The Summoning Pact

Chapter Fourteen - A New Ally

"Reborn," Tsuna called out. Even as he penned in a few lines of his essay, the brunet sat at his desk and stared at his work. "Can I ask you something?"

Reborn had been reading one of the books Verde had filched from the back area of the library, thumbing the pages delicately from his position sprawled out on the bed. Making a note of his page, he set the book to the side and replied, "Of course."

"Remember when I gave you Luce's diary? Did you ever read it?"

Reborn was startled, brow furrowing in thought and then slowly answered, "No. No, I didn't."

"How come?" Tsuna's tone was nonchalant as he wrote a few more bedraggled sentences about how the shape of the circle affected summoning viability.

"It seemed like an invasion of privacy," Reborn finally said as he sat up, hands clasped loosely together in his lap. "She was an outstanding person. I didn't want to ruin my perception of her."

Tsuna grimaced at that answer, capping his pen and twisting in his chair to face Reborn, scratching nervously under his jaw. Seeing Tsuna's nervousness, Reborn sat up straighter.

"What's wrong, Tsuna?"

"If I asked you to, would you read it for me?" Tsuna asked lowly, making eye contact briefly and then looking away.

Reborn felt the anger before he managed to catch himself, moving as if to stand up as he sharply replied, "What, so I can explain her actions to you?"

"Yes," Tsuna answered simply, shrinking back in his chair. "To put it in simple terms, Reborn, I…I would like to know her reasoning in choosing you to summon, what made you her choice to summon. I mean…an event like the Purge, yes, it was a drastic time, but…but what prompted her to begin her crusade? I'm one person in the grand scheme of everything and yet, somehow, I have four Arcobaleno quite happily contracted to me."

"And you think that's reason enough to desecrate what she left behind?"

"I think a young woman left her home in a time of great need and her only reason to continue was her ability to summon seven very powerful demons and hope for a better future, Reborn," Tsuna said softly. "She came to my family with nothing when the world was going to hell with a motivation to make things different. Forgive me for wanting to know. It was just a question."

Clearing his throat, Tsuna returned to his work and tried to push down the irrational fear that Reborn was going to hurt him. He could still feel the demon all but humming in repressed anger.

"How much did you want to know?" Reborn finally asked, voice low.

"It wouldn't have been the whole thing, Reborn. I'm not asking to see her perception of you and the others. I just…What drove her to do such great things? I could only glean about three sentences with my rudimentary Italian and even then that was more of a formal introduction of herself."

"Is this something you really need to know?" Reborn pressed, making a move to stand behind Tsuna and resting a hand on the back of his chair.

"I'd like to think it is," Tsuna admitted, rolling his pen between his fingers almost nervously.

"Only the first few pages then," Reborn finally acquiesced. "It gives me a chance to see what inspired her as well."

"Thank you." Tsuna twisted slightly so he could gently rest his fingers over Reborn's hand, curling them slightly for a gentle grip. "And sorry for putting you through this."

My name is Luce Giglio Nero. Today is the twelfth of April, 1656. For eight days I have held this book with the inclination to writing about my pain in the hopes that it would lessen.