A/N: I don't own KHR or any of its characters.
I slip on the ring I stole - quite a bit too loose and nothing distinct about it. By all means, the appearance of any old ring from a nice department store catalog.
I ball up my fist, concentrating with utmost intensity to bring forth a flame.
"..."
I certainly don't sense overwhelming power at the tip of my fingers. Not even a tingle.
I give my hand a hard shake and Kyo smiles from the sidelines.
"I can see you laughing over there."
"I didn't say anything."
"You said it with your eyes."
He full-out laughs at that. "Isn't your full attention supposed to be on the ring?"
"That's rich coming from you." He's been hovering over me 24/7 for a week. Blocking me from training, from visiting the other side of the compound, from going outside… like I know he's just being extra-protective but surely - SURELY - he understands how hard it is to concentrate under the full blast intensity of his watchful eye. And it's not like he is trying to be SUBTLE about it.
"Here." he tosses two rings to me. "Try these."
Each ring is chiseled with a simple design, unlike the simplicity of the band of the ones I'd stolen. The gems are deeper in color, clearer as well. Slightly heavier, but still nothing so remarkable.
"If you had these from the start, why didn't you give them to me earlier?"
He smirks, "I wanted to see how long you'd try with that one."
"VERY funny, GREAT joke, HILARIOUS."
He chuckles, "Just try it."
But I can feel it even before I slip it on.
And there isn't a moment's hesitation.
Blue flame ignites. It doesn't necessarily feel powerful, more like… like it has always been with me from the beginning. I feel my uneasiness slip away. Worry about this future, about my Kyo in the past, and about what I owe to the Vecchio disappears like a river finding the sea.
"It's beautiful."
"Close your eyes." Kyo instructs from the sidelines.
My eyes close and I feel the slightest pitter patter of droplets across my skin. A soft drizzle as I stand in the middle of a bridge. All I can hear is the steady sound of raindrops hitting the pavement.
"What do you see?" He whispers, now closer.
"It's raining. I'm on a bridge… and I think I've been here before. It's the morning, the early blues of dawn."
"What else?"
It's raining heavily now. A downpour, though I barely feel a thing. I glance down at the puddle surrounding me now and see my reflection -
"It's a memory." I smile. "The night of the festival when we stayed out until morning. There was a sudden downpour and we got caught out in the rain and -"
"- and instead of taking shelter, we fought."
He stands in front of me, arms up at the ready, eyes lit up and a smile plastered on his face. We're both soon drenched. And even in the winter cold, I've never felt such warmth in my life.
"Open your eyes." And as my eyes open, I'm met with the blue hue of the rain flames encasing me. Surrounding my entire body and the nearby vicinity. "The primary characteristic of rain flames is tranquility. When you feel the greatest sense of calm is when you unlock its true potential."
"Can you use it too?"
"No. It was you who told me that."
"Oh no wonder. I'm a really good teacher. So what's your memory?"
"Cloud flames are different. It's just irritation."
"Hahahaha of course you would think that way."
Purple flames fly toward Tsuna as he dodges through the air.
"Let your guard down and you'll die."
Slow. Weak. Herbivore.
"He's pushing back!" Yamamoto and Gokudera cheer from the sides.
"Deathperate Zero Point breakthrough: First Edition"
Ice overtakes a portion of the clouds as Tsuna's attack attempts to freeze my flames. Barely a scratch.
"I'll rip open your latent talents." The purple clouds wrap around him, locking him into a giant orb. "Needle sphere." If he can't break through even this, then he has no chance of forging a new future. "The oxygen is limited in there. If you don't escape, you'll die."
"WHAT?! Let him out!" Gokudera screams at me. As if that will make any difference. Weak will still be weak. If he can't overcome this, there isn't any point of him coming to this future.
Lal Mirch steps between us. "Stop it Gokudera."
"Why?! Is he even on our side?"
"Because everyone in this time has lost more than you could understand. We're all desperate for a chance, and this is it." Lal Mirch holds Gokudera back. God how I wish he'd break free from her grasp, so I could beat him to a pulp. So a fraction of my rage could be felt.
"That doesn't give him the right to treat Tenth like that! He's willing to sacrifice the boss because he doesn't care about the Vongola! He's always treated us like nothing."
Sacrifice.
"If you aren't prepared to risk your life, then there's no need for you to train."
Yamamoto and Gokudera grit their teeth at this.
As if this herbivore can talk to me about sacrifice. I would give up his life easily to bring back Hatsu. I would destroy the entire world if I needed to.
"Hibari is right." The baby interjects. "It's time for you two to begin your training as well."
She wasn't even a part of this war, but she's sacrificed more than any of these herbivores who complain about challenges like this. They aren't at all prepared for what's to come. For what they'll see if this timeline is allowed to continue.
"If he says he'll kill him, he really will." Yamamoto pleads.
"I know. That's why I chose him." Reborn argues.
It was pure chaos.
When she let darkness sweep over the entire field.
Both sides screaming in terror. Even those of the Vongola felt the depth of bloodlust and filled with dread.
But still, she was so beautiful.
Strong. Sure of herself. Unwavering.
And she had the audacity to laugh amidst the carnage. In the face of an unwinnable war. 'Should I kill every last one of you? Neh?'
And so she bought Tsuna another year.
She saved her useless family.
She paid off the debt that seemed to climb steeper each year.
I wonder if she knew it would be the end.
I wonder what her last thought was.
I wonder if she knew what it would do to me.
I carefully pry open Kyo's bedroom door.
I'd explored every other part of his side of the base and this was the last. I mean what else am I supposed to do when he's gone training with Tsuna? I suppose I could keep training myself… but I'd already unlocked all my box weapons and had a good grasp on how to utilize them. Honestly, this era's means of fighting suits me quite well. A style that creativity can win out over pure strength and where mental fortitude is at the forefront.
Unsurprisingly, his room is an exact replica of his bedroom at his family home. Beautiful, simple, and sterile.
Though there are a few notable differences.
The three photo frames on his desk:
A candid of us in middle school in the disciplinary committee room. Kyo is deep into paperwork while I munch on bread by the window.
An older Kusakabe and I in Italy, eating gelato at an outdoor cafe.
And an older Kyo… arm draped lazily over my shoulder. I'm laughing at something he said. And he's smiling, leaning back in his chair.
It's strange to see images of myself. Someone I should know everything about, yet I don't know at all.
I wonder if I'll be just like her even if the future changes. Or will everything about me change?
"You've finally made your way here." Kyoya says as he quietly enters, slipping off his jacket and draping it neatly over the chair.
"It's basically what I expected. Except THAT." I point to the giant oil painting above the bed. "I didn't peg you for a connoisseur of art."
"That herbivore sent it." He says as if I would know exactly which herbivore of the billions of herbivores he's talking about.
"Paint me a word picture."
"From your family. Blonde." Well, they're basically all blonde. But I actually do know who he's talking about. Artistic in the Vecchio family? There's only one.
"Dario."
"Hn. He painted it, thinking of you."
"Oh?" I lean in closer. It's astoundingly beautiful. It's that same morning blue color of my memory. A painting of the sky, but that layer just above the cloud line. The upper troposphere if we're getting scientific. Like floating above chaos. Drifting in an endless warmth. "You believed in me. You saved me. May you find rest, in the deep blue sky. - Dario Vecchio." I read his note in the corner aloud. I certainly don't know this Dario. Serious, thoughtful, heartfelt. A far cry from the sniveling kid I knew. Though looking back… even at that age he had it in him. Romanticism, hope, creativity. The heart of an artist. Ironically, the only one in that family who would probably miss me.
"I love it." I admit, easily.
Kyo walks into his closet, quickly swapping his formal attire for a more casual black robe.
He grabs my hand, pulling me toward the bed.
"Shouldn't we train more since you're back? We have to roll out in 2 days right?"
But still we fall into the sheets, and I move closer to his lap. He holds me in silence, eyes closing. It's obviously been a long day… long year… long decade truthfully. I run my hands through his hair, feeling his shoulders untense.
"... Why am I really here Kyo?"
He's silent, but looks at me as if the answer should be plain as day.
"I know I'm not one of the Vongola in the future…. and if you don't want me preparing for the upcoming battles - which yes, has been obvious - then what am I doing here?"
"I missed you."
"That's it?"
He scoffs. "That's everything."
My heart skips.
"Don't fight if you don't want to fight. You've done enough for the Vongola, for your family, for everyone. Don't think about anyone but me."
"..."
I'm tired. I think I've been tired my whole life.
"You've had to fight for everyone else. Let me fight this time. I'll win. Trust me…" His forehead touches mine as he leans into me. And there's something so gentle, so sweet, so vulnerable in that action. I can't help, but confide in him.
"I don't even know what it's like to fight for myself anymore. You know, I haven't had to since I was a kid. Well, since my dad died."
Kyo's eyes widen and I can feel his heartbeat speed up.
"My dad… he was a scientist. A genius, I think. I don't think I'll ever know what he was developing, but I believe he was being targeted by the Estraneo Famiglia. We moved around a lot, but at the time I didn't think anything of it. They were probably the ones who attacked us that night, though I didn't find that out until much later. I didn't know about the mafia, I didn't even know what he did for a living. All I knew is that he had a sister."
His breath hitches - "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because 10 years later, even when I'm gone… you still think of me."
I tear away from the intensity of his gaze. To my credit though, he blushes first.
I cough, continuing - "Dad died, brother in critical condition. You know that much. What happened after that… It was like darkness overtook everything. Took over who I was, took over the entire building, took over all the attackers. Swallowed it all up."
He flinches, my words obviously triggering a memory. "When I saw you use it… you disappeared into it. You were already heavily wounded and you lost control over it. It took you away and I thought I'd never find you again. But then you end up with the Millefiore." His brow furrows, still confused.
"Nothing belongs there for too long. It's like waking from a long, dreary dream. You feel powerful, insurmountably so. Yet, the power isn't yours to have. There is nothing there, so once you've paid your price in time, you have to leave the darkness. That's one of the rules."
His brows furrow. "How much time did you pay to save your brother?"
"3 weeks. And when I woke, Kazumi and Guido had saved Hoshi. I might not have the BEST relationship with them - huge understatement - but to their credit, they used up every last penny and connection they had to get him medical help. A life for a life is the only way to pay it back. I think they harbored some hope that I was something like my dad and they could put that genius to use. That's how I joined the Vecchio and left my brother behind."
"Tell me again."
"Which part?"
"When you meet me, tell me everything again." Ah. My Kyo. He wants me to tell my Kyo.
"Hai."