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Coming of Age	By : redhaze Category: +G to L > Katekyo Hitman Reborn Views: 2884 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Coming of Age
- 1
Oh god, here we go again! I apologize in advance! I have no idea where I want this story to go, but the idea hit me over the head and kept beating me until I got it down! I'm sorry! I'm so very sorry! Please don't kill me!
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Sawada Tsunayoshi, known as Tsuna to those few close to him, and known as No-Good Tsuna to the majority of his peers, was looking forward to the weekend. And not just the regular reason that any healthy, sane teenager would look forward to the weekend. This Saturday was Tsuna’s 16th birthday, and while the celebration of his birth was always a small one, he looked forward to his favorite meal and the gift he was sure to receive from his mother.
Tsuna smiled, yes this weekend would surely make up for the horrible week he had at school. This week had been baseball week in gym class; Tsuna had been picked last of course. No one wanted the poor athlete on his team. At least the school’s baseball star, Yamamoto Takeshi, had been nice to let him on his team without an argument that he didn’t want him, not like the other team leader. Still it had been a fairly disappointing and humiliating week with his team constantly yelling at him for his blunders.
He had stumbled through the rest of his classes as best as he was able. He was proud of himself when nothing exploded in Chemistry Class. A personal victory. Not that any of his compound chemical mixtures had come out the way they were supposed to, the point was that nothing had broken and no one had been hurt.
He couldn’t say the same for Math class, though the only one who had been hurt there was his poor brain, not to mention his ego should the teacher call on him for answer. It didn’t help that the every single day in class he was the victim of the foreign exchange student’s angry glaring. Tsuna didn’t know what Gokudera Hayato had against him, but the silver haired teen’s raging glares made it hard for Tsuna to concentrate on anything, let alone his math assignments. He really had no idea what he could have done to upset the Italian, Gokudera seemed to hate him from the get go.
From his first week of school Gokudera had singled Tsuna out and beat him up for some odd reason. Tsuna never found out why, but it really didn’t make the Italian much different from all the other bullies at school. The main difference was that Gokudera hadn’t done it since… at least not a full out beating, a shove or a punch to the shoulder, maybe a kick, or tripping Tsuna as they passed each other, but never a full out beating again. Tsuna would take his miracles where he could get them.
Lunch all this week was spent alone, as usual. Tsuna didn’t let it bother him; it had been that way for pretty much all his life. He liked to eat outside in the shade of the largest tree in the quad. It was nice and peaceful there… or at least it usually was. This week Tsuna’s daily lunch rituals had seemed to catch the attention of the head of the disciplinary committee, Hibari Kyoya. If there was anyone in the school that could give Tsuna nightmares for the rest of his life, it was Hibari. The man was ruthless, sadistic, especially to the most timid of students, though the aggressive ones had everything to fear from him, too. At least Hibari had an excuse for ‘disciplining’ them.
‘Herbivores,’ just rubbed Hibari’s fur the wrong way. Tsuna guessed it was because they were so defenseless? The head of the disciplinary committee would always find the smallest excuse to torture those he considered weak, which could be almost anyone and everyone in school, in town even! This week it had been Tsuna. Tsuna wasn’t a hundred percent of the school rules word for word like Hibari seemed to be, but he had never realized there had been anything wrong with eating outside the cafeteria. He had seen plenty of other students doing it. Hell at the time of his ‘disciplining’ he had noticed at least four other groups of students eating out, pointedly not looking at Hibari brandishing his punishment. That had been on Tuesday, it was Friday now and Tsuna was still bruised all over, although the swelling over his lip and cheek had gone down. He got the distinct feeling that Hibari was watching him now… enjoying the sight of him still in pain. He tried not to look around when he could help it.
His only joy at school from week to week was the beautiful and adorable Sasagawa Kyoko, the school’s idol. Tsuna had loved her since middle school, though he was sure that Kyoko still had no idea who he was, or what his name was. He liked to pretend that at times when she smiled and looked around that their eyes would meet and they would share a special, silent moment between them. One time he had been sure that had been the case. It had bolstered his confidence enough to actually try to speak to her. But this fair princess was guarded by a fierce dragon! A dragon by the name of Sasagawa Ryohei, Koyko’s older brother, captain of the boxing team!
Almost as many people were afraid of Sasagawa-san as they were of Hibari. The guy was a powerhouse of strength and energy. He had taken the boxing team to nationals last year and had placed first himself! Everyone knew how protective Sasagawa was of his little sister, it was the only reason Kyoko was still single herself despite her beauty and sweet, charming personality. That one time… that time Tsuna had been so sure their eyes had met and Kyoko’s eyes had lit up with a beautiful smile… that time that Tsuna had just enough courage to go up and talk to her… he had been stopped by Sasagawa’s piercing stare still a few good yards away. They had frozen Tsuna’s insides, stolen every single drop of confidence he had, and the boy had simply turned around and walked away. He wondered to this day of Kyoko had noticed a thing, thought him weird for his strange actions. He hoped he’d never find out.
This day went on just about the same as all the others, yet Tsuna still found himself exhausted when he got home from school, more so than usual. Tsuna felt utterly drained of energy, it was all he could do to find the strength to drag himself to the kitchen for a snack once he got home. He seriously doubted he had the energy to get upstairs to his room just yet.
“Mom, I’m home,” he called out from the kitchen, frowning a bit when he didn’t hear an answer. That was odd. Maybe she went to the market. Tsuna shrugged it off and raided the fridge.
It wasn’t until he kicked the refrigerator door closed, arms full to maximum capacity, that Tsuna noticed the note clipped to its door. His brows furrowed as he read it over.
‘Tsuna-sweetie,

At the very last second I got a call from your father.

He’s invited your mama on a two week cruise to the

Caribbean! Isn’t that exciting?? It’s been so long

since your mama has been able to enjoy a vacation

with your father! I know this is very last minute, but

I hope you don’t mind the sudden trip. I managed to

prepare a few meals for you in advanced, but I’ve also

left some emergency money for you just in case. It’s in

an envelope in your room. I love you, sweetie, and I

hope you wish your mother lots of luck and love on

this wonderful trip! I’ll see you in two weeks.

Love,

Mama.’
Tsuna read the note at least three times before the words started to make sense to his shocked eyes. He couldn’t believe it! His mother just up and left him! Setting the food down on the counter, Tsuna sighed. He supposed he couldn’t blame his mother. His father was travelling so much all the time. The last clear time he could remember seeing his father he had been about eight. Had it been that long? Well there had been letters and postcards, some photos, the occasional video. That really had been it in the last eight years! What the hell was his father even doing out there?! Tsuna had no idea what his job even was!
But… his mother did deserve time with her husband… even if it meant their son would spend his birthday alone. Did they even remember that his birthday was tomorrow? Tsuna sighed. Now he had the worst birthday to look forward to on top of everything else. No present, no favorite meal, though he supposed he could just spend the day doing something fun. His mother had left money… even if it was emergency money. What could possibly happen that he’d need emergency money anyways? His life was so boring!
He sullenly picked at his pile of food as he thought about it. Maybe he could go to the arcade, or even just to the mall, the movies? No... not the movies, how depressing would that be? Going to the movies by himself! Tsuna sighed as he made himself a triple decker sandwich and took it up to his room. Who was going to complain if he ate in his room today? Certainly not absent mothers.
Even with the food he had nibbled on before coming upstairs, Tsuna was tempted to just crash on his bed and go to sleep by the time he had reached his room. Why was he so tired? Not only that, but his body ached like he had run a marathon while lifting weights. His arms, his legs, his back, it all felt like he had spent the day working out. That certainly wasn’t the case. Tsuna frowned thoughtfully as he made quick work of his sandwich, licking his fingers clean afterwards. Why was he tired? Maybe it was still residual pain from his beating earlier this week? That could be it. Though he hadn’t really noticed it until just now…? Maybe he just hadn’t noticed he still hurt so much before because he had been so looking forward to the weekend. Maybe now that his excitement was gone there was no ignoring the still lingering pain.
That made about as much sense as anything, Tsuna figured with a shrug. Ugh, eating that sandwich had just made him sleepier. He glanced at the clock. He was barely going to be five in the afternoon! Suddenly night time wasn’t coming fast enough. Maybe he could take a nap. It was Friday, it wasn’t as if he had any pressing urge to get his homework done tonight. A nap it was then. Tomorrow was Tsuna’s birthday, he was going to spend it completely alone. He could sulk and nap tonight if he wanted to! It felt like as soon as Tsuna’s head touched his pillow he was out like a light, and it felt like just as instantly his dreams started.
Trees… there were trees as far as the eye could see, climbing high up to the sky, branches outreaching, wanting to touch the heavens. He had the strongest urge to climb them, which was odd because he had never climbed a tree since he was six and he had broken his leg attempting it. And yet... it was like he knew perfectly how to climb these trees, he had done it hundreds of times before. He had done it hundreds of times! Hadn't he? He... wasn't sure. It felt like he had... but he really hadn't...
He knew that just a bit further there was a grassy clearing with a crystalline clear lake, though how he knew was a mystery to him. He had never been here before, and yet… it felt imprinted in his memory, it was nostalgic, almost like coming home. Above the sky was infinitely blue, a blue that didn’t seem possible could really exist and yet there it was. Puffy white clouds floated lazily across the incredibly blue canvas. They looked like marshmallows… or maybe whipped cream… it made his sweet tooth act up something fierce just looking at them.
It was so beautiful out today. It was always beautiful out here. Even in the fiercest storm, there was something mythically beautiful and other worldly about this place. He felt like he was finally home. And he was. This was home, it was a paradise especially made for him. Wait... it was? Yes... it truly was. This was his paradise and his alone. It had been a gift, the perfect paradise to be his perfect sanctuary. He walked the well worn forest path to the lake foot step for foot step, his were the only prints on the ground. A dip was in order today; this sort of beautiful clear day demanded it. Besides he had nothing else to do.
The scent of flowers hit him before he broke through the canopy of willow leaves that separated the forest from the lake. He had always loved that about the lake. It was enclosed on all sides by large, thick willow trees. Like the lake knew that he’d like to swim in it’s waters and was granting him the ability to preserve his modesty, even knowing that there was no one else around. The lake was large, as clear as sky above and just as blue as it reflected it's coloring like a mirror. Sweet scented flowers grew wildly; lush and richly scented, fed by the rich soil surrounded the lake. He loved the feel of the springy grass against his bare feet.
With a laugh he stripped away the gauzy white wrap around his slender hips, shifting shyly as he looked around to really make sure no one would suddenly come upon him. Of course no one would. This was his home, his sanctuary; no one would bother him here. No one had bothered him here for nearly his whole life.
He dipped a toe into the water to test its temperature, gasping as the cool liquid surrounded his big toe on all sides, making him shiver lightly. Ooh! It was nice and cool, that would feel so nice on his skin! He stepped in slowly, his toes just brushing the soft, silt ground in the lake, raising little wisps of dirt up into the water as the ground was disturbed, only to have it quickly settle again. Once he was up to his waist in water he dunked himself completely under, pushing off on his knees as he arched his back to send himself shooting further into the water's depths.
He emerged with a gasp and a laugh, shaking long strands of hair that clung to his face. He smoothed them back with his fingers, then laid out in the water, floating on his back, his modesty barely submerged. He felt bold today. And he was right to feel so, in all this time in his sanctuary had anyone ever intruded on him in his private moments? Ever? He was safe here... no one would hurt him here.
He let himself float in the placid lake for a long time, how long he wasn't sure, just watching the clouds float across the sky. The trees shaded him from the greater part of the sun's rays, and those that made it through just warmed his skin. The sky was so blue... he wanted to reach out and touch it, the calm water sloshing lightly, running down his arm in rivulets as he raised it to do just that, fingers outreaching. But flight wasn't his gift. He would think about it from time to time, thinking was one of the few things there were to do in his home, the sky called to him so... beckoned for him to join it, but he couldn't... and he never would... it was almost cruel. A single tear raced down his cheek and disappeared into the water. Up there was true freedom. Here… his home... his sanctuary... it was a utopian cage. He knew that, he didn't like to think about it. It was for his own good.
He closed his eyes and floated in the water, it was the closest thing he could imagine floating in the sky would feel like. Time passed… He suddenly gasped when the wind changed sharply, goose flesh rising over his damp skin. The blue, blue sky started to darken quickly, far too quickly to be the setting of the sun. Thick black clouds suddenly rolled in, dark and ominous. Something was wrong. The weather was changing far too quickly. He hurriedly swam to the lake's shore, ignoring his dripping hair and soaked skin and he donned his wrap quickly, ignoring the way it clung to him.
The sky was dark now, shadowing everything else in his paradise. It wasn't a normal darkness; dark energy crackled in the air. He had to get home. Now! He could feel the instinct to flee and hide coursing through his veins. He ran, crying out when lightning struck the ground he had just been standing in, making the earth shake.
Something was horribly wrong. He quickened his pace; dashing through the trees that now just felt claustrophobically close, closing in on him from all sides. Lightning flashed across the dark sky in colors of piercing yellow, as well as purple, and orange, even crimson, turning his beautiful sky into something twisted and sinister. He could feel it in his core, his sanctuary was under attack! He cried out again as lightening struck close once more, a large tree branch breaking free and plummeting to the ground, towards him, coming crush ward. He tried to jump out of the way before it could do so
"Aaagh!" Pain blossomed from his leg, as did crimson blood that seeped into the now dark ground. The, large, heavy branch hit his leg, an odd, smaller branch off shooting and piercing his calf. He took deep, shaky breaths to try to push his thoughts past the pain. Around him it was getting darker and it seemed the only source of light were the flashes of lightening shooting angrily across the sky. The dark energy was cloying around him, choking him with its dark intentions. Something was coming for him!
He managed to free his leg, bravely biting his lip against the pain as he pulled the sliver of wood free of his flesh, and getting back to his feet, but the damage had been done and he could only run half as fast now. He had to go, he had to hide! The darkness was approaching. He ran, he limped, as fast as he could until he broke free of the forest into the gently sloping hills that would take him home. The wind howled, pushing him back, wanting to bowl him over. He pushed past it, determined that nothing would keep him from his destination.
He could see his Eden better once out of the forest, and the sight broke his heart. It was all being torn apart! The lightening in the sky looked like cracks over his perfect universe. They had destroyed more than just the tree branch that had fallen on him. Several trees were taken victim, ripped from their homes, charred and smoking. The horizon over the canopy of trees was illuminated by the thick, hot flames of a fire. It was near the lake, he could tell. His forest was on fire! Pain and fear struck at his heart, he couldn't let himself stare too long; he had to get away.
He looked back once more as he ran, noticing that he was leaving a bright red drop trail of blood in his wake. His vision swam and he staggered. All he wanted to do was curl up in the still springy grass; pretend that everything else wasn’t happening. He was tired, so very tired, he was wet and cold and he could barely see a foot in front of his face as the darkness surrounded him at all sides. But he knew he had to keep going.
Going downhill was easier than climbing up, and he let himself stumble down rather easily. He didn’t care if he got cut or scraped as long as he could make it home in one piece.
It wasn’t long before he was able to see the dim light that slipped out of the openings in his hut. He knew once he got there he’d be safe. It was the heart of his home… and under it was the passage that would lead him far away. Once, long ago, he had barely been a child, he had been told to never explore the underground passage for his own safety. He couldn’t remember who had warned him of it, but he was sure it had been the same person who had built his utopia for him in the first place. He had always been curious, he was curious about a great many things in his life, but he was always a well behaved young man and he would do as he was told. But… this was an emergency! The passage would surely save his life now! He felt a shiver of excitement to finally solve its mystery despite the cold dread of fear in his heart.
He raced home, stumbling the last few steps, tumbling into the hut and landing at a heap on top of his bedding. The wind whistled through the openings, a shrill and angry sound, the wood creaking as it fought valiantly to stay upright. He didn’t have much time!
He ripped into the sheets of his bedding, making long strips. He wrapped one around his bleeding calf securely and the rest he rolled up and stuffed into his animal skin sack. He used that sack to gather fruits during the summer, but now it would serve the purpose of carrying what he could take with him. He knew deep down in his heart that this was probably the last time he’d ever see his home. He felt scared, sad, to leave the only place he had ever known… but at the same time he felt a shiver of anticipation. How many times had he told himself that he’d one day see the world?
The sliver of excitement was scared out of him as a booming lightening clap shook the earth at his feet. The barely standing walls of the hut finally gave way, a large chunk breaking away with the wind. He had just been able to move out of it’s way from crushing him as well. He stared up at the angry dark sky, feeling it’s calling even now when it seemed to want to destroy him. The clouds broke just enough to reveal a blood red full moon. It had turned into night after all.
The moon glowed with an evil aura, and it felt like it’s light was shining down on him directly, a red beam of light following him like a sharp gaze. It sent a shiver down his spin. There was something horribly wrong about the moon; it felt off, like it wasn’t really what he was looking at, at all. The wind howled, sweeping more clouds away to reveal an absurdly peaceful, starry sky above the chaos. A bale blue orb shined down on him, cold as ice, piercing into his very soul.
His golden eyes widened in shock, realizing that he was staring at two moons in bloody crimson and icy azure. And the moons seemed to be staring down at him in return, like a pair of demonic eyes. The wind howled again, carrying an unnatural sound like he had never heard before. The hairs on his head stood on end. It almost sounded like a laugh, a cruel and taunting jester of a laugh. ‘Kufufufufu.’
Lightening shook the ground again, blinding him with its intensity. A shadow moved before him, shielding him from the bright flash, trapping him in a dark embrace. He felt his body root to the spot. He was being embraced, but all he could see were the twin moons mocking him even through the darkest shadow surrounding him.
‘Kufufufu’
He tried to break free; he couldn’t, held fast by this new darkness that felt too hot against his own cool skin. His heart raced, his lungs heaved as panic kept them from being properly filled. This was the dark and twisted presence that told all his instincts to run and hide. This was the creature that was destroying his home
The twin moons of crimson and azure glinted in the darkness, and the heated shadows pulled him forward flush against an equally heated column of shadow taller than he was. That spine chilling sound that mocked laughter rang in his ears, emitting from the shadows before him. The red moon flashed brightly, blinding him once more
‘Found you…'
Every part of him was screaming in panic and fear, it roiled and twisted in his gut, white hot and painful as he struggled against the heated shadows to no avail. It felt impossible to breath, his chest was so tight, then something snapped and gave way deep inside him. That’s when they were both engulfed in flames.
At the stroke of midnight, Sawada Tsunayoshi’s eyes snapped open, glowing a fierce, molten gold. They were impossibly wide, unfocused, and unseeing. His lips parted and the boy screamed, electric hot pain lancing through every nerve-ending in his body, the small frame convulsing with the force of it. Tsuna twisted over to his side, curling up into a fetal position as he tried to escape the pain by hiding in himself.
He didn’t see the rosettes of burnished gold shimmer into existence down his back along his spine, widening triangularly as they wrapped around his shoulders, stark against the peachy skin hidden under his shirt Neither could he possibly realize that as the intensity of his pain peaked a thrum like a sonic boom released from his painfully thrashing body, rippling for miles around him in every direction like a sonar wave. Instead he stilled and slipped back into oblivion as the pain passed, sleeping peacefully as if nothing had occurred. Little did he know that his life would now never again be the same. But for now he slept, a calm, sweet, dreamless oblivion, as he would sleep well into the morning of his 16th birthday.
Outside the Sawada household, all over town several heads suddenly stilled and turned up to look at the sky at once, hearing the call.
“Onii-chan,” a sweet, young girl gasped, clutching his brother’s arm tightly as she stared out the window in their family living room.
“Un, I know. I felt it, too”
Blocks away, a thin stream of cigarette smoke billowed up towards the sky in a steady stream. “Che, so it’s happened at last.”
Not too far from there in a small, family owned sushi shop, soft laughter bubbled forward from a single open window on the second floor. “Maa, maa… this is going to be fun.”
Far on the other side of town, the sound of bone cracking against bone echoed hauntingly in the otherwise still night air. The frightening young man kicked his downed opponent away, licking the trickle of blood away from his split lip, his opponent’s lucky shot while he had been distracted by the call. He stared up into the sky and inhaled deeply, “Hn.”
Out in the town’s city limits, two figures admired the twinkling stars of the night sky, sitting on the sturdy, high branches of an old tree.
“Boss… it’s today,” the single good eye of the young girl looked up at boy on a higher branch, mesmerized by the long strands of dark hair billowing in the wind.
"Kufufufu... So it is..." a twisted grin spread over the young man's lips, orbs of crimson and azure fixed on the night sky. "Found you..."
No, things would never be the same again.
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I know I have a shit ton of other fics that need updating, I swear that I'm slowly working on them. I have a new job now with more stable hours, not to mention the chance to actually do a bit of writing at work (sssssh!).
I'm currently working on the next chapter of Controlling Puppy, but this idea hit me over the head and wouldn't let me be until I got it down. The sad truth is that I have no idea where this fic will go, so don't get your hopes up too high for this new story, either... I'm a horrible person, I know! Just... continue to be patient with me? Please? X3 And of course reviews are always welcomed.
Anyways, this is an AU, so who knows what will happen! I certainly don't! xD
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Coming of Age