Hirokazu

"One…more time." I panted. Hoping to hell that I would get right. It had to happen, some time or another. Whether it was tomorrow, next year, or five years from now. I would master this ability, and avenge my father's death. I'd been practising since my birthday, surely some luck would arrive.

"As you wish." The man replied. He repositioned himself and I prepared myself for another attack. His sword gleamed and shimmered. The theory mother spoke of rang in my head.

What if you could transfer a specific amount of your Mist into the Moon Spirit Sword? It could be why the sword allowed you to pick it up so easily.

I grunted as he flung his weight onto me. Our swords clashed together and from it erupted a resonating ring that stung my ears. The vibration rattled through my bones as he came at me, again and again. He was relentless like he'd hated me for so long and this was a chance for him to finally vent it all out.

I frowned as I pushed his sword away, spinning away from his next attack. I hoped he didn't hate me too much. I kind of liked him. He lunged forwards, grabbing out with one hand to hold me in position as the other hand holding his sword came down for the inevitable blow.

I saw the vicious gleam, almost as if this sword about to strike was against me too. Like it had a conscious only for the hatred of me. I closed my eyes. Childish.

When I reopened them, it was as if the world was ten times more visible. Like it had revealed a secret only for me. Everything was brighter, clearer. Stronger. I lashed out with my sword, everything slower and more precise.

The sword in my hands was almost whispering what I needed to do next. Implanting the orders in my brain and allowing them to grow. To expand their branches and command my arms as they trembled against the force of my opponent.

Elbow…in his gut…

I listened to these words, not sure if it was abasing the rules. But, something my father once said; you have to know the rules to know when to break them.

I held on tight to my sword and released my grip from one hand. Thrusting my right elbow into his abdomen. He grunted and spat out a few droplets of blood.

"Well…done." The man said acknowledged respectfully. He then spun around, suddenly not affected by my blow and cut rather deeply into my upper arm.

I felt the once-calm voices buzzing in my ears. Their frantic cries as I watched the red spill down in a manner that reminded me of water running through the cracks in a floorboard. The blood dripped off my fingers and the voices began screaming in alarm. Their screams echoed loudly and I could make a patient, more sincere voice behind all the madness. It just repeated one word, over and over.

Healhealhealhealheal.

I frowned, trying to block out the rest of the shouts. This voice was the reason I healed, it seemed to be the sensible, more confusing part of this Mist inside of me. And this part was responsible for me. It healed me. I closed my eyes, maybe I could talk to it. Maybe I could make a deal…?

"Prince Hirokazu!" The man's voice was imminently angry. His tone implied I get up off my ass and bow and thank him for the fight. I stood up and tried to hold back the cough threatening to spill out of my mouth. I bowed as non-stiffly as I could and then sheathed my sword.

I ran off to the bathrooms hidden behind a grove of lush trees and bent over the sink of three in the men's toilets. I allowed myself to cough up the remaining blood. Staining the pure white sink with splotches of metallic red. I let out a soft wheeze and brushed the hair out of my face and looked up at my reflection in the mirror.

The boy staring back at me didn't look like a fourteen-year-old. His skin was pale and the usual light flush had disappeared. His hair was a tangled mess slightly above his bony hunched shoulders, framing his face. His eyes were something I'd have to get used to. His left pupil still scared me whenever I caught a glimpse of it. The contrast between my gold right iris and my smokey blue-grey left one had me confused. The colours didn't seem right, and yet they did. The blood smeared around the corners of my mouth left me looking even paler still. And I then looked at my throat, the few lightly coloured veins that sat there caught my attention. If I didn't figure out a way to safely control this Mist inside of me…I inspected the vein lines on my neck, they would become more and more visible. And I would look like I had poisoned black in my blood.

"Hiro?" Jae's familiar, gentle voice emitted from behind me. I wiped my mouth and hid the sink behind me as I turned. She looked at me, concerned tracing age lines from thirty years in the future.

"Jae I was just—" Jae's face hardened as she took in my appearance, the warmed-up-death look and the red-stained fingertips.

"Let me see." She said firmly, now that Mother had promoted her to Captain of the Royal Guard and my personal bodyguard, she had a new light around her. It was no longer playful and innocent. It was full of purpose and determination. I sighed and lowered my gaze. It was almost like I had two mothers, one gentle and considerate, the other harsh and forceful.

I stepped aside and leaned against the doorway behind me, not wanting to see her reaction and keeping my gaze trained on the stone floor.

Jae sucked in a shocked breath and looked back at me, her hair falling over her face as she did so. Her gaze was full of worry like she was staring at someone who was supposed to die. I breathed out heavily and winced. I guess going down this path would send me to an early grave.

Jae noticed me wince. "Are you okay? Does it hurt anywhere? Do you need your medication?"

I shook my head and walked outside quickly, trying as hard as I could to make my steps firm and able. I leaned against the exit frame. The light wind from the East caressed my face, reminding me of my father's hand when I had a nightmare.

I crossed my arms tightly and ignored Jae as she stood next to me, her back straight as she folded her arms too. But she did it out of meaning, out of power. A harsh reminder of her place. The only reason I crossed my arms was to keep my ribs together. To keep my insides from falling out in the crackdown my centre. No amount of bandages, tape or medication would heal that hole. I just had to learn to keep on living with it open. With my chest bare and my heart vulnerable.

"Hiro, I know this past few months have been hard. You haven't been allowed outside until last week, and you've been stuck taking this crap medication that barely does anything." Jae said this with a touch of pity, her eyes glistening with a touch of understanding. "I have a vague idea of what you're going through Hiro, until I met you, my life was harsh and brutal. It was the truth. My life was honest and unmerciful." She looked away from my face and out at the open field on where I'd just trained.

"Hiro, you are now discovering that there's a shedload more to life than just hatred, happiness and loss." She unfolded her arms and walked down two steps. "There's heartbreak, there's pain and torment. And most importantly, you have to remember that even though it might seem like it, everyone else experiences small inches of this all throughout their life too." She held out her hand, her fingers uncurling like a flower opening for the sun.

"And I ask you, Hirokazu, will you join me down that road? Will you face the hardships of life? The agony of death? The occasional mistake?" She nodded at me, and then at the pier of the castle, where my mother awaited me.

"Will you face the truth of love?" She said dramatically. I grinned and took her hand. Allowing her to help me down the stairs, chatting away and making light conversational jokes.

"Hiro, my darling, how did it go?" Mother asked me, gesturing for me to sit by her side. I kissed her roughly on the hand and smiled as I made myself comfortable.

"Well, it seems there's a long way for me to go before I don't just block my way through a fight but—"

"The Prince did an achievable amount today, he has accomplished much in his training." The man walked into the room, he seemed to have had the time to replenish himself before visiting his Queen. Although I supposed that Mother wouldn't care how I looked but she would care very much about how he looked.

I sighed and watched as he kissed her hand and sat down across the table, watching me and Jae behind me. She planted herself by my side ever since that vow she made three months ago. Although I could not believe that it felt like only yesterday I completed the Sword Trials.

"Go on." Mother said, nodding at the trainer.

"He has a good eye and expectation for his opponent's next move, but he doesn't give himself enough time to move to prepare for it. I believe that his Mist power is helping him to a certain extent." He bowed his head and waited for Mother to answer.

Mother looked at me and stroked my cheek, her gaze softening. "You look deathly pale Hiro, why don't you eat something and then a lie-down?" She suggested, it was also the look she gave me that told me to leave so that she could talk to the man alone.

I nodded and stood up, exiting the room and making my way, not to my quarters, but to the balcony just outside the library.

Jae stood behind the door leading to the balcony but didn't accompany me. I guess she still wanted her title to remain anonymous. I breathed in heavily and blinked lazily. Watching people bustle back and forth as they went about their daily life.

I stood there, watching the people I was expected to rule once Mother gave the crown to me or she died—I slapped myself hard across the face. I cracked open one eye, then the other. I rubbed the side of my face with one hand and held onto the railing with the other. My cheek stung from how hard I hit myself.

I rubbed my cheek which ended up with me rubbing my eyes. I blinked and it seemed to take an eternity for me to open them again. When I did open them, I was lying on the library floor, Jae's worried face over me. Her eyebrows curled over her eyes as she tapped me sharply on the side of my face. It took her three more taps and for her lean in as if to kiss me before I fully woke up.

"Hiro!" She cried, her gaze still full to the brim with concern. She helped me sit up and watched my features carefully. I groaned and blinked up at her hazily, my lashes falling back over my eyes.

Jae slapped me harder than I did myself. I opened my eyes again, trying to stay awake. I looked up and grimaced, she had two heads. Oh God, what was wrong with me?

"Hiro…Hiro!" Jae shouted. I bit the inside of my cheek and felt blood pour into my mouth. I heaved out a breath and looked at my hands, frowning. I didn't have eight fingers on each, did I?

"Hiro, tell me why you're acting like this! Is there a way I can help?"

I reached out in front of me and Jae helped me stand up, but when I started to fall back into unconsciousness, she helped me sit down again. "The…medi…cation," I mumbled, hoping that she heard it before I fell back to sleep. If I didn't take it now…

I mentally kicked myself. Why didn't I take it when I was supposed to? I coughed as my vision turned from hazy to thick winter fog. I heard my blood rush in my ears and recalled the thought that went through my head as I flushed the pill every day down the toilet. I need to learn to control it, not suppress it!

I told myself that two months ago. I guess this is what I have to pay for it. My body dying on me from an overload of an abnormal, inhumane power that probably wasn't even meant for me. Re Istuwari was powerful, sure, but even it made a mistake. Me.

"Hiro, open your mouth and eat this, okay?" Jae's voice rang through the fog land I called my head. I wearily open my mouth and felt the bitter taste of the thing I'd avoided.

I coughed and choked, all while trying my hardest to swallow. Once I felt it slide all the way down my oesophagus, I blinked my eyes open and looked up forcefully. Jae's face was right there, I let out a breath and adverted my gaze, her cheeks went red and she stood up. I felt the strength returning to my bones.

I sighed and stood up, Jae's hand went out to help me, but I brushed it away. I looked at her, my gaze dearly serious. "Don't tell anyone I didn't take my medication until then," I said, Jae opened her mouth and I closed my eyes, clenching my jaw tight.

"That's an order." That was the first time I'd ever said that to her, in our whole three years of friendship, I'd never said that to her. Jae stared at me, her eyes holding the shock she couldn't express. She nodded and knew that it was important enough to me for me to order her to stay quiet.

"Prince Hirokazu." Councillor Huang said, his voice breaking me out of my stir of thoughts, the look on Jae's face when I ordered to never speak a word of what happened in the library.

"Yes, Councillor?" I asked, hoping that no one suspected anything. I needed to keep that a secret. And though I was now a part of Council meetings because Father was dead, it didn't mean I wanted to be there.

"We were just discussing the royal portrait and whether you wanted to add someone to fill in the empty space?" Huang said this with such seriousness that I stilled my face from any smirking.

"I would like someone else in the family portrait," I said, they all stiffened as if fearing the worst. I hid my smile once again, thinking about how Father must've handled the odd expressions these old men gave you.

"I wish for Captain Song to join Mother and myself in the portrait." I looked over at Jae, she stared at the wall as she should, but her posture was stiffer than the last time I looked at her during this meeting.

I realised that I'd never called Jae by her last name. She'd never heard that name leave my mouth. She blinked rapidly but there was no more reaction than that.

The Councillors murmured amongst themselves until my favourite Councillor stood up. He cleared his throat and waits until everyone was looking at him.

"What do you wish to say, Councillor Akiyama?" Everyone waited for him to respond, and when he did, I held onto every word he said. He knew how to manipulate the Council, he knew what they collectively wanted, and he used it to control them.

"I believe that if we allow the Prince's personal bodyguard into at least three of his portraits, it will show that he has a deeper compassion for his people in allowing a commoner captain to stand beside him and the Queen." Akiyama finished and sent me a secretive wink. I sent him a small smile and watched as the other Councillors discussed this matter. And after around fifteen minutes of this, they all nodded in agreement.

"We need as much support of the Crown and Council as we can." Councillor Park said, his left hand effortlessly raised, his wedding ring shimmering in the light above.

Mother nodded and looked over at me—no—behind me and I heard Jae stand at the head of the table. Her head held high as she took in all the eyes on her.

"I have sent my guards on patrol in the more…poorer parts of the empire. We discovered that there is a disease that has taken out at least three hundred people already. I observed some of the bodies myself and I came to the conclusion that they all died from Mist."

Jae didn't look at me at all. Almost as if she didn't want to draw me into this. I sighed and looked out across the table, everyone else was avoiding my gaze. I covered my face with my hands and massaged the heels of my palms into the sockets of my eyes. Trying to distract myself with dull pain and flash as light poured onto my retinas when I removed my hands once again.

"Does this mean that Re Istuwari has acknowledged that prince's existence?" Councillor Jeung asked Jae, and as he did, her face tightened. She didn't reply, ignoring my silently sad gaze that had locked onto her face the moment she stopped talking.

"Nonsense!" Mother shouted, banging her hand on the table. Everyone jumped at this sudden outburst, it was very rare to make Mother mad. And when you did, it never went down well.

"My son would never willing anger Re Istuwari—would he? He is supposed to be the new King, a king cannot—ever— willing and knowingly kill his people. That is the difference between a King and a man." She said this with such a fire in her eyes that I even flinched. Only, because I believed something else.

I stood up, my chair creaking loudly. Everyone stared at me, Jae's expression unreadable, Akiyama's was confused. Mother's face was soft once again with the motherly concern she'd always held for me.

"Excuse me," I said curtly, exiting the room and half expecting to see Father's ghost standing in front of me. I strode quickly into my room and swallowed another one of those stupid pills.

I chucked the packet away and fell heavily onto my bed, the blue covers greeting me with soft fingers. I blinked once and watched the curtains billow as the wind blew into the room. When it hit my face, it felt cold and stung slightly. I sat up and touched my cheeks, still staring out at nothing in particular.

I was crying?

As I stared, the curtain's dance became more vigorous and my vision blurred. I didn't register when tears had begun to fall, but what I did register was the feeling of rivers flowing down my hollow cheeks as my lungs slowly constricted upon themselves.

I gasped softly and my head pulled me back onto the bed. I stared up at the ceiling, the tears flowing down the sides of my temples, hiding in the strands of my hair that had fallen messily around my face.

"Hiro?" The gentle knock on the door I didn't register closing had me sitting up and wiping away the rain clouds from my eyes. I watched as Jae entered the room, her gaze leapt onto and off of my face multiple times before she bowed before me as a Captain should.

"Your Grandmother, mother of Ryuu Yamashita; Tsuna Yamashita has arrived." She said, she looked up at me, stepping out of her bow.

"Should I leave you to redress yourself and whatnot?" She asked, gesturing to my glistening face and eyes.

I nodded and set my jaw straight. Burying whatever had spilled. I couldn't break down in front of someone who'd come to mourn someone I loved just as much.

"My dearest Grandson!" Tsuna said, watching me walk down the stairs. I observed her clothing and its design, it was similar to what Father used to wear to dinner and Council meetings. The reds and green were a flash of jewels to the eye.

I bowed and forced a small smile. "Grandmother," I said, she held out her hand in front of me and I kissed it gently. Not wanting to cast any bad impressions about my character, I kissed Mother's hand as well.

"You are just like Ryuu was at your age." She said, smiling and then a small crinkle appeared in between her eyebrows. "Someone hand me a tape measure." She barked suddenly.

I stood there, hiding my turmoil at the randomness of it all. She waited a few moments before a servant placed one in her hand.

"Stand up boy." She said, her demeanour was suddenly friendly and gentle, but powerful. I stood.

She gestured for me to stand straight against the closest clear wall. I did. She placed the tape measure at my feet and stepped on the small piece of metal at the bottom, she pulled it all the way up—as far as she could go—before she asked for someone to get a stool and finish the job.

She stood back and listened to what the servant said. She grinned and held out her hand, I took it, somewhat confused, and watched as she sent a wink over at my mother.

Mother just nodded happily and sent me a reassuring look. I relaxed the smallest bit but was still anxious as to why she wanted to know my height.

Tsuna sat down and nodded for me to do so as well. I sat down next to her and watched her drink a simple mixture of herbal tea. "I know, I know—you're probably wondering what that all was about." She said, waving her hand smugly.

"I am a fortune reader, which has become quite a business ever since my son died." She said this with slight hesitation. "But, once I observe a person thoroughly, I can find out almost anything about their future." She sent me a small smile. "It was your mother's wish for me to do so."

Tsuna nodded over at Akiyama vaguely. "And he wanted to know who would be your lover."

I sent Akiyama a death glare, he just shrugged aimlessly and winked. I went bright pink and looked at my hands, fiddling with them as if I was a seven-year-old awaiting a test answer from a maths lesson.

Tsuna laughed at my reaction. "Just by taking in your entrance, your appearance and reaction—and height—I have a fair amount of information already."

I looked up at her. "About my love life, or about my future?" I asked, struggling to school my features into something less angry.

Tsuna looked at me, her gaze relaxed and she blinked. "I will only speak of your future, not you lover."

I sent Akiyama a satisfied smirk and then looked over at Mother, she seemed…slightly disappointed, like she wanted to know whom I would love unconditionally for the rest of my life.

I blinked. "Do I even have a love life in the future?" I asked. It just seemed like something so…unimportant to me. Why would anyone want to be with the Tainted Prince?

Tsuna blinked and looked at me. "Oh, yes."

I shifted my gaze to the portrait of the dead King of Baî and wondered if Father was happy up there if he was proud of me if he was satisfied with what he accomplished.

Tsuna placed her wrinkled hand over mine and I snapped out of my daydream immediately. "Just remember the river." She murmured.

I frowned and opened my mouth to say something but Tsuna continued. "You have such a presence about you." She said to me.

I nodded and then a random question popped through my head, something that I reckoned she might not be able to answer. "How tall will I be when I turn seventeen?" I asked.

Tsuna looked at me and then stared. It was like she was looking through me. I couldn't help but shift the slightest.

"One hundred and seventy-one centimetres." She replied three and a half seconds later. I blinked.

"That's incredible." I complimented.

Tsuna nodded and grinned. "Thank you." She stood up and looked over at Mother. "Why don't we three go on a nice walk around the palace?" She asked. "I've been wanting to see your gardens ever since I landed here."

I frowned at the words she used but didn't question them as we made our way outside. I breathed in the cherry blossom-tainted breeze and walked behind Mother and Tsuna as they laughed and talked about things only women talked about. At least I hoped they weren't talking about me.

"Hiro." Jae stood behind me, her hands clasped in front of her. I turned and looked over my shoulder, my lashes kissing my cheekbones as I took in what she was wearing. I noticed a certain shine to her armour.

"Why are you wearing that?" I asked. My gaze was still on her chest, on the medals that hung there. Her uniform was too…masculine for my liking.

Jae frowned. "I was told to wear it in honour of the dead King's mother." She replied simply, she seemed confused, why would I be concerned with what she was wearing? I sighed and brushed my fringe slightly to the side.

"Sorry, I'm just worried about the new disease," I said. I looked at Tsuna and my mother's shrinking figures as they rounded a corner and Jae and I were officially alone.

I turned around properly and saw Jae watching a butterfly, a small touch of youth had finally returned to her face. I let out a soft laugh and stuffed my hands into my black pants, the fabric still folded in from when it was last ironed.

Jae looked up at me, her eyes shining. She eyed my clothes as if she was judging me as I judged her. "What are you wearing?" She asked. "I would have thought some ancestral clothing would've looked nicer on you than that."

I laughed louder and nudged her. "I'm only fourteen, give me a break!" I said. "This was a gift from Father, I thought I would wear it to honour." Even thinking about him still hurt, I wonder what Jae's opinion was on all of this.

Jae stiffened, the show of the child I had just elbowed disappeared and Captain Song returned. She was still way too young for the position, she was only fifteen.

"I'm sorry, I thought you just had it stashed somewhere in your closet among the clothes from your mother." She said, her voice suddenly huskier and usual.

I looked at her, reaching to take her hand but then thinking the better of it. "What's wrong?" I asked, staring at her until she looked at me. I sucked in a breath. She was crying. Jae had never cried before.

"Jae, tell me, not as your Prince—as your friend," I said, this time forgetting everything and grabbing her fingers. She looked up at me sharply, even for her age, I was still taller. She would probably grow a few more inches and that would be her height.

"My family, I visited them and—" Her breath hitched in her throat and she looked at me, her lower lips trembling as she struggled not to burst. "Both of my parents have the disease, my Nonna is already dead and…" She hugged me, forgetting everything as well.

"Hiro, I don't know what to do—can you help me?" Her face buried itself in my chest, I could feel her tears as they wet my white cotton shirt.

I lifted up her face, smiling down at her. "I haven't told anyone, but I think I can heal others, the way I heal myself," I said, my eyes widening with hers as I realised exactly what I just told her.

"Hiro…" She breathed, her eyes widening as she stared. "You think you can save them?" She asked.

I bit my lip and looked away from her gaze, the one that held me captive like the day we met and she saved a whole bunch of people's lives from me.

"It's worth a try."