Chapter 58

They twirl once again but a hint of green hair from the corner of his eye almost stops him. Dimtr tilts the glass he's holding in his direction before walking away. He's glad Daemon continues dancing as if nothing has happened. He would have fallen, otherwise. He turns his head to Luce when she starts speaking once again.

"I could see their future since I was fifteen. Can you imagine? Watching all we're going to go through before meeting them?" Her grip tightens as she visibly restrains herself, her eyes lost and beyond the present. "I loved them since then and I'd have changed the future if I could. For them."

They are apart one moment and when their fingers touch again, she looks as calm again. "I've tried. It can be twisted but not changed. You will learn."

Tsuna refuses to believe that, but the emotion in Luce's voice stops him from voicing it. She sounds as if she wishes with every fiber of her being for Tsuna to remain ignorant of that lesson. So he nods, showing that he's indeed listening.

"The visions have changed since you appeared but they all end the same still: with us cursed."

Tsuna blinks. He can work with that. They can be explained of everything, that the curse will only last for a couple of days and then they can break it.

Wait.

She said us, he thinks. Also, he's thought that to cure them if he'll have become the Sky Arcobaleno or something like that because the reason why it didn't work in his future was the lack of harmonization between Yuni and the others. He was preparing himself for that, to take the role of an Arcobaleno, but to hear he won't be…

He needs to know so he asks, "You will be the Sky Arcobaleno?"

She nods hesitantly, her face set into a resigned grimace. "Yes."

Then Luce will have to harmonize with the others. Though just thinking of Verde, or Fong, or Renato as hers makes him want to snarl. Whatever, he won't let it last. "You won't be for long, I promise. You'll raise Aria and meet your granddaughter."

Her brows furrow into something akin to pity. "How old are you?"

The question throws him off, so he answers with the truth, "Seventeen."

"You're so young," she says with real surprise. "I thought you were young, but not that... I'm sorry. I'm being rude, aren't I?"

Yes, he wants to say. Instead, he laughs with bitter mirth. "Don't worry. I know I look older." When her eyes slid to his bandaged hand, he nods. "It's the cause, yes."

"The pacifier serves to be a fixed point in time," she murmurs as if reading from a book. "You're not from this time, are you?"

He hesitates to answer. Daemon, sensing this, nuzzles the back of his neck in a phantom touch, silently reassuring him of whatever decision he takes.

Tsuna takes a small breath in. "I am."

"... And you were younger when you decided to help them. I don't understand why did he involve you if-"

Tsuna shakes his head. He knows when he's being looked down. "My age doesn't matter. I'll fix this."

She stops dancing, Tsuna soon follows suit. Their right hands are still linked and while she doesn't seem to care they've stopped in the middle of others who are still dancing, Tsuna does. He shuffles forward, inching closer to her in an attempt to make themselves smaller and let others dance in peace.

"Your age matters."

He holds his head high. "Yuni was younger when she was given the Sky pacifier. How is that different?"

Conflicting emotions pass through what is seen of her face, hurt being the most notorious.

"You're right." She sighs softly. Then, from he doesn't know where she pulls out a small card with her free hand. "The Arcobaleno will meet tomorrow. You may want to come."

Tsuna grabs it. "I will tell them. I don't care if you've to search for other people to take the position. They'll not be forced to do something without their consent."

This time, her smile is forced, something sad and ashamed. "I'm sorry, but there are some things that need to happen."

"What do you mean?" he asks, something like dread eating his insides. His Intuition starts sobbing in what sounds like apologies.

(It's honestly more than a little disturbing how much sentience his Intuition seems to have gained.)

"They were chosen," she says as if that's answer enough. "It's done."

His throat dries. "What?" he manages to force out, sounding as harsh as he intends.

"They're in possession of the pacifiers." Then she repeats, "It's done."

Tsuna is not a violent person, but at that moment he wants to punch her so much. Daemon tightens the hold on his limbs and stops him, quietly whispering 'She's pregnant' in his ear.

Taking a deep breath, he regains his composure, "Don't ever say you love them. You wouldn't do that if you-"

Her grip on his hand tightens, nails forming half-moons on his skin. "You don't get to say that."

He glares at her, challenge burning in his eyes.

She laughs wetly. "Sometimes you've to choose between love and duty."

"My duty is to protect what I love."

"You're so young," she whispers again, looking at him as if he was the only flower among weed, with thick, poisoning thorns. "Would you burn the world to save them?"

It shocks him the answer that wants to come out. It scares him that to keep seeing the fire in their eyes, he would.

'You won't,' Daemon says, a comforting presence at his side. 'I'm here for that.'

'To kill me if I step out?'

Daemon doesn't answer, which is telling.