A/N:
Hey, hey, hey! Thanks for checking out this fic! I'm not really good at all this fanfic thingy, so I can't say you'll like it, but I hope you will and stick along for the ride. As you probably guessed from the summary, the story has OCs, yep.
The plot will probably be a mix of anime/manga. Yeah. I'm sorry if anything goes wrong on the canon part. I'll definitely try to stay loyal to it. That doesn't mean I won't be adding original elements, hehehe. For now I'll stick to the anime's way of doing things, but we'll see how this goes. Timeline-wise, the Prologue(-ish stuff) and Chapter 1 (which is halfway done) is Episode 4 of the anime, sort of…
And here are some explanations, just in case:
Italics are for thoughts, signs, places and emphasis
Bold is for sound effects
Bold italics stand for technique names and some special terms
Oh, and don't be shy to review and share your thoughts! Feedback and reviews would really mean the world, seriously!
I think that's enough from me now, let's get the ball rolling. Enjoy desu!
By the way, a disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn, okay? Okay. It belongs to Amano Akira.
What is the sky to you?
A strange question, isn't it? Now imagine if everyone had to answer it anyway. Some of the people would tackle it philosophically or scientifically, others would state their opinion without much thought. The answers they give aren't the same. Some think nothing of the sky, some find it the source of bad weather and, by extension, constant annoyance, some view it merely as a perception of the Earth's atmosphere and the space planes traverse to get from Point A to Point B, while some look up to the sky in search of inspiration.
And me? I'd say I'm one of those few who hate it, not fear it.
How come? Since I started my first year at middle school not long ago, the same nightmare comes every night to haunt me, over and over again: I stand atop a hill, overlooking the vast field of monochrome white grass, flowers and trees, and there's no sky above. No sun, no clouds and it's definitely not going to rain. Only the empty, dark void looms above. Whenever I gaze at it, I feel my very existence dissolve into the same emptiness. Each time, I somehow manage to take my eyes off the 'sky'. Then, the actual nightmare begins. In moments, unbearable and paralyzing pressure strikes me, as I fall to the ground. With some horrible sound, the empty void begins its descent. Unable to move, I watch it destroy and consume whatever there is in its way, overwhelmed by yet the same emptiness.
When it finally reaches me, it all ends. I wake up to my mother's call for breakfast.
The same ceiling is above me. I look around and see the same walls, with a calendar on the one to my right and some posters, same bookcase full of thoroughly read-through Weekly Shounen Jump issues and other books, more magazines scattered on the floor, same stereo with a box of unopened CDs placed nearby, same desk with a small lamp and schoolbooks prepared for the day ahead, same cube-ish tubby TV, same low coffee table in the room's center with same sitting pillows laid about. I look at my hands and see that they are also the same. Each time I verify that it's all over and I woke up exactly in the same house and in the same bed, I stare into the ceiling some more and at the second call for breakfast get up and exit my room. You'd want to call this 'nightmare' rather simple and unimaginative (if this even applies), but it's the experience that matters.
I brush my teeth and look at myself in the mirror: same short height, a midget, even. Same messy brown hair styled downwards, with the fringe slightly covering the eyes of the same color. In all aspects, I was the same Sawashima Tsunamasa. And every day I wonder that it's a very strange name for a middle-schooler to have. In truth, it's nothing special, just two characters: "rope" and "righteous". Only the way it sounds is like some medieval samurai or swordsman's name. That's probably the single 'unusual' thing about me.
I return to my room to get changed into my school uniform. As it's summer now, I put on the summer version. Same white shirt with short sleeves, same black trousers, same red necktie. I put the textbooks into my schoolbag and go down the stairs into the small kitchen. Like always, I receive a light scolding from my mom for being a heavy sleeper and hear that Dad left for work early again today. Once I finish eating, I put down the empty rice bowl and the chopsticks, thank Mom for the food, go to the front door, put on my sneakers and, with words of being off, leave.
Beyond the metal gate is the neighborhood I live in. Nothing out of the ordinary, always calm and peaceful. I turn back to my house and, being sure of nobody watching me, step beyond. I look upwards, covering the sun with my hand on reflex. The sky above is the complete opposite of the one in my dreams. Also boundless, but instead of a void of pure darkness, it's blue and tranquil. Yet the unpleasantly familiar sensations from the nightmare linger inside of me, so I hurriedly stop and head for school at last. Even if this sky is different, I started to hate it, just like that sky.
Along the streets, students in the same uniform as mine make their way. Laughter and chatter is common among them, as they walk in pairs and groups. Every day, I stick out like a sore thumb, as I walk alone, but maybe no one really pays attention.
Though there is a reason.
For my whole almost thirteen years of life, or at least the years I was conscious of, my relatives and other people noticed I was rather… blank. Unemotional, from their words, probably very timid and shy. Even now emotions don't play much of a role in my life. I never really played or talked to kids my age and was doing something alone. In the end, I was a total stranger to everyone, a nobody that no one remembered. No one knew anything about me, and I knew nothing about anyone. And I always felt there was no need for friends anyway. I'm not putting up a tough-guy act. I just got by without them, middle school is no exception.
There is still plenty of time before class starts, so I take the longer route through the Shopping District. There is a music store I usually buy new CDs at, but it's probably closed now.
The same sign at the entrance greets me: Namimori's Warm and Fuzzy Shopping District. I pass by the various food stalls and shops, their owners and staff preparing for opening. I finally reach the store, and, as I expected, it's not open yet. There's a new advertisement for a new release plastered out on the front display.
Let's see… "Drawing days" by SPLAY out now! Don't miss!
Hm, I'll probably drop by after school.
…Was I instinctively trying to kill time just to get to school later? No, I better hurry. It's hard to guess the day that rumored Head Prefect is on survey. Is he really that scary as they say? I suppose I'm better off not knowing, and it'll be safer that way.
Besides, we're getting our math test results announced today. I understood nothing in it. Maybe I should ditch after all.
At the mere thought of having a long talk with the teacher and then my parents as a result, I erase this plan from my head.
Well, that was and would've been my everyday routine after waking up, but something strange's been on recently. Ignoring this nightmare of mine as unrelated, this town is no longer as peaceful and quiet as it was supposed to be.
Some loser (though I shouldn't call him that, I'm no better myself, this is simply how others view him) from my class has been doing lots of unimaginable things lately. First, he told some girl, also from the class, he wants to date her while wearing only his boxers, was called a pervert, was challenged to a kendo match by an upperclassman who had his eyes on the same girl, was called "Underpants Man" by the class, fainted during the match, immediately woke up, tore his clothes with a cry and proceeded to humiliate the said upperclassman by mercilessly plucking out all of his hair with superhuman strength. After that, all of this volleyball match business. "Underpants Mode" wasn't involved, but superhuman strength was. It returned when he ate all of the girls' cakes from Home Ec, and some beautiful, but angry foreigner lady shoved a huge cake into some guy's face. Plus, that whatshisface delinquent transfer student and class's Mr. Popular are suspiciously friendly with him. Then this strange baby in a black suit and a fedora's been following the guy around school for some time…
No one has realized something's obviously off yet. I could've told the classmates, but would people believe me, that is, if they even remember me? Not really. This leaves me with one option: I'll have to look into that myself and find out if there's anything fishy involved. New CD will have to wait.
I finally arrive at the concrete building, the sign on the gate reads: Namimori Middle School. This is the place everyone in town calls Nami-chuu, the place I was supposed to be going to, right?
I take a step forward, somewhat wary of what this day holds in store for me.
…How did they call that guy again? Dame-who?