A/N: Hey folks, yea the prologue was quite short; I just wanted to get a feel on how to submit and what it was like. Now I'm scared I over did it and made the chapter too long. Well, enjoy. :D
Katekyō Hitman Reborn! does not belong to me
Tuna and the Beast: The Beginning
Sunlight broke through the canopy of trees to surround a sleeping brunet in warmth.
"Tsu-kun?" a voice sang out.
Tsuna nuzzled deeper into the cool grass—consciousness faintly registering his name. He heard his mother giggle as she poked his cheek. He lazily swatted the offending appendage, mumbling in mild irritation.
Nana lightly pinched his cheeks and said a tad more sternly, "Tsuna, wake up. You'll catch a cold." She gently shook his small frame.
"Huh?" Tsuna asked unintelligibly. He rubbed his eyes and glanced down at the open book settled at his lap. The pages were crumpled at the edges and torn from good use.
"Haven't you already read this book?" Nana confirmed her own question when she examined the worn book. The cover was faded, but the gold trimming still managed to gleam proudly.
"Yea, do you remember Gokudera-kun—the town book keeper—he lent it to me since there weren't any new books in." Tsuna yawned while he brushed off the dirt and grass clumps that clung stubbornly to his backside, "I don't know how I fell asleep at my favorite part."
Nana hummed, "Where the heroine unknowingly meets prince charming."
They both sat in a comfortable silence.
"Has Dad left yet?"
"Oh!" Nana smiled apologetically, "I forgot to tell you, Tsu-kun, I'll be going with him. Daddy needs someone to handle his gear at the convention." A dreamy sigh escaped her lips, "I just know this invention is the one…"
He supposed he shouldn't have expected any less from either of them—always acting like two teenage love birds. Tsuna's father, Iemitsu, was an eccentric man by nature. He enjoyed tinkering with inventions. This year, much to Tsuna's embarrassment, Iemitsu had decided to enter his latest whacky creation to the annual inventors' convention that was held quite the distance away from the little town of Namimori. Was it the city of Varia perhaps? He remembered that the oddly shaped apparatus might have had something to do with melon smashing—or something like that. He never really did pay much attention to his un-cool father. Absentmindedly, Tsuna wished his dad was more realistic.
"Will you be alright by yourself Tsuna?" A brief flash of worry marred Nana's usually happy face. She touched his arm meaningfully. Somehow the way Nana had posed the question made Tsuna believe that she knew more about what was going in the village than she let on. This came as a surprise to him; he had always thought his mom to be clueless. All those days Tsuna came home with bruises, muttering ridiculous excuses about how he got them—like falling down the stairs—Nana would offer him a simple smile and nod understandingly as she retrieved the first aid kit.
"You're always so clumsy, my useless son," she giggled to herself. So maybe she really doesn't know Tsuna deadpanned. "Well, let's get going Tsu-kun."
Iemitsu had tears streaming down his face when he bellowed out, "Take care, my cute boy!" As the distance of the wagon increased Tsuna thought he heard his dad cry, "Nana, why couldn't we take our sweet Tsuna with us?" He shivered just imagining what a trip with those two would be like.
His ears picked up on Nana's bell-like laughter, "Bye, bye Tsu-kun, get plenty to eat!" Honestly, they were only going to be gone for two days. Tsuna huffed to himself and turned to admire afternoon sky; pink melted into blue to produce a soft purple in between. Pulling out his pocket watch to spare a glance at the time, Tsuna decided it wasn't too late to head into town to return Gokudera's book and maybe grab a few tasty snacks on the way.
A barrage of snickers and not so subtle whispers clouded around Tsuna as he made his way into town.
"Look its Dame-Tsuna, what's he doing here?"
"I hear his folks went off to some stupid inventor's convention."
"How lame."
"Like Dame-Tsuna."
The two people laughed at their own wit and continued to mock him. A strange phenomenon occurred throughout the town in which Tsuna's overall awkward behavior could not be ignored. They found his presence odd and his feminine features only enhanced their unease. Secretly a few actually found him to be on the attractive side, but no one dared to mention it. Ignoring their behavior spurred on bullies; yet, despite these facts, Tsuna seemed unfazed by the treatment.
The book in his hands felt heavy and his grip tightened.
"Sawada-san? Back so soon?" Gokudera looked pleasantly surprised. Tsuna looked up, astonished, and blinked a few times before he realized he was standing at the entrance of the book store. Had he been mulling that deep in thought?
"G-Gokudera-kun," he gave a tiny polite smile, "please, call me Tsuna." The silverette offered the largest grin he could muster with a cigarette pinched between his lips, and shook his head in refusal. Sprinkles of glowing ash littered the counter top like dusty snowflakes. Tsuna sighed in defeat, knowing how stubborn Gokudera could be.
"Finished with the book already? As expected of Sawada-san! " Through Gokudera's glasses his emerald eyes gleamed proudly. His comment thoroughly embarrassed the chestnut haired boy, who scuttled his way to the counter—face aflame with the book in tow.
Gokudera took a long drag of his smoke, thoughtfully staring at the blue hardback, then shook his silver locks once again, "Keep it." He slid the book across the counter towards Tsuna. "It's on the house."
Tsuna averted his large honey eyes from Gokudera's gaze. "Thank—"
"Tsuna-san!" The owner of the voice wrapped her petite arms around his and looked up at him with an adoring smile, "Haru wants to wish Tsuna-san a good afternoon!" Before Tsuna could get in a word of greeting, she proceeded to rip herself from him and profusely blushed, "Ah! I can't believe I did that!"
Without any effort to hide his annoyance, Gokudera glared daggers at Haru, "Stupid woman, I was in the middle of a conversation with Sawada-san!"
"Hahi? Haru is not a stupid woman!" She replied with hands glued to her hips and her dark brown hair swayed at the movement. Tsuna shook his head in slight exasperation and turned to walk away. He knew Haru was also stubborn and combining the pair was a recipe for disaster.
His motion caught Haru's attention; she wanted him to stay. She marveled at the way Tsuna was unlike any of the other silly boys in town. He was sensitive and would make a proper husband if he could hunt. She could imagine the cute little children they would have in their sweet life together. She liked that he was different. She liked him. "Tsuna-san wait! I heard that your parents aren't home. Don't you need help making food? As your future wife I should be doing these things! "
"HAH? Don't go deciding that sort of thing for yourself, dumb girl!" Gokudera butt in with irritation at Haru's boldness.
As an attempt to switch the subject, Tsuna managed a panicked laugh that sounded squeaky and forced to even him. He waved his hands meaninglessly, "H-Haru that's something to consider way ahead in time!" One look of Haru's fierce determination sent Tsuna dashing out of the store, and if there was at least one thing he was good at, it was running away.
Nana poked her head from out of the coach and immediately her hair splayed in wet clumps against her skin. She spit out the hairs that were flying back towards her. With her hand she managed to shield off some of the spew of the downpour. The rain wouldn't let up and the worsening weather dampened Iemitsu's mood. Handling the carriage was becoming increasingly difficult as the droplets became heavier, forming a curtain of rain. He let out a gruff command to the horses; they were agitated by the slippery roads.
Something's not right. Iemitsu spared a thought briefly. His heart froze in alarm when he heard his beloved Nana's scream pierce through air. Not a second later, the carriage careened to the side. The wheels of the cart splintered, he could smell the newly wetted wood. The horses frantically slid down the steep slope. Iemitsu clutched onto the top of the coach as it tumbled toward a group of tall redwoods. His vision began to spin.
"Iemitsu!" Nana reached out to him from of the window of the coach; her fingers were an inch away from his as she attempted to pull him in.
"Get back in the cart!" Iemitsu bellowed out. Tears pooled around her eyes. At that moment she felt an inexplicable sense of despair and unconsciously began withdrawing into the carriage. Then, something within the pit of her stomach set afire, she squared herself and glared hard at Iemitsu in renewed determination. That was her husband out there. She leaned out as far as she could and immediately, as soon as their hands met, she clasped his in the tightest grip manageable. She let out a grunt and with strength unknown to either of them she tugged him into the cart. No sooner did the cart crash into the trees with a definite thud.
They sat like that for a long period; holding each other while listening to their labored breaths mingling with the sound of the whinnying horses. When the beating of his heart stopped hammering harshly in his ears, Iemitsu ventured outside of the coach. He nearly slipped on the wet grass as he stepped out. Under the roof formed by the large leaves of the tall trees the world seemed hushed. Like a sanctuary he breathlessly thought. The flowers seemed to glow in happiness and the birds whispered secrets to each other in the lush leaves of the forest.
Unknown to the couple, a lonely old castle leaned tiredly above the foliage and from the highest window red eyes blazed in a boiling fury.
Iemitsu felt a cold shiver run down his spine. The shorthaired blonde supposed that despite the cover from the rain, it was still freezing. Nana peered outside and smiled tiredly at her husband.
"We should find somewhere to rest for the night."
They unhinged the horses and led them gently to a nearby stream. Nana stroked the horses' coats comfortingly; murmuring words to calm the poor creatures from the prior events. In the meanwhile her husband searched for shelter. He climbed up a tree, muscles expertly flexing under his shirt, to get a better idea of where they had fallen. He spotted an aged castle.
The passage of centuries seemed unkind to the ancient castle. As tall as it was, the castle seemed to crouch crookedly to the side. An eerie atmosphere draped itself across the fallen fortress. Dusty rooms were visible from behind broken walls—its bare bones vulnerable to the rain. On closer inspection the furniture must have been of the finest quality once upon a time. Sections of the castle remained untouched by time.
It will have to do Iemitsu decided. He slid down the tree and called out to his wife. She slowly followed him, minding the injured horses, since the route they had taken looked rarely used. The undergrowth had overpopulated and dominated the beaten pathway.
Upon reaching the entrance, Iemitsu humored the idea of someone actually residing in the castle and rapped politely on the door. To the couple's surprise the wooden door creaked open and they shared a look. Nana's eyes flashed in warning; regardless of this, Iemitsu appeared collected.
He gave his wife a playful smirk and wink, "Stay here dear. I'll get rid of the big bad ghost." She hit his arm with a slight smile, but none the less stood rooted at the spot. As he turned around, his facade dropped to reveal the seriousness embedded in his face. He passed the threshold and stepped into darkness.
The entrance suddenly bolted shut with a resounding slam. Iemitsu spun around, jingling the rusty knob. From the other side Nana pounded on the door, frantically shouting his name.
"You're on private property, scum." A shadow rumbled out to him. The voice reverberated around the vast hall. Red eyes glowered. In the darkness he could barely see the obscured outline of something…not entirely human. It sat on a chair—almost comfortably—with legs crossed, holding a glass of champagne.
"Guy," Iemitsu ventured out, "we just need a place to stay for tonight. Then, tomorrow we'll fix up the cart and be out of your hair."
It swirled the glass and took a sip of the champagne. "No."
Iemitsu stared into the darkness, squinting to distinguish the person. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Have a bit of compassion."
"Compassion?" Snarled out the creature humorously and sharp canines glinted out from the dim lighting. It abruptly let out a bark of bitter laughter. The silence consumed Iemitsu.
"Get out of there!" Nana's scream cut through the door. In a cold sweat he sprinted for the door, the sound of shattered glass rang through the great halls, and he slammed through the door with all his strength.
For a brief moment Nana's brown eyes locked onto his own, until he felt claws shoot out from the shadows. It dug into his skin to pierce his flesh, dragging him backwards like a hook. The smell of copper overwhelmed Nana's senses. Her eyes were agonizingly wide. The furred appendage of the monster was visible, its ebony talons sinking into her husband. He struggled, kicking out and attempting to seize the beast.
"RUN!" He cried out to the terror stricken woman. She shook her head hysterically without moving, frozen in place as tears slid down her face.
"NANA!" He desperately yelled out again. She stumbled quickly to a horse and took off. Nana turned back to see Iemitsu's unconscious body eaten up by the blackness of the castle. She let out a howl of despair riding out of the forest. The rain pelted her face mixing in with the tears flowing freely from pain filled eyes.
Tsuna settled down after preparing his dinner and let out a sigh as he relaxed into the chair. He peered at the window; the weather was unfortunately violent. He had been in all day. It worried him that his folks hadn't arrived. Hadn't they said it would be a short trip? They were supposed to be back at the town by noon. He reminded himself that it was raining—that they must have stopped to rest.
After dinner, he washed up and made himself comfortable in the living room with a book in hand. If his parents decided to bear through the storm, then he'd be there to greet them. He picked up where he left off in the story. Moments later his lids drifted closed into a dreamless sleep…
A frenzied barrage of knocks hit the door and jerked Tsuna awake. Once he identified his mother's strangled voice he jolted to the doorway and threw it open.
"Mom?" He grew extremely worried looking at the state she was in. Mud caked all over her clothes, damp hair clung together; cuts and bruises littered her exhausted pale face.
She fell to the floor chanting out like a mantra, "Tsuna save your dad. Please, please save him from that beast." He rushed to her side and pulled her onto the couch. Her forehead was burning up. He draped a comforter over her shaking frame.
He tried to piece together what she was crying out. "Where's dad, mom?"
She looked forlornly at him and turned her vision to the ceiling. She began to weep hysterically once more. "A b-beast has him! Tsuna you have to save him; an abandoned castle between Namimori and Varia!" She clutched his shirt front and begged once more, "Save him."
His eyes steeled in resolve and he replied back firmly, "I will." With that he quickly made out towards the ancient ruins. He recalled reading about a castle on the outskirts of the land of Varia. He hoped, for his father's sake and his mother's, that it was the right castle.
Iemitsu's consciousness blearily faded back. His bones ached from the embrace of the cold stone floor. It was so dark. He wheezed out a string of coughs. He pushed his body up and viewed his surroundings. Bars boxed him against a concrete wall. Dim flames flickered to offer a barely lit room; the only other source came from shafts of light peaking through the cracks of the ceiling. The constant drip of water echoed in the distance and rats squealed across jail cells.
"Awake are you?"
Iemitsu whipped his head in the direction of the sneer. He crawled to the bars, "What the hell do you want? Where is my wife?" He shook the iron in rage.
Red eyes gazed at him for a moment, "You are going to die here in this cell."
"Bullshit!" Iemitsu pounded at his confinement; his anger escalating with every second. In quick movements the figure appeared to the front of the cell. Hot breath hit his face.
"Unless," it slithered out to him with a leer, "you'd like to trade your freedom for your wife's?"
Iemitsu stopped his struggling. His hands dropped from the bars. "Never in a million years." He spat at the monster's eyes. It roared with vehemence and snapped out its grip onto Iemitsu's neck. He hung in the air with his bloodied legs dangling. He gasped for breath.
"Give me one reason I should spare the life of a trash like you." The beast snarled out as it drew back the other claw to strike Iemitsu's jugular.
"Let him go!" Tsuna emerged from the stairs, out of breath into a shaft of light. Wide eyes looked at his father's limp form hanging from the arm of the so-called beast.
Crimson orbs measured up the young man. "He's a trespasser—as are you." The hold on Iemitsu's neck tightened and he let out a choking noise.
"Let him go." Tsuna repeated. "Please. I'll take my father's place—just don't hurt him any further." His legs were shaking; how long could he pretend to be confident? He saw his father gasp out and shake his head in refusal.
"Are you saying you'd give up your freedom for this trash?" The beast threw his father against the wall. It turned to advance to him. The shadows hide his face. Tsuna looked up at him, searching for something in the eyes of the beast.
"No Tsuna!" Iemitsu had sunken to the floor. "I'd rather die, than knowing I let my son take my place to rot in this God forsaken cell!"
"And I'd rather die," Tsuna shot back stubbornly, "than knowing I didn't do a thing to protect my family." The monster observed him with almost a quizzical expression. It stepped out into the light to reveal its beastly face. Tsuna let out a soft gasp and his knees buckled from underneath him.
The monster had a large frame with rippling muscles. He stood on his hind legs with large forearms. Atop the crown of the beast lay twisted horns; he possessed a long snout with large canines protruding from his mouth. His coat was of ash brown. Most compelling of all was his ruby colored eyes.
Tsuna squeezed his lids shut. "Now do you realize what you're giving up?" He could have sworn he heard a tint of sadness laced in the voice of the beast. He ventured another glance at him. Something—intuition perhaps—told him to accept.
"I do." He stood up.
"You must promise you will never leave my side." The beast whispered almost inaudibly, his paw drifted toward Tsuna.
"I won't allow it!" Iemistu had dragged himself to the entrance of the cell. "You—"
A fit of coughs overcame his weakened body. The man felt completely helpless.
Tsuna softened his eyes for his father and offered him a broken smile, "I promise."
"The deal has been set." The beast turned to his father. "You are free to go."
"You can't have him!" Iemitsu began to struggle.
"It has been done." The beast repeated with finality. "He is mine. Forever." The swift momentum of the beast's paw hit into his stomach and his consciousness faded.
Tsuna with a dying will I won't stop until I've saved you.