felt odd, warning her for the danger underneath.
But as soon as she realized her dangerous position, the ground gave way because of her weight, dragging her down into the darkness. The dog whined.
In a last selfless act, Alice held the dog close and shut her eyes, awaiting the hard fall.
Alice felt weakened, extremely tired, and with that, she found herself much inclined to sleep. Despite that, she attempted to rise, but was not able to stir: for, as she happened to lie on her back, she found her arms and legs were strongly fastened with the help of a rope of some kind.
Two shadows were cast upon her. "Why'd you bring a girl in here for anyway?" An unfamiliar voice announced. "Chicks are nuthin' but trouble-byon." "The question here is; why was she snooping around here for?" Another voice corrected the first one.
"I don't care! Just throw her out! I don't want her trying to clean up this place and make it her own secret base-byon!" Alice blinked her eyes open, finding it hard to sleep with the entire racket. But then she remembered... the dog... how she chased the animal to a place she didn't know. Not to mention the fact that she was tied up...
Surely, that's reason enough to freak out, right?
"She's awake." Chikusa pushed up his glasses, sounding uninterested in the matter. Ken invaded Alice's personal bubble, pinching her chubby cheek roughly with his tongue sticking out, having no experience whatsoever on how to treat a girl.
"BWUUUHAAAA!" In her utmost astonishment, she yelled so loud that Chikusa and Ken practically jumped out of their skin, utterly caught off guard.
"Where the hell am I? And why am I tied up like this!"
Chikusa's glasses hung crocked on the tip of his nose, giving him a dishelved look. He managed to gather his composure, coughing weakly as he readjusted his glasses. "When I'm free, I'll kick the crap out of the two of you! You'd better believe it, Nerd! Stankus!" Alice squirmed like a worm on the floor, spouting insulting words to her kidnappers.
"You sure she's a girl, Kakipi? She's cussing a lot-byon." Ken muttered to Chikusa. "Get this fucking yo-yo thread off of me! I can't believe you didn't even have the curtsey to tie me up with a proper rope! Bunch of amateurs!" "I had to improvise..." Chikusa retorted, obviously hurt at her statement.
"Shut up! Stop you're ranting-byon!"
"You shut up! I don't take any orders from anyone!"
Flustered as hell, Ken continued with the senseless shouting, which was answered with more senseless shouting at the top of Alice's lungs. "Ken..." Chikusa pulled the blonde away before it took a turn for the worst.
Alice blinked her eyes as the light of a desk lamp (dunno where that came from!) shone in her face. Both Ken and Chikusa were staring her down. She became a little uneasy under their gaze, wondering what was in store for her.
"Who send you to spy on us?" Chikusa interrogated her, writing something down on a piece of paper. "I say we rip out her throat!" Ken punched a hole in the wall, several inches removed from Alice's position near the tattered sofa.
"Yeah, sure. That'll make me talk, Stankus."
"I'll seriously rip out her throat!" Ken charged in for the kill, but luckily for Alice, Chikusa held him back. "Let me go Four-eyed Kappa! She pisses me off-byon!"
"You'd better speak now. I won't be able to hold him back much longer." He lied, his face remaining emotionless. "What is this, good cop bad cop?" Alice laughed, having seen right through them, which wasn't hard.
"Man, you guys should stick with your Beavis and Butthead routine." She smirked, truly enjoying herself. But there was no time to mess with her captives' minds. She had to prepare herself for the Mist battle.
"Listen... This is fun and all, but I have stuff to do. So can you untie me, or do I have to count on myself to do it." "You're bluffing." Ken glared, growling menacingly. As if on cue, the yo-yo strings became soggy and drooped down instantly.
"How'd you do that-byon?"
"It's simple really. I have superpowers, like Batman."
"Batman doesn't have any superpowers!"
"Fine. Like Superman. It doesn't really change the fact that I have superpowers."
"Kakipi! She's giving me a headache-byon!" Ken turned to his colleague, clenching his fists with a deep frown forming on his forehead. "Is the dog yours?" Chikusa stepped forward with the shades of his glasses hiding his eyes.
The stray dog from before showed his head from behind Alice, his tongue sticking out while gasping for air. "Why'd you have to show up now?" She scolded the dog as it whined, despite having bitten through the wires to free her.
"It was just a dog, Ken." Chikusa said. Alice didn't pay Chikusa much attention as the dog licked and nuzzled her with undying affection. And from the smell of it, the canine ate the whole plate of meat Alice was trying so hard to give him. Chikusa turned his back on her and walked away.
"Oi Kakipi! Where you going? We still-" "She walked in here by accident. The dog is proof of that." He said. "You can kick her out if you want to, Ken. Although I highly doubt you will kick her out..." And with that said, Chikusa left.
Ken looked at Alice and the stray dog that can't get enough of her. "Easy boy. You're slobbering all over me." She chuckled. Ken groaned loudly in his dismay. He should just tell her to buzz off; it's as easy as that, right? Instead, he sat down on the floor, simply gazing at the happy pair before him.
"I'm Alice. Alice Pierce." She struggled to introduce herself while trying to keep the dog at bay. It's like he saw her as one big piece of sizzling meat. "Like I care." Ken spat, looking away. "You from another country?" He asked, trying to sound uninterested.
"I'm from the US. California to be precise." The dog laid his head on Alice's lap, his tail thumping the floor. "You don't look Japanese yourself. Then again, most of my friends don't, with the exception of one." The image of Yamamoto, the baseball-loving Japanese, grinning without a care in the world flashed before her eyes.
Those same eyes were filled with emotions, mostly worry; for the boy. The cuts he sustained could have killed him, and if he managed to survive the pain, the loss of blood would have finished the job.
The dog whined in a helpless, hopeless sort of way, sighing heavily.
He looked up, edging his head towards her. Alice put out her hand and he licked it, telling her to cheer up. She chuckled softly and placed her hands on either side of his head, messing up his fur and ears playfully. The dog licked her face and turned to Ken. He ran round him circles, barking.
"So, what are you called? Or are you content with the name Skankus." "Shut up! I do have a name!" Ken yelled at her, causing for the dog to flinch. "Joshima Ken." He said, swallowing his pride. "And yeah, I'm aware of the irony-byon!" The dog looked at him with his big round eyes, feebly stretching out one paw, trying to touch Ken.
"Alright then, Ken." Suddenly, the dog rose on his hind legs and stood upright. Alice laughed, softly at first, but it increased, as did Ken's death glare. "It's not funny!" He growled.
"He seems to like the name, unlike you." "Give him another name! It's embarrassing-byon!" He complained while turning his back on Alice, no longer acknowledging her presence. Something he should have done a long time ago.
"How about Bob?" Alice muttered while stroking her chin. "Moron! What kind of name is that? You might as well be calling it asino!" "Hmm… Not bad."
"You're driving me nuts-byon!"
He was on the verge of a mental breakdown. "I don't care anymore! You call it whatever you want! It's your dog!" "What do you mean my dog?" Alice invaded his personal bubble this time, inching closer and closer to his scarred face as he crawled backwards with the speed of a cheetah. There was no need for his Cheetah Channel in a situation like this. When facing his arch-enemy, which is a mere girl, his body moves on its own accord, which explains his quick reflexes.
"Stay away from me. Girls are nothing but trouble!" He yelled from a distance. "Constantly telling me to take a bath... Who needs girls anyway-byon." He complained, a faint image flashing before his eyes of the nice, innocent but extremely shy Dokuro Chrome, spraying him down with a water gun.
"Dude, you seriously need to get out more." Ken didn't respond. "Besides, you have nothing to fear when I'm around." Alice smirked. This caught Ken's attention. "I didn't take a bath in two weeks." She lied proudly, lifting her chin.
"There's something seriously wrong with you."
"Wise words coming from a guy who stinks!"
"That's because I didn't take a bath for a whole month-byon!"
"A whole month?" Alice blinked, taken aback by his words. "That's amazing!" She said, truly admiring him with an exciting spark resonating in her eyes. "I was lying about not showering in two weeks, because Ami always managed to lock me in the bathroom, but a month... Keep it up and you'll be in the Guinness World Record Book!"
Ken backed away even more. Never before has anyone complimented him about his bath issues. Never before has a girl talked to him with this level of excitement. It was reason enough for him to stay away from her, even more so than before.
But he didn't deny the fact that it also comforted him, the thought of meeting someone with the same interests as him. Although it would be for the best if they had nothing else in common.
"Are you gonna... keep the dog?" He asked hesitantly. "Man, I really want to." She squatted down and patted the young dog with love and care. "But I don't want to trouble Ami; she's my guardian for as long as I'm here, you know?" She turned to Ken with a smile.
"It's just a stray dog. Who cares what happens with it." He answered harshly. "I care." Alice rose on her feet, looking him in the eye. "And so do you." "No, I don't-byon." He stood firm. "Dogs are no more than self-scratchers, foul feeders, and unclean mammals."
The dog softly edged towards Alice's feet.
"Ken is a patient, temperate, humorous, wise soul, who knows your mood before you know them yourself. Every dog is like that." A serious expression graced her face. Alice kept her emotions hidden while being reminded of the deceased Golden Retriever she grew up with.
Ken didn't think it so insulting anymore if the dog were to be called Ken. A dog isn't just a dog after all.
"Ken."
The dog perched his ears to the sound of his name being called. He clumsily ran in Ken's direction, slipping across the floor. "You're just too cute!" Alice lifted the surprised, but delighted dog in her arms, snuggling the life out of him.
Seeing her display of affection towards the dog, Ken felt a bit envious, although he racked his brain for the reason why he felt jealous of a dog. A dog carrying his name, for one! "I'll teach you all kinds of tricks! We'll start with teaching you how to bite a guy's leg till it breaks! Isn't that fun?"
The jealousy subsided in a flash. Ken face-palmed himself, sliding his hand down his face, all the while thinking of how stupid she just sounds.
There's something seriously wrong with her-byon.
Alice hung about in Kokuyo Land longer than she had planned. Leaving by nightfall, she decided to place the puppy in Ken's care, promising she'd come back from time to time despite Ken's (empty) threats to kick her out .
"What're you looking at?" Ken said, plopping down on the tattered sofa. The canine tottered over to his feet, chewing and pulling on Ken's trousers playfully. "I ain't in the mood to play around."
"Dear me. And here I thought you would be jumping at the chance to have some fun." The dog smiled while looking up. The animal was revealed to be possessed by Mukuro, showing the number six on his left eye.
At the same time, Chikusa made his entrance, followed by Chrome who held her trident at hand. Despite wearing the same Kokuyo Middle uniform, Ken clearly stood out with his shocked expression, his eyes bulging out of his eye sockets.
"Ken."
Chrome was the first to break the silence.
"What the hell is going on here-byon!" Ken was clearly mad. He looked down upon the controlled puppy, not nearly as innocent looking as he was before. "Don't look so alarmed. You have yet to be utterly shocked by the information I am about to share with you." The young pup yapped.
"It concerns the girl… The one you've taken a shine upon."
"I don't like her!" Ken objected rudely.
"Ken, Ken, Ken… " Puppy Mukuro shook his head pitifully. "You mean to tell me that her words haven't made an impact on you? It certainly made me cry my heart out." He smiled. "You've been here the whole time…" Ken muttered. He felt betrayed.
"Do not misunderstand. It was necessary in order to judge her character."
"Judge her character?" Ken relaxed against his will.
"Alice Pierce plays the role of the Wind Representative, working for the Vongola Family like a dog; the only animal that will cheerfully and gladly, with leaping body of joy, leave her food uneaten in order to serve her human master, which is none other than Sawada Tsunayoshi." Said Mukuro, liking the irony of having taken over the form of a defenseless puppy.
"To her, Sawada Tsunayoshi is a god who is kind, who loves her with voice and lip, who loves her with touch of hand, rub or nose." He continued, still seeing Alice as the worthless dog that she is. This piece of information only made Ken feel even worse. He should have known something was off with Alice.
"The dog will keep her eyes appealed, carefully watching whoever comes near her white god." Mukuro averted his gaze towards Chrome and Chikusa. "She is not to be underestimated, by any circumstances."
Chrome nodded, her delicate fingers clasped around her trident. "We will strike when the time is right, once the dog has been removed and the white god is out in the open, that is." "What about the Guardians?" Chikusa couldn't help but ask, his eyes dull behind his glasses.
Mukuro smirked. "Any interference will result in the same fate, much as the dog."
Any other person would feel nothing but that Mukuro was cruel-cruel to say such a thing, cruel to have something wickedly planned in that head of his. But the three of them understood. They understood his reasons for revenge, thus, they don't question Mukuro. And the pooch was too well convinced of their loyalty to doubt them in return.
"Tonight… We will make our move."
At around 10.40 p.m., Alice left the comfort of her home and closed the door behind her. With her hands digging deep in her pockets, she walked along the road. Her mind was troubled with thoughts of the Mist Guardian.
No one has a clue as to who he is.
One of the reasons why Alice got so far is because she's willing to give it her all for her friends. She knows just how far she can go in battle with each Guardian, giving them some space if necessary.
"How am I supposed to help the Mist Guardian?" Alice muttered to herself while scratching her head. "All this thinking isn't good for my brain." She sighed.
Alice neared Namimori Middle, bracing herself for anything that might come her way. A lone figure caught her attention. It was too dark to recognize the person, looking up in the cloudless but star filled sky, standing near the gates of the school entrance.
Alice steadily picked up her pace, panting somewhat by the time she reached the gate.
"Hayato?"
"Who'd you expect, the Queen of England?" Gokudera retorted as he placed his eyes on Alice, trying his best to keep his raging emotions under control. "The Tenth made me wait here in case you didn't chicken out so don't get any ideas." "You know I never run from a fight, so you shouldn't wait around for me. It's just a waste of your time to do so."
Alice noticed his lingering gaze upon her, "What the hell are you looking at?" resulting for her to misunderstand his actions completely. "I was just checking you out! I told you not to get any ideas!" The Italian raised his voice, becoming red in the face.
"You were checking me out? What the hell is up with you?"
"I wasn't! Well, not in that way!"
"Dude, why are you burning up? I get what you're saying-"
"I WAS WORRIED, OKAY?"
Gokudera cut her off, his words bouncing off the walls of the empty streets. Alice blinked. Either she heard him incorrectly or she forgot to turn on her brain. Those were the possibilities she could think of.
But then again, Gokudera shouted the words in her face, so there was no way she could have misheard him, and she wouldn't be thinking if her brain was shut off, so Alice had nothing to rely on.
"Whut?" Alice spoke in English as Gokudera turned his back on her.
"I was just checking your injuries…" He muttered while frowning heavily. His hands were shoved in his pockets as he turned his back on her, pretending not to care. "Judging with the way you're still so goddamn annoying, you're perfectly fine."
Alice smiled. It's hard for him to show that he cares, especially when it concerns an American citizen. Much like a cat refuses to show his emotions to a dog. He probably feels like washing his mouth thoroughly with soap as soon as he gets home.
Despite this, the boy mustered enough courage to face her again. "If you speak of this moment before the Tenth, I'll blast your ass back to the United States, you hear?" His voice was gentle and kind, but still threatening all the same. She knew him well enough to know that he was dead serious.
"Kay." Said Alice with a moist and blissful yawn. Gokudera hung his head, utterly depressed. "I'm begging you. Swear on your life you'll never-" "I said kay! Just chill." She waved her hand like a fan, dismissing poor Gokudera who simply refused to take her word for it.
"Blackmailing you isn't my thing, really." Alice walked forward, leaving Gokudera standing at the gates. "Blackmail?" The boy looked quite alarmed. "Now I know you're planning on blackmailing me."
"Sorry I'm late." Alice waltzed her way into the school gym without a care in the world. Was she even genuinely sorry? "Pierce-san! Where were you?" Tsuna cried. "I was afraid you didn't show up."
"The Mist Guardian isn't here yet?" "While we're waiting, the enemy is already here." Yamamoto broke into the conversation. Alice was slightly disturbed upon seeing Yamamoto's face; his right eye was bandaged carefully, and a few band-aids adorned his left cheek. His fingers were all one could see of his right arm, which was bandaged and re-bandaged, layer upon layer.
In silence, stiffening his jaws, he looked her dead in the eye. "You're okay." Alice looked down. She was so embarrassed at the moment. He must be in pain, still. The girl answered with a faint nod of her head.
"That's good. Gokudera was worried sick, you know?"
"I was not!" Gokudera piped in while covering Tsuna's ears. The boy rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh. "Yeah you were. Alice was all you ever talked about, right senpai?" "I thought my eardrums were gonna burst to the extreme with Squid-head's constant nagging." Ryohei nodded firmly with a grunt to follow.
"She's been fixed up by Shamal of all people! There's a reason for me to worry!" Gokudera felt his shoulder gripped with such force in Alice's powerful hold that a surge of unexpected pain took a hold of him, growing positively scared at the moment.
"Who treated my wounds?" Alice inquired, sounding anything but cheerful. "I implore thou to understand, thou hast the only chance to receive any treatment by Shamal-dono." Basil tried to calm her down. "I'd rather bleed to death." Came her answer.
"You should thank him. If it weren't for his Trident Mosquito, you would be in a lot of pain now." Reborn tilted the brim of his black hat as he spoke upon Yamamoto's shoulder. "I'd rather deal with the pain." Alice kept her foot down.
"Speaking of pain, could you release me now? I'm not the bad guy here!" Alice loosened her grip on the teenager, in which he rubbed his sore shoulder, grumbling endless death threats under his breath.
"Urgh! I'm fed up with waiting!" Alice stomped her foot down with great force, huffing with her arms crossed over her chest. "You just got here!" "So? What's your point?" "The point is that you are the last person to be complaining!" Gokudera got in Alice's face.
"Look, if the Mist Guardian doesn't show up, I can still fight in his place. That's why I can't wait, Yes-man!" "There's no need for a substitute, Alice. The Guardian of Mist is here." The baby hit man announced.
At that moment the door opened with Chikusa and Ken walking into the gym, looking threateningly about. Everyone turned towards them with surprise and shock.
At first sight, Alice didn't recognize them. She had seen them several hours ago for the first time, but at such a moment and in such surroundings, her memory retained a different image of them.
The others were still in a state of shock.
"Stand back Tenth! I'll blast them into oblivion!" Alice was pushed back by Yamamoto before she could take a good look at them, as if meant to be out of sight.
"Calm down, Gokudera. They brought the Guardian of Mist."
"What are you saying, Reborn-san?"
The boy made no effort in stashing away his dynamite, looking at Reborn, his eyes set ablaze with hatred for the unwanted guests. "Oh... it's you guys!" said Alice, extremely astonished and surprised, but happy to see them. Her words alarmed the group even more.
"You know them?"
Alice was caught off guard with the way Gokudera glared her down. He was really pissed. Alice stepped back. The light which shone from the depths of her eyes was nothing more than the light of fear. "Yes," She answered slowly. "I met them mere hours ago. What's the big deal?"
"Are you stupid?" He cried sharply. "They're the enemy! Their leader, Rokudo Mukuro, tried to take over the Tenth's body in order to get his revenge on the Mafia!" Upon fully realizing the state of the situation, Gokudera's eyes widened in horror. "T-then could the Guardian of Mist be…"
"Looks like it, Gokudera." Yamamoto frowned.
"I can't believe it. Is the Guardian of Mist, Rokudo Mukuro?" Tsuna exclaimed, his face pale. As far as Alice can tell, Rokudo Mukuro was bad news. Despite that, she felt that there must be a good reason for their strange presence and only a growing respect for Tsuna and the others kept her from blurting out the questions that were popping up in her mind.
"Nay."
A female voice seemed to come from a greater distance. A kaki-green coat was cast aside, revealing the girl wearing the piece of clothing.
"My name is Chrome," The trident in her hands sparkled. "Chrome Dokuro." "Not Rokudo Mukuro?" Tsuna asked himself in wonder. Ken and Chikusa allowed for her to enter. She paid no mind to the countless pairs of eyes on her, standing before a dazzled Tsuna.
"Who is this girl with the extremely weird name?" Ryohei arched his brow. "One of your friends, Tsuna?" An equally dazed Yamamoto asked. Tsuna had no idea how to answer, thus shifted his eyes in his nervous state. "This girl, isn't Rokudo Mukuro, right?"
"I thought Mukuro was a guy."
"Mukuro is a guy, you idiot! She's just being controlled by him!" Alice was yelled at again. Not like she could help it. She had absolutely no clue as to what Mukuro's abilities are. "Don't be fooled, Tenth! That's Mukuro! She's being possessed by him!"
Alice watched Chrome carefully. She had a thin, pale little face, with a soft little nose and chin. In spite of not knowing her age, she looked almost a little girl-almost a child. Her eye-patch seemed to cause a certain suspicion in Alice, but as soon as she locked onto her uncovered lilac eye, Alice's suspicion faded into the back of her head.
Alice bore no grudge to a girl she had no knowledge about.
"You won't believe me?" Chrome uttered softly, turning warmly and awkwardly to Tsuna. "Of course not!" Gokudera spat. "Tenth! Look at that weapon! And she's hiding that eye with a patch!" He pointed accusingly at Chrome. "She's undoubtedly-" "Not Rokudo Mukuro." Tsuna said, his voice soft but steady.
Alice smiled, a faint smile, more than glad she thinks the same of not accusing the girl.
"Y-you think so?" Gokudera uttered with his face in shambles. "It looks that way, is all!" The boy blurted out, clearly embarrassed. "We'll know in time whether this girl is Mukuro or not." "The Tenth might be in Mukuro's grasp already!" Gokudera shouted in extraordinary anger. He faltered, having seen her lips curl into a wicked smile.
"You think I'll let this Mukuro guy lay his hands on our Boss? You're sadly mistaken, right hand man." Gokudera frowned. It was clear she was serious seeing that she addressed him with respect, which she has never done before.
"Nothing will happen. Not when I'm near. Have some faith in your abilities, Hayato." "I do! You just don't know how dangerous this guy is!" Ken scoffed with his hands deep in his pockets.
Chikusa remained silent, looking Alice over. It was just as Mukuro said. Alice must be disposed of.
"You protected me." Chrome said. "No problem." Alice grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you." Yamamoto tapped Alice on her shoulder, nudging his head in Tsuna's direction. She could see Chrome passing her by, as if ignoring her existence.
She leaned in on Tsuna's face, the boy reddening considerably the instant her lips were pressed against his cheek. "What the hell are you doing?" Gokudera was pulled back by Yamamoto before he could cause any harm to the girl. Everyone was silent, gazing at Chrome with a rush of embarrassment.
"Look how close she got to the Boss, jackass!" The grey-haired Italian turned to Alice, his eyes glazed by madness. "Grow up. A kiss is nothing." She replied, her cheeks tinted pink. "What are you blushing for?" "I'm not blushing!" By now, her blush was so hot she could smell burning bacon.
Ken uttered a low growl. Chikusa shot him a look filled with irritancy. The growling rose in volume as Gokudera turned to face Ken. "Back off." The blonde frowned darkly, a shadow cast upon his face. "You back off! This has nothing to do with you!" Gokudera shoved the boy away from him, but not before he caught a glimpse of his hostile eyes.
Gokudera shifted his eyes from Ken to Alice and back again. "Are you siding with them?" He asked the girl, dreading the answer. "We're… " "You're what?"
"We're friends." Alice said, looking down.
Gokudera fixated his gaze on Ken. "Don't you dare come near her!" Gokudera with an angry face, red and unlike himself was shouting to Ken. "If Mukuro thinks she's another pawn for him to use and abuse, he's sadly mistaken!"
"Gokudera…" Yamamoto whispered, seeing him shove Alice behind him against her will. "If you're looking for a fight, bring it-byon!" Ken taunted his pale brown eyes aflame with wrath, his fist ready for a crushing blow. He looked across at Gokudera, but the angry flash in his eyes was met by an even brighter light in Gokudera's raging orbs.
Gokudera lifted his fist in a menacing gesture. As angry as he was, he fell for Ken's taunts and sends his fist flying at him in a wild swing. Just as everything was about to go wrong, Tsuna interfered and received the heavy blow on the side of his head, nearly knocking him down.
The boy staggered on his feet.
Upon realizing what he has done, Gokudera lowered his fists directly after rushing to Tsuna's aid. "Tenth! Are you alright? I-I didn't mean to hit you!" "I'm fine, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna replied, still a bit shaken up.
"How amusing. At this rate, the scum will end his life before I'll get involved." Xanxus smirked on his throne. His men, or what was left of them, looked down upon Tsuna with a dark chuckle to follow.
"Tenth..." Gokudera was ashamed. He was acutely conscious that moment that he had committed a loathsome action, that was done could never be undone, inwardly gnawing, gnawing at himself for it, tearing and consuming himself.
"Gokudera-kun... I'm aware that you're thinking of everyone's safety. But we have no other choice in the matter." Tsuna gazed upon Chrome, his Mist Guardian. "I don't intend to let Pierce-san fight that ominous baby. Not in this match. Therefore, we have no other choice but to allow for her to fight as the Mist Guardian."
Reborn grew proud of his pupil. He single-handedly stopped them from bashing each other's brains in, and that's reason enough to celebrate. "You feel the same way, don't you, Pierce-san?" There was such a kindliness and simplicity in his expression that it was hard to turn him down. Something Alice was dying to do.
She nodded amazingly at Tsuna, with the faintest ghost of a smile on her lips. "I guess. I racked my brains trying to think of ways to help the Mist Guardian." Alice sighed. "I couldn't come up with anything, so maybe it's for the best if I don't get involved this time." Alice shyly scratched her head.
"Keh. How stupid." Ken retorted.
"Like it'll make a difference if you did get involved, idiot."
He turned his head, lacking the courage to face Alice. In truth, he cursed himself for believing her words, for believing she can be as sweet and adorable to be so selfless, breaking her little head over helping someone she hasn't even met yet.
"Oi! Don't call her an idiot." "Hayato..." Alice's heart fluttered with gratitude and newfound respect for the Italian bad boy.
"Earn the right to call her an idiot."
"Go to hell!" Alice hissed with a shadow cast over her eyes, about to knock his teeth out.
"You saying I'm not worthy of calling her an idiot?" Ken picked up on his words. "I'm not an idiot!" The American girl yelled at Ken, somehow causing for him to back off in his embarrassment.
"C-can I count on you to fight? As the Mist Guardian, of course." Tsuna asked Chrome. "Thank you, Boss." Despite not showing it, she was extremely grateful.
"We will begin the battle soon. Will each Guardian of Mist step into the battlefield?" The Cervello spoke, eager to get the match started. Chrome averted her attention towards Alice, who had no clue that she was being watched.
"Boss..."
"Y-yeah?" Tsuna caught her lingering gaze upon the American, now picking a fight with Gokudera.
"If it's too much to ask... can the Wind Representative be deployed in battle?" She awaited Tsuna's answer patiently. Alice overheard her words, having ceased her assault on Gokudera.
"I-I don't know..."
"Don't you trust me?" Chrome questioned the boy, looking quite saddened. "N-no! It's not that! I guess you have to ask her directly?" "Me? Join the fray?" Alice looked around, expecting for everyone to be against the idea. But they proved to be very supportive of the idea.
Well, everyone except Gokudera.
He made eye contact with Chrome, indicating he'll be keeping his eyes on her for any shady movements.
"Kick some extreme butt, Alice!" Ryohei roared.
"Keep thyself safe, Alice-dono." Basil smiled.
"Don't overdo it, okay?" Yamamoto flashed his pearl-white teeth.
"Whatever... Just... don't do anything stupid." Gokudera muttered with a groan to follow. "Awww..." She sniffed. "You guys are making me cry."
"Let's cut the sweet talk and head straight to forming an extreme circle!" When it comes to encouraging a fellow member of the Family, Ryohei has to form a circle in order to calm his nerves.
"Kay!" Alice clapped her hands excitedly and dragged Tsuna towards the others, awaiting the familiar circle. "You're welcome to join." Alice's head popped up from the huddle.
"I don't want to." Alice grew dumb, her eyes popped out of her head, her mouth opened wide. "You don't want to?" The group dispersed. "You don't want to?" She repeated, a little more slowly this time.
"I'll make you!"
The boys were obliged to restrain Alice by force, stopping her from attacking the Mist Guardian. "She's not worth it, Babyface!" Gokudera said. "Take it easy!" Ryohei growled, understanding Alice's actions. Hell, if Alice didn't act out like this, Ryohei would have been the one to do so.
"I'm sorry." Tsuna apologizes humbly.
"We'll just...perform the huddle without you, if you really don't want to join." The boy chuckled shyly, scratching the back of his head.
"Alice, fight!"
Alice's face had the full presence of a pouting expression in it, and everyone sensed this. To their relief, Alice's eyes were full of laughter as she looked up. "I'm going." Chrome made her way towards her opponent.
"W-wait!" Alice ran towards her, suddenly feeling a light tug on her arm which made her stop running. "Tsunami..." "Are you sure about this? You really want to fight?" She frowned. Tsuna loosened his grip on her.
"You don't have to get involved this time, you know that... right?" Alice gazed at Chrome's retreating back, then back to Tsuna. "I'm sure." Said Alice, decidedly, sounding fearless. Tsuna was unhappy: he saw that he had offended her, and dared not say anything more, in case of making this moment even more awkward than it already was.
Alice turned her back on him. "Pierce-san..." Tsuna felt the weight of Yamamoto's hand on his shoulder. Despite Yamamoto's attempt of cheering him up, the boy felt anything but at ease.
It's too late to stop her from fighting now.
"The battlefield is the entire gymnasium. You may use anything within." Lefty explained. "This field does not have any special devices." "Lucky." The Cervello ceased to acknowledge Alice's sarcastic comment.
"Will you use-" "I have no need for that worthless dog." Mammon cut her short. All the while, feeling hurt by his statement, Pezzo had backed off growling horribly. A vast glowing of Xanxux's hand, red and very large, paired with a fearsome heat, made Pezzo stop whining like a mortally injured mutt, having understood the message his Boss was sending him: to shut his muzzle if he wants to live to see another day.
Belphegor crouched down to Pezzo's level, putting his finger to his lips. "Good boy." He whispered with a chuckle to follow.
"The spectators' area for this match is within that enclosure." Tsuna and the others found themselves locked in by means of a metal enclosure. "It has an infrared laser detection system just like the Storm match, so please be careful."
"This sucks." Ken complained with his hands in his pockets.
"Did you actually think they're gonna allow for us to interfere? Idiot." Gokudera (and the rest) expected for Ken to freak out again, much like he did before. But he didn't hear Gokudera talking. He kept his gaze on Chrome, getting cold feet about the little plan Mukuro came up with.
"Damn..."
"Now, the Mist match, Mammon VS Chrome Dokuro. Battle start!"
Chrome shot into action with her trident at hand, swinging the device with all her strength down to the floor. Alice felt the floor shake from under her. Before her astonished eyes, the floor cracked open as huge chunks hovered all around.
Suddenly feeling ill, Alice looked upon the face of Chrome. Her eyes seemed to betray her, for the person standing in Chrome's place was clearly a male.
Wearing a Kokuyo school uniform with a so-called pineapple hairstyle, this man smiled playfully. From the corner of her eye, Alice bared witness to the walls collapsing around her. She has lost her bearings completely. Everything is gone.
There is only the smiling stranger and Alice in a pitch-black universe.
"How do you like it? This grim world I have created, for you and you only." Mukuro pronounced suddenly. "What world? There's nothing here!" Alice flew at him. "I don't know how you made everything and everyone disappear, but I insist you return it back to normal."
"Surely this world may seem cold, empty and, dare I say hostile?" Mukuro replied, with evident enjoyment. "But here, you have the opportunity to start over again. In your world, people get carried away and make mistakes. They might take advantage of your kindness. Or rather; they will take advantage of you over and over again, and eventually, you will be disposed of. To them, you are but a tool with several uses."
Mukuro flashed an affable smile in her direction.
"You don't know what you're talking about." Alice frowned darkly.
"I believe you don't know what you've got yourself into, Alice Pierce." Mukuro went on, glancing at her. "They would never stab me in the back. You hear me! Stop messing with my head!" "Oh, my dear Alice... how could I?" He said softly, holding out his leather-gloved right hand. His trident materialized from the palm of his hand, holding it proudly before the white-faced Alice.
"Sawada Tsunayoshi is using you, Alice. Why do you think he held you back just now?" "Because he cares for me. He doesn't want for me to get hurt." Mukuro looked for a moment as though he could hardly believe his ears.
"Tut-tut-tut, little Alice." He said, looking at her and shaking his head as he did so. Then he remarked, with confidence to Alice: "Because he fears your strength. And what he hates most... is that you are hard to control. And what kind of god would he be if he couldn't keep his guard dog under control?" Mukuro interposed once more suddenly, in a voice quivering with delight in insulting her white god.
"That fake god of yours finds it better to keep a dog from poverty rather than taking in a noble breed, so that he may have complete control over you. Even a child knows that a mutt doesn't have any backbone, merely doing what his god commands of him." Against her will, Alice growled lowly, an amused chuckle escaping Mukuro's lips, loving the irony of it all.
"You have no idea what is in store for you if you keep guarding your master, little Guard Dog. If only you choose to part ways, everything will sort out perfectly." "I swear," Alice cried wrathfully and irritably, crimson with confusion, "if you dare mention a single word... about Tsunami... I'll break every bone in your body!"
Mukuro fixed his piercing, glittering eyes upon Alice. Silence lasted for some seconds. "So that's how it is?" Alice turned pale and bit her lower lip. "You don't know how generous I am. I'm willing to create a new world for you. One that you have always wanted, made from the desires that you hold in the core of your heart and soul."
"Go to hell!" Cried Alice.
"Hell has spit me out, finding me to be the most dangerous man on the face of the earth, little Guard Dog." He answered, looking quite angered at the moment.
"Don't make me your enemy. It won't do you any good."
The symbol δΈ€ representing the number one in Japanese appears in his eye, indicating his use of the first realm, the Realm of Hell. "I do hope you enjoy the time you spend in the next world, for you will be staying there for eternity." Mukuro warned her while misting over as Alice could hardly see him anymore.
She reached out for him in fear of what's to come, hearing his faint chuckling ringing in her ears.
"Ku fu fu... Arrivederci, foolish little Guard Dog."
The ringing of an alarm clock reached her ears.
Alice awoke, gasping for breath, her hair soaked with perspiration, and sat upright in terror. She snatched the device from her nightstand, relieved that it was all just a dream.
"What a nightmare..."
Realization dawned upon her as she noticed where she was. The alarm she was holding in her hands. It was the same flower-shaped alarm clock she received as a gift from him, in order for her not to oversleep again. The dents and scratches on the device felt so familiar, so unreal.
Alice got up on her feet. Her eyes welled up with emotion. The sky, high up ahead, was bright with the Californian sunset of deep red fire and pallid gold, still quite brightly shining through her window.
"I'm home?" The tears slid down her cheeks. With a sudden shame for believing she really was home, she dashed them away. "This can't be…"
She looked around the room; her room. Everything was still the same. This was the house she lived in, where she grew up with her brother before the divorce. Suddenly Alice perked her ears and listened. A dogs' barking could be heard, along with its heavy footsteps ascending the stairs. A moment later she came dashing towards her, still barking.
"Bob!" Alice was overjoyed, engulfing the dog in her arms. Bob loyally licked her face, tasting her salty tears. "I can't believe this! You're alive!" Alice stroked her golden fur, feeling the soft and fluffiness of the coat she groomed every day.
Bob wagged her tail pleasantly and whined for more attention. "Alice! Dinner's ready!" However, she will have to wait patiently for her master to finish her plate first.
"Mom?"
Alice stood on her feet. A woman of a modest and pleasing guise was standing in the doorway, gazing with interest at Alice. From the shining light in her eyes, and her face filled with delight, Alice couldn't believe it belonged to the woman that gave birth to her, the Mother with the controlled, strict face. "Is it really you?"
"Of course it's me! Who'd you expect?" Lydia exclaimed, sounding insulted. "Are you feeling alright?" She asked, clearly worried. Alice shook her head. "I'm just…" "Just what?" Alice shrugged.
"Nuthin."
"Is it that time of the month already?" "M-mom! It's nothing!" Alice turned crimson as she stomped out the door. The dog tilted her head, whining softly. "I was just asking." Lydia smiled.
Alice flew down the stairs when she heard fresh footsteps. Looking up, she caught a full view of his figure pausing for a moment, at the door. "How many times did I tell you not to run down the stairs? You're always in a rush."
"She's just hungry. Isn't that right, Alice?" Benjamin locked the door, chuckling in his amusement. Alice was speechless yet again. Her face in tears, her hands held out as though she yearned to be embraced by him.
To see her brother standing before her like this, it's too much for her to handle. His blonde locks were pulled back, the shorter bangs gracing his forehead. His baby-blue eyes still had that amusing spark in them. And that cheery smile of unconcern upon his lips stayed the same. Sure, he was a young man of twenty years old now, but he was still the same carefree little boy that Alice grew up with.
"What's with you?" He grew a little frightened when Alice embraced him tightly, the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Who knows? She's been acting weird ever since I called her down for dinner." Lydia came down the stairs with Bob trailing after her.
"That time of the month?" Benjamin whispered in his wife's ear as Aiden tried to remove Alice, with no success. Lydia shrugged, not knowing the answer. "I'm sorry for everything I've put you through." Alice sobbed, soaking Aiden's shirt. "I'm sorry for beating up that Anderson kid! I had no right to butt in!" She became hysterical with sorrow by now, sobbing and hiccupping like crazy.
"Calm down! Just... calm down."
Aiden pulled her away and looked her in the eye, lowering himself to her height. "What is this about you beating someone up, huh?" He wiped away her tears with his thumb, patiently waiting for her answer. "I... I killed him... I got involved when I shouldn't have... B-but they were beating you to a pulp... I... I had to do... something!" She managed to say as the tears kept coming. She felt so vulnerable, crying like this.
But she knows Aiden will make everything better. He always does.
"It's alright." He began to say, uttering the words Alice thought she'd never hear from him. "I forgave you a long time ago. Won't you let it go?"
The tears have stopped flowing. She looked at Aiden with a strange flash of suspicion and defiance in her eyes. "You forgave me?" She uttered in disbelief, letting go of the man that claimed to be her brother. "I killed a person, and you don't mind?" Alice took a step backwards, away from him.
"You're not real… Nothing is real…" She realized, then, what a creepy, dull, inanimate horror this place had been to her all these years; they were never the happy family she wanted them to be. How she had been in such a stifled condition of mind, as to have grown used to this fake world almost beyond the power to notice it simply sickens her.
"This isn't real! My brother would never forgive me like this!" She said, loudly and abruptly.
"My parents aren't happily married! They're divorced!" She turned to Benjamin and Lydia, looking shocked out of their mind. Bob barked joyfully, making her way before her master.
"And you…" Bob lowered her head while whining.
"You're dead!"
Alice's eyes welled up with tears again. This all wasn't real, but it sure looked real enough to her. Aiden hurriedly approached her, holding out his hand with a worried look on his face.
"Don't touch me!" She exclaimed.
"Stand back! You're scaring me!"
He tried to soothe her. "Why do I scare you? You know who I am. I'm your big brother-" "Don't you dare say you're my brother! You're just a fucking illusion! You're not real!"
Aiden looked at her broken form and smirked evilly, changing into the man she despised. The familiar trident materialized from out nowhere, his eye burning bright red. "I must say that I have underestimated you, little Guard Dog. It's hard to think that you, a mere pooch, saw right through my illusions."
"Don't take me for a fool…" Alice clenched her teeth.
"Ah, but you did seem to enjoy it in the beginning," He said, tapping his finger on her nose, much like punishing a disobedient pup. "So I'd say it was a huge success on my end." "Take me back!" Alice yelled, growing tired of his games.
"Take you back? For what end?" Mukuro smirked, playing along.
"To help the Mist Guardian!"
Mukuro was taken aback for a moment. He assumed she wanted to assist her friends. But not a stranger she just met mere moments ago. "How amusing… You truly are a pup I shouldn't underestimate."
Alice viciously glared him down.
"Unfortunately, you're just another thorn in my side. I won't let anyone stand in my way." Mukuro spun his trident in his hands, preparing for the attack. "Face my wrath if you refuse to move."
Without a warning, Mukuro swung his trident upon Alice with ease. She jumped back, avoiding his attack. "See how easy it is to move?" He smirked. "I'll never let you have your way!"
Mukuro didn't take his eyes off her. He dashed in her direction and swung his trident upon her once more. She refused to move this time and took the blow head on, holding her arms up in a defensive position. Alice struggled as Mukuro pushed her back, but she still refused to move.
Struggling with her legs, gasping and shrinking from the blows of his trident with were showered upon her like hail. Mukuro turned his weapon and delivered a deadly blow against her ribs, making her cry out in pain.
He drew no blood. Her ribs were only bruised.
"Fuck…"
She clenched her teeth, struggling to stand on her feet. She could feel the burning on her arms, her face, her ribs, screaming for medical attention. "Arrivederci, Alice Pierce."
Mukuro spun his trident around with the sharp end of the tool facing her. He ran towards her with that playful smile dancing upon his lips. Alice awaited her doom and closed her eyes, all the while praying for Tsuna and the others to forgive her.
For what, she didn't know.
Surprisingly, Mukuro froze on the spot.
"Mukuro-sama…"
There was something or someone calling out to him. "I wanted to help you." Chrome's voice echoed into the world of nothingness. She cried for his help, for him to assist her.
He frowned.
Her distressed call came at a worse moment, for Mukuro at least. He has two choices… Either he'll have to materialize into the real world and help out his dear Chrome, foiling his plans on destroying Alice once and for all. Or he'll dispose of Alice right now, but risk losing Chrome who plays a vital role in his survival.
He was silent, looking straight at Alice for a whole minute.
Alice would have said something insulting, but she refrained, from an instinctive sense that there was something behind—that Mukuro had something important to say to her. "You're Rokudo Mukuro… Aren't you?" But it didn't stop her from asking an obvious question.
Mukuro bowed silently, much like a humble butler would.
"Everything will come to light sooner or later, little Guard Dog. When your god wills it, my secrets are found out." He lifted up his eyes to hers from his position and spoke.
"For now, I have to let you go. My cute little Chrome won't make it without my help, you see?" There was a faint trace of indignation in his voice, paired with deep regret. "I suggest you keep an eye out for your white god, little Guard Dog." Were his last words as he faded from before Alice's eyes.
She shut her eyes as an unexplainable light shone in her face, blinding her. She obtained the ability to see again, the lights of the gym shining heavily in her eyes.
"Pierce-san!"
Her head shot up at the sound of hearing Tsuna's alarmed voice. "You alright?" Alice nodded her head, although weak. The pain she experienced in Mukuro's illusionary world was gone.
"I'm okay." Alice mumbled, cupping her face with her hands. "I'm okay!" She jumped up, entirely pumped up while flashing the victory sign in her teammates' direction.
"Moron…" Gokudera huffed, allowing for himself to relax once he saw Alice display her lively self. "She's okay. Thank god." Tsuna smiled, also relieved. Every trait of sorrow vanished from Yamamoto's face, and it instantly displayed a degree of ecstatic joy. Ryohei's eyes sparkled in admiration for the blonde.
"It's too late."
Alice locked her eyes on Mammon.
"She's done for, and soon, you'll suffer the same fate." Chrome was gasping for breath on the wooden floor. Her trident in shambles beside her as her vision blurred. Her internal organs have started to fade, her stomach caving in because of it.
"Hey," Alice held onto Chrome's hand, looking her in the eye. "I don't know what's going on here, but hang in there." Chrome looked at her, her voice small as she spoke. "Mukuro-sama..." "He'll be here." She hated Mukuro for what he has put her through, but Chrome clearly needs someone to reassure her of her survival, so Alice swallowed her pride and smiled.
"He'll come."
A ghost of a smile appeared on Chrome's lips despite finding it hard to breathe. She closed her one eye, giving up, it seems. Her hand felt weak in Alice's hold, but she refused to let go.
"H-hey! Don't give up on me!"
A misty puff of smoke enveloped Chrome's body, hiding it from sight. "She's using the last bit of her power to hide her ugly body." Mammon explained, having noticed Alice's dumbfounded expression. "It's something female magicians often do, so don't look so shocked."
Alice ignored the baby, her eyes searching for any signs of life underneath the veil of mist. "Pierce-san! Get away from there!" Tsuna panicked suddenly. "He's coming!" "Who's he, Tsuna?" "Rokudo Mukuro! He's coming!" Alice feared for her safety, letting go of Chrome's delicate hand, "Ku fu fu..." but a leather-gloved hand leaped out restraining to hers.
"Escaping isn't an option, little Guard Dog."
"A man?" Mammon said once the mist cleared up, revealing a crouched Mukuro gazing into the eyes of Alice, sending shivers down her spine. The Italian male cast one look in Mammon's direction, sending him flying by means of a powerful illusion, destroying the floor along with the baby.
"It's been some time." He stood on his feet, loosening his tight grasp on Alice's now bruised hand. She was this close to punching a hole in his face. "I've come back from the edge of transmigration."
"That's Rokudo Mukuro alright." Gokudera frowned.
"Rokudo Mukuro?" Mammon recovered from the blow dealt to him, looking quizzically at Mukuro standing before him. "I thought I heard that name somewhere. I remember now." The baby hovered above the ground.
"About a month ago, someone tried to escape from the Vendicare prison. His name was Rokudo Mukuro." "This guy is a convict?" Alice's jaw lowered in awe, and Mukuro seemed to enjoy the attention she was giving him, silently running his fingers through his hair with a smirk to follow.
"But I heard the escape ended in failure, and he was then thrown into the lowest level of the prison where even light and sound couldn't reach him." Mammon finished off.
"B-but he's standing right here-" "I see that the intelligence of Varia, the prided Vongola special assassin squad, is pathetic." Mukuro cut the confused girl off. "In reality, I am right here."
"You're an illusion wrapped around that girl... That much is clear." Mammon grunted. Mukuro chuckled. Alice was left clueless. She shook her head and snapped out of it. This is a battlefield. Keep your guard up. She thought to herself.
Mukuro gazed at her with a smile on his face, about to insult her for her childish thoughts. "Move aside." Mukuro pushed her back, looking over his shoulder. "Your role as damsel in distress has passed, little Guard Dog."
Alice was fuming uncontrollably. Tsuna and the others knew what was about to come. But, quite unexpectedly, Mukuro found himself, panting, with a cut mouth and a bruised jaw, looking upon the young girl that punched him just now. Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose in shame. "Of course… She just had to revert to violence."
"You listen here, and you listen well." Alice said, at the same time poking Mukuro's chest. "I'm the Wind Representative, and the Mist Guardian has given me permission to join the fray." Mukuro eyed Alice inquiringly. "So you're stuck with me." Again, she poked him.
Mukuro arched his brow. This discussion seemed to have ceased to interest him.
A sudden chill passed through Alice's body as Mammon whipped up a snowstorm, growing tired of waiting. Alice was quite blue, nearly black with cold, shivering violently despite trying to hide it. "You were saying?" Mukuro taunted her.
"S-shut-t up!" She snapped, her teeth clattering non-stop. "J-just do something!" A mist flame surrounded his right eye, showing the number five vividly.
"Understood." Said Mukuro and brought his trident down with a swinging blow. There was a sound of a heavy thud.
"What the hell are you doing?" Alice dodged his deadly attack by an inch as she jumped back. "You still trying to kill me?" Alice screamed frantically. "What is he doing?" Tsuna exclaimed in shock. "I knew we couldn't trust him! He's not on our side, Tenth!"
"Calm down."
All eyes were on Reborn.
"There must be a logical reason behind his actions…" "Which is?" The baby gazed at his pupil. "No clue." "Reborn!" Tsuna pulled on his hair, frustrated and confused to no end.
Mukuro swung his trident a second time and it missed again. The cold was getting to Alice; her legs felt like two frozen logs, and she was losing body heat fast. Mukuro attacked her in all directions, and the trident was raised again and fell upon her a third time, then a fourth, with heavy measured blows.
"She's slowing down." Said Ryohei.
"She won't make it at this rate." Yamamoto frowned, feeling angry and powerless.
"Kill the bastard! Show him what you can do, Babyface!" Shouted Gokudera.
Mammon turned red. They're making a fool of him. Or perhaps Mukuro doesn't acknowledge him as a worthy opponent. "Enough of this foolishness!"
With renewed strength, the cold got so intense it chills her lungs; cold enough to freeze a white bear. "Oh my." Mukuro said, mocking Alice with his eyes alone.
Just as Alice was about to give in to the cold, an overflow of blazing lava spouted from the floor like an erupting geyser, raising the temperature in the blink of an eye.
"For now, I will cease my endless lashing and let you be at peace." Mukuro whispered smoothly in her ear. "I won't let anyone place a finger on you, for destroying your existence is something I will thoroughly enjoy... For your own safety, I ask you to stay where you are, little Guard Dog." She sat there, completely shocked beyond the point of return.
"Now then, Arcobaleno. Don't tell me this is all you've got." Mukuro smiled, causing for Mammon to fume with rage. Does he not care that the Wind Representative was frozen before his feet?
"Don't get so elated! You have no idea what you're up against!" Mammon unleashed his power, but not before the lights mysteriously gave way, bathing everyone in eternal darkness. Alice's eyes widened in fear. She's been here before. This is the world she was trapped in, if not for Chrome's desperate cry for help.
"Stop it..."
She was breathing heavily and irregularly, indicating that she was at the brink of losing her self control. Alice closed her eyes, praying that Mukuro would have pity on her, praying that she would see the light of day again.
Mammon's voice reached her ears, and he sounded anything but okay for every sound that floats within his throat is a deadly groan, like his soul was being stripped away from his small body.
"Where..." She looked about, alarmed.
All Alice could see was this world of nothing; mighty and black, black doors as though fashioned of coal, and through them came even more darkness paired with the sound of Mammon's suffering.
The pitiful groans from all sides and the torturing pain he must feel sickened Alice to the core. A few broken sounds emerged, or, one might say, a massive explosion took place, resonating into nothingness. The silence which followed the explosion was almost equally horrifying to Alice.
Is this my fate? Is he demonstrating what is to come for me? Is there nothing I can do about it? One question after another popped in her distressed mind. Calm yourself, for your fate will not be sealed today. Mukuro's voice echoed into the darkness. Death for your punishment shall not suffice. In turn, I look forward to see the full extent of your loyalty to your god. Alice placed her hands on her ears, trying desperately to block out his voice.
Protect Sawada Tsunayoshi with your life, and don't weaken your guard. For if you let me slip past your defenses, it will be me in your god's body who you will be serving loyally, Alice Pierce.
When she came to herself after being locked up in the world of eternal darkness, a flood of relief had instantly unfolded itself in her soul. Alice no longer feared death and ceased to think about Mukuro when she looked into Tsuna's worried eyes, his face pale with worry.
"Pierce-san, are you alright? Say something. Anything!" "I'm fine Mother." Alice said with a roll of her eyes, her lips curling into a faint smile. "Thank god! You're back to your annoying self!" Cried the Tenth Vongola Boss.
"What happened out there?" Gokudera asked, genuinely concerned. Alice refused to think about what happened.
"Nothing."
Yamamoto, Ryohei and Gokudera each exchanged worried glances to one another. "Thou must feel fatigued. Please, thou mustn't hesitate to lean against me for support." "I'll be okay." Came Alice's answer. She gazed guiltily upon the girl with the eye patch, looking to be sound asleep on the floor. Ken and Chikusa stood near.
"He used a great deal of power to materialize himself." Reborn mentioned once he saw the look on Alice's face.
"I'm worried for the girl, nothim. How she can depend on a guy so creepy is way beyond me." "Much like you depend on Dino, I'd say..."
"How rude! You make it sound like I'm a bother to him." She turned her back on Reborn and pouted.
"Don't worry." He smiled. "He won't be able to come to this side for a while, so don't look so stressed." His words made Alice sigh as she relaxed her furrowed brows with difficulty. "Whatever."
"Tomorrow is the final match between the Guardians." The Cervello announced. "The match between the Guardians of Cloud." And Alice reverted back to her frowning self, looking as tense as ever. "It's finally Hibari's turn." "Yeah..."
Alice clenched her teeth. She'd never help Hibari even if her life depended on it. A person like him doesn't deserve her help, or maybe he doesn't need her help. Just like Rokudo Mukuro. "Hibari's extremely dependable!"
"Yeah, he won't let us down."
"You guys... We're talking about Kyoya here. Are you even sure he's gonna show up?" Tsuna and the others were caught off guard by her innocent question. They didn't even think of that.
"He'll show." Reborn spoke with confidence.
"If not, we'll use Alice as bait."
"You kidding me? He'll eat me alive!" Alice exclaimed in horror. "Who knows what kind of new techniques he learned while training under Dino... Lucky bastard. I really can't stand him!" She pulled on her twin tails.
"O-oi!"
Everyone averted their attention towards Ken, who was itching to say something. Flustered by the many pairs of eyes on him, he started yelling to cover up his embarrassment. "Don't even think for a second that we're friends now, okay-byon?"
"So... what are we then?" Alice asked him.
"We're nuthin'!" Alice noticed that he became red in the face. Not from anger, embarrassment or shame, but something else. Unfortunately, Alice paid little to no attention to his weird behavior, completely oblivious of his feelings towards her.
"Ken, let's go."
"Yeah."
Just like that they walked off, leaving Chrome behind. "Well, let me at least embrace you and say goodbye!" Said Alice, looking with gentle kindness at Ken, and advancing towards him. But the boy had hardly raised his arms when he dropped them again.
He couldn't make up his mind to it; he turned away from Alice in order to avoid looking at her. He couldn't embrace her. "Don't come to Kokuyo Land ever again." He muttered indistinctly, catching up with Chikusa with his hands in his pockets. Alice frowned at his badass attitude. "I ain't gonna leave little Ken in his care, that's for sure."
"Little Ken?" Gokudera spat as he spun her around. "That's right. Little Ken." She stared him dead in the eye. "It's a dog, so don't get any ideas." "Thank god!" Exulted Gokudera, giving her a rapturous hug while crying a waterfall.
Tsuna was a bit creeped out by Gokudera's display of emotion for Alice, which was not like him, but smiled nonetheless.
Yamamoto and Ryohei stood there, thinking and scratching their heads for half a minute, and then began to chuckle.
While Alice tried her best to pry Gokudera off her, Reborn took another glance at Chrome who was still sleeping. Rokudo Mukuro... I'd better keep an eye on him, for his undivided attention is placed on Alice for a reason. Why he's so fixated on her remains a mystery...
"Let go of me, Hayato!" "Extreme group hug!" Ryohei roared. "N-no! NO group hug! Let go of-never mind..." No need to worry about it now. Reborn smirked upon seeing Alice suffocating in the boys' embrace.
Despite losing her breath, she laughed outright, for when she remains close to her friends, the light shines, bright and strong within the sky. She will never find herself in the dark and dull world Mukuro has created, where neither light nor shine can enter, much like a deadly tomb.
"Seriously... I can't breathe..."
