Forest Near Namimori—10 Years in the Future
Death was the one thing about life that Sasagawa Kyoko could never understand. After all, it was not something she personally experienced, nor something that she had seen—to her, the concept of losing one's life might be dreadful, but it lacked any concreteness, lacked any proof to back up this abstract reputation.
The fact that her brother is one of the most alive and extreme person there is doesn't help her get over this misconception. Actually, if one considers it more, perhaps her brother contributed to her lovely innocence more than anyone else. Between his upbeat personality, booming voice, and seemingly inexhaustible energy, Ryohei Sasagawa was the picture of infallibility.
Of course, there were times when he had worried her, but he always pulled through. Time and time again, this only served to reinforce the confidence in Kyoko's mind.
Until that day.
Even in death, Ryohei Sasagawa appeared so active, so content, and so alive. From the sheen of sweat over his skin to the surprisingly tense muscles that knotted his neck, he appeared to be no more than just asleep. If not for the thin wound over his heart, Kyoko would've never believed that her only brother had passed away. She could almost see herself berating him for not taking care of his body enough, and for how much he worried her.
But that was something that Kyoko couldn't do now.
The group surrounding Kyoko, consisting of the Varia, CEDEF, Kokuyo gang as well as Tsuna's guardians all chose to detach themselves from the quiet girl, choosing not to interrupt her moment of mourning. Perhaps there was a certain purity about her reactions that prompted a twinge of guilt in even the most twisted of the group.
Bending down, Mukuro picked up the discarded bellflower from the grass. Leaning his lithe frame forward, he gave the violet flora a sniff and gave a conclusive sigh.
"It appears that Kikyo's flower contains a fatal poison. There is no hope left."
With that, he strolled his way out of the clearing, taking his rowdy entourage with him.
Mukuro's judgement confirmed what she had already feared but could not admit. Holding back no longer, translucent orbs gathered at the edge of her eyes. Shaking her head, the orbs broke their shape and streamed down Kyoko's pale face. Suddenly, her legs seemed to have lost all strength; unable to support her body any further, she could only kneel down in front of her brother's body. Weeping silently, she remained in this position until she felt a warm hand on her shoulders.
Reassuring her with the pressure from his hands, Tsuna barely croaked out the words he knew he should say.
"I'm so sorry."
Café in Namimori—The Present
"Ciaossu."
"Ah, Reborn-kun. I can't believe you're here already!"
Ignoring the many odd looks that the other customers gave her, Kyoko took her seat across from her host. Considering the fact that she was having lunch with a baby dressed in a black suit and matching fedora, the attention really can't be considered a surprise. Even her own choice of clothing, consisting of a red jacket over a flower-patterned dress, seemed mildly out of place in this high-end restaurant. With that being said, Kyoko really was surprised when Reborn suggested Café Vongole of all places to meet. It wasn't everyday that she could be treated to a meal in a restaurant with such a delightful ambiance. However, even she knew that the baby would not invite her to such a place for no reason. His last words had been especially troubling.
"Make sure no one knows that you're here."
Despite the rather ominous warning, Kyoko trusted Reborn 100% and so, arrived on time and ready to eat to her stomach's content. The baby's generosity must be fully taken advantaged of; after all, who know's when this opportunity might come again? Brushing back her hip-length hair, Kyoko bobbed her head to the melody of the music, waiting for Reborn to make a move.
"So what would you like Kyoko? I've heard that the Ciceri e Tria dish here is quite satisfying. Or maybe a few slices of some pepperoni pizza?"
Handing Kyoko the intricately designed menu, Reborn smirked slightly at her obvious confusion. Who could blame her? After all, this is the first time she's ever had any authentic Italian cuisine, and if the prices are anything to judge by, it certainly will be her last.
After a few seconds of the menu, Kyoko relented. Giving Reborn an embarrassed smile, she said,
"I'll let you decide that, Reborn-kun. Besides, this can't be what you called me here for."
"She's catching on fast."
Nodding his head in approval, Reborn called out for a waiter. Within a few seconds, one came. If the waiter was surprised to be addressed by an infant, he didn't show it at all. Bending down, he listened to Reborn as he murmured the list of dishes he wants prepared. Giving a nod at the end, the waiter bowed once and left.
"Reborn-kun, you seem to really know your way with these restaurants and dishes."
It was true. As a veteran hitman in service to the Vongola, Reborn frequents these restaurants, if only to befriend his targets before assassinating them. As if Kyoko noted something not even worth mentioning, Reborn gave a curt nod before going on.
"I want you to become Tsuna's new guardian of the sun."
Eye's widening in surprise, Kyoko was rooted to her seat at the seemingly random outburst. Eyeing Reborn critically, Kyoko gave a pleasant laugh that attracted plenty of attention from the other tables. "Hahahaha. Reborn-kun, you really are good at making me laugh. How did you know that I love telling jokes before eating?"
In the flash of an eye and without any warning, Reborn pointed his pet-turned-gun towards Kyoko. The gun had the dull look of plastic, and so drew no suspicion from the other tables. Tipping his fedora so that it casted a shadow over his face, Reborn's tone became awfully cold.
"I never joke about things concerning the Vongola."
Knowing from the start that Reborn was completely serious, Kyoko didn't even flinch when she saw the gun pointed at her, Reborn's little fingers on the trigger. Straightening her back, she responded with a surprisingly cheerful tone, "Reborn-kun, stop this. You know I don't want the position, especially after…" At this, Kyoko's smile faltered a bit.
Lowering his gun, Reborn shifted his seat so that he viewed her from the corner of his eyes and responded back in his usual tone, "I didn't choose you because of Ryohei. I chose you because I've seen your resolve and believe that you have a suitable personality. That is all."
Flinching slightly at the mention of her late brother, Kyoko's face held a small, strained smile when she responded.
"I may know a bit about the mafia, the Vongola, and the Tri-Ni-Set, but I'm not strong like Gokudera-kun or Yamamoto-kun. I mean, I want to protect Tsu-kun, I really do. But I know that I would just be a burden to them and you know it too, Reborn-kun. So why do you still keep this up?"
Hearing Kyoko say this with a perfectly straight face, Reborn couldn't help but smirk at her complete inexperience.
"You call those idiot students strong? You have the potential to be just as strong, if not stronger than every other guardian."
After an impatient pause, Reborn went on.
"Stop saying these pointless things Kyoko. The real reason why you don't want to accept Ryohei's former position is because that would mean that he failed his duty. You don't want to hurt the pride of someone close to you, even if they've already passed away. But have you considered this, Kyoko? As the Sun Guardian, you'll be able to protect those that matter to Ryohei, and is that not what matters the most?"
Taking note of Kyoko's conflicted emotions, Reborn continued in a quieter voice, "That day…he saved you from falling into despair. He became the shoulder for you to lean on. Think of what he means to Ryohei, and what he means to you. Think of what acceptance means, Sasagawa Kyoko."
The expression on Kyoko's doubtful face illustrated her own inner struggle, but Reborn had clearly struck a sensitive topic. Silently congratulating himself, he took a relaxed sip of his espresso and allowed his words to sink in.
Gripping the cloth of her dress tightly, Kyoko turned to smile once more at the nonchalant baby. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but the sudden ringing of her cell phone interrupted her.
Winking her eyes at Reborn in a "May I?" gesture, Kyoko pulled her phone from her handbag and responded.
"Hello, who is it?...What did you say Hana? I don't believe it! A 70% sale on handbags? I'll be right there. Make sure to reserve me a few!"
Making an apologetic gesture to Reborn, Kyoko rushed out of her seat…
But froze when she saw Reborn pointing his gun at her once more. A strange smile coloured his face as he spoke his next words.
"You haven't paid for the meal yet."
A/N: First chapter done ^_^
If you enjoyed this chapter, please review, PM, comment etc. so that I know what my readers think of the plot/writing style. If there are enough reviews, I might just keep this series going for a long time yet!