Chapter 17: Fiamma di Cielo

The two halves looked at each other. "Should have known..."

"AHHH!" There were fast footsteps up the stairs. "I think they're retaliating!"

"That's absurd."

"Maybe, but I'm not going back down there into the hoard of spiders that are now crawling all over the floor."

"Where did they come from?"

"The god damn supply closet!"

Tsuna laughed. "I think I know what to do..." He ran down the stairs, holding the Swiffer he was using. The older men followed him down the stairs. He stopped at the last step. There were a bunch of spiders crawling around. "Ew..." He held the Swiffer up, and then brought it down on a few spiders. They remained attached to the mop. He did it again until there was enough empty space for him to step down. He continued the process until they were all gone. "That worked...I hope."

"Whoowee...good job, kid. Are you not afraid of those things?"

"I am...but I've realized that I have a lot worse to fear than tiny spiders."

"That takes bravery..." Mel looked at Tsune. He was smiling until he noticed he was being watched, and it faded away. Tsuna walked into the kitchen.

"What are you looking at me for?"

"I don't know how long it has been since I've seen you smile, Tsu...A real smile."

Tsuna pulled the rag off the Swiffer, and threw it in the trash. He walked back. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you have a bad habit of hiding your true emotions...you fake a smile to hide the hurt...that's all...You really care for the kid, don't you?"

Tsuna stopped by the corner. "I do...I probably would never have a reason to smile if I didn't have him...He's a good kid..."

Tsuna closed his eyes and smiled. "You're terrible at remembering things, aren't you, Tsuna?"

He poked his head around the corner. "No...I just thought it would work that time."

Mel looked between the two of them. "Bah, I don't think I could ever have a great relationship with myself. I think we'd argue too much."

"Don't you argue with yourself on a regular basis?"

"No. I do not."

Tsune snickered. "All right, why don't we get to work, eh?"

They would pass by each other periodically, the tools they used changed each time. Tsune collapsed onto the couch. "Damn that's a lot of work..."

The floor was newly polished. Tsuna slid in using only his socks, and landed on the couch face first, laughing. "That was fun! The house is looking really clean!"

"Good! I'm getting pretty tired!" He poked Tsuna in the side, and laughed when he squirmed. Mel was watching from the staircase, a warm smile on his face. Tsuna sat up quickly, and coughed. "The couch doesn't smell good..."

"Then don't stuff your face into it..."

"But you're the one that poked me!" He squealed as he was grabbed and poked repeatedly. "Tsu-sama! S-ha ha-Stop! Hiee!" He struggled against the grip until he got loose, and jumped off the couch, only to slip on the floor and run into the wall. "Ouch..."

"Danger sure loves you..."

"It wasn't my fault this time...it was the floor."

"Always blaming the inanimate objects."

Tsuna crossed his arms. "What's left to clean?"

"Hopefully nothing...Hey, Melly! How you doing?"

Mel walked down the stairs. "I'm done...and hungry, what do you have for lunch?"

KT was frantic. Tsuna would not wake up. He was asleep all day. His Guardians, and Ty had come around to see if he was alright. She tried to read into his mind, but it was blocked off, which made her even more afraid. Ty popped his head into the doorway. "Is everything alright?"

"I don't understand..."

He walked in. "Maybe he slipped into a coma over night...if his brain was damaged in any way when the airplane crashed, it can cause major problems with no symptoms, and at any moment."

His guardians were standing in the hallway listening. KT pulled her fingers through her bangs. "I would really hope not...I should probably bring him to the hospital..."

Ty nodded. He walked back out and nearly ran into Hibari. "Whoa...What are you guys doing?"

She walked out of the room as well and noticed them. "I'm going to have to bring him to the hospital...there's nothing we can do."

Tsuna sat biting on a cheese stick. "I wonder if TC told KT what's going on..."

"We'd hope..." his other replied. "But knowing him, it's probably on his let's-do-last list."

"Isn't KT the little girl that made you afraid of children?" Mel asked.

"I'm not afraid of all children, just the really young ones..."

"What happened? Can you tell me now?"

"Yeah, I suppose..."

~Flashback~

"Wow, TC...I'm thrilled that you invited me to go on a vacation with you and your daughter to Disney. You could never believe how much JOY it brings me," Tsune said in a very sarcastic manor. He moved forward in line behind TC and a very young KT.

"You're not complaining, are you, Tsu-senpai? I can always send you back to Hana in more than one piece."

"I'm not complaining. I'm being brutally honest with my sarcasm."

"Yeah? Well, whether you like it or not, you're staying. She requested for you to come in the first place."

KT turned and smirked. He shuddered. She's out to get me..."So, why Disney?"

The little girl just huffed. "Because I wanted to go, okay? And if there is a problem, my daddy will get rid of you, right daddy?"

"Of course! I hate complaining. Gah, it gives me a migraine just to think about it."

KT sat on her hotel bed brushing her wet hair. TC was out getting dinner, and Tsune walked out of the bathroom, towel drying his hair. "So, tell me the truth...do you really like Disney stuff?"

"No, but I've always wanted to come here. I want to travel to all the parks and mess around with the big headed characters. I figured you would too."

"So, you don't have anything devious planned? What happened to the malicious little girl I knew?"

She threw the wooden hairbrush at him. "You really want to know? I promised daddy."

He started to laugh. "There's no way in hell I'm going to believe that."

"Why not? He specifically told me that he believed you need a break after all he's put you through."

"To be completely honest, your father is not one to act like that. That's why I find it so hard to believe. Kindness is a rarity."

"You think it's rare? If you're still living, that's a pretty good example of ongoing kindness."

He sat on the sleep-couch. "Where did he go, anyway?"

"To get dinner."

The door was kicked open. "I have arrived!" TC walked in carrying bags of food. He placed the bags on the floor. "There is plenty of microwave dinners to chose from."

"Oh? You're not going to cook for us, TC?"

"Shut-up, Tsu-senpai! No, I am not cooking, nor are we going out to eat. We'll be at the first park all day tomorrow, so we must conserve our energy."

Tsune laid back on the couch. "Sounds good to me..."

TC stocked the fridge/freezer with everything. "Yo, Tsu-senpai, booze coming your way!"

He caught the bottle TC tossed to him. "Oh, fancy. Beer in a Disney hotel room."

"How else do you expect to get through this?"

"Dually noted..." He popped the top and drank a little. "So, what'd you make me bring a tux for, TC? I don't think there are any fancy restaurants around here."

"No, there isn't. But, on the last day, there is a Princess Ball. Not only will people be dressed up, I heard they're actually going to have wine! It's worth it to go, get drunk, and hang out with a bunch of intoxicated Disney characters, right?"

Tsune took another swig. "Sure. Killing children's dreams sounds like the utmost fun."

"Exactly! Plus, there are tons of hot women that go..."

"Mm...for you. I am happily married, and I intend to keep it as such. I am not so much worried about you tearing me to pieces, than I am of her."

"Ah, but most of it is for the hell of the fun! You're a man! You can't let her intimidate you, nor can you let her take away your manhood."

"She's not taking away my manhood. You've got no room to talk, TC. I'm pretty sure sleeping around was what split you and Gaia apart."

KT threw a fork and a knife at both of them. Thunder rumbled outside. "Will you two be quiet? I'm trying to make my dinner!"

Tsune huffed and took another sip of the drink. "So, tell me this much, did you really bring me here on Kera-Taka's behalf?"

TC sat down next to him. "Well, no. I thought maybe we could take a break and chillax. I've worked you like a dog since you were five years old. You deserve a little fun."

They both sighed. KT ran into the room carrying a bowl. She jumped into her father's lap. "Try what I made, daddy!" She shoved a spoonful of pasta in his mouth. He chewed and swallowed quickly, the heat burning his tongue. "Very good...but, uh, next time...wait until it has cooled off to make daddy try it, okay?"

"I'm sorry. I just got so excited! Do you want to try some too?" She looked at Tsune. "If daddy says it's good, then you should try it too."

"No thanks, I'm-" He got a spoonful shoved down his throat also. After coughing for a minute, he said, "That's not all that bad..."

She smiled delightfully. "Thank you..." She hopped off TC's lap and ran back into the kitchen.

The sun peeked through the curtains, and right into Tsune's face. He turned over and groaned. "Somebody turn off the damn sun..."

KT walked into the room holding a metal pan and a metal ladle. She smacked the two together. "Get up! The park opens in an hour and I want us to be ready!"

TC jolted awake. "I'm awake!"

She stared at Tsune, who was still asleep. She walked over and crashed the metal together, right in his ear. He shot awake. "What the hell was that?"

"Your wake up call. Good morning."

"Damnit..." He sat up and shook his head groggily, a little hungover from the night before. She was already dressed, and there was food on the table. "Get up and eat, then get dressed."

TC got off the bed and slinked over to the table, and grabbed a slice of toast. Tsune got up, walked over, and grabbed a waffle. Both men were in nothing but boxers. KT sighed. "Put some clothes on, will you?"

"You told us to eat first."

She grumbled under her breath. They quickly swallowed their food and grabbed for their clothes. Tsune got into the bathroom first. "Victory..."

"Damn you, Tsu-senpai! Hurry your ass up!"

KT grabbed a room key. "I'll leave...I'm going to go to the play center...come get me, alright daddy?"

"You bet..."

She left, and closed the door behind her. "Tsu-senpai...stay in that bathroom until I tell you otherwise, you got it?"

"Sure...you don't need to tell me twice..." He took out a toothbrush. "Probably nothing to see, anyway."

"Go fuck yourself..."

He snickered, turned the sink on, and wet his toothbrush. The smell of spearmint spread in the bathroom as he brushed. He rinsed off the toothbrush and put it back into his bag. "You take forever to change, TC." He pulled on a black tank top, and layered a blue one over it, letting the straps fall as they pleased. He placed the ring on his finger, and the flame disappeared. He looked at his eyes. They hadn't reverted from blue. "Odd..."

"You can come out now."

He opened the door and walked out. He threw his bag onto the couch. "Did you do something to my eye color?"

"I thought it would be easier for you to have a normal eye color while we're here, so it will stay blue as long as you have the ring on."

"Oh...thanks."

"Don't worry about it." He looked at the watch on his wrist. "Mmm...I think it's time we left."

Tsune stretched his arms over his head. "One second..." He sat on the couch and pulled on a pair of skateboarding shoes. "Okay...now we can go."

TC and Tsune left the hotel room, and took the elevator down to the first floor. "She said she would be with the other children..."

There was laughter down the hall. "I think they're down there."

They walked down the hall, and there was a large open room with murals painted on the walls of the Disney characters. Kids ran around a single chair while music was played. KT spotted them. "Daddy!" She ran up to them. "Daddy, you should come play!"

"No thank you...are you ready to go?"

"Not yet...we were about to play another game."

The music stopped and one kid hopped onto the chair, the victor of the game. The children cheered for their winning comrade. KT turned back to them. "Alright guys...you remember that game I was telling you about? It's time to play."

The kids instantly looked at the two older men. Tsune looked at TC. "I think we're screwed."

"Indeed."

KT pointed. "ATTACK."

The children quickly overpowered the two men with shear force. They had them pinned to the floor, and they were beating them over the heads with plastic baseball bats, and some were shoving crayons up TC's nose.

~End of flashback~

"Needless to say, that day, we both became very weary of the power of children..."

Tsuna couldn't stop himself from laughing.

Tsuna lie on his back on the bed. Tsune walked out of the bathroom, and a cloud of steam followed him. "It's all yours, kid..."

"TC didn't leave me any pajamas...just enough clothes for however many days I'll be here..."

He went into a drawer and pulled out a T-shirt. "It may be kind of big on you, but it should do, right?"

Tsuna nodded. He got off the bed and took the shirt. He went into the bathroom and shut the door.

He walked out minutes later in the oversized shirt and a pair of boxers. The shirt extended almost to his knees. He crawled onto the bed. "What are we going to do tomorrow?"

"Eh...I'll try and teach you a few things...not too much..." He wiped away a drop of water that was moving down Tsuna's face. He smiled. "I did mean what I said earlier..."

"I believe you..."

"I don't usually convey my emotions very well, I was pretty much taught to be fearless and like a fighter...To hold a poker face all the time...I became sarcastic because I didn't know how to really say what I felt. I don't want that to happen to you...I find it hard to deal with my emotions when they come, I freak out or become really depressed..." He yawned slightly."I want you to be happy all the time, like you should be...not an emotionless robot trained to kill..."

"But you're not..." He rolled onto his stomach and leaned on his elbows. "You have emotions...I can see them in your eyes..."

"You can, huh?" He yawned again. Tsuna moved back to his side. "It's time to sleep..." He grabbed Tsuna into his arms and kissed his forehead. "Good night, kid..."

Tsuna closed his eyes and smiled as tears streamed down his face. "Good night, Tsu-sama..."

"Alright...I'm going to teach you how to properly use the technique called the X-Burner. When you shot that large amount of flame at CT? That's what it's called. I'm going to teach you how to execute that without fail."

"Gotcha." He sat on a bench in the park. Tsune pulled the ring off his finger, and the flame ignited on his forehead. He took out a pair of fingerless gloves, and slipped them on. They transformed into the same gloves Tsuna used. "The trick is to offset the hard flame with a soft flame. It's mainly for balance purposes." He placed his hands into position. A soft flame streamed from his hand behind him. "The soft flame will keep you balanced when you release the hard flames." His other hand glowed with intensity. He released the energy, and it sent a stream of flames darting forward. He put his arms down. "That's really all it is, but the trick is balancing the two types of flame energy."

"Okay..."

"So, let's have you try."

Tsuna stood up. He opened the can of Pepsi he was given, and chugged it fast. The flame appeared on his forehead, his eyes changing to the same color of his other. "I am also going to test your ability, as well as your stamina. Be mindful of your surroundings, they can help you or hinder you." He smiled, remembering the words TC had told him as a boy. "Begin."

He lunged forward, propelling himself with his flames. Tsuna stared for a moment, then switched his footing. He let off flames from both of his hands, and he was propelled into the air. Tsune landed on his feet from his lunge and slid in the gravel. He looked up, then shot off to join him in the air. Tsuna looked down at the last second, and moved back before he was hit by a fist. He stumbled backward, then steadied himself. "You did that really fast!"

"I trained for 15 years, kid..."

They both lunged for each other, and locked hands. "You're about to learn something new, kid..." He kicked him away, and then set his hands into another position. The flames flickered from his hands and his forehead. Tsuna lunged at him again, and they locked hands again. Tsune gave a slight smirk. Ice crystals started to form on Tsuna's hands. He backed away. "What..."

"It's called Zero Point Breakthrough...It's the opposite of the Hyper state...you can encase anything in ice that will not melt."

Tsuna increased the flame energy in his hands, and the ice broke. "That's so cool..."

"Literally? It takes a long time to master. TC will have to help you with it. Now, set yourself up for the X-Burner."

"But we're in the air!"

"It shouldn't matter where you are, as long as you can do it correctly."

He placed his hands in position, letting the soft flames stream from his hand. He released the hard flame, but was pushed down into the ground by the unbalance of forces. Tsune landed on the ground. "You okay, kid?"

He sat up and rubbed the back of his head, and all his power had gone away. "Yeah..."

"We probably should start on the ground first, huh?"

They both laughed.

KT was pacing the hospital room. "Where the hell is my father? God damnit..."

There was a knock on the door. "You're back here already? Is everything alright?"

The nurse from they days he was there walked in. "I don't really know what's going on...He hasn't woken up...it has been over 24 hours..."

The nurse, Mika, hooked something that looked like a splint to his index finer to check his vitals. "His vitals are a little over normal, but there's not much I can concur from that..." She unhooked it. She sat him up to remove his T-shirt to further test him, when she noticed the tattoo. "Oh my..."

she set him back down and looked at KT, and bowed. "I wish I had known sooner..."

"Known what?"

"Who you really are...both of you...I could have gotten him better care...I am the Guardian of the Moon, Mika Umeko..."

"The Moon?"

"Yes...the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth are all celestial beings...we make up a tripartite...Because we work together. Who are you?"

"Nature, Kera-Taka."

"Ah, the fair daughter of Zeus and Gaia..." She smiled. "It's very nice to meet you."

Tsuna woke with a start. The room was dark and quiet. He noticed a small light down the hall. He got up and walked to the door. He peered out to find where the small light was coming from. He walked quietly down the hallway, to an open door. His other was sitting at a desk, with a book laying on it and a pen in his hand. He started to write in a notebook, then went back to read. "Tsu-sama..."

He turned. "Hey, I'm sorry...did the light wake you?"

He shook his head. Tsune put a bookmark in the page he was reading, and closed the book. Tsuna roamed into the room. "What are you reading?" he asked.

"It's kind of boring...it's very old text. I'm just doing it to learn..."

"To learn what?"

"Anything, really..."

Tsuna looked at the book on the desk. "That's a big book...I don't think I'd be able to read all that..." He looked at him. "Why are you reading so early in the morning?"

"I woke up, and couldn't get back to sleep...you don't have to stay up..."

He rubbed his eyes. "I'm not very tired anymore"

"You can read with me…" He patted his thigh. "Though, I don't have another chair."

He sat on his other's lap and looked at the notes he was taking. "There is a lot to learn from books these days...a lot of knowledge that is being lost because people rely on the internet more than they rely on their own logic." He patted Tsuna's head lightly. "It can't be helped, though...technology advances, and thus society must move forward to keep up."

"I got an iPhone and an iPad for my birthday...they both do the same things, except one can be used to call...the other is to big to hold to your ear," Tsuna said, and laughed. "But it can call people through video, and the iPhone can too..."

"Yeah? Sounds a little repetitious."

He opened the book to the page with the marker. "Whoa...what is that?"

"It's the first airplane ever built by the Wright Brothers..."

"It looks so small..."

"It was, airplanes were a very new invention...they weren't as sturdy as planes are now, in this time period, and they weren't as large. They were only meant for two people at the most."

Tsuna yawned. He was reading the text with Tsune. "Do you want me to turn the page?"

He got no reply. He turned his head. Tsune was asleep, leaning his head on his hand, his elbow propping his arm up on the desk. He smiled, and continued to read the book until the break of dawn.

Tsune sat up, not remembering falling asleep. The book was closed and place marked, and Tsuna had disappeared. He got up quickly and ran down to the bedroom. He wasn't there. He ran down the stairs and looked into the living room and the kitchen. Not a trace. He heard the front door open, and he ran to the corridor. He grabbed Tsuna, who had a very confused look on his face. "There you are! You scared me! I thought I lost you, or you left without saying goodbye."

Mel stood in the doorway and laughed. "Are you quite done?"

He let go of Tsuna. "Er...yeah."

"We went and bought breakfast!" He held up a large brown paper bag. "A whole feast!"

"You didn't have to do that..." He gave Mel a scolding look.

"It was my idea, Tsu-sama...don't be mad at Mel-san..." He bowed his head. "I just wanted to make you feel better...you told me you can't express your emotions well, but I picked up on a very small hint when you were telling me why you were up. It's okay to ask for company when you're scared..."

Mel looked at Tsune incredulously. "Scared of what?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. It was nothing, Tsuna..."

"I guess...I just couldn't imagine what would scare you, Tsu...you're fearless."

He looked away. "I just-"

Tsuna grabbed onto his arm with his free hand. "Let's eat!" He had on a cocky grin that made him feel like he was looking in a mirror.

"Yeah..."

"STOP."

Time stood still. The space shifted, and Tsuna and Tsune were transported into a room with no lights, but a dim glow from Tsune's flame. Tsuna kept his grip on Tsune. "W-what's..." They heard movement, and then a very large, icicle shaped shard of glass appeared going straight for them. Tsuna screamed, and Tsune moved in front of him for protection. A sphere encased the two, many different colors rippled like a fabric around them. The glass shattered into pieces, leaving a crack in the encasement, and then fell to the floor. Tsuna was shaking, gripping onto the back of Tsune's shirt. Figures appeared in the dark. The sphere itself broke, and small shards of color fell around them. They both noticed the Roman Numerals that started to appear in bright colors on the ground below the figures, according to the Element that each one held. An X appeared below them. The light was enough to illuminate the figures that were clad in darkness. "There is only one left to be revealed...Thunder," KT said. "You have Nature." (Kera-Taka; I)

"Rain." (Yamamoto; II)

"Sun." (Ryohei; III)

"Earth." (Enma; IV)

"Cloud." (Hibari; V)

"Moon." (Mika; VII)

"Mist." (Chrome; VIII)

"Storm." (Gokudera; IX)

"Like Knights in Shining Armor, we will be loyal to you. Like the Stars in the Midnight Sky, we will be a guide for you. Your destiny

lies in our protecting hands; we will not fail you. We shall not betray you, lest we be put to death," they chanted together.