New chapter~! Make sure to ask questions for the KHR Character Talk. I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Enjoy~ :)
A horrified scream came from Val's hospital room, reaching the ears of everybody throughout the mansion. There was a mad dash towards the room as they tried to find the source of the scream.
Kyoko was on the floor, her hands covering her mouth as she shook. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the space where her daughter used to be.
On the bed, there was a pitch black void that circulated particles in the air as it moved at a moderate pace. There was nothing to be seen inside of it, and while it did suck in micro particles, it didn't seem to take in anything bigger.
Val was nowhere to be seen.
Reborn was in the room, having just returned from his trip to witness this event. For once, the tutor was in shock, but his face gave away little to his emotions.
"W-What on earth is that?" Tsuna's eyes widen as he witnessed the sight. The others were right behind him, and they too were in shock.
"I don't know! I came to visit Val like usual, suddenly there was this blinding light and Val was replaced by this void!" Kyoko's words blurred as she was in a frantic. Haru, Chrome and I-Pin rushed to her side, attempting to calm the poor woman down.
Tsuna looked towards his tutor. "Reborn! Don't you know anything about this?"
"No," Reborn shook his head, his voice grim, "I'm not sure what it is. If Val was caught in this," he narrowed his eyes, "I'm not sure if she's going to survive."
"What? She can't die! Val is my daughter!" Tsuna yelled. "We have to get her back-!"
"Tsuna!" Reborn looked at the man steadily. " One wrong move and we could be the ones who kill Val. There must be a reason why this is happening."
Gokudera jumped in. "Tenth, this could link to why your ring is missing."
"Missing? The Vongola Ring?" Reborn's eyes widen.
Tsuna nodded grimly. "It was gone before I knew it."
"I hadn't expect this, but it could be possible…" Reborn muttered, turning back to the black void.
"What's possible?" Hibari asked, narrowing his eyes.
Reborn paused, as if he was making sure he reached the right conclusion. "I think Val is trying to take the test of succession."
"What?" Tsuna cried out. "But she's not ready! Her mentality is unstable, if she undergoes it now, it'll break her mind!"
"This is confusing TO THE EXTREME," Ryohei shouted. "How can Val take the test like that?"
"Actually, how did she even acquired the ring?" Mukuro prompted. "Sawada never lets it out of his sight."
"She must have gotten some sort of outside help." Lambo pointed out. "I mean, she's been in this room ever since she got out of her Chamber."
"But who-?"
"Coming through!" The Storm twins managed to get themselves in the room despite the adults blocking the doorway.
The 11th Famiglia, the three boys and the four girls followed in shortly after. The children stuck close to their parents, even Mana and Ai had rushed out of their room after hearing their mother's scream.
"If Val really is taking the test of succession, then you all should be quiet and wait for the outcome." Yukine said, his expression serious.
"That's right," Yukino agreed, "it would be disrespectful for us to disturb."
"We can't just-!" Tsuna was about to protest when their voices interrupted him.
"Decimo, nobody interrupted you while you took your test. You cannot interfere with Val's test either." Tatsuya said coldly, grey eyes icy as he looked at the man.
Sayuri stepped up. "You don't understand, Uncle. Val isn't the weak little girl you always think of her as. She can stand up on her own."
"Because of you, she was trapped for most of her life. Set her free, Decimo. It's the only way to bring her back." Shiori said determinedly.
"Val's life is hers to choose." Aoi added. "I don't think a parent should choose that for her."
"If you want to disrupt Val's test, you'll have to go against us first." The six teenagers stood in front of the void, their eyes showing their resolve clearly.
Tsuna stared at them in disbelief, his words failing to come out. There was a tug on his shirt, and he looked down.
Notto looked up at him with steady eyes. "I also think you should let Val-nee do her test. Because right now, Val-nee is trying her best."
The 10th Vongola boss looked over to his tutor, seeing Reborn simply smirk. Tsuna let out a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly.
"I think," he started, a warm smile coming to his lips, "Val made some irreplaceable friends."
The dream hit Val like a hurricane.
Before she knew it, she had blacked out. When she opened her eyes, she was in a black void. Flames, orange colored ones appeared before her. They slowly turned into people, and stood looking down at her.
Val couldn't see their faces, but orange flames flared around them. She heard a scream, and memories poured into her head. She closed her eyes tightly, head starting to hurt. What was this?
Val saw pictures of people, scared out of their minds. There were children crying, and men getting slaughtered. Towns were burning, and there was blood everywhere. She screamed when a child was stabbed with a sword. There were corpses everywhere.
She kept screaming and screaming, holding her head in pain. The people around her began to speak.
"That is the sin of the Vongola Family."
"Accept it."
"Lead our Family into another generation."
She shook my head. "This is a massacre! You're not doing anything good for people at all!"
"Inherit it! This is our great Family!"
"With great power lies great sins."
"Then I don't want it! This kind of power, it's useless!" Val shouted, denying them as the memories kept coming.
"Foolish girl. This is our will, and you will carry it."
"Accept it! Do not avert your eyes from the truth!"
What power? What good will having powers do if you can't protect the ones you hold dear? If all they care about is power, how can they even be humans? This wasn't right. "I won't do it! I won't hurt innocent people!"
"The truth is there!"
"Your resolve is needed."
'Resolve'? The word seemed so foreign to Val. She remembered Yui's words; "Your way of thinking up until now have always been half-resolved."
It was true. Val could never decide if she was doing the right things. She was always hesitant on her decisions. Was this what Yui meant? That she didn't have the willpower to follow through? Was she always going to stay like this?
She was always pitied for being locked up, and she could never go against it. She always held back, no matter what she did, she never put her whole effort into it.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being so weak!" Val sobbed, breaking down. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Tears continued to stream down her face, but she couldn't hold them back.
"What is with this child? If she cannot handle this, she shouldn't be here in the first place!"
"Fail her, Primo. She doesn't deserve the Vongola."
A figure stood in front of her, this one with a much brighter flame than the rest. He was silent and unmoving, yet he stared into her eyes deeply. "Valentine Sawada, your eyes show unease."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Val repeated the words, as if she could no longer say anything else.
There was a pause as the figure took in her words, his eyes softening. "You're not suited to be the boss of the Vongola. Valentine Sawada, you have failed the test of succession."
"Hah? Decimo wants to see us?" Kohaku opened one eye. The boy was resting on the couch, having taken a nap after they had found out Val was undergoing the test of succession.
Hiro nodded. "He said it was something of great importance."
"Hmm," Kohaku closed his eyes and turned to adjust himself in a more comfortable position. "That sounds like a bother so I'm not going."
Rei crossed his arms over his chest, sighing. "Don't be so lazy, bastard. We can't refuse an order from Decimo."
"We're in an alliance with the Vongola. It's not like they're our bosses." Kohaku pointed out, yawning.
"That's true. I don't like listening to people anyway." Hiro mused, smiling cheerfully.
Rei sweatdrop. "You guys…"
"Are you giving up?"
The three boys turned towards the new voice in the room. Reborn stood leaning against the door with his arms crossed over his chest. As usual, a sly smirk was in place of the former Arcobaleno.
"Reborn." Kohaku narrowed his eyes.
"If Tsuna is calling you, then you've already assumed it was about Val. I'm sure you remember our little deal." Reborn informed them.
There was silence as the boys took in his words. "Tch." Kohaku got up from the couch, running a hand through his hair as he shoved the other into his pocket. "I don't like you at all, Reborn."
Reborn simply smirked. "You don't need to like me. You just need to fulfill my conditions." He turned and left the room without looking back.
"I guess we're going to Decimo then." Hiro piped.
"That what I was saying in the first place." Rei sighed.
Tsuna was waiting for them in his office, pacing about in front of his desk. Gokudera and Yamamoto were also in the room, attempting to calm down their boss' worries. They all turned when the three boys entered the room.
"You've called for us, Decimo?" Hiro smiled, making a light bow gesture with his hand.
Tsuna gave them a weary look, but shook himself out of it. "It's about Val-!"
"We know." Rei interrupted.
"You brat let the Tenth finish!" Gokudera glared at the black haired boy, who simply ignored the man.
Tsuna cleared his throat, and began again. "As you know, Val is currently undertaking her test of succession. We don't know whether she will pass or not, but regardless of what happens, I want to discuss future events."
"Future events?" Hiro echoed.
Kohaku said nothing as he stood back and listened.
Tsuna nodded. "Yes. I want to send Val back to school."
Rei arched an eyebrow. "Weren't you the one who was against her going to school in the first place?"
"I am aware of that. And since she had reverted into her "Doll" form, I have been reflecting on my actions. I realize it was wrong of me to lock her up after the incident fifteen years ago, and that her actions shouldn't have been so limited. That's why I want her to go to school. She has made a place for herself there, and I want her to continue to enjoy that life." Tsuna looked at each of them carefully, pausing. "However, since I am her father and now that the enemies know her location, I want to send you three to the academy too."
"You want us to attend the academy?" Hiro summed up Tsuna's brief explanation slowly, taking in his words.
"Yes. I want you three to be her bodyguards." Tsuna further explained.
"What about her Guardians?" Rei asked.
Tsuna paused. "Her Guardians have been with her for years, so rather than bodyguards, I believe she thinks of them as her friends. Val wouldn't ask her friends to protect her."
"So you want us, people Val don't know very well, to protect her instead of her Guardians." Hiro said. He earned a nod from the tenth boss of the Vongola.
There was a laugh from the quiet, red haired boy. His bangs covered his eyes as his laughs echoed throughout the room.
"W-What are you-?" Tsuna started, but he was interrupted.
Kohaku's lips curved. "You want us to protect some worthless girl with our lives? Reflecting on your actions? Don't make me laugh. Decimo, by issuing an order for us to become Val's bodyguards, you're doing the same thing you've been doing for years; trapping Val in a prison of chains. You're keeping her within a protected wall you've created."
"What?" Tsuna stared at the boy in shock, unable to find his words. He turned towards Hiro and Rei, who looked at him with steady eyes. "Surely, you'll-?"
Hiro gave him a pitiful look. "I don't think you're doing the right thing, Decimo."
Rei closed his eyes briefly. "I have to agree with Kohaku."
"Why you brats-!" Gokudera took a step forward, and Yamamoto rushed to keep him back.
The three boys turned and walked to the door. Just before leaving, Kohaku turned slightly towards a still Tsuna. "Decimo, Val needs to prove to us she can stand up on her own. We'll decide if we respect her or not. A weak girl who can't control her emotions, she's of no use to us."
They left without another word, the door shutting with a loud bang.
"Not so fast."
The scenery changed suddenly, and Val found herself in the middle of the massacre. She tried to grasp her surroundings, but it was difficult to do so when there were shouting and gunshots heard.
The town was in ruins. The nearby buildings crumbled as they fell upon themselves, like a roll of dominos doomed to fall. Bits of fire and ash floated in the air, as the other side of town continued to burn into flames. Smoke rose to the air, making it hard to breath.
A small child was crying nearby, running desperately to escape a man wielding a knife in hand. The child couldn't see where she was going through her teary eyes, and her foot tripped on a rock on the path.
The child fell to the ground on her face, struggling to get up in a hurry. But the man had already caught up with the child. He broke into a wild grin as he started laughing like he was mad. He raised his knife, going in for the kill.
Val was in front of the child, her arms raised in defense. The knife barely made it. Bits of her bangs fell to the ground slowly, and she could feel a hot line on the side of her forehead as blood streamed down.
Tears fell down her cheeks as she gritted her teeth to withstand the pain. She felt weak on her knees, and could barely keep herself standing.
The man let out a growl of anger, placing both hands on his knife. He jerked to the side, going in for the crying child behind Val. Seeing this, the girl shifted her body.
The knife drove into her hand, blood flowing out like hot lava. Val screamed in pain, biting her lip so hard it bled. Red drops dripped down her wrist and landed on the dirt ground, creating circles of dark colors.
The child cried in horror as she saw the blood, rushing to her feet. She ran off, turning the corner. Just as she did, the rooftop of the building nearby crumpled to pieces and collapsed on top of the child. Her scream was the last thing they heard.
Val's eyes widen in shock. Her face was a pale white, and the man had started laughing and clapping at the success God had granted him.
The scenery changed once more. Val was in a white space. There was nothing except for her. She took a step forward, holding her useless arm. The blood that dripped down was absorbed by the empty void.
Her ears caught a small sound, faint but audible. Her mind in a haze, she followed the sound with stagy footsteps. On and on she went, but she didn't know which way she was going or if she was getting anywhere at all.
There was absolutely nothing.
Finally, she stopped. The sound had disappeared, leaving no trace it was ever there in the first place.
Just as she was about to give up, a golden bird cage appeared in front of her. Inside, a little girl was crying. She had long, light brown-blonde hair that cascaded down her back. She had a headband adorned with symbols, and there were two straight bunches of hair; each fastened by four circular hair bands with the same symbols. She wore simple, Shrine Maiden clothing, but her feet were bare. Around her neck was a necklace filled with flames, and her honey colored eyes was filled with tears.
"Me…?"
I think I like leaving cliff hangers all too much. xD Review~