Owl, Horse, Shark!

Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Note: Paragraphs full of italics are flashbacks that are told in the middle of a battle. Soz I just think that using FLASHBACK makes it slow….

Chapter 12: Childhood

*FLASHBACK*

Squalo jumped backwards as the silver rapier pointed closer to him. The instructor in front of him pulled his rapier back and slipped off his mask, "That's enough, Squalo. I've got nothing else to teach you."

"Eh?! But you're the best teacher of fencing there is…" Squalo removed his mask and stared at his instructor blankly.

"Squalo," he walked up to Squalo and patted his soft white hair, "You are a fencing prodigy. Maybe one day, you will teach someone the art of fencing…."

…

There was a small tap on Squalo's shoulder behind him. Squalo turned his head around to see a redhead girl with two small piggy tails on each side of her head. She had big purple eyes and a perfectly round face. "Hey," she whispered, "Squalo, I heard you're really good at fencing. Can you teach me sometime?"

*FLASHBACK END*

Minerva stood in the middle of Sontuoso Castle on the purple carpet with golden lining pointing a sword in front of her, directly at Squalo. People screamed and yelled all around them but left the two of them completely unnoticed.

"Why are you doing this, Minerva?! We're here to save you!" Squalo shouted at her, his voice overpowered the crackling of the fire. A sweat drop trailed along his face down from his head. Breathing heavily, teeth gritted, enraged. Who knew what she was thinking. At least, Squalo didn't know at all.

A wall of fire suddenly flared up between Squalo and Minerva as the heat came gushing at him. Squalo heard footsteps in front of him and jerked his head up. The sharp edge of a sword came closer to him when Minerva leaped up over the fire and came darting towards him.

In an instant, Squalo leaped to the side and rolled over. Minerva landed on her feet and straightened up, glaring at him with icy eyes. Her deep purple and lifeless eyes and his cynical grey eyes looked deeply into each other for what felt like minutes.

"How many times are you going to try? You can't beat me," Squalo proudly announced in front of Minerva who was on the ground on her knees. Her red hair fell in front of her face and she was covered in cuts. Squalo looked at her raise her head and look at him with awe, "That was so cool! No wonder why there's no one out there who can teach you anymore! It's because you're so good at fencing!"

"You mean, too good for anybody?" Squalo raised his eyebrow at her. She nodded without hesitation.

Minerva dashed towards Squalo with incredible speed. The steel sword glimmered in the firelight in front of Minerva's expressionless face and cold eyes. Squalo raised his arms in defence. I don't want to hurt her, Squalo's voice echoed in his mind, no..I just can't. Squalo roared in pain as Minerva pierced the sword along his arm. Blood trailed along with the blade and then flew to the side as the sword came out of his skin.

His arms dropped to his sides. Burning and searing pain soared all the way through them, he had no will to move them. Not only that, the extraordinary heat made his arms sweat. Drops of sweat trailed down his arms. The sweat mixed with his blood, along with the salt in it. Squalo gritted his teeth tightly.

Again, Minerva raised the sword. She gripped on to the golden hilt with her sweated and slippery hands. Her legs quickly stepped her forward as she pushed the sword straight towards Squalo.

Dammit Squalo move! His subconsciousness roared at him. The sword came closer and closer. MOVE!

Squalo leaped forward towards Minerva and reached for the sword. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of blood dripping off the sword of Squalo's hand. The blade dug into his skin of his hand sending drops of blood trickling down the steel. His hand pushed it forward and slowly to the side.

Further and further, the blade dug into his skin, searing through his skin and hurling spears of pain up Squalo's hand. Squalo snatched the sword straight from Minerva's hands and threw it backwards while he raised his fist. He heard from the edge of his ear the sword thud softly on the burning ground as the blade skid across the burnt tiles.

His gaze pinned into Minerva lifeless pair of eyes. Squalo threw his fist forward in front of him. Minerva's face snapped and turned instantly to the right. The punch sent her falling to the ground.

The white-hot burning on the tiles fried the carpet into ash black. There Minerva lay with her eyes open, unmoving, as thought she was nothing but a puppet. Squalo slowly walked over to her, his arms burning with pain. To his surprise, Minerva didn't move at all. Just like her eyes, she was completely lifeless. No, she had a life. But where was it?

Squalo fell to his knees and lay his hands on the burning floor despite of the red hot burning of it. He had trapped Minerva on the ground with his own body. His arm drifted towards Minerva and he grabbed her collar and lifted her shoulders up from the ground. Squalo gritted his teeth before he raised his fist again.

He heard a pound.

The last bit sounded pretty wrong...I couldn't think of anything else though. I'M SORRY! \O_O/

OMG it's been nearly a week again….Guuuh….I've got exams coming up in two weeks..nearly one now…I haven't even started studying for maths and science…I am going to die…

Please review! :D