I've finally returned with another KHR story, this time in dedication to the wonderful character of Lambo.
This takes place in the universe of, "if Tsuna really did die" situation; I've decided to make these events the point of view of Lambo. Because he's ten years younger than all of them, the others do not know how to break the news down to him, without being completely direct. They do not know how to tell him the truth; but what if, the truth was all Lambo needed...?
With that, I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
Where is he?
How is he?
What?
Stop avoiding my eyes.
Don't dodge the question.
Why do you keep avoiding me?
Just tell me.
I already know.
All I want...is your honesty.
Everywhere he looked, it was those eyes. Those eyes of sorrow, those eyes that wavered, those eyes that hesitated. To them, it was the hardest news to break down to him. To him, he already knew; he just wanted to hear the truthful answer with his own ears, not just from his knowledge.
When it happened, they told him to leave from the hallway they were standing in, for him to wait outside. He knew that they would come to get him once everything was settled; that is, if this issue were to ever be settled at all.
Everything that happened within those short minutes felt like a stab on to his own heart. The sound of the deafening gun shot, the thuds of their feet rushing to the scene, the cries and yelling that was heard as their most prized person was held within their arms. Their precious boss, their dying will, their sky.
He saw it all, the red that was spread upon the right-hand-man's clothes, the panicked tears that threatened to fall, the rage upon their sun's face, the cries of their lonely mist. He didn't have a chance to look at anyone else - for all of goodness, he didn't want to look anymore. It was at that moment he took that time, panicked, shaken, and most of all afraid of the outcome, that he turned to run through the outside doors. It was just his luck, just his damn luck, that his eyes landed upon the one who saved him.
Those eyes of orange, as the flame grew smaller upon his head. It smiled at him, it told him to not worry about what was going to happen. They were eyes full of compassion and caring; those eyes that took him in for ten long years, the eyes that underwent the responsibility of taking care of a child through the future's turmoils, the eyes that sacrificed his position as boss in order to protect him from being killed in a battle between two lightenings. These eyes, he knew, that were pure and honest.
It all only happened a mere few hours ago, as he took in all the scenes in his head and formed it into one memory. He leaned against the wall in whatever hallway he was in the Vongola mansion; he had been wandering aimlessly for who knows how long that he didn't realize where he was. All he wanted was to rest his tired mind from searching and seeking the truth behind all this. He was exhausted from all the stares, all the whispers behind his back, all the feelings of solemnity that have crept over his shoulders.
What the others haven't realized (or lack thereof), was that he already knew. He knew what happened to him, the one who cared, took him in, and nearly spoiled him, even though he knew he didn't deserve it. The one who showed him mercy when he needed it, the one who scolded him when he went to far, and the one who humbled who he was today and shaped his own well-being even though they were not in the least related. His boss, his brother, his dame-Tsuna, the one he knew very well of, was cold and gone.
Shadows casted over his eyes, his hair covering its true emotion. After what had happened in those hours, he figured it wouldn't be a good result. Yet a sliver of hope still resided in his soul; on to what, he knew not. But of course, life takes its own unexpected turns and crushed his last hope that same evening when he heard of the news.
It was the rain guardian that told him first, the most responsible out of their whole family. His eyes were glazed over with shock, disappointment, sorrow, and most of all, regret. A heavy burden of regret took over so much, that it seemed almost visible on his shoulders. He didn't make any eye contact as he spoke, no physical motions. Just words.
"...He's passed away, Lambo-kun."
For some odd reason, it didn't hit him; it was as if he already knew this was going to happen. But at the same time, a small jolt of shock spread throughout his body. It was as if his horn's stored-up lightning gave him a shock of reality that yes, this was true, and it was time to take it in, soak it into his thoughts and emotions.
But the fifteen-year-old couldn't do that. He didn't make any eye contact with the rain guardian, and still nothing even as he turned away from the room and started walking down the lonely hallway. The hallway seemed so dark, so lifeless, almost as if a candle that was once set there had its bright flame suddenly blown out.
Throughout the rest of the day, he felt the heavy atmosphere throughout the mansion, and within each passing hour, he came into contact with most of the guardians. From sunset to evening, it was as if each guardian came out on cue to meet him. The true and honest boxer was, for once in his life, filled with rage; yet tears streaked out of his kind eyes, as he broke the news down to the cow-like teenager.
"I'm sorry, Lambo...I'm so sorry, to the extreme! We weren't able-I wasn't able to...!"
He never finished his sentence; his head was lowered in agony, as his tears did the rest of the speaking. His fists were shaking with either sadness or anger, or even both. The teen took this whole scene, and yet, still didn't cry as he merely walked passed the other guardian to an unknown destination.
He found the aloof cloud leaning against the side of a door that led to a balcony, clenching his left tonfa. He didn't even bother to stop and face him; he knew that he wouldn't get much a conversation from the other guardian. As he passed the other guardian, however, he caught words filled with mixed emotions, yet its message was loud and clear.
"Stupid herbivore...how dare you pass on before I could bite you to death..."
And then, there were the others that didn't speak at all. As he walked on, he heard the cries of the lonely girl of mist, who merely whispered, "Boss..." Her counterpart partner, walking along with her, did not say a word, not even a glance towards the teen who took in the whole scene. He merely put his hand on the girl's shoulder, his eyes lowered, deep in thought. No smirk of mischief; just a fine line of no emotion, plastered on to his face.
After walking a few more feet down the hall, it was then he stopped. It was at this point that he couldn't understand. He became frustrated, angry; his short-temper began to rise once more as he felt an uncontrollable anger towards everyone. Why couldn't they just say it? Why couldn't they just tell him that simple word that defined his boss's current condition? It wasn't necessary to sugar-coat the undeniable, the truth, the reality to everything. He was a teenager, a fifteen-year-old for crying out loud; he was no longer that sheltered five-year-old. He had the right as his guardian - no, as his friend to hear the honest words of the situation.
He knew - he knew that dame-Tsuna wouldn't do this. As much as a loser he was in the beginning, he was honest and pure, just how the sky shows its true weather everyday without shame. It was something the teen respected in his boss since he was taken into the Sawada residence. As he grew older, his sky opened up to him, began to inform of more current situations, with the acknowledgement that he would understand as a true adult.
Honest and pure. Truthful words. That's all he wanted to hear. That's all this lightning guardian of his wanted to know. That's all Lambo-kun wanted to hear...!
Not these stares. Not these indirect implications. Not these cover-ups. Just the damn truth...!
He slammed his fist against the wall next to him, sharply inhaling a breath of air, before looking up to where he had stopped. He found himself a couple of feet away from a pair of double doors, ornately designed, with the Vongola family crest engraved deeply into its wood.
The master bedroom of his boss, his friend, his brother, his sky;
Sawada Tsunayoshi.
He couldn't remember how he came about this way; the way to his boss's bedroom was one of complexity, one of intellect and reasoning; could it be...he unconsciously remembered...? All those nights when he awoke from the nightmares of the future, when he missed his mama back in Japan, when he would seek refuge under the covers from his boss's right-hand man; all of these memories during his transition into the Vongola mansion as a child of eight years-old to ten years-old.
He no longer did any of those within the past five years; no, he had grown into the strong man he was today, even through all the hardship he had both gone through and inflicted.
His eyes stared at the doors; he knew what, and who, were beyond those doors. His body froze; not from fear, sorrow, or anger, but rather, for the want to hear what he wanted. The expectation that someone, just one person, will tell him what this was all about.
No more cover-ups. Just the solid truth.
No movement was heard beyond them, just pure silence. It was at this time that the teen had finally given up; anger was merely dancing around his feet, about to drag him into its never-ending waltz of heated and hurtful emotions. He clenched his teeth, just about to turn and run, when suddenly, the sound of the heavy doors creaked open.
Beyond them revealed none other than the silver-haired guardian, his right-hand man. His eyes were burdened with all emotions, streaked with long ago dried tears, and his shoulders looked as if the whole world had crushed before his very eyes. His upper blouse had changed, no longer were they soaked in red, but rather in something so pure - white. But his eyes begged to differ. It was not something the lightning guardian hadn't expected; without his boss, he was nothing.
For all the guardians, without their sky, they cannot exist in harmony or in truth.
It was as if the storm guardian did not notice the other; he almost passed him if he hadn't spoken up.
This lightning guardian, Lambo, finally decided it was now or never. His emotions were caught up within a tangle of confused truths, and there was only one person he know could answer his questions. He began to open his mouth to the most reliable of the family, the one who knew the boss like no other, this raging storm-
"Gokudera-kun."
The other guardian stopped with less enthusiasm, as if he expected this. He did not turn his face towards the other; merely, he listened.
Lambo took a deep breath and exhaled, suddenly feeling light-headed from all the emotions he felt throughout the course of the day.
"Tell me...Just tell me the truth. Nothing more..." He turned his face towards the other; he needed to not only hear the truth, but to see it as well.
Slowly but surely, the boss's raging storm turned towards the other. His eyes of regret met with eyes of expectation and disappointment, and spoke soft, melancholic words.
"...Gone. Juudaime is...dead."
And just like that, the word, that one word reverberated throughout this body, thoughts, and soul. Gokudera, the one man that Lambo had the shortest temper with, showed him the most honest truth, told him the words that he needed to hear, and gave him the hardest slap of reality he needed most.
Gokudera's face pained even more as he said the last word weakly, but no more tears could fall from his eyes. Instead, the lightning guardian finally shed true tears of sorrow. Because he finally knew, he could finally accept, the reality of everything.
His sky was broken, the dying will blown out. His honest eyes, officially closed.
"...Thank you, Gokudera-kun."
Because sometimes, all you need is the truth.
I'll have to admit, the ending kind of died on me again. I tried to keep it up, really. And gasp! for anyone that noticed that Lambo didn't call Gokudera, 'Stupidera'. There's a good reason behind that, and it's within the story. Hope you can catch on to that!
Thanks for reading, and reviewing if you do!