( 24/05/2015 )

Salve ~

This is... still L. writing. So I've been pestering Y. to write something for a while, but she said : "Wait, I'll go check what the 10th chapter is about, I don't remember."

She did.

When she talked back to me, she only gave off a low, scary laugh and told me : "Nah, I won't say anything, because it's the chapter of sadism."

So yeah, she refused because she's a sadistic writer, and this chapter is the proof of it ~

I'll continue writing this story, it's just a tiny bit depressing to know that our mail box has been completely empty for one full week. *sigh*

No (guest) review.

Disclaimer

Katekyo Hitman Reborn belongs to Akira Amano

The Solitude's Flame ( La Flamme de la Solitude ) belongs to Y. ( Yukiche )

L. ( Lokiitama ) was given the rights to translate.

This chapter hasn't been corrected

.

Next chapter will be up the 31/05/2015µ

(: Enjoy :)

Tsuna was floating around his subconscious' limbo. He let himself be guided by Mukuro's voice and presence. He was about to have some vision he had grabbed in Chrome's memories.

When he had asked why, suddenly, his ghost had taken the hand of his mind and led him to dark lands, as the other simply shrugged. But Tsuna had seen it. And he'd understand all the more once he saw those memoirs. Mukuro felt sorry for his cousin, forced to be part of a world she only wished to stay spectator of. His intrusion must have had awakened the frustration of possessing a gift she didn't want to use. To be sensible to something she wished to stay away from. To be implied, even though she didn't want to, without being able to do anything about it.

A room completely dark. A small girl, frail figure making herself as small as possible in a corner. The door was slightly open, a ray of light sneaking up her eye, red.

Voices.

They wanted to be discreet, but we hear it clearly, neatly through the silence and the dark.

"I heard her talk to no one again."

"What, again? How many times did we ask her to stop that?"

"She pretend she was speaking to someone."

"Imaginary friends…"

"No, apparently, today's one was scary. She was trembling."

"She just have not to imagine them, if they scare her!"

"She says she can't. I can't bear with it anymore, first these eyes, now that…"

"Yes. We have to do something about this. We'll speak to a specialist. Tomorrow."

"And if she… had to be locked away?"

"It'll be hard to assume, true that. But at least, elsewhere, she won't bother us with her tall stories."

Tall stories… And in the small room, a young girl unable to sleep.

"So honey, how was the doctor?"

The girl with heterochromatic eyes threw a confused glance at the old and wrinkled woman speaking to her, with smiles.

However, only silence replied to her. The old lady talked again, chuckling.

"Yes, I know sweetheart. All charlatans."

"He said I must have a trauma."

"To you? My, I should go to him, to make him learn how to speak to children!"

"No… to them."

"Oh…"

The old lady's eye glinted. Her only eye. The other was hiding under a closed eyelid, as if she winked to the whole world.

She bowed down to the small girl, malicious.

"You want me to tell you why the only traumatising thing, in this whole story, it's that guy's incompetence?"

Once again, she didn't get any reply, but the old lady felt her interlocutor's curiosity. She opened her eyes, both of them. Amber, red. Two iris, two colours, one pupil – the other was replaced by a weird, black symbol. Like the child's one, who had widened to that vision.

"I too, have imaginary friends, you know. Except that mine, they exist. Just like yours."

Suddenly, when she realized that, the small girl took a step back. As if reality was infinitely scarier than her mind's imagination.

It was. Reality, it wasn't controllable. Imagination, a bit.

"I can see people burn, too. All of them."

Her voice was the one of a small, scared animal.

"Yes. Me too. And it's really beautiful, most of the time. You, you burn with a beautiful indigo flame. It makes you shiny."

The small girl watched the elder for a moment, closed up. The, she relaxed a bit.

"You too. You are beautiful with the fire."

And the lady's smile became as shiny as the fire in her heart.

"But mom, she's scared when I say she burns. She says I want to kill her."

And the smile became a sad shadow. How pitiful it was to live between so many closed minds.

A voice talked, behind the small girl. More joyful and mocking.

"In that case, it's simple. You only have not to look ~"

A small bit of cloth fell into the girl hands, as she fixed it without understanding. It looked like an eye patch, like the pirate's in the books.

She turned around to glance at the other kid, who was smiling, too.

"Mukuro!" The old lady said, angry, but not really so, her voice was amused. "I already asked you not to sneak into my belongings. Moreover to give them to other people!"

"It's a gift."

The elder stared at him for a moment, and then shrugged, her face becoming softer, as if she was saying : 'oh, if it's a gift, okay then.' Then she turned to the girl, caring:

"You can wear it. I give it to you. That dummy chose well: as long as you'll bear that eye patch, you'll only see the visible world. It won't altercate your skills, if you ever wish to leave it behind to see the world, the real one, the complete one."

Both of the kids looked at her curiously, in silence, thinking, after she was done talking. It was weird, it was like she knew. She knew that once, the small girl would open up to the world, complete, entirely. She wasn't sure of it. She knew it.

But she didn't give them the time to meditate longer on the question. Already, she was speaking again, to the boy:

"And you? Instead of messing up with your old aunt's belongings, wouldn't you want to learn to watch? To see? You could too, if you wanted to."

He smiled. Not a brat's smile. A darker, meaner one.

"Kufufu~ Never in my whole life."

Everything around them became blurry. And the vision got away.

Tsuna was in front of the small boy now teen.

"Why?"

He was asking about the reply he gave to the old lady.

Mukuro took the same expression as the memory's one.

"Who knows?"

Enigmatic. Maybe he didn't know himself. Maybe he didn't find back the memory about that refusal. Tsuna didn't get to open the debate. Already, his vision was becoming shady. Again. Had the other avoided the discussion to give him pieces of his past memory? But the impression was not the same. He felt like the ghost wasn't responsible.

In the middle of the dark, no imagines came to him. Only voices. Mukuro's one and another one, familiar, but one he didn't manage to recognize.

"You feel alone, don't you? Terribly so."

"Oya? Who are you?"

"Alone for centuries, left back in the dark."

"Solitude never bothered me. And I don't think I've been dead for more than few years."

"Your soul isn't that young. Who says it didn't die more than once?"

"You think you know me more than myself? At least, me, I don't know you."

"You want me to present myself?"

"Kufufu~ No need to. What do you want?"

"If possible… not to be so lonely. Appease myself. And my son's when he'll discover the secrets he's linked to."

"Your son?"

"He was so cute, last time I saw him~ I'm sure he got taller since!"

"You want to see him?"

"No."

"Of course you do, kufufu ~ It just shows. But you can't. You're one of those spirit that can't get through the portal. Because of what they did while they were alive."

"Great deduction! Did you see others like me? With a bit of luck, they're friends, I could go drink a bit with them~"

"And for your son?"

"Hum?"

"You don't have anything to tell him? Or are you just a senile daddy who wished he could use his ghost's status to spy on his child?"

"It's a tempting idea, indeed. But you said it yourself, I can't. I might as well have fun how I can here. And cease provoking me, will you?"

"Kufufu~ In that case, maybe will I say one or two words to your kid~ from you, of course. What's the message?"

"Did I ask you anything about that? You don't have to.

"But you seem ready to die again to pass a message. Well, I'll do it."

"Why?"

"Kufufu~ Who knows?"

Hibari Kyoya wasn't the kind to let go of his territory for some herbivores.

Let's be clear: he made his rules known throughout Namimori city entirely, and the centre of his influence zone was Nami-chuu's roof, where he liked to take a nap. And, of course, no weakling dared even step on it when he was there. It was more likely they'd defy a mythological Titan in duel.

Except that, since quite a time, he had seen himself forced to leave it. Not because of someone, oh no! It's just that the location felt uneasy. The atmosphere of the roof had changed, lately. As he closed his eyes for five minutes and he began to hear all kind of noises, as if there was lots of activities in the middle of his refuge of silence and calm. Voices, laughs, steps. As soon as he tried to catch them red-handed, he faced nothing. Nothing indeed; there was no one.

And also, since few weeks, there was a new aura in the air, disagreeable as it could be, that made him nauseous, and gave him shivers down his spine. Without saying, even more recently, that the school's material's well-being had been degraded. As if an enraged cat felt like it was a good thing to scratch the walls, the floor, and the fence. Usually, he was against animal abuse, but if he found out of luck its master, he'd make him a whole new face.

Well, for now, he still disliked to reconquer his roof. However, the rates of the cities' criminality and delinquency never had been lower since he had –momentarily! - gave up his naps. He took that time to patrol instead, and his bad mood wasn't a good sign for anyone facing his tonfas. At least a good point to this story. For example, right now, he was only walking down the portal of the college, and the students had visibly learnt how to get away as he passed, all of them, looking down and trembling. The ones with a crippled uniform tried to make it presentable, quickly, were tying back up their ties and buttoning back their shirts with febrile hands as soon as they saw him. They finally understood where they stood.

All, except one.

The execrable stranger that was leaving its nauseous aura everywhere, like a dog dejecting everywhere to mark its territory, was there. In the middle of the student's mass that was hurrying up to get to school on time.

This time, it wasn't a trace, not even a vestige of a trail almost dissipated. He had come in person. He had put himself right under the nose of the one ready to send him back home, tail between legs, that mutt. A smile began to show on the carnivore's lips.

It was hunting time.

Tsuna didn't get to be fully woken up, that day. A bit like usual, actually. Especially that, since what had happened with Chrome, Reborn didn't make him wake up anymore – which was, somewhat, a good thing. However, it increased his chances to get late to school, with all the bad things that came with it. That's why, when he saw the prefect of Nami-chu near the portal, as he stared intensely at him, almost waiting for him, he suddenly doubted. A glance around him informed him that, however, that, seeing the number of students around him, the bell still didn't ring. So why was Hibari watching him like that? As if he was going to eat him up right away?

The small brunet tried to convince himself that it was only his imagination, that he didn't do anything wrong, he even stopped sleeping in class lately, so there was nothing to fear. He continued walking toward the college's executioner, trying to appear as normal, and passed in front of the boy without any problems, in the end.

Phew.

And then, a hand posed itself on his shoulder. Not a friendly hand, for sure. A cold hand, a deathly grip.

He slowly, ever so slowly turned his head. He saw the iron glint of a tonfa running to his face.

To the ground, in a daze, curled up against a wall, he heard a voice coming right from the Hells.

"Did you think you could hide from me, herbivore?"

Then, as he looked down, almost defeated, a smile broke onto his bloody lips. Kufufu~

He stood back up, getting help with the wall. His body, weak, accused the hit. Stars were dancing in front of his eyes. A rebellious strand of hair was hiding one of his eyes. But he didn't care. None of that made him care. Even with only one-eye, even half-dazed, he could lead a fight that came to him out of nowhere.

Some kind of fever overtook him as he looked at his opponent with eyes avid, full of hate and fun in the same time, as the said opponent replied to him with a disgusted face. He didn't seem to like his aura, floating out with orange and purplish mist around him, until they got to the man with tonfas. Around him, some spectators waited, then began to realize they could be collateral victims of the fight that was about to come and ran as fast as possible. The bell rang in the distance, a quickly forgotten detail for the two protagonists of the next battle. Some replicas were exchanged in a scathing tone, on an electrical silence.

The rest only was devastating hits, battle sounds, victorious smiles and hearts beating with excitement.

When Tsuna got out of the mist, a bit later, he found himself in the middle of the deserted court, feeling like he had just ran a marathon. Or as if he just finished one of Reborn's terrible trainings.

Speaking about his teacher, he just appeared in front of him, grumpy, a glint in his eyes planning thousands of tortures for the small brunets that he was watching with disdain.

"What?" The student said, still spiteful, even though he was exhausted. "You're coming to yell at me how I got beaten by Hibari-san?"

He only remembered clearly the first hit but, if he judged his state, the rest mustn't have been really glorious for him.

Reborn looked at the wounds, as if he just noticed them, then he shrugged, thus saying that event didn't concern him.

"You know."

Two words. Two simple words got out of his mouth. Two words that put a fright to the boy's mind.

He knew. Reborn knew what he had done. With only a simple glance, he had detected Mukuro's presence within him. Before he had the time to choose the words to prevent him, with tact, to explain him, calmly why, how and more than anything how much this situation that firstly seemed bad was bringing him way closer from his quest's goal. To convince him that Mukuro didn't do anything in this, for once, and that he welcomed him by himself and that was for the better.

With only a glance, Reborn had understood. With only a sentence, he reproved Tsuna's solution.

"Mukuro will be banned."

That choice made the brunet freeze. No, no, no, why didn't he accept to at least listen to him? What did Reborn had to loose except few minutes of his time? What kind of superiority he thought he had on the human beings to take decisions in their place?

The student's hatred only widened as his teacher looked at him, his mind rebelled at the idea he wanted to impose him.

"No! Reborn, listen to me! I know what it looks like for you, but I assure you I can live with it! Mukuro began to find back some memories, we're progressing! Don't make me do that all over again by intervening when things are only looking up. And also, I feel it, that this option is the best for now, that we couldn't do anything else, except-"

"No" The Acrobaleno replied, stern.

Tsuna blinked, unable to continue his sentence, interrupted. While he was talking, during a short moment, for a second, he thought he saw the other's eyes change, his traits become softer, as if he was embracing his ideas, a hope, the beginning of a dialog.

And in less than a second, everything had disappeared. He talked to someone even deafer than a wall.

"No," The baby repeated, "Your solution isn't the good one. I'll convoke the other members of my Order. You're free to try to debate with them, but don't even try to have hopes about a change in our decision."

He then turned around and got away silently. Tsuna could try calling out to him, begging him to come back, he had disappeared, leaving him there with his despair.

The only time Tsuna managed to see Reborn again was before the meeting of the Arcobaleno Order, was right when they were gathering to wait each other. He had known better, to talk to him.

The rendez-vous was given in a bit of time at the exterior of Namimori, hidden under a part particularly bushy of the forest around the city. The wooden hideout gave an opening onto a small clearing still bathing in a clement sun for that period of the year, as they were approaching winter. The wind was blowing through the leaves still grabbing onto the trees with softness and a breath's regularity, some birds were discreetly chirping, hidden in the branch's intimacy, and a river must have been flowing not so far away, because the sound of water was completing that picture of serenity.

The two beings that were sitting on the steps out in the sun, however, weren't as tranquil or serene. The smaller one hadn't spoken a word in hours and was hiding his face behind his fedora's rim. He stayed on his feet, straight, as if someone had slipped a metal bar under his costume. He seemed like a statue, but a statue threatening to blow up in smithereens, ready to do so at any moment.

Tsuna, as for him, didn't seem to stay calm at all, and wasn't as good as his master to hide it. He often stood up, walked around with a clumsy step, came back, played with his fingers, almost ripped his hair of his head, stood back up, wandered around, sighed, sat back down, curled up good, as if he wanted to became a rock, an innocent, unmoving rock, that no one would pass under judgement.

To be true, he didn't know what to do, except resign himself. Resign himself to lose all he had so hardly managed to do, not later than today. He had tried to say anything to Reborn, and he only seemed even more determined to banish Mukuro. The brunet didn't have any sign of life from him till that morning, when he came up to search him, still silent.

So, he followed, also not saying a word. He kept his lips shut, there again. He wanted to scream, yell, stomp, but resigned to not say a word, conscious that all he'd say, all he wanted to say would be kept against him, and that every word could be fatal.

He never felt so lonely. Even Mukuro couldn't be of any help, here. He wondered for a moment if he could escape reality for a small, maybe the last conversation with his ghost, but he had kept away from that, too, afraid he'd be caught red-handed, and that it'd put him in the worst disposition when he'd face his judges.

He'd keep silent, then. Resigned, condemned, but wise. If it still could help him.

In the end, in the middle of the afternoon, even since they were waiting since morning, weak shivers took up the bushes around the clearing. They were there. Five small baby-like figures, just like Reborn. But Tsuna wasn't fooled, they were far more superior to him. Very far. He didn't even have to try to see their flame to guess it – their simple presence was sufficient.

They walked slowly toward the teen and his teacher, giving off a uneasy feeling of being cornered to the small brunet, without a chance of escaping. Reborn gave up his immobility, and looked at each single one of them. He spoke up their name as a greeting, but to be honest, the young man wasn't listening and didn't remember them. He only looked at them with dull eyes, meeting more hard and disapproving glances than signs of compassion. He wondered which time of profile his teacher had given of him to them, to gather so much animosity as greeting. In the same time, he had understood those people were important personality of their world. They mustn't have been here out of compassion, torn from their activities probably more important to them than this assembling for an irresponsible act of a beginner. When he thought back on it, it was even surprising to know they came for something as useless as him. Tsuna didn't know much about it, but he wondered if it was really useful to gather the elite of the mediums only to banish a ghost having fun possessing humans.

The first voices, unknown, began to rise. Most of them stayed serious, but some others found something to complain for, speaking of that, the convocation. All at once, they seemed more human than intimidating, but Tsuna kept from forgetting they were here to judge him.

The Sky's absence was mentioned, the Order wasn't complete. But they still decided to discuss about it, one being curious of knowing the details of that case asking for their presences and the others – including Reborn – wishing to get done with it. They quickly found themselves sitting in a circle near the temple, ready to begin. However, the one who called out for a meeting turned one last time to the brunet, who didn't know what to do.

"Tsuna, go away. You're not authorized to assist to the first part of the debates. We'll ask you to come later."

Still as cold as ever, and impersonal, that's how Reborn asked his student to leaver, and the said student got hurt again by such a behaviour. But no one cared about it, and they let him get away, sad, without intervening. When he had disappeared between the trees and felt he was far enough for their comfort and their confidentiality, they began.

The principal item of this meeting had found the small river flowing around. He was running between the trees, full of mousse, on which he quickly sat down, not really wishing to wander in the woods like an unwelcomed spirit. He prepared himself for a long, long wait.

The place wasn't really far from the Arcobaleno's circle, he could sometimes hear some voices, louder than the water's noise on the rocks. Though, he preferred to let himself be lulled by the later than trying to understand the noises he heard. It wasn't like he was about to be surprised by the final decision, anyway. He better think of something else.

Actually, he managed so well to get away from reality that, after a while, he didn't hear the steps of someone approaching. To give him a good point, that someone could be really discreet, even when someone really did pay attention to him.

The small figure all in red went to the side where the young man was and stayed there, looking at him as if he was trying to read his mind, until he was noticed. For a moment, he thought his teacher went and took him, but he looked down when he realized that he didn't even try to come to him.

A small smile lightened the one that came's lips. He bowed to greet him when Tsuna was staring at him with curiosity. It was one of the few that didn't seem to judge him right away, when they came into the clearing. His expression was even welcoming, if he compared it to the other's.

"I-I…" He suddenly said, "Sorry, I don't remember your name…"

The other, that had already turned around to bring him back to the clearing, turned again..

"I am Fon," He announced, calmly, as if all of this was only a lucky meeting in the forest. "The Storm Arcobaleno."

His voice, which was softer than ever, was making a huge contrast with the name of his element. Especially when the two others Storms he knew – Bianchi and Gokudera – were more of the passionate kind.

As he said nothing back, the baby in front of him talked again:

"I was asked to come and tell you our conversation was over."

There was a little something embarrassed, sorry, in his tone.

The teen stood up, throat dry. This sentence was sounding like it was the end of something, to his ears. Even with all the tact and the gentleness around it, it had the same effect as Reborn's sharp's ones. Well, that kindness brought him to some kind of hope. Maybe he just had to ask. To this almost unknown person. As if it was a last chance before sinking. Trying not to drown by grabbing the helpful hand, even if it was only a mirage.

"Fon-san!" He suddenly said, with a certain hurry, as jolt of bravery.

"Yes?"

Good. At least someone was listening to him, for once.

"Isn't it there… something to convince you to go back on the decision you've taken?"

His interlocutor froze, to think about it, and seemingly serious. And then, he breathed in deeply, almost like a sigh, as if he prepared himself for a long and hard speech.

"But you don't even know what our decision is."

The small brunet scratched his head, looking at his feet.

"I wasn't left too much hope about that…"

Once again, a breathing. The Arcobaleno's black eyes met Tsuna's, a look so full of everything the later had a hard time understanding all the emotions passing through it.

"There still can be some way," He said, like a prophecy. "It might be well hidden, and its path, hard to take. I am sorry I'm bad news this time, but I don't think something will change. Not today."

The teen nodded, sadly. There was nothing to reply to that. The other had just confirmed that this cursed day was under the sign of fatality.

"However…" Fon completed, "I can guarantee you that, if you have something to say, we'll listen. It might not change our point of view, but we'll remember of your words in good time."

Then he went away, in the bushes. Tsuna didn't really know what he had to do with that last information. It was quite baffling, but in the same time, it assured him for a nth time that, whatever he might do or say, nothing would change today. They'd remember his words in good time… Well, that brought him far! At that supposed time, Mukuro would already be banned, and them remembering it wouldn't do much.

That's how he presented himself, ready, but also quite annoyed at that kind of hypocritical trial that only allowed him to speak after judgment, in front of that tribunal composed of children as weird as they were powerful. He looked at his judges, that severely glared at him back. Fon sat back down with them. Reborn stood up, facing his student.

"Decision was taken. The human ghost known as Rokudo Mukuro will be thrown out of his host and invocator Sawada Tsunayoshi, banished of the living world's and sent back to the other side of the Veil. As the natural flame of the entity is the Mist one, the Arcobaleno Viper will execute the judgement."

Looks turned toward one of the member of the circle. The designed cherub, hooded with a dark cape and a seemingly dead toad on his head, nodded, sighing deeply with a sigh of lassitude that was fully explaining the feeling of losing time he felt.

"I hope I'll get a prime for that, Reborn," He said with a low voice. "And my name's Mammon, now."

"You'll do as decided, Viper, with or without prime," The Sun of the group icily replied. And he turned to Tsuna. "Do the condemned has something to say before we follow onto the next part ?"

Kufufu ~ I am the condemned one ~ Do I have to get out to kick their brats' asses?

The brunet paled, hearing Mukuro's voice reply to Reborn's call. Thankfully, only him seemed to perceive it. That would be jackpot to anger the one that were going to banish him. Well, if he thought of it, he didn't have much to lose. Nevertheless, he made him shut up, but got inspired from his dare to reinforce his on determination. Of course, he wouldn't let them do as they wished without saying anything. Without resisting, maybe, but still staying convinced it wasn't the right thing to do.

He concentrated on his interlocutors, looked at them each, with will, without letting his gaze waver. The, only, he opened his eyes, throwing away his tone from doubt and fear.

"I think you're doing something wrong, Arcobaleno."

That mere sentence absorbed his whole courage. However, he said nothing more. He better let the words make their effect alone.

"So you're asking us to rethink our decision?" Reborn retorted, his voice levelling up to a whole new panel of coldness toward the one he was supposed to protect.

"Yes. Even though I know it's useless to try to convince you otherwise."

A brief silence followed that confirmation. Tsuna was sure none of them was actually thinking about it. That pause was merely an act, for the only purpose of what was going to happen next:

"Request rejected."

There. This time, the young man felt no pain hearing that. It was obvious. He was waiting for it. And he already had played all his cards, till the last. The defeat already had been accepted since few rounds, actually.

The Arcobaleno stood up, closing the discussion. One of them waited to move.

"Reborn?" Fon called out. "Do we wait for the Sky?"

The called, that already had taken few steps, didn't turn to the one who talked, but to the sky, as if their absent member could be there.

"The Sky won't come today," He finally said. "We'll be enough."

He seemed appeased, relieved to have what he wanted, but even though he had all of that, he didn't want to lose time. The circle deployed in the clearing, getting around Tsuna. In front of him, the child of the Mist stepped forward. The teen felt his fear come back forcefully now he was unable to do anything.

He clenched his jaw, waiting for the beginning of the ritual. Some days earlier, he had asked Gokudera to explain him how it went. To be ready. The silver head had been reticent, refusing the idea of his friend accepting that without putting up a fight. But in the end, he did it. Tsuna hadn't understood all of the subtlety of the manipulation, but he had understood the essential, what he wanted to know, not to realise it himself but not to be surprised in the process, as a target.

Which didn't take out all the regrets he had. The bitterness of losing once again contact with Mukuro, of course, but even more. He did know for a long time – before Reborn began his tutoring – that a forced separation could make a great shock both for the invocator's flame and the invoked spirit's flame. Sometimes, there was some sequels left, like a weakening of the alternated energy or even the impossibility to use it again after that. Something like the reformation of the natural seal in the human spirit. When he knew his – ex? – teacher for few days only, he had understood from the muttered conversation that he was quite sure he'd lose his flame in the operation. And he wasn't possessed, yet. He didn't know had led him to know that so certainly, but he had to get prepared. After the trainings, Dino's lessons, supernatural visions, the chats with his friends who, them, would probably continue in the occult's path. Without him. Without noticing it, he had got used to it, and to be excluded from that world as brutally as he entered it would be quite hard to live with.

But he couldn't go back. The Arcobaleno Viper raised his arm, hand opened, and palm facing the ground. It was still useless to try to see his face, except for the bouncy cheeks and the tight line of the clenched lips, but he already had begun to gather his flame, as the small breeze shaking up his clothes testified. Said breeze began to turn around the small brunet, till it became a cold wind, then it felt like an iced hand taking him, clenching him with a solid power. He couldn't move. Then, when the foreign flame began to mix with his, searching for Mukuro, it began to hurt. The hurting, he wasn't aware it'd come. Just like he never imagined being hurt that bad one day.

It was only bothering at first, like a worm struggling inside of him, and it began to become more oppressing, threatening to break every bone in his body. And then, he felt ripped apart; as if someone had cut him in two parts for his ghost to get away with half of him. He fell to his knees. It was hard to breathe, he was suffocating, and he couldn't see anything, only coloured lights way too vivid, which made him nauseous. Nothing and no one had told him it would be a real torture. Even with the secondary effects, everyone had presented him that as if it was formality, a brief bad moment to pass, as simple as getting a shot at the doctor. Nothing that looked like reality, which felt like eternity, a long, long eternity… And that pain was soon going to knock him out.

When his head hit the ground, he felt a bit better. It was kind of relative, in his situation, but it was as if the air had warmed up a little. His eyelids were heavy, and his nerves tired. He was going to close his eye, let everything go. Darkness invaded his vision, and far away, a soft, feminine and unknown voice rose up. But it was reassuring, in the middle of this hell.

"Sorry, Tsunayoshi-kun… For everything. Don't lose hope."

If you ever see recurring errors, or if you simply want to share your opinion on this story, don't hesitate to leave a review.