Base Song: "炎を上げる氷" «Flaming Ice» by Kato Kazuki [va for Kikyo, just to note]
Characters: 6Boss/The Six Bosses (Sawada Tsunayoshi [Vongola], Hibari Kyouya [Namimori], Dino [Cavallone], Rokudo Mukuro [Kokuyo], Xanxus [Varia], Byakuran [Millefiore]). Various others.
Warnings: Spoilers up until the end of the Future Arc! Two-day quality! Written using words from a song! As I hold no claim on Kato's song or its lyrics, I apologize for any offense! For those of you who are alright with the above, please continue. (If you're not, back please!)
" Do you dare to stand before me? "
The words send a cold chill down Tsuna's spine, as he looks up with wide eyes at the feared Disciplinarian of Namimori Middle school. He's been caught in the school hallway, after school and alone, and judging by the look of it, the raven wants a fight. He can only imagine what this is about; could it, perhaps, be revenge on the humiliating blow the brunet had struck (with a slipper, no less) on the upperclassman's head only two days prior? As he shrinks back farther, attempting to disappear into the floor he had slipped upon or the walls he had backed himself into, the end of a tonfa is placed beneath his chin, lifting his head up to look into the cold gray eyes that scrutinize him, gleaming above a predatory smirk.
" Do you understand what this means? "
The older boy's words seem carefully chosen, as if the entire scene has been scripted to show the head prefect's amusement at the situation and carnivorous nature. Kneeling down onto one knee, the one in question leans his face forward to stare with hungry delight at his capture, wondering exactly how to kill this lowly herbivore who had damaged his pride.
" It's too late to feel regretful. "
The words are quasi-spoken, whispered on cool breath, making the brunet shiver uncontrollably, even more so than before. He screws his eyes shut, wanting this to be over soon, none of this taunting and ridicule he is enduring; the blows will come, he knows (and anyone else would have preferred this verbal abuse), but right now, those painful hits can't come fast enough. He doesn't want to die here, he doesn't want to be killed for something he hadn't ever thought of doing, much less even believed to be possible for any human being before Reborn entered his life. To stand against Hibari Kyouya is suicide, and to be reminded of it in this way is a black-hearted and cruel punishment.
" Realizing it now, it's too late to turn back. "
…
" You're shaking? What happened? "
Hibari glares up at his captor with every fiber in his being, hating the very existence of the freak, from his position on the floor. He is Hibari Kyouya, the freely flying skylark, the prefect with no weaknesses to speak of, the undefeated. Yet here he is, on his knees, with several fractured and quite possibly broken ribs and other bones, being kicked around by this adversary whom he cannot even see clearly in the darkness of what used to be Kokuyo Healthy Land as he, indeed, shakes, with rage at himself and at his foe. His position reminds him of the situation which had lead up to this, an outcome which could not possibly have been augured. He had fallen to his knees in front of that herbivore, courtesy of a disease which that perverted doctor had injected into him without a single soul noticing, and was once again at that accursed virus's mercy.
" Isn't your heart freezing over? "
The voice is tailored to sound almost sympathetic, as though slowly torturing and destroying strong adversaries inside and out is mere child's play; a sadistic and eloquently elaborate game. A hand reaches down to grab a fistful of obsidian black hair, pulling Hibari up into a kneeling position by his head. He winces, feeling the blood flow from a cut on the corner of his mouth and down his chin to drip to the floor. Not from the strain imposed on his broken body, he knows, but the pain of being hit, of being struck down.
" Not to worry, this will be over soon… as you crumble into dust. "
…
Two silenced footsteps are heard in the vacant, dank hall, as the figure stops in front of a spiked chunk of ice that rests on top of a high stone platform. Clutched in its hand are seven bands of metal, which begin softly glowing in the darkness the closer it draws to the iridescent purple-blue structure.
" Inside the ice, the flame burns… At the time when the pallid light of superiority begins to shine. "
…
Rokudo Mukuro stands tall in his militaristic green uniform and blue camouflage shirt, towering over the brunet, Sawada Tsunayoshi, who cowers in his shadow. The ancient, collapsing floorboards creak beneath his feet as he steps closer, trident in hand, a victorious smirk gracing his pale features.
" I shall enslave you, " he begins, elaborating once more on his plans for a third World War. " Using my eyes. " As the numeral six changes into a four in his blood-red right eye, a pale aura of indigo mist is emitted from it. His target squeaks in fright and tries to scoot farther away, only to be stopped by his own muscles betraying him as they tensed and froze.
Mukuro cannot help giving his signature chuckle, as he gazes down humorously upon the boy before him. So this wis the Vongola Decimo, the one who had defeated Lanchia without landing a single blow? Where is the power, the fighting spirit? Ah, yes… the Arcobaleno. It must have been his doing. No matter, he will find out where that hidden strength lie in due course.
" Do think of it as an honor, " he laughs triumphantly under his breath and, deciding to go conventional, lunges to take a stab with this three-pronged weapon. A light of victory is burning on the flaming ice of his heart.
…
'Look at my eyes, Gamma.'
'Do they look reckless to you?'
Byakuran chuckles quietly to himself, as he thinks about what he had just heard little Uni-chan say to her precious guardian. Holding the colossal wooden door to his stark, pure white office open for her, he shuts it securely behind them after she has scampered in. He watches hawkishly as she looks about in silent awe, admiring the design of the place. Leaning against the door, he hums quietly to himself. " Uni-chan, " he calls, and she turns expectantly to him, ready to begin negotiations on the future of the Gesso-Giglio Nero Famiglias' relationship. In a brief moment, he is struck with the realization that this girl is tiny, overshadowed by her puffy hat, one of the marks of her family, and the mantel that nearly smothers her from sight.
" 'Courage is something to be admired'… that's what probably what you were taught. " he begins, taking a step forward, his jacket still slung carelessly over his shoulder. She stares back at him with the resolute cobalt eyes that had convinced the overprotective watchdog… no, the overprotective watch-foxes into trusting her judgement, a small frown tugging at her lips..
Leaning down, he places a palm in front of her face. " Disappointingly, that's convoluted. "
" Because what is worthy is a word called 'recklessness.' "
…
" Come at me with everything you've got, " Xanxus spits, sneering at Tsuna with his bloodthirsty red eyes. I want to see more of what that old fool saw in you. Hopping down from his perch on top of the water tower on Namimori Middle School's rooftop, he takes a step closer to the ruined Elettrico Circuit and the one who had destroyed it. " I'll strike back with real strength, too. "
Scoffing down at the terrified face that sends a pleading look to him, he allows himself a vicious, gleaming smile that has his subordinates snickering, the newly completed ring that dons his finger glinting in the light of the receding lightning strikes.
Tsuna shivers under the red-gaze, so similar to Mukuro's right eye times two, and faintly hears the voice of Reborn in the back of his mind, sharply reprimanding his wet-behind-the-ears Loser student, and repeating the words he had been told not too long ago. " In a fight, those are the rules. You know that, don't you. "
Raising a fist, the scarred man who stands tall before him once again shows that fearsome Flame of Wrath, so affectionately named, which he had used mere moments ago to send one of the two Cervello officials flying with an angry explosion. " This is a present, I'll let you see it, " he scoffs again, the light of the flame dancing in his eyes as he stares down at this unworthy fool with deadly malice. " It'll be a waste to use it on you, the ruin will be so beautiful. "
…
Growling, Tsuna pushes on his elbows, digging his face out of the dent in the cold training room floor. Before he can stand up properly, however, Hibari is already in front of him, and a single knock from the tonfa in the tutor's right hand sends the brunet flying. Mid-air, he manages to regain his balance, flames thrusting from his gloved hands in two wings of fire. Like an orange butterfly.
Again, the boy tries what he had done before: to shoot his flames toward the adversary like a flame thrower. And again, the recoil proves too much, injuring him more than he can injure the other. Burned by the inferno, the butterfly falls alight. He smashes painfully into a high wall, denting the metal, and falls limp back to the ground with a resounding crash.
On the ground, Hibari smirks. This Tsuna is now closer to the one he knows, yet still so far away. ' I'll let you dance in the palm of my hand, ' he thinks to himself, walking forward with a mocking, leisurely air towards the fallen figure.
" Don't even leave ashes, just disappear into the wind, " the student grimaces, spitting out blood from his split lip and swollen cheek as he once again raises his arms and attempts to get up and continue the Spartan training.
The boy's arms give out from under him, and he lies there, breathing hard, but still glaring up defiantly at his tutor. Lifting a tonfa, he cracks the boy on the head with it, watching the Dying Will Flame flicker and die away as the tired orange eyes slide shut into unconsciousness. His X-Gloves, version Vongola Ring, melt away back into those beat-up white mittens with the red 27 on them. He nearly starts as he realizes the brunet's final act before his loss: the tonfa that he had used to hit him with, formerly enshrouded in Cloud Flames, is frozen solid. Allowing amusement to dance in his eyes at this small progression, he kneels down to pick up the limp form to carry him out of the training room. " Don't resent me for this, " he whispers, slightly startled at how light the brunet in his arms is. Has he not been feeling well lately, or was he really this small? Are they really betting everything on this petit boy who isn't even up to par with some of his own guardians, in a battle that not even power and experience can handle?
'Kyouya-san, I know you might not like it, but I really do need to trust you with this.'
Sighing, he thinks about how much he still has to do before the invasions, and discards his frozen tonfa on the floor before walking out. Burning on the flaming ice; this tiny, young capofamiglia he holds will have to overcome the road he walks, frozen in time, and burn away the obstacles that threaten his famiglia with that pure Sky flame of his.
…
" At the time when my gaze fell on you, I was able to know everything. "
Tsuna starts at the words, looking up with surprise at the 10-years later appearance of his older brother, Dino. What did that mean? All he had asked was how in the world people (who often just happened to be his tutors and/or mentor-figures) like Reborn and Hibari always knew exactly what he was thinking. The blond grins, and keeps talking to clear the little boss's confusions. "Remember that?"
The 14-year old thinks for a moment, back when he had first met the Cavallone Decimo. "… yes," he replies, thinking on how the 22-year old had laughed upon seeing him, and immediately listed everything about Tsuna that was unbefitting of a mafia don.
"It's like capturing someone with your eyes," the older man explains. Tsuna subconsciously shivers, reminded of how similar those words sound to the ones that Mukuro had uttered during his battle with the Kokuyo boss.
' I shall enslave you with my eyes… '
' Do think of it as an honor. '
"-But more on that later," Dino continues, oblivious to Tsuna's discomfort, as he grabs his little brother by the shoulders and steers him to the kitchen. "Let's go eat!"
The young boy begins walking automatically, still thinking on his earlier spar with Hibari, after which he had fallen unconscious and woken up to Dino shaking him by the shoulder in his bed in the room that he shared with Gokudera. Was it a dream? But what else could it have been? Either way… he had had a brief vision of his new gloves and their power; they had been frozen by a Zero-Point Breakthrough that stung his hands, and yet they remained alight, burning on the flaming ice.
…
Tsuna is falling, falling, his hands and arms feeling as though ablaze from Byakuran's relentless attacks and his own flames. He had been knocked into the field created by the three Skys' resonance, and injured badly. Burned by the inferno, the butterfly falls alight, and he falls, the Dying Will Flame on his forehead fizzling to death.
Byakuran gives another hearty laugh at the pitiful sight, and prepared another attack, white wings flapping. " I'll let you dance in the palm of my hand, " he grins with his perfectly white teeth. Tsuna looks up, and responds that he has no regrets through his swollen cheek, and the smile fades as something no one could have augured happens.
Little Tsunayoshi-kun seems just as surprised as the Millefiore boss, as the Vongola Primo appears before them, first in voice, then in person. The White Orchid laughs. "This is an illusion, isn't it?" he asks, going back to taunting the Vongola. "Stop these petty tricks."
Regaining some of her composure, Uni stands up, and explains how this is something that neither Byakuran's Mare Rings nor her own Arcobaleno Pacifiers can mimic: the Vongola Rings' Vertical Space-Time Axis. Byakuran laughs again, but more uneasily this time. Smiling a bit, the Primo explains how the Vongola rings, through being split between the Boss and Outside Advisor, have limited power compared to the other Tri-Ni-Sette items. With those words, he fuses all the Half Vongola Rings together, recreating them into their original state. Before he leaves, he places a hand on Tsuna's shoulder, and reassures him with those words.
"Go give that Mare kid a scare."
Byakuran twitches at that. So that little Vongola brat thinks he can scare him with that little childish trick?
" Burn without even leaving ash behind… disappear into the wind! " he rages, once more engaging in battle.
Quickly, however, he changes his motives from taunting a powered-up Tsuna to recapturing Uni before she can die in reviving the Arcobaleno. Before he can do so, Tsuna attacks him relentlessly with more force than before, ripping off his wings. Sitting back up, he spits out blood and laughs maniacally, eyes wild, as he comments on how out of every Parallel World he has gone through, this is the only one in which Tsunayoshi-kun has goaded him enough to use his full power. He shows it, black, oily, tar-like wings emerging from where the white ones were torn off.
Yet, he cannot save Uni. She and Gamma sacrifice themselves to the pacifiers, and the Arcobaleno are revived… all but the sky. " Don't resent me for this, " he growls, taking a stance to destroy that which has destroyed what is his. His ice-cold heart is boiling over with anger, burning on the flaming ice. Black threads root him to the ground as he prepares his own ultimate attack.
Tsuna takes a stance, using that X-Burner he is so fond of. Both growl and shout, more animal than human at that point, as they charge their flames to maximum power.
Massive amounts of energy are loosed, the two beginning a sort of tug-of-war for dominance, pushing against each other. Slowly, however, the barrier inches towards Byakuran, before he gives out. For an instant, he stares into the orange eyes that glare hatefully at him.
Don't you think it's just wrong?
This world… I wanted to fix…
Do you really have no regrets for this?
Closing his eyes, he feels his body begin to deteriorate from the power that surges past him. It's like boiling hot water: so hot that it feels cool to his skin. " Be burned by this freezing flame, " he whispers to himself, and smiles briefly. " Burn beautifully. "
Tsuna starts before collapsing, exhausted past his own limitations. For an instant before Byakuran burned away, before he had killed a man and broken his own pact, he thought he heard a voice… no… voices. The voices of Primo and Byakuran and Uni, the three other skies, all melded together.
" I am… the flaming ice. "
I've wanted to try my hand at a songfic for a while now, but I could never find a good example of how a songfic should be compiled (okay, that's a lie; I've found a few, but wasn't sure how to work with those). Furthermore, I forgot which song I was originally going to use, but that's beside the point. As a result, I made up my own style. Hmm… this idea may have worked better as an MAD. Might do that sometime if I ever get the chance. I fear that these might be a bit confusing, but the problems are that Flaming Ice is a wonderful song, but every line is a battle line on the offensive. Oh well, I hope I did alright.
Also, I wasn't exactly sure if this fell under the site rules' "no copying from previously published works." orz