Catalyst, chapter 3
I'm on a roll!
Title: Catalyst
Series: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
Pairing: Xanxus/Tsuna
Rating: PG-13 to eventual M
Warnings: Swearing, Violence, Character Death, BL/Yaoi/etc.
Summary: Everyone believes death is the end. But when death is cheated, and you’re dragged from the land of the dead, what will you have to do to remain among the living?
Disclaimer: I cannot claim the extreme awesomeness that is Katekyo Hitman Reborn. (though if I did, Tsuna wouldn’t be the only character running around in his boxers.)
Within the depths of sleep, Tsuna felt a sudden pulse run through him, stirring his tired mind. It started as a slow throb, but then grew in intensity the more Tsuna tried to ignore it. Tsuna shifted, feeling smooth sheets and the plush of a mattress below him, as the strange pulse urged his body to move. Tsuna’s eyes briefly slid open, but his mind was in such a haze that not much registered, and he simply closed them again. The comfort of the bed was too tempting, and Tsuna ignored the foreign feeling, deciding to simply sleep it off.
“Baka-Tsuna! Wake up!” Reborn’s voice called in reprimand somewhere next to Tsuna.
So Reborn was in his room again. Even after all these years, the hitman still enjoyed being Tsuna’s personal alarm clock. A very painful alarm clock. However today Tsuna’s mind simply couldn’t get motivated. “Five more minutes Reborn.” Tsuna mumbled out, uncaring what the Arcobaleno may do to him for punishment.
“Sorry princess, but you don’t have five minutes. I suggest you get up now before I set your sheets on fire.”
That…..was not Reborn’s voice.
Suddenly feeling very awake, Tsuna shot up, and was surprised to find none other then Xanxus standing there at the end of his bed, looking rather pissed as usual.
“Wha-! Xanxus!?” Having Reborn in his room was an everyday occurrence, but having the Varia leader there was definitely not normal. Tsuna wondered if he was still dreaming, or should be fleeing for his life. Reborn was bad enough, but if Xanxus suddenly decided to start torturing him in the mornings, then Tsuna was going to start dead bolting his door.
Xanxus’s expression morphed into somewhat of an amused smirk. “Look who decided to join the living.” He chuckled, staring down at Tsuna with intense crimson eyes.
“Reborn! What’s going on!?” Tsuna asked in mild panic. Taking a quick glance outside, he noticed the sun was just starting to set, and a warm evening glow spread out over the horizon. It was nearly night. Why was he in bed then?
The Arcobaleno studied his student for a moment, before lightly touching the brim of his hat and leaning forward. “Tsuna, what is the last thing you remember?” He asked.
Tsuna, caught of guard by the question, searched his mind for his most recent memories. The recent battle was fresh in his mind.
“We were fighting the Lucertola(1) family. They attacked the mansion, but were hardly a threat. Only a few even had any box weapons.” Tsuna began, staring out of the window, his eyes unfocused as he replayed in his mind what he could remember. He remembered flying high above the battle field, surveying their victory, feeling proud of his family.
“And?” Reborn pressed.
“And…” Tsuna began, but then realized…his mind went blank. Just darkness. “And then….nothing. I can‘t remember anything else after that.” Tsuna trailed off. How could he not remember?
The wind rustling the grass outside of the window stirred a small memory within Tsuna’s mind. A faint nostalgic feeling. 'I remember dreaming. Dreaming of…Mukuro. And there was an endless field of grass. And a…train?’ Tsuna shook his head, frustrated at all the confusing and jumbled thoughts.
Xanxus shifting on his feet impatiently drew Tsuna’s attention. He caught site of Xanxus’s X-Guns strapped on his hip. ‘Blood. Pain. Noise. Darkness.’
Tsuna remembered.
Eyes widening in panic, Tsuna grabbed the collar of the tank top he was wearing and pulled it down, revealing a star-shaped scar in the center of his chest. The skin felt sore and tender, but it had the appearance of a healing wound. Tsuna looks up at Reborn, confusion written all over his face.
“I was shot.”
Reborn just nodded slowly.
Tsuna rubbed the wound, trying to figure everything out. “But…it went…straight through….How could I…?” ‘Survive’ Tsuna left the last word hanging, unable to voice it.
“You didn’t.” Reborn’s blunt reply came down on Tsuna like a bucket of cold water. He suddenly found himself unable to breath. Even think.
‘I died. I died. I died.’ Tsuna repeated the phrase in his mind like a mantra, unable to get past that simple fact. Suddenly, he realized his conversation with Mukuro was more then just a dream. He had almost passed on. Tsuna felt like he was going to be sick.
“Tsuna, calm down.” Reborn tried to reason with his student, sensing the boy was about start hyperventilating.
“Calm down? CALM DOWN!? Reborn! I DIED! I was shot and I didn’t LIVE. How can I still be here? No one survives that kind of wound!” Tsuna screamed, unable to remain calm any longer. Being on the brink of death and then living to remember it clearly had a negative effect on Tsuna. It shook him to his very core and left him feeling cold. “I was there! I was THERE! I almost LEFT!” He continued yelling, on the verge of a mental panic attack.
Xanxus however had had enough of Tsuna’s whining.
“SHUT UP!”
His voice boomed above Tsuna’s panicking one, startling the spastic mafia boss. However that brief moment of his temper loosing control caused Xanxus to inadvertently flare the flame on his ring in irritation.
A painful jolt of energy shot through Tsuna as he felt his heart rate increase dramatically. His head throbbed painfully and he could only gasp and curl into himself as it felt like his body was being torn apart from the inside. With one hand clawing at his shirt near his chest and the other clutching the sheets in a vice-grip, Tsuna wondered if he was dying for a second time.
“Xanxus!” Reborn snapped, sending a scathing glare at the Varia Leader for loosing his temper.
“Shit.” Xanxus cursed. Taking a long breath and calming himself down, he eased the flame on his ring back down to a small flicker.
Feeling the pain recede and his heart rate slowly returning to normal, Tsuna looked up at Reborn and Xanxus, panting as he tried to catch his breath. “What….was that?”
Reborn gave Xanxus a long hard look before turning back to Tsuna, giving the mafia boss a moment to regain his breath. Despite it being an unnecessary “reaction” as a result of Xanxus loosing control, the “reaction” did serve to calm Tsuna down. Reborn only found it slightly ironic.
“Tsuna, I want you to try and ignite a dying will flame with your Sky ring.” Reborn asked, motioning to the ring that had been previously placed by the nightstand next to Tsuna’s bed. “Don’t ask, just do it.” Reborn said again, when Tsuna looked ready to argue.
Irritated by Reborn’s lack of explanation, Tsuna picked up the ring from the nightstand, and held it in his palm for a moment, feeling the familiar weight. Slipping it onto his middle finger, Tsuna took a calming breath, before going through the familiar mental motions of bringing out his dying will.
He was not however prepared for the violent backlash. An unexpected hot pain shot through his fingers and Tsuna cursed at it felt like needles were stabbing him. Startled, Tsuna ripped off the ring and tossed it onto the bed cover. The pain stopped, but when Tsuna looked at his hand, he could see a red burn-like mark around the finger where the ring had been. Tsuna looked up at Reborn, lost and terribly confused.
“Tsuna, the reason why the ring rejected you, and you are unable to ignite a dying will, is because the dying will flame within you is not yours. It’s Xanxus’s.” Reborn began. Tsuna looked at Xanxus in confusion and for confirmation with that Reborn was telling him. Xanxus however remained emotionless.
Reborn held up his hand for silence before Tsuna could start asking questions. “Let me fully explain.”
“After you died, Xanxus preformed an highly experimental and completely untested technique. He essentially injected his dying will flame into your body, which resulted in you being brought back to life, completely healthy. Hence the reason for your healed wound.”
Reborn paused for a moment, letting all this sink in. Before Tsuna could bombard him with questions, or starting having another panic attack, Reborn continued.
“However, even though you were brought back to life, your dying will did not return. It left you when you died. You are only alive because of the continuous flames being supplied to you from Xanxus.” Reborn nodded to Xanxus, who held up his hand, showing the ring on his finger with the flame alit.
“That reaction earlier was from a sudden increase in the flame’s level. Your energy level is completely dependent on Xanxus’s flames. The less amount of flames within you, the more tired you get, and vice-versa, the more flames the more your body reacts.”
“In short, you are similar to a box weapon. Without the box, of course.” Reborn concluded.
He watched his student carefully, but was unsurprised to find that Tsuna had all but withdrawn into himself. It was a terrible amount of shocking information to receive, and Reborn could only feel remorse for when his student would learn the full truth of what exactly has happened to him.
Tsuna slowly looked down at his hand, at the burn mark around his finger. Too many questions, too many realizations were swarming around in his mind, he could barely decide where to begin. He had died, and possibly saw a brief glimpse of the after-life. But he was brought back to life by Xanxus of all people. The dying will that now flowed through his body was not his own, but in fact Xanxus’s. He could no longer use his own ring. He could no longer fight. He was completely useless, again.
Tsuna felt like he was going to be sick.
A growl startled Tsuna out of his chaotic thoughts, and he looked up to see Xanxus irritably walking towards the door. Before he opened it, he turned briefly and looked Tsuna straight in the eyes. “When you’ve got your head clear and stop whining, come find me. There’s still more.” And with that, he left, slamming the door as he went.
The door slamming shook Tsuna, and he suddenly felt on edge. His head was beginning to throb again, and he could feel an oncoming panic attack. Reborn, sensing his student needed some time alone to adjust to the news, jumped off of the chair and also started walking towards the door.
“I’ll leave you to rest. Try to get some more sleep, and don’t dwell too deeply on what has already occurred. Just accept it, and think about what you want to do next. I‘ll make sure no one disturbs you.” Reborn calmly tells Tsuna, who doesn’t reply. Bowing his head so his fedora cast a dark shadow over his eyes, Reborn flicked the light off and quietly left.
Tsuna barely even noticed he was now alone, sitting in the darkness of his room. The sun had now fully set, and only the moon’s light cast long shadows in the room. Tsuna stared down at his lap, his mind suddenly blank. He felt disconnected and emotionless. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recalled someone saying this was just a stage. Withdrawal, or maybe denial. Tsuna didn’t care.
He knew he should be grateful, that he was still alive, and able to see his friends and family again. But, the consequences of being brought back to life stabbed at Tsuna’s heart like a knife. Without his flames, his power, he couldn’t protect anyone. He would go back to being ‘No-Good Tsuna‘, and would only be able to watch from the side-lines as his family fought in terrible battles. He would only be able to live a half-life, completely dependent on Xanxus’s flames.
Tsuna no longer knew what his future was, and that scared him, like nothing he had every felt before.
The room remained deathly silent, and the moon’s cold light wrapped over Tsuna’s tiny form like a blanket. Wet tears dropped onto Tsuna’s open palms, as he allowed himself to completely break down, and cry.
(1) Lucertola - Italian for Lizard.
------
Oh man, that was far more depressing then I had originally intended. It was terribly difficult to write, with Tsuna riding an emotional rollercoaster the whole time.
I still feel kinda ‘meh’ for this chapter, but I’ve got a lot more planned out for upcoming chapters, and I’m feeling very confident about the plot.
Next chapter we learn fully about the consequences of Tsuna being brought back to life (yes, there’s more), and Xanxus’s reasoning behind it. So yeah, pretty much more angst.
I’d write more, but I’m tired. I’ve got to stop working on these things so late at night, and especially when I have an early class the next morning…bleh.
As usual, Reviews are my main source of creative inspiration (which has slowly been coming back). Next chapter I’ll do some review responses, because I feel bad for not doing any shout-outs for all the amazing people who’ve reviewed thus far. But I LOVE YOU ALL!
*dances away*
-Kou Tora
.
Title: Catalyst
Series: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
Pairing: Xanxus/Tsuna
Rating: PG-13 to eventual M
Warnings: Swearing, Violence, Character Death, BL/Yaoi/etc.
Summary: Everyone believes death is the end. But when death is cheated, and you’re dragged from the land of the dead, what will you have to do to remain among the living?
Disclaimer: I cannot claim the extreme awesomeness that is Katekyo Hitman Reborn. (though if I did, Tsuna wouldn’t be the only character running around in his boxers.)
Within the depths of sleep, Tsuna felt a sudden pulse run through him, stirring his tired mind. It started as a slow throb, but then grew in intensity the more Tsuna tried to ignore it. Tsuna shifted, feeling smooth sheets and the plush of a mattress below him, as the strange pulse urged his body to move. Tsuna’s eyes briefly slid open, but his mind was in such a haze that not much registered, and he simply closed them again. The comfort of the bed was too tempting, and Tsuna ignored the foreign feeling, deciding to simply sleep it off.
“Baka-Tsuna! Wake up!” Reborn’s voice called in reprimand somewhere next to Tsuna.
So Reborn was in his room again. Even after all these years, the hitman still enjoyed being Tsuna’s personal alarm clock. A very painful alarm clock. However today Tsuna’s mind simply couldn’t get motivated. “Five more minutes Reborn.” Tsuna mumbled out, uncaring what the Arcobaleno may do to him for punishment.
“Sorry princess, but you don’t have five minutes. I suggest you get up now before I set your sheets on fire.”
That…..was not Reborn’s voice.
Suddenly feeling very awake, Tsuna shot up, and was surprised to find none other then Xanxus standing there at the end of his bed, looking rather pissed as usual.
“Wha-! Xanxus!?” Having Reborn in his room was an everyday occurrence, but having the Varia leader there was definitely not normal. Tsuna wondered if he was still dreaming, or should be fleeing for his life. Reborn was bad enough, but if Xanxus suddenly decided to start torturing him in the mornings, then Tsuna was going to start dead bolting his door.
Xanxus’s expression morphed into somewhat of an amused smirk. “Look who decided to join the living.” He chuckled, staring down at Tsuna with intense crimson eyes.
“Reborn! What’s going on!?” Tsuna asked in mild panic. Taking a quick glance outside, he noticed the sun was just starting to set, and a warm evening glow spread out over the horizon. It was nearly night. Why was he in bed then?
The Arcobaleno studied his student for a moment, before lightly touching the brim of his hat and leaning forward. “Tsuna, what is the last thing you remember?” He asked.
Tsuna, caught of guard by the question, searched his mind for his most recent memories. The recent battle was fresh in his mind.
“We were fighting the Lucertola(1) family. They attacked the mansion, but were hardly a threat. Only a few even had any box weapons.” Tsuna began, staring out of the window, his eyes unfocused as he replayed in his mind what he could remember. He remembered flying high above the battle field, surveying their victory, feeling proud of his family.
“And?” Reborn pressed.
“And…” Tsuna began, but then realized…his mind went blank. Just darkness. “And then….nothing. I can‘t remember anything else after that.” Tsuna trailed off. How could he not remember?
The wind rustling the grass outside of the window stirred a small memory within Tsuna’s mind. A faint nostalgic feeling. 'I remember dreaming. Dreaming of…Mukuro. And there was an endless field of grass. And a…train?’ Tsuna shook his head, frustrated at all the confusing and jumbled thoughts.
Xanxus shifting on his feet impatiently drew Tsuna’s attention. He caught site of Xanxus’s X-Guns strapped on his hip. ‘Blood. Pain. Noise. Darkness.’
Tsuna remembered.
Eyes widening in panic, Tsuna grabbed the collar of the tank top he was wearing and pulled it down, revealing a star-shaped scar in the center of his chest. The skin felt sore and tender, but it had the appearance of a healing wound. Tsuna looks up at Reborn, confusion written all over his face.
“I was shot.”
Reborn just nodded slowly.
Tsuna rubbed the wound, trying to figure everything out. “But…it went…straight through….How could I…?” ‘Survive’ Tsuna left the last word hanging, unable to voice it.
“You didn’t.” Reborn’s blunt reply came down on Tsuna like a bucket of cold water. He suddenly found himself unable to breath. Even think.
‘I died. I died. I died.’ Tsuna repeated the phrase in his mind like a mantra, unable to get past that simple fact. Suddenly, he realized his conversation with Mukuro was more then just a dream. He had almost passed on. Tsuna felt like he was going to be sick.
“Tsuna, calm down.” Reborn tried to reason with his student, sensing the boy was about start hyperventilating.
“Calm down? CALM DOWN!? Reborn! I DIED! I was shot and I didn’t LIVE. How can I still be here? No one survives that kind of wound!” Tsuna screamed, unable to remain calm any longer. Being on the brink of death and then living to remember it clearly had a negative effect on Tsuna. It shook him to his very core and left him feeling cold. “I was there! I was THERE! I almost LEFT!” He continued yelling, on the verge of a mental panic attack.
Xanxus however had had enough of Tsuna’s whining.
“SHUT UP!”
His voice boomed above Tsuna’s panicking one, startling the spastic mafia boss. However that brief moment of his temper loosing control caused Xanxus to inadvertently flare the flame on his ring in irritation.
A painful jolt of energy shot through Tsuna as he felt his heart rate increase dramatically. His head throbbed painfully and he could only gasp and curl into himself as it felt like his body was being torn apart from the inside. With one hand clawing at his shirt near his chest and the other clutching the sheets in a vice-grip, Tsuna wondered if he was dying for a second time.
“Xanxus!” Reborn snapped, sending a scathing glare at the Varia Leader for loosing his temper.
“Shit.” Xanxus cursed. Taking a long breath and calming himself down, he eased the flame on his ring back down to a small flicker.
Feeling the pain recede and his heart rate slowly returning to normal, Tsuna looked up at Reborn and Xanxus, panting as he tried to catch his breath. “What….was that?”
Reborn gave Xanxus a long hard look before turning back to Tsuna, giving the mafia boss a moment to regain his breath. Despite it being an unnecessary “reaction” as a result of Xanxus loosing control, the “reaction” did serve to calm Tsuna down. Reborn only found it slightly ironic.
“Tsuna, I want you to try and ignite a dying will flame with your Sky ring.” Reborn asked, motioning to the ring that had been previously placed by the nightstand next to Tsuna’s bed. “Don’t ask, just do it.” Reborn said again, when Tsuna looked ready to argue.
Irritated by Reborn’s lack of explanation, Tsuna picked up the ring from the nightstand, and held it in his palm for a moment, feeling the familiar weight. Slipping it onto his middle finger, Tsuna took a calming breath, before going through the familiar mental motions of bringing out his dying will.
He was not however prepared for the violent backlash. An unexpected hot pain shot through his fingers and Tsuna cursed at it felt like needles were stabbing him. Startled, Tsuna ripped off the ring and tossed it onto the bed cover. The pain stopped, but when Tsuna looked at his hand, he could see a red burn-like mark around the finger where the ring had been. Tsuna looked up at Reborn, lost and terribly confused.
“Tsuna, the reason why the ring rejected you, and you are unable to ignite a dying will, is because the dying will flame within you is not yours. It’s Xanxus’s.” Reborn began. Tsuna looked at Xanxus in confusion and for confirmation with that Reborn was telling him. Xanxus however remained emotionless.
Reborn held up his hand for silence before Tsuna could start asking questions. “Let me fully explain.”
“After you died, Xanxus preformed an highly experimental and completely untested technique. He essentially injected his dying will flame into your body, which resulted in you being brought back to life, completely healthy. Hence the reason for your healed wound.”
Reborn paused for a moment, letting all this sink in. Before Tsuna could bombard him with questions, or starting having another panic attack, Reborn continued.
“However, even though you were brought back to life, your dying will did not return. It left you when you died. You are only alive because of the continuous flames being supplied to you from Xanxus.” Reborn nodded to Xanxus, who held up his hand, showing the ring on his finger with the flame alit.
“That reaction earlier was from a sudden increase in the flame’s level. Your energy level is completely dependent on Xanxus’s flames. The less amount of flames within you, the more tired you get, and vice-versa, the more flames the more your body reacts.”
“In short, you are similar to a box weapon. Without the box, of course.” Reborn concluded.
He watched his student carefully, but was unsurprised to find that Tsuna had all but withdrawn into himself. It was a terrible amount of shocking information to receive, and Reborn could only feel remorse for when his student would learn the full truth of what exactly has happened to him.
Tsuna slowly looked down at his hand, at the burn mark around his finger. Too many questions, too many realizations were swarming around in his mind, he could barely decide where to begin. He had died, and possibly saw a brief glimpse of the after-life. But he was brought back to life by Xanxus of all people. The dying will that now flowed through his body was not his own, but in fact Xanxus’s. He could no longer use his own ring. He could no longer fight. He was completely useless, again.
Tsuna felt like he was going to be sick.
A growl startled Tsuna out of his chaotic thoughts, and he looked up to see Xanxus irritably walking towards the door. Before he opened it, he turned briefly and looked Tsuna straight in the eyes. “When you’ve got your head clear and stop whining, come find me. There’s still more.” And with that, he left, slamming the door as he went.
The door slamming shook Tsuna, and he suddenly felt on edge. His head was beginning to throb again, and he could feel an oncoming panic attack. Reborn, sensing his student needed some time alone to adjust to the news, jumped off of the chair and also started walking towards the door.
“I’ll leave you to rest. Try to get some more sleep, and don’t dwell too deeply on what has already occurred. Just accept it, and think about what you want to do next. I‘ll make sure no one disturbs you.” Reborn calmly tells Tsuna, who doesn’t reply. Bowing his head so his fedora cast a dark shadow over his eyes, Reborn flicked the light off and quietly left.
Tsuna barely even noticed he was now alone, sitting in the darkness of his room. The sun had now fully set, and only the moon’s light cast long shadows in the room. Tsuna stared down at his lap, his mind suddenly blank. He felt disconnected and emotionless. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recalled someone saying this was just a stage. Withdrawal, or maybe denial. Tsuna didn’t care.
He knew he should be grateful, that he was still alive, and able to see his friends and family again. But, the consequences of being brought back to life stabbed at Tsuna’s heart like a knife. Without his flames, his power, he couldn’t protect anyone. He would go back to being ‘No-Good Tsuna‘, and would only be able to watch from the side-lines as his family fought in terrible battles. He would only be able to live a half-life, completely dependent on Xanxus’s flames.
Tsuna no longer knew what his future was, and that scared him, like nothing he had every felt before.
The room remained deathly silent, and the moon’s cold light wrapped over Tsuna’s tiny form like a blanket. Wet tears dropped onto Tsuna’s open palms, as he allowed himself to completely break down, and cry.
(1) Lucertola - Italian for Lizard.
------
Oh man, that was far more depressing then I had originally intended. It was terribly difficult to write, with Tsuna riding an emotional rollercoaster the whole time.
I still feel kinda ‘meh’ for this chapter, but I’ve got a lot more planned out for upcoming chapters, and I’m feeling very confident about the plot.
Next chapter we learn fully about the consequences of Tsuna being brought back to life (yes, there’s more), and Xanxus’s reasoning behind it. So yeah, pretty much more angst.
I’d write more, but I’m tired. I’ve got to stop working on these things so late at night, and especially when I have an early class the next morning…bleh.
As usual, Reviews are my main source of creative inspiration (which has slowly been coming back). Next chapter I’ll do some review responses, because I feel bad for not doing any shout-outs for all the amazing people who’ve reviewed thus far. But I LOVE YOU ALL!
*dances away*
-Kou Tora
.