Summary: He was the aloof cloud. He would be free and nothing could catch him, tame him, order him. But that didn't change the fact that he was still near the sky. But he was there of his own free will. And he didn't know why.
Not Chained, But There
Hibari Kyoya sat atop the roof of Nami High and saw the herbivore and his herd again. His herbivore and their herd, he supposed, but at the same time, not.
"Ah, Hibari-san!" The principal called out upon seeing him. The teen jumped down and landed next to him, scowling. "You'll look over the school festival right—"
"I see no reason to; Student Council has the local police visiting and they should overlook it. Disciplinary members are still students and I have given them the day off to enjoy their school festival."
"Wha—" The principal stuttered. The bloodthirsty prefect actually had enough heart to let his subordinates have free time?! "But Hibari-san, the Disciplinary Committee's job is to watch over the students—"
"And the police's job is to watch over the town and its inhabitants, therefore Nami High students as well. I have already told them to enjoy themselves and I will not change my mind."
"Hibari!" The principal shouted. "I order you to watch over the school festival; you don't even attend a class or have anything to do—"
The teen glared at the man who began to shake. "I don't take orders from anyone, especially not you."
"A-Ah, Kyoya-san!" A shaky voice called out. His herbivore ran up to him and handed him a bento. "A-Ah, thanks for your help the other day—you know with them…"
A nearby mafia family had been disrupting Namimori. His herbivore and his (their?) herd were getting overwhelmed by the numbers when Hibari decided they were making too much noise and dropped by to tell them to be quiet. No one except the prefect himself left the sight unharmed.
Of course his herbivore and his herd were no exception either; the brunette in front of him was sporting a black eye currently.
"Hn," Hibari responded, taking the lunch absentmindedly. "Tell Sawada-san my thanks." He held the woman in high regard; for putting up with her son and his noisy friends and a deadbeat husband along with three children that weren't even her own. He respected the woman.
"A-Ah, sure!" Tsuna said, before being pulled away into his herd once again.
Hibari glared once more at the principal and left with his boxed lunch. He would not let the noisy man in his presence anymore. Hibird flew to him and landed on his head. "Hibari, Hibari!"
"Ah, it's feeding time." Hibari murmured, resting in a tree and taking a few seeds out of his pocket for the canary to eat.
Hibari made himself comfortable in the tree as Hibird sang the Nami Chuu anthem. He much preferred the middle school's song to the high school's song. Hibird made a little mistake in the end.
"Hm, a little too high pitched."
"Hibari, Hibari! Applaud, Applaud!"
Hibari smiled slightly. "Oh, you still ask for praise? How bold."
"Kyuu, kyuu!" Hibari's bracelet said as Roll came out of his form and onto Hibari's shoulder where he chirped up at Hibird and tried to sing the anthem. He ended up matching the beat but that was about all he could do.
It was quite cute.
Hibari watched as the herbivore came up to the roof alone, without his herd. "Oh? The sky is alone today?"
Tsuna looked up, shocked then relaxed some. "Ah, Hayato was asked to redo his cooking in Home Economics and Takeshi had to go work a little bit more on the math test and Onii-chan was going to print out advertisements for the Boxing Club with the festival coming up, you know?"
Hibari nodded and opened his bento as Tsuna did his own. Hibari was always impressed with the cooking of the boy's mother. The baby called her a Yamato nadeshiko and that was so appropriate it was scary. After saying "Itadakimasu" quietly, Hibari dug in, Tsuna doing so as well.
"Ah, Kyoya-san?" Tsuna asked. "You usually bite me to death when I come up here to eat."
Hibari nodded. "Because you are usually crowding with your herd; but you are not herding now."
Tsuna blinked. "Ah, thank you, Kyoya-san."
After lunch, the herbivore went back to class and the baby came up after. "Hmp, Hibari."
"Ah, baby, what?" Kyoya asked. "What are you still doing in that form? Your curse is broken."
Reborn nodded. "It's easier to follow my Less-than-Dame-Student in this form. You really are becoming a real Cloud, Hibari."
"Hn?"
"You hate crowding," Reborn started. "However, you still stay close to the sky."
"What do you mean?"
"Want me to spell it out to you?" Reborn asked. "Look up."
Hibari did as asked. The wide open blue sky had a sun and several clouds and on the horizon, one could see the hints of a storm on the horizon (Kokuyo area, hopefully) that had lightning and rain if one could squint. It was still early so there were traces of mist left, though they were beginning to fade.
The sky was open to all and embraced all. It was as if they were chained.
However, the clouds still moved along the grand blue space gracefully, freely.
What the baby was trying to tell him, he did not understand, or he did not find a reason to focus on the question. He lay down to take a nap.
The festival was a dreaded event for Hibari.
There were too many crowds and from the roof he could hear the dreaded conversations of everyone. It was a terrible thing, not to mention the fact that the pineapple herbivore made himself present today along with his crew and he was not allowed to bite any of them to death because it wouldn't be fair to the Kokuyo students. Even the Reception Room was made into an event from the Safety Department.
Hibari was not pleased at all.
On his way home, he heard several crashes and he knew, he just knew it was his herbivore.
And Hibari saw an assassin chasing the herbivore that was searching desperately through his pockets muttering to himself "Pills, pills, where are my pills?!" while holding his gloves in his mouth. Hibari shoved a tonfa at the assassin's throat, driving him back.
"What the—" The assassin growled out. Hibari held his tonfa up.
"I'll bite you to death." Kyoya growled.
"I know you! You're the Cloud Guardian!" The assassin said, pointing at him before smirking. "Geez, you might as well step away. Then you'll be free."
"What?" Hibari muttered, looking at the man confused.
"It's the rings, the rings! You're stuck to your duties of protecting that brat because of your position!" The man said, pulling out a gun. "But if I kill him, you won't have that duty anymore; you'll be free like the cloud you are—"
Kyoya hit the man across the jaw. "Wrong."
"Eh?!"
"Sawada Tsunayoshi is not my boss, nor do I take orders from him, nor do I have any ties to him. He is a weak, pathetic little herbivore that is only strong when it comes to his herd. I am not part of that herd, but he is my herbivore; he is my sky. The Vongola doesn't chain me. I stay with the sky out of my own free will."
"Wh-what!?" The man shouted, scrambling backwards. "W-why?! You just said he was pathetic—"
"He is, don't get me wrong. But being pathetic doesn't mean someone is not interesting." Hibari said, brandishing his tonfa. "For being in possession of a weapon and attempting to harm a student of Nami High, I'll bite you to death."
The man was knocked out before he could even scream.
"Hm, thanks for taking care of my apparently-still-dame-student, Hibari." An adult Reborn said, walking up to the two. He heaved the body on his shoulder. "I'll take care of this one."
"Hn," Hibari said.
"A-Ah, Kyoya-san." Tsuna called out, looking at the teen. "W-Why'd you help me?"
Hibari blinked. "I don't know. It would be disappointing if you died, I suppose. Like I said, you're interesting."
"So does that mean you'll leave once you figure Dame-Tsuna out?" Reborn asked.
Hibari shrugged and left after yawning. "Have another bento for me tomorrow, herbivore."
Hibird flew over. "Hibari, Hibari! Bye Herbivore, Herbivore!"
"E-eh, did I just get insulted by a bird…?" Tsuna wondered. Reborn shrugged.
"That's just that guy's way of acknowledging you, Dame-Tsuna."
"I know that name's an insult at least."
"Can't you tell I call you that with all the love in my heart? That's just my way of acknowledging you."
Tsuna sighed and waved bye to Hibird anyhow; he knew the raven-haired owner of the bird wouldn't turn back anyhow.
"Hibari, Hibari." Hibird said once at home. "Herbivore, Herbivore?"
Hibari blinked. "I don't know."
The sky was open to all and embraced all. It was as if they were chained.
However, the clouds still moved along the grand blue space gracefully, freely.
Hibari let out a rare smile. "I am the aloof cloud, I suppose. However, the sky is welcoming and embraces even those that stray from it. The sky knows that the clouds are always nearby, I suppose."
Hibird cocked his head. "Herbivore, Omnivore?"
"…Maybe in the future." Hibari said, petting his fluffy bird. "It'll be long before he can surpass a Carnivore."