Part 1: Alone Boy

Episode 2: His Only Friend

Tsuna is always running. That's how anyone would describe him. Running. Always running. If not that, then 'sick' at home, locked up in his room.

He comes home with cuts and bruises from tripping or getting clawed by the broken edges of a fence or branch. Bullies don't catch Tsuna anymore. He's run so much and been all over town that he knows the best hiding places from spirits and his flight-mode just has him rushing away from any sign of danger.

Getting caught means blood or collapsing in the streets again. Getting caught means seeing Nana upset and talking angrily into the phone again while Tsuna tries to tell her that he's fine, it's all fine and she doesn't need to tell Dad (the old man doesn't care anyways) and he's so sorry for worrying her.

He's never met anyone good while running. Tsuna thinks that he misses worlds of time and news with his lifestyle. He barely knows what's on television or who the trendiest celebrities are. His classmates' faces swirl together as a murky unity as Tsuna is always on guard for the next ghost. He doesn't remember any of their names (except Yamamoto and Hibari, distinct in their personalities) maybe because he can't stand disappointment.

(Who are you talking to, Sawada?)

(What—liar! There's no one there, stop playing this game, I don't like it!)

(That Tsuna is always by himself, whispering… I think he curses us basically…)

(Ignore them. You don't need them, Tsunayoshi-kun, I can be your friend… here, come closer, you're so warm. Promise me that you won't leave me…! Promise!)

"Hey are you alright?"

Tsuna nearly trips at the voice and stares warily at a girl in one of the private school uniforms that Tsuna's seen in the neighbourhood. He doesn't quite know how to react to her staring, usually when people stare at him they mean to jeer or throw paper balls at him. So Tsuna just looks back at the ground and the patterns of stone tiles beneath his feet and starts counting them in his head.

"Hey, did you hear me? I was talking to you, you know!"

This time Tsuna just blinks in disbelief.

"Really?"

The girl doesn't look impressed.

"Ah. Sorry!" Tsuna bows his head. "It's just… I'm pretty infamous around here and people don't usually like to talk to me…" unless they're dead, "…so I wasn't sure if you were actually… um. Sorry! I didn't mean to be rude."

He can't help but peek over to the side and shiver when he sees the crowd of ghosts muttering back and forth at the corner. Waiting for him. The girl makes a noise with her throat that makes Tsuna jump and look back at her in guilt.

If anything, Tsuna expects the girl to just nod and continue on with her day. Tsuna is being pretty rude and avoidant. But no. Her face just lights up with delight as she throws her arms around him and exclaims, "So you can see them too?! That's great!"

"H-huh?!" Tsuna stills, finding the embrace of another human being alien unless they're Nana.

"Haru is so glad to find someone who can see. This one's name is Haru Miura. What's your name?"

Tsuna opens and closes his mouth several times, his voice suffering from a meltdown of overwhelming emotions. What is he feeling right now? Is it possible? Is there really someone just like him? Someone else who can see, like him?

Miura pokes him insistently in the forehead until he splutters out, "Ah, it's T-Tsuna… T-Tsuna Sawada. Ah, but how did y-you… know that I-I c-can, w-well… that I-I c-can…"

Her smile, so bright when she embraced him, washes away as she stares off into the distance. At the other ghosts and monsters lurking up and down the street. The change is so dramatic that Tsuna wants to hit himself for bringing up the question. How could he? If Haru is anything like him then…

"I'm sorry!" Tsuna bows again, "I shouldn't have asked! You must have been bullied as well and I guess you must have noticed that I was looking at them when I was running, right?"

"Ah, yes," Haru sniffs. "They used to tease Haru too…" and Tsuna wants to comfort her somehow but he doesn't have the words. Why does he have to be so useless when it comes to this? Life should come with a manual for these situations but even then, Tsuna suspects that he'd be dead last in that subject.

Just when Tsuna is about to awkwardly offer to treat her, she smiles again, even brighter than before.

"Ah, but that's all fine and over! Haru has you to talk to now, Tsuna! This will be our little secret," she winks and Tsuna can't help but agree.

Because in that moment, suddenly seeing spirits is something… normal. At least for him and Haru.

Tsuna's classmates won't stop giving him scathing glances. Tsuna doesn't really blame them. He'd probably be annoyed too if some random kid in his class kept talking to himself and crying out in random bursts of pain. Courtesy of the invisible tutor-that-was-probably-a-reaper sitting on said student's desk, of course. Not that anybody knew that part.

"Could you stop shooting me every time I get something wrong in class?" Tsuna hisses to Reborn.

"Nope," says Reborn, lying back on the comfortable seat Tsuna made with his school jacket. "Negative reinforcement with positive reinforcement helps the mind."

"Since when have you ever used positive reinforcement, you sadist—"

"When I don't shoot you."

"Urgh," Tsuna slams his forehead against his textbook. "Now everyone's going to think I'm creepier than usual."

"You can have your future guardians smite them for you, now pay attention to what Sasagawa-sensei is saying, idiot!"

"Ow, ow, alright!" Tsuna grumbles, turning back towards what his teacher is writing on the board. He glances at the door and squeaks when he sees Hibari-sempai walking past in the hallway. Probably psychic to any forms of misconduct, Hibari-sempai pauses outside the door window and glares at Tsuna until Tsuna returns to staring at Sasagawa-sensei's lecture.

Honestly, every time something goes wrong, Hibari is always there to scare a student into submission.

The bell rings for lunch and Tsuna tunes out the usual whispers of 'that no-good Tsuna!' and 'Did you hear him speak out in class? So weird!' He focuses on putting his notes into his bad instead.

Familiar laughter dances above him and he can't help but smile a little when he sees Yamamoto laughing with his baseball teammates. Even if Yamamoto calls Tsuna Dame as well, he's nicer than the other students. At least he says hello to Tsuna occasionally, even if the smile he gives to Tsuna is the same shallow one that he gives to everyone else.

With a light hum, Tsuna offers Reborn his shoulder and the baby hops on, nodding his approval, "I see you've accepted your place, idiot student of mine."

Tsuna rolls his eyes, "You wish. Ow! I mean, I'll go along with it for now but that doesn't mean I accept what you're training me for!"

"Hmph! I'm surprised you're able to learn in this school at all with your phobia," Reborn comments. "You've got stronger nerves than I thought. Good job."

"What?" Tsuna frowns as he races up the stairs. The floors are surprisingly pristine today. Best to avoid eye contact with all potential bullies and any ghostly monsters that might have floated into the school. "Well yeah. School is usually alright for me. I never really run into any spirits here. But you never know…"

"I see…" Reborn says in an odd tone.

"No running in the halls," a voice hisses by Tsuna's ear and Tsuna yelps as he stumbles against the water fountain.

Hibari is as menacing as ever, stalking down the hallways with his tonfas and just breathing out killing intent like a Cerberus from hell. Tsuna brings his hands up in prayer.

"Ah! Sorry, Hibari, please don't bite me! I didn't mean to do it, I swear! It's just the bullies and—whoa!" Tsuna dodges one of Hibari's attacks and ducks towards the garbage cans, ignoring other students' whispers of 'Dame-Tsuna is screwing around again!'

Sometimes Tsuna wonders why he bothers dodging anymore. Everyone knows that Hibari won't stop until 'appropriate' punishment is given out. He slows his movements and gives the appropriate response when one of the tonfas hits his shoulder (a lot of terror and pain.)

Tsuna doesn't even bother ducking before Hibari grabs Tsuna's shirt and growls out, "Don't misbehave again, herbivore or I'll bite you to death."

"Yes, okay, I promise I won't run in the halls again—!"

The grip tightens.

"—and I'll pay attention in class!"

Hibari lowers his grip on Tsuna's shirt and glances at Tsuna's shoulder where Reborn sits before he narrows his eyes and stalks away.

Tsuna just leans his head back against the wall, tries to shut himself off from the snickers of his schoolmates before he attempts to stand up again.

"You don't seem to have any friends, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn finally speaks up. "Loner or shunned?"

"I hope that's a rhetorical question."

"Maybe you should stop getting caught by that butcher in public. Other mortals might feel sorrier for you and approach you then," Reborn says in a faux cheerfulness that makes Tsuna groan.

"I can't avoid Hibari. No one can. He's always there whenever a student misbehaves and he gives me a headache whenever he's around. Does he always want to kill someone?! They call him the curse of Namimori High I think…"

"Some interesting presences at your school here, Dame-Tsuna. Perhaps you should talk more with them."

Tsuna's nose scrunches up in confusion. "Are you trying to get me to make friends with Hibari or something, Reborn? Because that's not happening," Tsuna shivers, "Ever."

Hibari is terrifying. Why would Reborn even make such a suggestion? And what's with all these questions, it's almost like… oh.

"Look, I'm fine Reborn," Tsuna says with a quiet smile. "I do have one friend."

"Really?" Reborn perks up.

"She doesn't go to Namimori. She's a private school student. But she's really nice! You should make yourself visible to her, she loves cute things, uh, not that you're cute—"

"Oh?" Suddenly killing intent from the dangerous baby seems to suffocate the building. "Is that what you think, Dame-Tsuna?"

"I—I mean, she'd love you! You're totally adorable! And um. Charming! Yeah!"

"Damn right," and Tsuna breathes out with thanks for his life as Reborn puts down his pistol.

He almost laughs right there, in the middle of the hall, at how strange his life has become (and it's been absurd enough already!) More stares turn his way as he tries to contain his hysterics but he stops when Reborn tells him to shut up and get to eating—"I want to try some homemade bento."

"You eat here alone every day?" Reborn asks.

Leaning against the fence and watching the baseball team playing around on the ground below, Tsuna nods. "Yeah. It's nice. No one's allowed up here but Sasagawa-sensei likes me and lets me eat here."

She also suspects that Tsuna is being bullied. Which he has denied. Several times. Even if it's true. But it's nice to have a homeroom teacher that cares.

"…and you don't have to deal with other entities here," Reborn steals Tsuna's riceball. "Smart. You're practically a Vongola already."

"Stop it!" Tsuna swipes the last riceball before Reborn can take it. "I'm not like you or dad! I'm not…"

"Not what? Alone? Isolated? Those are the inevitable requirements of a Vongola exorcist. You shouldn't get attached to other humans. You are different by your blood alone. By the nature of your occupation, you will always be separated from other mortals, only connected to those who share your fate," he lets another red flame dance up before Tsuna's face. "You were born to be alone."

There's a hush in his chest, the way the clouds slowly cover up the sun and casts light shadows on the world. Except those clouds were always there and he's always seen them, always known that they would brush away the bright view of his world. But he was happy to pretend otherwise, happy to look only at the sun, even if it blinded him, and hope…

"No," is that his voice? "No, that can't be true."

Reborn gives a long sigh, "Dame-Tsuna, you know it is."

"But I've met someone else who sees them! And she's not Vongola at all!"

Reborn raises an eyebrow. "Well then… there are other groups that can see the world in-between but their blood is not touched by Reapers. They are not as in tune with the dead as you are. They only see shadows. Wisps."

"Still!" the riceball drops from his hands, "Haru is my friend and she wouldn't abandon me, she wouldn't think that I'm…"

Liarfreakliarliar—

Reborn studies Tsuna for a moment, looks at the sweat Tsuna can feel dripping from his forehead. "I want to meet her."

Tsuna breaks into a smile that makes Reborn still. "Thank you! You won't regret it, Reborn."

The reaper, oddly, makes no reply but Tsuna concentrates on how tasty the vegetables are in his bento instead and thinks of how he'll apologize to his mum. Things will be fine, they always are after he talks to Haru.

Ghosts crowd outside of the school gates like always and Tsuna thinks he spots Hibari glaring at students who run too quickly into the street, as he sits up in the trees with his Hibird. But Tsuna is too excited to care for the spirits that seem to quiet when he rushes past them. Reborn just stays on top of Tsuna's head, tightening his grip on Tsuna's hair when they get to the park.

Several mothers are there with their children and they give Tsuna dirty glances when Tsuna shouts, "Haru!" with a big smile. Probably because of Tsuna's unkempt appearance. A lot of people in this neighbourhood like to glare at him. It's probably a sport by now.

Haru is standing on the swings, standing as if on lookout and jumps off with a flourish when she sees him. "Tsuna-kun!" she throws his arms around him and spins them both round.

Tsuna laughs when they stop, "How are you doing?"

"Oh, you know, just hanging around as usual," she points to the swings. She pauses, "Is that a baby on your head?"

"Um…"

"Ahhhh, he's so cute!" she gushes, moving her hands up before she merely waves her hands in front of Reborn and coos. "Hi there, my name is Haru!"

Tsuna can't see Reborn's expression but he feels the reaper still before he says, "Ciaossu. I am Reborn. The world's number one hitman and exorcist."

Haru freezes for a moment before she gives a frightening smile in Tsuna's direction.

"Tsuna…?"

Suddenly Tsuna wishes he was far, far away. Maybe in Singapore. It's nice there, lots of fish. "Uh… yes?"

"Just what have you been teaching this precious, angel child?!"

"Ah, nothing, he's not—"

"Children are precious souls! Like untouched snow! They have to be protected, they can't know what we see, they have to stay innocent at costs—"

A shot rings out and Tsuna automatically pushes Haru out of the way. He falls on his knees, hissing at the pain and seeing that mothers rushing their children away from the park. Rushing away from Reborn's shot. Tsuna stumbles back up while Haru's breath seems to hitch at the sight of Tsuna's blood.

"What are you doing, Reborn?! You can shoot me all you want just leave Haru out of this!"

"Innocent at all costs, hm?" the reaper ignores him, narrowing his eyes at Haru from his spot on top of the slide. "Tell me, spirit, how long did you think you could keep up this guise with Tsuna?"

It's as if Tsuna has stepped into a different region, where everyone speaks Japanese but with an unrecognizable accent. He has to shake his head, wants to curl in on himself, but no, Haru needs him. Reborn is, Reborn is—

"Wrong, y-you're wrong. Haru's not… she's not a spirit!"

She can't be. She's normal. She looks normal at least. He doesn't get any weird vibes around her. She's always so happy around him, so happy that her joy seems infectious. When he's with her, the spirits don't come close. They never do, in this park.

(But why not, Dame-Tsuna?)

"Haru… Haru tell him that he's wrong…"

But she's not listening to him. She's moving backwards against the ground, face as pale as those that haunt him every day. Suddenly Tsuna can see bits of the gravel through her dress, bits of the swings beyond her face. But still, Haru doesn't look at him. She looks, instead, at Reborn, with a mixture of dark bitterness that Tsuna has never seen in her before.

"So you're a Reaper then," she says and Tsuna feels like someone has thrown his heart into a grinder.

No. No, please.

"Not a child like you," Reborn replies with disdain. His aim doesn't waver, why won't it waver, why can't he just put the gun down— "What family has sent you here to manipulate Tsuna?"

Please stop.

"Family?" Haru's smile twists into something alien. "What are you talking about? Tsuna-kun is Haru's friend. He sees Haru. That's all there is to it."

Reborn's hat casts shadows over his face. "If that's all then…" his shadow begins to grow once more, into the adult form from before and Tsuna has to scream out, "Stop!" dashing right in front of the bullet and feeling it's fiery breath just seconds before his forehead before he's pulled down once again.

The swings behind them become engulfed in black flames from the bullet. Tsuna tries to remember how to breathe as Haru and Reborn hover above him. He tries to count to twenty. Tries to think of his mum. Of Haru (but oh, he can't breathe again because Haru is not Haru, or is she still Haru, how can she be—) and there's something wailing and it won't shut up.

Oh. It's him.

When Tsuna was five, he got lost in the supermarket.

There were a surprising number of strange things crawling around the supermarket that would try to attack Tsuna if he talked to them or touched them. Strange giant centipedes. Dogs with limbs sewn to their heads. Cats that had twisted eyes. Tsuna learned quickly as a child to walk with his eyes closed and stick close to Mama, holding her hand. Mama was used to it and chatted happily to Tsuna about what she would cook for dinner or about the new flowers she wanted to purchase.

But she wasn't here now and everywhere Tsuna looked he saw more and more monsters. All he could do was squeak and bump into stands of soup cans and then rush into the next aisle as these displays nearly fell on top of him. He could do nothing but curl up and close his eyes, hoping Mama would find him.

"There, there, dear, don't let those silly creatures bother you," a hand touched his shoulder.

Tsuna sniffed and peered cautiously up from his snot-covered sleeves. He almost expected it to be one of the centipede like things trying to crawl into the opening of his shirt from his collar but it was a kindly smile. An older woman who smelled like Mama, like lilies and the spices from the kitchen. She laughed softly and Tsuna was reminded of the man who was supposed to be called Papa, who visited with a nice old man a few days ago.

He couldn't help but shiver at the mention of those creatures again. "I… I can't… they look at me and…"

She put her arms around him and nodded. "I understand. You don't have to look if you don't want to. I'll take care of you."

Tsuna couldn't help but remember that he wasn't supposed to talk to strangers. Papa told him that every day when he visited.

"Just close your eyes, dear, and I'll take you to your mama," she coaxed him up and at the mention of Mama, Tsuna decided to trust this lady.

He closed his eyes and followed the lady's tugging. He felt lost, like a rowboat without oars being tugged by a nameless stranger that claimed to know the way home. All around him, Tsuna could feel the monsters scuttling back and forth in the supermarket, watching him, waiting for a chance to attack if he should make any move that showed he could see them.

His Mama's panicked voice broke through his thoughts. "Tsuna! Tsuna, there you are! Oh my baby, didn't I tell you not to leave Mama's sight?"

Tsuna opened his eyes and there she was. He almost began crying out of joy.

"I was lost but this nice Granny helped me!"

Mama reluctantly let go of him and asked, "Which Granny, Tsuna? We should thank her…"

"The one right here," Tsuna pointed to the lady still holding his hand.

"Hm?" Mama blinked, "But Tsuna, honey, there's no one there."

He had run away then too, straight into Mama's arms and refused to look at that nice Granny again.

(He was always running away, wasn't he?)

He hates himself. How could he never notice? He's always been able to 'feel' things about the emotions of ghosts. Wasn't it weird to feel Haru's happiness all the time? No wonder people in the park stare at him… he's been talking to nothing… there's nothing there…

"Tsuna… Tsuna, please talk to me…"

"No…" he curls in on himself, "No, just leave me alone…"

"Don't be an idiot, Dame-Tsuna, we need to check your wounds," Reborn orders and it's only the steel authority in his voice that makes Tsuna sit up. The swings are still burning. But the flames don't spread anywhere else. They just hiss like snakes, seem to lash out towards Haru but Haru, thankfully, floats out of their range.

He doesn't even notice when Reborn is done poking at his scabs and bleeding knees until he blinks and he realizes that Haru has been trying to talk to him for the last few minutes.

"Tsuna, Haru is sorry. Haru didn't want you to find out like this…" she's saying and there might be explanations there. Maybe. More apologies too but Tsuna can't seem to hear them.

He just… he just stares at her. Watches the way the green trees fade in and out through her skin, the way lights seem to pass through her eyes and Tsuna wonders why he never noticed till now. Did Haru do something, has he always been so stupid…?

"…Why…" he begins and Haru quiets, "…why didn't you… just tell me…?"

She doesn't say anything.

"I… I told you all my secrets… you… you know how other ghosts are, I can't… I don't…"

"Exactly!" Haru points wildly at him and this time, Reborn jumps in between them, gun cocked in her direction again. "There! See! Haru couldn't tell you then!"

"Lulling him into a false sense of security?" Reborn says sweetly.

"No, Tsuna please—"

Reborn edges closer to her.

"Or maybe you intended to leech off his vitality…"

"Haru would never… well there was that one time… b-but, honestly, Haru would never hurt Tsuna! Tsuna believes Haru, doesn't he?"

She is suddenly in front of him with such hopeful and eerily bright eyes that Tsuna can't help but remember every ghost he has ever met, every encounter, all the bad, all the times he was shut in his room…

Another click. Killing intent filling the park with heightened intensity.

"I told you stay away from him."

"No!" she reaches for Tsuna's hand but Tsuna flinches and her face just… breaks. There's no other way for Tsuna to describe it.

He sees the blood raining down her face. The hole in her forehead, the purple marks around her neck as her smile is stitched up with that dark bitterness from before.

"So it's like this then… huh?"

Tsuna suddenly wants to run again. Back to his house. Back in time. To yesterday.

Reborn shoots and Haru just blinks out of sight and reappears again behind Tsuna, grabbing his arm. "No!" she seems to scowl. "No, you can't take Haru away. Haru doesn't want to go!"

"Haru, stop, what are you doing?!"

Reborn pauses, his shadow growing into that of an adult's again. Tsuna swears he can see flickers of Reborn's small suit twist wildly, as if there is another person within the reaper, trying to claw its way out of this baby's body. But Reborn just glares at Haru, not quite lowering his gun, but not quite ready to shoot either.

"The bullet won't hurt Tsuna," Reborn says and Haru's hold on Tsuna seems to sink into his skin. "He is not like you, spirit. He devours flames."

"No way…" Haru starts to laugh bitterly. "No, that's not true. He's not a reaper. He's not one of you..." her grip is so cold that Tsuna thinks his blood will freeze, before he feels the tremble of his fingers, "…He's Haru's friend…"

Tsuna stops shaking.

"Sh-shoot Haru if you want, but you won't dare hurt Tsuna, Haru knows this!" she stutters, looking like the same girl he first met who stuttered excitedly over cake (which she never ate either, but kept in a box, saying she would eat tomorrow.)

She's translucent in the daylight but her features are the same. Genuine. She's been protecting so much happiness that Tsuna didn't see it till now, how bitter she is. How painful. He sees the bruises, the bullet hole. The blood. He sees her still so cheerful and patient for putting up with someone as useless as Tsuna for the past eight months. Never attacking him. Always here in the park, waiting, keeping the ghosts away so Tsuna wouldn't be afraid.

Afraid.

Oh Haru…

"…Wait…" someone says, soft yet unwavering. And it's not until Reborn lowers his gun just half an inch that Tsuna realizes that it's him. He's saying this. He's the one with a gentle touch on Haru's iron grip and meeting her quivering (no longer as bright) eyes.

"…Tsuna," Reborn warns.

"No Reborn! D-Don't… Don't s-shoot," he says, turning so that he has a hand on Haru's shoulder. He doesn't look away this time. "H-Haru… H-Haru I'm so… so sorry…"

Haru lets go of him.

"S-Sorry… But… but why are you…?"

"You've been waiting here, all this time. That must have been…" he looks at the blood on her face, the bullet wound and wishes he could have met her sooner, "…lonely… so…" he thinks he can see it now, a girl watching others pass through her, "lonely."

"Dame-Tsuna," Reborn growls, "don't—"

But that's when Haru bursts out into tears. Face crinkling up into folds of bitterness and grief and just pure… relief. She clings to him, wailing in the way people do when they want to articulate their pain but can't and Tsuna feels as useless as ever, unable to comfort her save for a few awkward pats and useless wishes of if only.

"I'm sorry," he says. "I'm so sorry," he says again. Over and over.

Haru wipes her face but there are no tears. Ghosts can't really make tears, can they? Only imitate what they used to know. Even still, she smiles. And Tsuna feels more useless all over again.

"What are you crying for, Dame-Tsuna?" Reborn speaks from above them and Tsuna glares up at him.

"Stop it! Leave her alone, she's just—"

"Lonely? Seeking warmth? Open your eyes, Dame-Tsuna… all ghosts start like her. They look as human as they died, at first, until they're only left with their regrets. Day after day, they'll brood and brood, remember and grow bitterer until they morph into those dark spirits that chase you every day. Even someone like her will succumb to dark thoughts if she lacks the will. She can't stay, Tsunayoshi."

"No, Haru's different!" she can cry (or at least feel it) and she can laugh and she is—

"She's not. As a Vongola, you need to exorcise her or subjugate her—"

Tsuna wants to laugh. Exorcise? Like what Reborn did before to those spirits? He can't possibly do something like that!

"Wake up, Tsuna—"

A rock nearly hits Reborn but the Reaper easily deflects it with another bullet with his Chameleon-gun. He sends out a torrent of firepower towards Haru but Haru just reappears directly before Tsuna and shouts, "You wake up, Reaper! You're just a bully! Tsuna is right, Haru would never hurt him like those other things—"

"You already have."

Haru nearly goes entirely transparent while Tsuna shakes his head frantically.

"N-no, she hasn't—"

"Look at your arm," Reborn says coolly. "And maybe your back from where she hugged you."

Tsuna quickly rolls up his sleeves ready to prove Reborn wrong but stops when he sees the black hand prints and red scabs from Haru's fingerprints. He's seen this before when other ghosts would grab him but he never associated it with Haru before… he's always been grabbed before and after he meets her except for today… Reborn was with him all day, protecting him…

"It… it doesn't matter," he's used to this. Haru didn't mean it. They can still—

"Haru..." a quivering voice whispers, "…Haru did this… to Tsuna-kun…?"

Tsuna turns back to where Haru has shrank away, to the burning swings (Why? Why are they still burning?)

"It's fine, I can—"

"No!" Haru shouts and the wind seems to whip around her as that bitterness returns to her face. "Haru won't listen to Tsuna's excuses. Haru won't be like them." She steps closer to the fire. "Haru is different… and Haru is… Haru is the one who should be sorry!"

"Wait, don't!"

She steps under the burning swings and reaches out with both arms, touching the coiled black flames that slither up to meet her from the railings.

And she burns.

"HARU!" Tsuna tries to jump in after her, tries to pull her away but strong arms hold him back and Tsuna can feel Reborn's adult form caging him away from Haru with his hold. Please, he wants to say, stop. And no. No don't. But he's said this so many times that these words seem to have lost their power and he can only…

Her twists out, swallowed by the black flames but she doesn't scream like the other ghosts did. She just turns towards him and gives one last (terrible) smile.

"Sorry Tsuna," no, don't say that, please, no, no, no, "Haru just… Haru just wanted to be friends."

She's fading. Tsuna can barely feel her presence in his soul anymore. The black flames are happy to feast, fading finally with their awarded prey and Tsuna screams.

Orange. Orange warmth, if warmth could be described as a colour at all. If Haru's laughter and smiles, if the way her happiness felt around him had a colour…

It would be Orange.

Tsuna awakes, tasting gravel on his lips. When he rolls over, the park is empty save for Reborn sitting pensively by Tsuna's face.

Haru is gone.

Tsuna closes his eyes.

"Stop crying," Reborn says.

How? How can he…? When he…?

"I killed her," he whispers. If he had never brought Reborn here… if he had just noticed she was a ghost sooner, maybe…

"She was already dead," Reborn points out and Tsuna buries his face under his arm.

"This is cruel."

"Oh?" he hears Reborn shuffle closer to him.

"Is this what my father and you do? Kill them? When they're so…"

"So what? Human?"

"Shut up!" Tsuna cries out. "You saw her! She felt things. She cried. She laughed!"

"And what about the things that chase you? Are they still human?"

Tsuna has no answer.

Reborn stands up and kicks Tsuna gently in the cheek. "Get up. You still have much to learn. We'll start training tomorrow."

For a moment, Tsuna doesn't move. But then he slowly gets up and mechanically grabs his fallen bag and tries not to think of boxed cake and laughter in the park. She's gone and from the looks of things… only Tsuna and Reborn will remember her last moments. He wipes his face again before pausing to let Reborn hop onto his shoulder.

Reborn doesn't.

If anything, the Reaper has been looking at him with an odd expression ever since he woke.

"Still crying, huh," Reborn murmurs with a shake of his head and Tsuna feels a flash of anger. How dare he? How can Tsuna not cry when Haru is… is…

Well, Reborn isn't quite human, is he?

Tsuna just shrugs.

"…I don't want to do this," he says.

"…Excuse me?"

Tsuna winces but says, "I can't… be an exorcist. Not… Not if it means this… I killed her, Reborn! She'll never…"

"Don't be stupid."

"I'm not—"

"You saved her."

"…What?"

"Those orange flames… those were yours. You didn't exterminate her, you purified her."

"T-Then, wh-where is she?" The park is still empty. No one on the slide or the swings. No one by the trees or by the parked cars on the street.

Reborn just hops on Tsuna's head and kicks him to go forward.

"Who knows? We just use our flames, Tiny-Tsuna. We don't ask who goes where."

"B-but…!"

Reborn yanks at Tsuna's hair, prompting a loud yelp, "She's fine, Dame-Tsuna."

"B-but you s-said…"

"She's fine," Reborn says. "You saved her. That's all you need to know."

Tsuna can't help it. He starts to cry again and this time, Reborn doesn't comment. He just pulls out a handkerchief and throws it down at Tsuna's nose.

Good job, Reborn doesn't say and Tsuna doesn't get to hear it.

"By the way, Dame-Tsuna, I'm still going to train you to be a top-rate exorcist, whether you like it or not. So expect to be up at 5 am tomorrow."

"Hiaaa?! No, just, no, get out of my room!"

BANG!

Night. A confidential correspondence between the Seven.

-It's happened. I saw them again. The Orange Flames.

-Holy shit! You can't be serious, kora! The last time anyone saw those was with—

-I know.

-Well damn. This changes everything. And it's that Vongola kid? Shit, what's our next move?

-[dark laughter] What do you expect? We can't let the Vongola know. I'll keep training him… but with the methods of the First instead. Tsunayoshi is one of ours, after all…