Deja Vu - Katekyo Hitman Reborn 《COMPLETED》

CH18:Changing Times

How weak.

The voices taunted him, mocking as they nudged at the tiny ball of darkness in his chest. It comprised of his insecurities, his weakness, fragile as it hid away behind his arrogant facade.

You're pathetic, you know that?

He was sure he was lucid; he knew that he'd lost. That they'd lost. Everything had gone down the drain the moment the swordsman had attacked, a gleam of something in his eyes, realization striking him.

And they went down slowly.

One by one.

Until he was the only one left.

He remembered begging, remembered using dirty tricks to get away; and the blanks in his memories seemed to crumble away with each passing second.

There was familiarity in his actions. It almost felt like deja vu.

And he felt something give way.

You're starting to remember, aren't you?

---

Tsuna didn't understand.

Why?

He was always too late. Always.

Why was he never there to help his friends?

It had all happened in the blink of an eye; and an hazy five hours had passed since then. When he had arrived to a bloody scene, his friends laid on the ground like broken marionettes.

And there he was: blue eyes lifeless, dull as vile words spilt out from his lips. Sawada Ienari used tricks and traded lives with honeyed words-all to survive.

Yet, even with the desperate edge to his pathetic pleas, there was something less than sincere about his words. It was almost fake, rehearsed even; more as though he'd be programmed to act this way. Ruthless and cruel.

His actions had infuriated Sora. God, even Reborn was enraged. He promised lessons of pain, and Sora was spitting out curse after curse.

And of course, Tsuna was angry too, but...

"How are they?" Reborn demanded, harsh words breaking away his train of thoughts as Shamal exited from the room where his friends lay in hospital beds.

Tsuna stood abruply at that, alert as he trembled, ignoring the way Shamal's eyes suddenly turned to scruntinize him in interest.

"They'll live." He waved a hand dismissively, still staring, and god, Tsuna could faint in this very moment.

They'll live.

His mind went blank with sheer relief. He repeated the words fervently, almost like a mantra.

And slowly, he softened.

He will live.

Tsuna couldn't have been more thankful.

He was angry, yes, but relief shadowed the rage completely. After all, in the end he couldn't do anything about the anger that dwlled in his chest. Anything and everything he could say or do to his brother would hurt him in the end.

That is our curse.

And when it all came down to it, it was not Sawada Ienari's fault that things turned out this way. That he had turned out like that.

It was his.

It's your fault he became like this.

And he knew, without a doubt.