First fic ~
I started this fic because I was beginning to get very annoyed with how Psyche is written most of the time.
P.S. I don't own Durarara! or any of the alternate characters (A.K.A. Tsugaru&Psyche). All of the servants are made up.
Enjoy~
****Please note that the last two parts are about Tsugaru's PAST.
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His grip tightened on the katana, sweat rolling down his forehead as he centered his concentration.
Forever, for eternity; till the end of time,
Raising the blade to eye-level, his calm blue eyes flickered up as he took his stance.
Never lose that smile, the one crowned on your face.
He lunged forward, blonde hair ruffling from the swift movement.
For if my feelings make you my weakness,
The blade pierced the air, grazing the sleeves of the blue kimono.
I will sacrifice my position, my loyalty, my honor,
The blond man recovered from his landing stance, having lost count of the number of cuts he had repeated.
To keep your smile untainted by another.
The man walked back to where he had started, his blue eyes never betraying his determination as his grip on his blade retightened, ready to start the repeated movement once more.
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"-!"
"-?! -! - - - - -!"
"- - - -!"
"- - -?!"
Disturbed by unidentifiable sounds, Tsugaru woke from his restless slumber. He could feel the ache in his bones seeping back to him as soon as his consciousness had returned, those repeated katana exercises finally catching up to his small figure.
The door to his room was slammed open. Opening his eyes slowly to avoid the light flooding his view at a painful speed, Tsugaru turned his head slightly in his pillow to see who had infiltrated his room at what he assumed was the middle of the night.
Tetsuya stood tiredly at his door, panting heavily as he bowed in respect, his action followed by Reito and Keiichi who were standing behind him.
"We… apologize for… the disturbance, Tsugaru-sama," Tetsuya said in between breaths, trying to get his words out without having them become stuck in his throat. Tsugaru could see that the man was struggling to keep his composure. "But… there seems to have… been a… crisis."
Taking a minute to let those words sink in, the blue-eyed boy sat up, ignoring his aching body parts. He ruffled his hair, which appeared sun-kissed by the artificial light that illuminated the hallways beyond his dark room. He could hear the panic in the voices of his subordinates as they raced down the halls, running from a fear unknown to him.
He did not understand why his subordinates were coming to him for solutions, but Tsugaru did not let his confusion slip in his expression or voice as he asked, "What seems to be the problem?"
Tetsuya hesitate to answer him, his voice laced with disbelief when he finally did; as if he himself could not believe the words he was delivering. All of the shouting, all of the panic seemed to die out from his ears when Tsugaru heard his stuttering subordinates next words.
"It… It seems… It appears that… your… Your parents have been murdered, Tsugaru-sama."
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Tsugaru rushed out of his room, not caring about the fact that his obi was barely done. He slipped his geta on as he entered the hallway, uneasy subordinates lined against the wall, whispering amongst themselves.
He paid little attention to them as he ran, his dark blue yukata wavering behind him due to the speed of his pace. Tsugaru knew he wasn't supposed to run, but this thought did not occur to the blue-eyed boy as he ran towards his parents' room. Although Tetsuya, Reito, and Keiichi were following close behind him, they did not reprimand him, only chasing after him at a similar pace.
There were no thoughts running through Tsugaru's mind when he finally arrived at the double doors to his parents' room. Touya was standing in front of the doors as the boy approached, his stern mocha eyes looking grim behind his raven locks.
Touya bowed, showing his respect, "Tsugaru-sama."
Tsugaru nodded, dismissing the action. "First Commander Touya," he acknowledged, allowing the man to raise his head.
As Touya slowly raised his head, his stare bore straight into Tsugaru's, not wavering even the slightest. A brief moment of silence passed as the two continued to stare at each other. Tsugaru had no idea what this man in front of him was trying to tell himself through stares, and did not have time to question it; for Touya set his lips in a tight line and closed his eyes as he stepped away from Tsugaru's path, as if the action physically pained him.
With no more obstacles in the way, ocean-blue eyes bore into the double doors that stood in front of them. The pressure and silence around him was thick, as many subordinates' eyes placed themselves on the young blonde boy. So thick that, Tsugaru, who had practiced keeping control of his emotions since the day he could recognize them, began to tremble slightly as he placed his hands on the cold wood.
The boy swallowed the lump in his throat as he slid the two doors open.
Two things hit Tsugaru at once. His gaze lingered on the floor, an eerie red liquid soaking the once-clean floors, painting an odd pattern of disoriented budding flowers. At the same time, a sour stench came at him like a wave, the hostile odor getting worse as the seconds continued to pass.
Sky-colored eyes reflected the dark crimson fluid as Tsugaru's gaze slowly followed the bloody trail into the room. He could see his parents' bodies - their white and dark blue yukata painted with the same disoriented flower pattern as the floor. They were standing upright against the wall.
For a moment, a flicker of relief started to thrive in Tsugaru's chest. Murdered people could not stand. Perhaps Tetsuya had been mistaken, and although there had been a crisis, his parents had already taken care of it. His parents would scoff at the thought of them, the Head of the Heiwajima Clan, being murdered, and later scold him for running in the halls-
As Tsugaru took a step into the room, the double doors creaked open a bit further from his push, allowing more light to get into the room and unveil the truth that pierced the fleeting hopes in his heart.
There.
The back wall.
His parents.
Eyes torn from their sockets, crying tears of blood.
The red river running down their cheeks.
Bleeding cuts covering any visible skin.
A katana piercing each of their skulls at the center of their forehead, pinning them to the wall.
A katana with a red handle and a black blade.
Red and black.
A red handle, a black blade.
The representative colors,
The representative katana,
Of the Orihara Clan.
Tsugaru stared, unsure of what he was supposed to do - of what he was supposed to think, of how he was supposed to react. His unbelieving eyes slowly grazed to the message that was written above his parents' heads, with the same sickening liquid that covered the room.
'Happy Birthday, next Head of the Heiwajima.'
The silence etched on as Tsugaru stood frozen in place. Tetsuya was unsure of the words he should say, unable to tear his ash-colored eyes from the blonde boy's trembling back. He reached to put his hands to steady those quivering shoulders, but a firm hand moved to stop him. Tetsuya looked in the direction of where it had come from, only to see Touya grimly shaking his head in disapproval.
As the subordinates watched, Tsugaru started to walk towards his deceased parents. The hands of time ticked at a painfully slow pace as the silence allowed the sounds of geta slapping against pools of liquid to echo. When the blonde boy was standing in front of his father's corpse, he reached up to grab something that had been attached to the same dark blue yukata he was wearing.
Everyone viewing already knew what it was, even before Tsugaru flipped it in his hand and held it beside him, still only allowing the back of his figure to be shown to his audience.
Between his fingers he held a silver pin, about the size of one's palm. It was Cryophase, the dragon figure studded with brilliant blue and white gems, representing the Heiwajima Clan. It had yet to be tainted by blood, as if remaining innocent regardless of what had happened to its owner.
When the time passed and Tsugaru spoke, his voice was calm, as if seeing the sight of his dead parents did not have any effect of him; as if it did not matter.
"Touya."
The commander straightened at his name, knowing a commanding tone when he heard one. "Yes, Tsugaru-sama."
The boy tightened his grip on the pin and let his arm fall as he heard his name. There was a slight moment of silence before he let his hand rest and spoke again.
"….. Prepare an Awakening Ceremony immediately. The Heiwajima will rise tomorrow with a new leader."
Tetsuya stepped forward in attempt to speak up, but Keiichi grabbed his arm and pulled back.
Touya bowed, despite the fact that his new leader could not see him. "Yes, Tsugaru-sama," he replied. When he turned to leave in order to accomplish his task, his grim appearance was nowhere to be seen, his face devoid of any emotions instead.
"Tsugaru-sama…" Tetsuya stuttered, unable to hide his uncertainty and concern.
"I want everyone to go and assist First Commander Touya with preparations of the ceremony. Now. We cannot allow the enemy to falter us like this; I shall join everyone in a moment."
All the soldiers stood still in disbelief, shocked at the words of the young blonde boy who still refused to show anything but his back.
Reito shook his head, his emerald hair swaying, and gave the unmoving soldiers a glare with his golden eyes, a silent order, before leaving the scene. Soon after, the soldiers began to file out after him.
Tetsuya and Keiichi were the last to leave. Tetsuya was unwilling, his ash-gray eyes lingering on Tsugaru's back until Keiichi tugged on his arm, signaling silently that they should take their leave. It wasn't long until Tsugaru was alone with the two carcasses in front of him, the stale odor becoming unbearable.
In solitude at last, the blonde boy wiped away the tears that had begun falling quite a while ago, thankful that his voice had not betrayed him while he had been with his subordinates. Although he was scared, young, and alone, he did not make a sound as he cried, his silence as heavy as the burden he was carrying.
Tsugaru took a shaky, deep breath, hiding his blue irises behind his eyelids. He didn't need this feeling, this weakness. He couldn't cry. He needed to get rid of this ridiculous emotion. He was Heiwajima Tsugaru, son of the previous Head of Heiwajima and now soon enough, the Head himself. His fingers curled around the object in his hand, his grip tightening around the pin as his resolve grew. He had been raised as a leader since his birth. It didn't matter how many years too early it was - this was his responsibility, his duty. Tsugaru slowly opened his eyes, making sure that his face was clear of any conflicting inner battles.
As he turned around and headed for the Awakening Ceremony that would crown him as the next Head, he ingrained every detail of this night into his memory as he slowly began shutting down his emotions, closing off any openings for weaknesses.
The following day, Heiwajima Tsugaru was crowned as the 21st Head of the Heiwajima Clan at the age of twelve, the Cryophase pin on the left side of his kimono representing his duties as the leader, sworn to be by his heart till the day he met his end.
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I should probably mention that this prologue is split into two. The first part is the prologue of the actual story. The second part is Tsugaru's past.
R&R ~