A/n: Alright... here's the new chappie~! Please enjoy. ^^
Chapter 27
"How is he?" Gokudera approached Dino, everyone looked up.
The guardians (except for Hibari, who had left) and Dino had brought the brunet to the hospital immediately. Right now, Dino was talking to the doctor.
"T-they were able to save him. It seems like his body won't respond without the machines. As soon as they put an oxygen mask… he started breathing normally." Dino said looking very troubled "They concluded he was in a coma. Since he won't respond."
"I don't understand… what just happened?" Ryohei stood up from his seat.
"You just said that Tsuna was rejected by the ring, right?" Yamamoto turned to Chrome. The mist guardian nodded, "Then, why did the ring break? When Xanxus was rejected, it didn't break at all."
Chrome could only shake her head, unsure of what to say.
"Can we see him?" Gokudera asked Dino.
Dino was unusually silent as he acknowledged with a small nod. They all exchanged looks before entering the room.
One by one they entered the brunet's room. And there they saw the frail looking brunet, covered by blankets. An oxygen mask was worn, and like what the Bucking Horse had said, Tsuna was breathing steadily.
"Juudaime…" Gokudera hesitantly approached the young boss.
'He's really pale.' Yamamoto frowned.
"What are those bandages?" Ryohei asked noticing the said item wrapped around the small teen's arms and chest.
"Ah… it seems like he was seriously injured from what had happened, and also, his old injuries reopened." Dino was leaning against the doorframe, he was staring at them intently, "What exactly happened? How…?" The blonde suddenly stood straight with a dark expression "How could you let Tsuna end up like this?"
"You don't know what you're talking about." Gokudera glared.
"He wasn't boss." Chrome muttered.
"What are you talking about?" Dino frowned, "Last I remember, earlier, during the time I had taken care of Tsuna he…"
"Tsuna hang on…" Dino frowned at the poisoned brunet.
Tsuna clutches his chest and gasped in pain. Slowly, brown eyes fluttered open "E-everyone… where a-are they?"
"You're straining yourself." Dino held the boy and tried to wipe the sweat running down the sides of his face, but the young boss merely push his hand away, "I-I need to save them!" he tried to sit up and opened the car door.
"Tsuna!" Dino immediately grabs him, "Don't do anything foolish! With your current state, do you think you can save them?"
"It doesn't matter!" Tsuna bellowed angrily, "It doesn't matter…" Dino was shocked to see tears sliding down his face, "They're experiencing greater pain than what I'm feeling right now, and they're fighting it away. I just know it. It's unfair if I just do nothing while getting treated. It's not fair!"
"Tsuna…"
"They don't deserve this… suffering…" and with that, the brunet fell unconscious. Dino caught him before he could hit his head on the car door.
"Boss, is everything alright there?" Romario looks up at the rearview mirror
"Ah…" Dino continues wiping the other's face, "Everything will be alright for sure…"
"He was worried sick for you guys and he almost jumped out of the car just to save you guys!" Dino exclaimed.
"Jumped out of the car?"
"T-that doesn't matter!" Dino crosses his arms "All I'm saying is, even when suffering from the poison, the only thing he could think of was saving all of you! Now tell me, which part of that is not the Tsuna you once knew? Which part of it was fake?"
They were all silenced. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound that could be heard.
It sounded so fragile… so soft… the beating of the Vongola Decimo's heart…
"Ano…" Romario appeared by the entrance, they all turned to him, "Boss, they're here."
Dino tries to calm himself by breathing out "I called your family and told them to come here. They're probably waiting for you…"
"But who'll be guarding…"
"I can handle it. Just go meet them. They've been worried for you." Dino said opening the door wider.
Hesitantly, they all left, all except Chrome who looked back at Tsuna, 'Boss…' her hand reaches out towards his forehead.
"What are you planning to do?" Dino asked, stopping Chrome, "Your friends are waiting for you…"
"A-ah… hai." Chrome turned around and left.
Dino turns to Tsuna "Tsuna…"
"Decimo…"
A figure was sitting alone in the dark. An orange flame suddenly formed in front of the lone figure and out came the first generation boss of the Vongola Family. "Decimo, are you okay?"
Dull brown eyes kept looking down, not bothering to look up at all.
"Decimo… you…"
"Primo…" a smaller figure suddenly appears beside Giotto, and the blonde could look at him in shock, "You… how did you wake up?"
The small figure was revealed to be Tsuna, the younger one.
"Hii! G-gomen! W-wasn't I suppose to wake up?" Tsuna exclaimed.
Giotto couldn't help but smile before turning serious "No… it's fine. There's no point on putting you asleep. After all, Decimo here… won't be able to return anymore."
"E-eh? Why?" Tsuna asked.
"It's because, my soul is only connected to the ring. It's what keeps me in your body." Tsunayoshi (I'll call the older Tsuna with this) said silently, "Now that the ring is broken… I can't go back to your body anymore."
"H-How'd you know about that?" Tsuna gaped at his older self.
"It's simple. I made a wish, and with the help of the Vongola ring, it came true. And so, it's only common sense that my soul was able to transfer to your body." Tsunayoshi muttered.
"I-I see…" Tsuna looked at his older self.
"Decimo…"
"You can go back now…" Tsunayoshi looks up, "You'll be able to return, after all, this is your body. You don't need the ring to have your soul attached to your body."
"W-what? And what are you gonna do once I take my body back?" Tsuna exclaimed, "You can't stay here forever!"
"And also, once you get back, your original body in the future will finally become useless, now that the soul has officially broke the connection." Giotto said.
"So?" Tsunayoshi clenched his fists, "Isn't that for the best? Isn't that what everyone wanted?"
Tsuna looks at his older self with a sad expression, he still had no idea what had happened… but…
"No. You're wrong." Tsuna knelt down and held his future self by the shoulders "Listen to yourself! You shouldn't be thinking of something like that! Everyone would be sad if they heard you say that… Gokudera-kun… Yamamoto-"
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Tsunayoshi looked up, "You have no idea what you're talking about! You have no idea know what I have been through that's why you could say such things, and if you did... I know you won't be able to say such things!"
An image of Tsuna's friends walking away flashes in the young brunet's mind, "W-what was that?"
"Decimo… please let go of him." Primo looked wary, "You might be able to see things you're not supposed to see."
Tsuna hastily lets go of his other self "W-what?" however more images flashed in the brunet's mind.
"This isn't good." Primo held Tsuna, "Decimo, don't look… don't look at his memories."
'My future self's memories?' Tsuna blinked, he suddenly looked down, "No. I'm sorry Primo… but…" the young brunet grabbed his older self's hand, surprising Tsunayoshi.
"I'm gonna look… I… I want to experience what you have experienced." Tsunayoshi's eyes widened.
Tsuna smiles softly "After all, we're just one… I'll still experience it, right?"
A light consumed the two and Giotto could only watch in shock before smiling softly.
It was like watching an old film in fast forward motion. But despite this, Tsuna could somehow catch up with the memories. He understood everything… the promise… the shock… the fight… the first kill… and how his friends turned his backs from him.
Tears slid down from Tsuna's face as he lets go of his future self.
"…"
Slowly, the brunet collapsed on his knees.
"Do you understand now…? Do you now-"
"No." Tsuna spoke up, "I-I still don't understand…" he wiped his face, "Why are you overacting like this? They were scared - it's natural! When a killer is in front of you, you get scared right? And what's the only way to keep them from getting frightened? By explaining! You should've tried to explain the situation to them!"
"It's not as simple as it seems!" Tsunayoshi yelled, "You trust them too much… I used to trust them too much.."
"And now you lost that trust!" Tsuna yelled back, "After committing that mistake… we need… we need to find a way to restore the ring!"
"You're still on that?" Tsunayoshi covered his face, "I'm tired of watching all my hopes fall away right in front of me. I just want to be left alone… is that so hard to ask?"
"De-"
"I now know… whether it's the past or the present or in a parallel world… they'll still be the same!" his figure was starting to tremble, "I… I…" Tsuna couldn't help but feel sorry for… for himself.
"I…just want to apologize to them…" Tsunayoshi suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around him.
"I know you do… and I know you will…" Tsuna let go of his future self before turning to Giotto, who had been quietly watching.
"We… we need to find a way to get that ring restored."
Giotto just smiled "Of course Decimo…"
"Takeshi!" Yamamoto looks up and saw his dad running towards him. And before he knew it, he was stuck in a manly hug "D-Dad!"
"I'm so glad you're okay." Tsuyoshi exclaimed looking relieved.
"Onii-chan!"
"Hayato!"
Kyoko and Bianchi came next. Ryohei was immediately tackled by his younger sibling, "You're safe… I'm so relieved!" she sobbed.
"I'm sorry for worrying you…" Ryohei patted her on the head affectionately, just like the old days.
"Hayato. You're not hurt are you?" Bianchi was wearing her goggles, but even with the said item, the worry in her eyes was apparent.
"Tch. I'm fine." Gokudera looks away, feeling a bit embarrassed by the attention. Bianchi smiled and was shocked as Gokudera muttered, "I'm sorry for making you worry…"
"Ken… Chikusa…" Chrome murmured before look up at the two boys.
"You stupid girl! Where have you been?" Ken yelled.
"G-gomen…" the illusionist said softly.
"Ken calm down…" Chikusa sighed, before turning to Chrome, "He's been worried."
The said person immediately went red, "W-what? What are you talking about Kakipi?"
Chrome giggled softly. And just like that, they were all enjoying their reunions with their family. The soulless brunet lying on his bed – and perhaps deathbed - was completely forgotten.
Dino held Tsuna's cold hands. His expression was full of worry. He shut his eyes tightly before sighing. All of a sudden…
"Herbivore…"
"Kyouya!" The blonde could only look at the said skylark who was sitting by the window sill, in shock.
Hibari looks at Tsuna for a moment. Dino immediately got the message 'Could it be… he's worried?'
"Hmpf… what a troublesome herbivore." The cloud guardian jumps down the window sill and took out a small pouch.
"What's that?" Dino asks. Hibari throws the pouch at the blonde who caught it clumsily.
"The herbivore dropped it." Hibari tilted his head to Tsuna.
"S-sou?" Dino looks at the item. It was a blue charm; a small tuna fish was imprinted at the front. His brown eyes soften 'You're still holding on to this Tsuna?'
"When the herbivore wakes up…"
"Hn?" Dino looks up at the prefect.
"I'll bite him to death." Hibari glared at the unconscious brunet before jumping out the window.
The bucking horse chuckled. Hibari sure has a strange way to show his concern. Of course, the prefect will never admit that he had such feelings for an herbivore like Tsuna.
"It's good that you guys came back safely…" Kyoko said as she wiped her tears away.
"Ah… I guess we were lucky to the EXTREME!" Ryohei grinned.
"Oh yeah… where's-" Bianchi was immediately interrupted.
"Tsu-kun!" Nana suddenly rushed in, and as soon as she saw Bianchi she approached her, "Where's Tsu-kun?"
Before anyone could answer, the Bucking Horse suddenly appeared.
"Maman…" Dino approached the woman, "He's in that room…"
Nana immediately ran towards the direction the blonde had pointed and everyone watched on silently, the uncomfortable and awkward silence was unbreakable.
"W-wait, what happened to Tsuna-kun?" Kyoko turned to her brother.
"Takeshi…" Tsuyoshi frowned at his son.
"He's in a coma…" Dino spoke up.
All their eyes widen while some gasped in shock.
"What happened?" Bianchi asked.
"He… he tried to save us…" Chrome admitted silently.
Kyoko pursed her lips as she remembered what she had said to Tsuna…
"Why? Why aren't you looking worried?"
"Tsuna-kun… tried to save you?" she said, stunned.
"I… I want to go check…" Tsuyoshi said looking slightly guilty as well, "I have… acted a bit rude when I called him…"
"Pops…" Yamamoto looks at his dad.
"Tch. Since Mukuro-sama told us to protect the brat… I guess we don't have any choice." Ken said.
"Ken…" Chrome made a small smile.
And so with that, they all went to Tsuna's room with Dino leading them, all except the guardians.
"Did we… did we guys make a mistake?" Yamamoto suddenly spoke up.
They were all silent, unsure of what to say.
"Just because I've done something I shouldn't have done! Why would you suddenly turn away without consulting me?"
They all hung their head down. They were now positive that they had made a grave mistake.
And so, as soon as the guardians approached the room, they immediately heard the loud crying of Tsuna's mom. They listened as the brunet's mom call for his son to wake up over and over again and all they could do was look down in shame for not being able to save… their own friend.
Reborn was currently in the Vongola mansion's main library. The Arcobaleno was surrounded by stacks and stacks of books.
"Hmpf… I can't seem to find anything interesting." Reborn closed the book he was holding "All of them are no good at all…"
The infant hopped on a small ladder. Suddenly he noticed something.
It was a book. A book… with no title at all.
Reborn grabbed the book and took it out the shelf. He hops back down and stared at it. He was about to open the book, only to be interrupted as someone spoke.
"I see you have found that book… Reborn…"
"What are you doing here… Talbot?"
End of chapter
My mind is all mixed and like (_) *Collapses*
Please R&R!
