Burnt Marigold (KHR - R27)

One

Burnt Marigold

One

The brunet woke up with a gasp, his mind reeling with overload, heart beating against his ribcage that he could hear it next to his ears, and body shaking from tremor that assaulted his body. Tsuna felt small, vulnerable. He was shaking and gasping for breath. He was… He was… confused.

He stared down at his shaking knees, abruptly glaring at his own weakness before he lifted his hand and learned it was shaking as well. However, his hands… his hands were small.

He suddenly doubled over, there was a clog on his throat and he felt like gagging on his own breath. Tsuna's eyes felt burning and stinging but there were no tears. Tsuna felt weak that he stood up on his shaky legs only to stumble on his quivering knees. He somehow managed to grab the nearest object which was the chair before he could completely fall. However, the sudden grating noise made him wince.

The brunet stayed like that, his hand gripping the chair as a support while trying to gain back his body's control. There was a painful pinning as if his very veins were electrocuted with pin-prick accuracy. Felt his head were being pried open with a drill on his spine. Tsuna didn't like the pain and disorienting feeling, but he couldn't help his body's response.

He waited. He gathered his strength, his wits, and the brunet gripped the chair too tightly as if he wanted to crush it with bare hands. Then he was moving; a slow measured step forward and he wheeze for air once again, his body doubling with pain.

A sudden spike of pain drilled at the forefront of his skull. It made him grasp his sweaty forehead, clutching it while willing his body to not fall. This was worse than a hangover much much worse. The brunet took a deep shuddering breath before he shakily exhaled. He opened his eyes once more, peering at everything around him with blurry eyes.

Tsuna's sight was dancing that even if he blink he couldn't get used to the sight before him. It took him a moment for his eyes to focus and see his surroundings. And when it did, the brunet froze; his eyes widened as he studied every crook and cranny of the room. There was a muted silence on his ears. He couldn't hear anything only feel that he was walking forward with unsure and shaky legs.

He gripped the blue curtain, the warmth on it sending a shock on his clammy hand. There were sunrays hitting his face that he tilted his head. His heart was beating with apprehension at the action. As he parted the curtain, bright light assaulted his sight. It was almost blinding that he had to squint his eyes, lower his chin, and let spiky hair shield his eyes.

There was warmth from the sun around him.

Tsuna carefully lifted his gaze upward. The sight of the tall tree and clear blue sky greeted him. Then noises blared on his ears that he groaned and took a couple shaky step back. Despite how sudden the noise was, he still registered the fact it was children laughter and the familiar names were uttered by childish voices that he leaned over the balcony. His expression set with complete disbelief and something akin to hope.

No… But… – could it be...

"The ball is mine! Gyahahaha!" A boisterous voice echoed and Tsuna could see as a child wearing cow onesie held a pink ball in a possessive embrace. In front of the cow-suited child was another child wearing red Chinese garb, hair pulled in a ponytail.

"Meanie Lambo! The ball is not yours!"

Between the two children was a slightly older child wearing normal clothes. He was looking between the two and hands raised in a pacifying manner, "Lambo! I-pin! Please don't fight."

"Shut up, stingy Fuuta!" The afro-haired child argued then shoots a glare at the older child. He stuck his tongue out at the little girl in front of him before hiding the ball on his back.

Lambo… I-pin… Fuuta…

Tsuna realized what he was seeing. They were the younger version of his family and they… they were arguing over a... a ball.

There was only one conclusion… he must be in the past.

Tsuna bit back a curse from his lips when his mind was assaulted once more. It felt like torture inside his head that his body wanted to shut down and his mind to unconsciousness.

The pain was too much.

Instead of letting his body succumb to the exhaustion and pain, he took a shaky step back and slowly takes in everything around him.

Everything was achingly familiar…

Then the brunet was sitting on his chair, opening and rummaging through his drawer to look for anything that would tell him today's date. That was when he caught sight of a small hand-held mirror. His hand fumbled as he pulled it from its container with shaking hands and as he faced it, he could see his reflection.

Reflected on the mirror were his face; chubby cheeks, and doe-like eyes flickering with inner sky flames upon critical closer look. He looked pale and sweaty.

Tsuna looked young, in a way he hadn't been for years.

He opened his mouth then closed it, his reflection did the same. All these actions, he could see in his own reflection and he saw the minute his caramel brown eyes shifted into glowing orange that he could think his eyes were burning.

Suddenly unbidden tears pooled on his stinging eyes not only because of the pain but also of the emotions that wracked his small body. The mirror fell with a clatter on the desk. Tsuna lowered his chin closing his eyes.

A smile formed on Tsuna's face then he was giggling. Head almost thrown backward as thick fat tears streaked from his eyes unto his chin, dripping silently and unbothered despite the girly giggling. Tsunayoshi's heart was bubbling with many emotions that he lost track. Then finally, the brunet was crying with all the emotion he could feel in his very soul.

While mouthing heart-felt mantra.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you."

The brunet's prayer was answered, and he won't let this chance to waste.

Tsuna lost him once, he knew himself that his sanity would be lost among the oblivion of the darkness, submerged in the darkest prison of Vendicare if he let this given chance slip.

This time, he would save Reborn and finally say the words he should have spoken a long time ago.

.

.

.