Notes: Just made this account today, so sorry if I have no author's picture yet. Yeah posting this when KHR is about to end is sort of a bad timing. Sorry about that! Well, I hope everyone enjoys anyway. Thanks!
Summary: The trouble with the future was finally over and everyone was back to the present time. However, what happens when Tsuna travels back to the future and realizes he still dies? Will he be able to change the outcome once more?
Chapter 1
"Lambo come back here!" Tsuna yelled as he chased the annoying yet somehow loveable cow down the stairs.
"Nyahaha! You have to catch Lambo-san first." He shouted as he scattered the grape ball-like candies around. Of course, Tsuna being Tsuna tripped ungracefully to the floor.
"Ack!" Tsuna groaned as he fell face-flat on the floor. He sat up and rubbed his sore face. "I-Itte…"
It has been three weeks since they came back from the future. Tsuna's battles as a middle schooler in a warped future had finally ended and the brunet couldn't feel anymore relieved. Gone were the days of endless worry and sleepless nights. He no longer had to worry about his friends being in constant jeopardy and he no longer had to live each day with guilt eating his stomach. But most of all, he no longer had to carry the weight of the burden of innocent people's deaths on his shoulders… including his own.
Tsuna shivered from unknown coldness.
Thinking back, it was scary to have found himself in the dark small space of his coffin. It was even scarier to find out that he died before he could make a life for himself, before he could have a wife and children. Tsuna died at the age of twenty-four. He died before he reached the prime of his life.
Tsuna got up still rubbing his face as he heard Lambo cheer in the other room. The brunet leaned down and dusted his pants as he sighed. "Lambo if you don't come out, I'll tell mom!"
Lambo peeked out of the door and stuck out his tongue. "Bleh!" He ran out of the kitchen carrying his bazooka as a weapon of defense.
"Hey!" Tsuna said as he grabbed the bazooka from the young cow. The young boss raised it above his head, out of the Bovino's reach. Lambo cried as he jumped and flailed around. "I won't give this back unless you take a bath."
Lambo frowned at the teen before he lifted his foot to step on the brunet's foot. Thankfully, Tsuna was fast enough to dodge the oncoming attack, however his swift motion caused him to hit his foot on the wall behind him. Tears formed at the corner of brown eyes as Tsuna breathed out, "Ow…"
"Hahaha… ha…" Lambo tried to laugh but there were also tears at the corner of his eyes because he stomped his foot too hard on the floor.
"Stop laughing when you're in pain too!" Tsuna said as he turned and limped to his room with the bazooka still in his arms. He didn't notice that it was wet.
The brunet locked the door of his room once he was inside, and placed the bazooka down. He went to his closet and proceeded to change clothes. He, Gokudera, and Yamamoto were going to Takesushi. They wanted to treasure the peaceful days as long as they could.
However, as Tsuna was pulling the shirt over his head, he suddenly stumbled. He took a few steps back to steady himself but then another large obstacle hindered him he found himself falling…
POOF!
POOF!
Tsuna took a deep breath when he felt himself land on a solid ground. He pulled his shirt down and exhaled in relief that he could finally see what was going on. His eyes blinked at the unwelcomed darkness and he looked around in confusion.
Was there a power shortage? Was his first logical thought. However this thought was overturned when he abruptly remembered that it was still day time and it wasn't this dark in his room even without the lights. The brunet shook his head as he remembered that Lambo's bazooka was conveniently placed behind him when he fell back.
"So I must be back in the future again…" Tsuna thought out loud as he tried to sit up but then his head hit something hard. "O-Ouch!" He said and this time he extended his hands to see what was on top of him. He felt something budge and he began to think in confusion. "What's my future self doing in a place like this?" He thought. But then his eyes widened when he realized the familiarity of the situation.
Shaking hands pushed the budging piece of wood in front of him and the lid gave way as Tsuna sat up fearfully. However, instead of a forest, a dark room with black walls, floor, ceiling, white flowers and candles met his sights.
The brunet looked down and his eyes widened even more when his greatest fear was realized.
This is…
Setting: Ten years into the future, Vongola Mansion in Japan
"Here is the report about our territory in Spain." Gokudera said blankly as he handed out the documents to the guardians. He looked terrible, his eyes were dead, his skin pale, and his hair messy as though he hadn't combed it for several days.
Chrome accepted the documents and handed them out blindly to the other guardians. Her own eyes were red and puffy from crying.
Ryohei took the documents the female guardian offered, not really aware of what he was doing.
Hibari seemed more annoyed than usual so Chrome just placed the document in front of him.
As Lambo took the documents, his face scrunched up, looking as though he was willing himself not to cry.
Yamamoto took the documents from Chrome with a nod. His face was unsmiling and his expression hard and scary as he clenched and unclenched his hands.
Everyone except Hibari began to browse through the documents quietly. Gokudera opened his mouth to say something but then he stopped himself and shook his head. The individual expressions on each of the guardians' faces told him that no one would be listening to what he had to say.
The tense atmosphere in the room was interrupted when the speaker in the room came on.
"Everyone." It was Ginannini. "T-There's an i-intruder…" His voice was cracking as he sniffled and continued to speak. "T-There's an intruder in j-jyuudaime's-" But the mechanic was cut off when he began bawling.
Gokudera sighed. "Spanner, tell us the situation." The storm said, knowing that the ex-millefiore would be somewhere near.
"Ah." Spanner's voice seemed to be more emotionless than before. "An intruder was detected in Vongola's coffin room."
The guardians looked up stunned as they exchanged looks. The other's faces became grave and Gokudera's expression turned into anger. Even in death, their boss was still being hunted by assassins and spies?
"Is the intruder, the usual?" Yamamoto asked in a serious voice that effectively dropped the temperature in the room.
"Unknown." Spanner answered.
"How did he extremely get in Sawada's-" Ryohei momentarily choked at the name. "-room?"
"He seemed to have appeared out of thin air." Spanner replied and there were shuffling noises. "We can't see what's going on in there. It's the only room with no security cameras after all."
"Appeared out of thin air?" Gokudera stated as he placed a hand under his chin. Hibari had his arms crossed but there was little interest in his eyes.
"You mean, like how the cow herbivore's younger self usually appear?" Hibari stated and at that, everyone's eyes widened.
"I-It couldn't be…" Chrome said in a shaky voice as tears began to gather at the corner of her visible eye.
"Tsuna…" Yamamoto's said as his fists clenched.
"Vongola… " Lambo said and his eyes became teary. "Was it my bazooka? Did it get him by accident in the past?"
"Let's stop standing around and head there immediately!" Gokudera said as he stood up. "If this is really jyuudaime from the past then we only have five minutes!"
"Octopus head is extremely right! Let's go!" Ryohei said, pumped up with energy for the first time in days.
Lambo opened the door in a hurry and the guardians began to sprint down the hallways towards Tsuna's coffin room. Hibari was just walking behind them not wanting to lose his cool like his fellow guardians.
Boss, please let it be you!
This was everyone wished deep in their hearts as they drew closer to the truth.
Tsuna shakily stepped out of his –insert shudder here- coffin as he looked around at the dimly lit room. Without his consent, tears began to form at the corner of his eyes as he reached up a hand to rub away the forming liquid.
This can't be happening! Not again!
This was Tsuna's thoughts as he looked around with a fearful expression. Why was it that whenever he went to the future, he always finds himself dead? Why?
The brunet walked around the room and cringed at the scent of candles and white orchids in the air. It smelled like death.
Wait. Tsuna froze. The worst case scenario immediately entered his thoughts. What about everyone else? Are they alright? Are there another mass of people lying dead somewhere too?
Too stunned by words, too surprised at his thoughts, and just downright tired, Tsuna's knees buckled and he fell into a kneel and unable to help himself, the tears ran down freely from his eyes.
This couldn't be happening again! He couldn't bear to undergo another hardship with his guardians in tow! They've had enough troubles for a lifetime! And besides, what was the use of Uni sacrificing herself to bring everyone back?
"No…" Tsuna moaned as he sat down and pulled his knees to his chest. Not again.
He didn't want another person dying in front of him to bring everyone back to life. He didn't want to be helpless as he watches everyone he loves and holds dear suffering.
Please tell me this is all a dream.
And with these depressing thoughts, the brunet was only vaguely aware of the sound of the door opening.
They were panting by the time they arrived in front of the double-oaked doors of Tsuna's coffin room. You'd think that after ten years of brutal training under Reborn and Dino they'd be fitter. But it wasn't the adrenaline rush that was making them pant, it wasn't exhaustion that made their muscles suddenly stiff… It was the thought of seeing Tsuna again. It was the thought that they have been given another chance to protect their young boss or at least tell him of what happened so that he may change the future himself.
"Jyuudaime…" Gokudera laid a hand on the cold wooden door. They had always visited this room separately. He and the guardians all needed alone time to talk to Tsuna for themselves, to apologize, to shed tears without feeling embarrassed, without anyone else seeing them so weak and defenseless.
"Gokudera, we should open it now." Yamamoto said as he also placed a hand on the door. "We only have five minutes.
Not even bothering to snap at the rain guardian, the tired storm just nodded as he and the rain guardian pushed the doors open.
Behind them, the rest of the guardians, excluding Hibari, prayed feverishly that it was indeed the young Tsuna waiting on the other side, and not another one of those exclusive assassins checking if the brunet was really dead.
Because, boy, would it be a blood bath if it did turn out to be just another assassin.
Their meeting was mostly silence, wide-eyes staring, and unvoiced words.
The door just opened, Tsuna of course automatically looked up as his older guardians stumbled into the room in their haste to see him. The Vongola got up shakily as his expression scrunched up in half-sadness and half-happiness at seeing them.
The guardians turned to him, looking at him from head to toe, making sure that it wasn't an illusion that their boss was really in front of them. Their hands were shaking from wanting to reach out, their lips formed words but their voice could not come out.
Tsuna was the first one to speak. And he said in a weak and shaking voice, "E-Everyone…?"
The sound of the voice that has yet to reach maturity, triggered many actions.
Chrome gasped as she placed her hands to cover her mouth in shock. She fell unto a kneel, her legs no longer supporting her weight. Lambo finally let go of the tears he was holding back and just started bawling outright. Hibari shook his head in exasperation but there was a small smile on his face as he turned away. Ryohei bent down to help the female mist guardian but he was sniffling as well. Gokudera and Yamamoto, being Tsuna's bestest and closest friends ran up to him while calling his name.
"TSUNA!"
"JYUUDAIME!"
The brunet was only able to open his mouth before he was enveloped into the arms of his two, much taller and muscular, guardians.
"You're alive… you're really alive…" Tsuna heard Yamamoto mutter as he placed a hand on the rain's arm.
"I-I'm so sorry jyuudaime! I failed you! I couldn't protect you!" Gokudera began to say out loud. His voice was shaking with regret but there was relief mixed into it.
"B-Boss…" Chrome's visible eyes filled with tears as they ran down her cheeks while Ryohei supported her while approaching Tsuna.
"Sawada, it's good to see you're doing well." Ryohei commented as he ruffled Tsuna's hair.
"V-Vongola!" Lambo said crying uncoolly, as he approached his brother model. He tried to grab on to Tsuna despite Yamamoto and Gokudera being there. "You're really here Vongola!"
Hibari leaned against the door, the expression of irritation on his face gone.
"Everyone, you're alright." Tsuna said and he smiled as tears ran down his cheeks. "That's a relief."
At those words, everyone's face scrunched up in regret, sadness, and guilt.
"What's wrong?" Tsuna asked, immediately noticing the tense silence.
Yamamoto expression softened as he patted the brunet on the head. "Those words…You really are Tsuna… "
Confusion passed Tsuna's face and Gokudera immediately intervened. "It's nothing you should worry about jyuudaime." The storm guardian said hurriedly as he flashed Yamamoto a quick glare. "The baseball idiot is just saying random stuff again."
Yamamoto laughed. And since it was his first laugh in days, everyone stared at him stunned. "It's been awhile since you last called me 'baseball idiot' Gokudera."
The Italian's expression softened but he then he said fiercely, "No need to get sentimental about it."
Yamamoto laughed and Chrome and the others couldn't help but smile at that. The two people most closest to Tsuna were finally back to themselves.
"Hey, Sawada, not that I'm timing your arrival or anything… But hasn't it been past five minutes yet?" Ryohei asked and everyone turned their attention towards their young boss.
The brunet looked at his watch and his brown eyes widened. "You're right. It has!" Don't tell me I'm stuck in the future again!
Unable to help themselves, everyone became a bit happy at Tsuna's case. They get to spend a little time with their boss.
"It seems that my younger self did something to the bazooka again." Lambo said clearing his throat proudly.
"But then, what about my future self?" Tsuna thought in panic. "What if Reborn or someone finds him in my room and…?"
They knew that if any of their younger selves find a dead Tsuna in the Sawada household, the whole Family would be in an uproar but then… wouldn't it successfully change the past and prevent them from being unable to protect their boss again?
"No, don't worry about it Vongola." Lambo sighed and everyone turned to him. "The bazooka doesn't exchange a living person with a-" Lambo choked. "-nonliving one. No one replaced you in the past, like what happened to Reborn before."
Then I'll just end up missing. Tsuna thought. But then they'll find the bazooka and I'm sure Reborn can put two and two together.
While Tsuna was thinking this, the guardians, being livelier after hearing that their boss was going to stay for a while, began planning where Tsuna will sleep.
"As I thought, jyuudaime should stay with me, his right-hand man!" Gokudera argued.
"No! Sawada should extremely stay with me since he's my extreme younger brother!" Ryohei roared.
"We're the same age, and since Vongola will obviously be borrowing my clothes, he should stay with me!" Lambo said in a defiant tone.
Since Chrome was a girl, she couldn't join in the argument and Hibari had no interest at all in rooming with a herbivore.
"Maa… maa… everyone calm down." Yamamoto laughed. Tsuna was still squeezed in between him and Gokudera. The bomber frowned at that and he pulled Tsuna's arm while Yamamoto laughed and placed an arm around the brunet's shoulder.
However, their conversation was interrupted when Tsuna's stomach began to grumble. Tsuna's face flushed as everyone turned to stare at him. "Uhm…"
"Boss, are you hungry?" Chrome asked in worry.
"W-Well, I was supposed to be heading to Takesushi with Gokudera and Yamamoto but then… this happened." Tsuna said in embarrassment.
"Don't worry jyuudaime! I'll take care of it! I'll have the chefs prepare your favorite food!" The storm said before rushing off.
Chefs? Tsuna repeated with eyes wide. Yamamoto laughed again as he led the brunet out of the room.
"Let's go Tsuna. We shouldn't stay in here for too long." Yamamoto said as they walked. Chrome, Lambo, Ryohei, and HIbari followed them. Chrome closed the door to Tsuna's coffin room with a frown before following them to the dining room.
"So, how's everything in the past? Is it still okay?" Yamamoto asked and Tsuna nodded numbly.
"Yeah, everyone is enjoying the peace." Tsuna said with a nod and then he added uncertainly. "Yamamoto, uhm, is there anyone…?"
Yamamoto stared at him, comprehending what he was trying to say.
Tsuna swallowed. "Is your f-father okay?"
Understanding flooded the amber eyes and Yamamoto nodded. "Yes. No one else we know is dead Tsuna, don't worry."
Tsuna felt relief seep in his tired bones before followed by grief. Was he the only one who died in this era before his time?
Yamamoto's eyes narrowed as he frowned. "I'm sorry Tsuna."
The brunet looked up curiously. "Yamamoto?"
"It's our fault everything ended up this way." Yamamoto fists clenched as he bit his lip. "We should've noticed something…"
Behind Yamamoto, the four other guardians were quiet. They had grave looks on their faces as well.
"Wha-?" But before Tsuna could finish his question, the door in front of them opened and an older Giannini and Spanner came out.
Giannini appeared to be crying while Spanner was as emotionless as ever beside him.
"Giannini!" Yamamoto called out. The Vongola mechanic looked up.
"Yamamoto-sama…" His eyes were full of tears so it took awhile for him to comprehend the person Yamamoto had an arm around on. Black eyes widened as Giannini dropped the handkerchief he was using to blow his nose. "J-J-J-J-J-Jyuudaime!"
Giannini rushed towards the stunned tenth at top speed. Behind him, Spanner was also looking wide-eyed at the young Vongola. His own lollipop dropped to the floor in shock.
"E-Eh?" Tsuna said before he was suddenly tackled by the over-enthusiastic mechanic. Thankfully, Yamamoto was behind him to steady him.
"JYUUDAIME!" Giannini cried out as he squeezed the life out of Tsuna.
"G-Giannini…" Tsuna said as he patted the mechanic on the back. Brown eyes turned to the ex-Millefiore behind the Vongola mechanic and he smiled. "Spanner."
Spanner's eyes widened before it softened and he gave a small smile. "As expected of you Vongola, to cheat death."
Tsuna looked sheepish. "I-I didn't cheat death though, it's just the bazooka…"
"Right, right…" Spanner said waving off the other's embarrassment. "Either way, it's good to have you back Vongola. The mansion was becoming boring without you around."
"Y-Yeah…" Tsuna said his eyes saddening. Noticing this, Yamamoto immediately pulled the brunet out of Giannini's arms. "Maa, we have a lot of time to catch up later for now why don't we head to the dining room to eat?" The rain guardian said, easing the tension.
"That's right! We should celebrate jyuudaime's return!" Giannini said as he enthusiastically ran to the kitchen, willing to eat now that his appetite was back.
Speaking of appetite, Tsuna looked at his guardians who were chatting happily with each other. They seemed thinner and paler than they really were. Even onii-san and Yamamoto who were both tanned from head to toe had taken an unhealthy color…
It's our fault everything ended up this way. We should've noticed something…
What did Yamamoto mean by that?
Lunch time was the most eventful gathering Tsuna had ever seen.
His guardians were in the happiest state Tsuna had ever seen them and his heart ached at the thought of what will happen when he left again. He resolved that whenever he got the chance, he would try to pop back into the future as much as he could.
"Jyuudaime look!" Gokudera said holding up a book of UFOs the brunet had never seen before. "You gave this book to me on my last birthday. This is a limited edition book that was hard to get but you lined up in seven different stores with about 300 customers getting the same book just to get one for me."
"A-Ah, r-really?" Tsuna stated but it really wasn't him who did all that-
Suddenly hands grabbed Tsuna's small ones and the brunet looked up perplexed. "I never got around to showing how thankful I really am jyuudaime." The storm's tone had taken a sadder route as he looked at Tsuna.
But I didn't do that. He wanted to say. It was his future self they should be thanking-
But then again, maybe they already thanked him but his future self was already dead when they did.
"Sawada…" Ryohei suddenly called the attention of the young brunet. Ryohei's face was flushed from drinking a bottle of wine. "I also never got to thank you for protecting my sister and for reassuring me when things got too much." The sun guardian gripped tightly the wine glass he was holding.
"Vongola," This time it was Lambo who was sniffling. "Thank you too for looking after I-pin, Fuuta, and I when we were younger. I know we were a nuisance but you loved us anyway."
"Lambo, onii-san…" Tsuna stated with a sad look on his face.
"Boss, Mukuro-sama and I are also thankful for you for taking us in." Chrome said her visible eye teary. "These past few years were the happiest I- we've ever been."
Hibari said nothing and just crossed his arms.
Suddenly an arm draped over Tsuna's shoulder and he looked up to see sad amber eyes. "Maa, it looks like everyone drank a bit too much wine." Even as he said that, it looked like he wanted to say something as well.
"Yamamoto, what about you?" Tsuna asked swallowing against the tears as he smiled shakily. "Do you want to say something?"
Yamamoto's eyes narrowed before he pulled the stunned brunet into a hug. "Just thank you Tsuna… for being my best friend."
Tsuna's eyes softened sadly as he looked at his once lively guardians become somber.
"Thank you."
Notes: Dying again is such a pain especially after all the hardships that happened just to make sure everyone is alive. But you can't reset life and sometimes there's nothing you can do but just pray and pray everyday. But then, will Tsuna be able to do something to change the future once more? How will the past guardians react? Will Tsuna even tell them? These questions might be answered if you reviewed! XD
