A note about these chapters. They're not necessarily in chronological order, and I'll try my best to let you know ages. But this series is more of a 'write when the muse hits' rather than a planned out piece. So enjoy, a chapter of Tell Her is on the way.

Vongola Catacombs.

Chapter 4

The End of an Era

The rain is hammering down on Tsuna as he stands before the Ninths Catacombs. Thunder was predicted for the night and early morning, but for now, the rains were sheets and needles in the late October chill. Tsuna had stopped crying hours ago when the architects and engineers had finished laying Sonia to rest.

The Ninth's Last Sentinel had taken her place, and with it, the catacomb had lit with flames, solidifying the Ninth's Will and how it burnt even in the face of a new generation. A generation that promised change and the end to everything Timoteo promised and worked for. Even still, with Tsuna's eyes burning amber in the eerie stormy gloom, Sonia looks on defiantly, dressed like Anthony in the military style uniform prefered by the Ninth generation squads. She looked directly at Tsuna, her hair whipping in the imaginary wind, holding her spear as it crossed Anthony's. Protecting the entrance, daring anyone with ill-will to enter. Darling anyone who doubted the Ninth's reign to try to look upon them.

It was awe inspiring. And all Tsuna could do was cry.

Tsuna was in France, he was a laughing twenty-six-year-old, following a lead on Alaude's resting place when the call comes in.

At a routine meeting with friends in Verona, the Ninth generation came under attack. While this in itself was usually not cause for too much alarm - the mafia, in general, is furious at the 'weakness' of the Vongola now that Tsuna has taken over, or they think that Tsuna is a figurehead only and that killing the Ninth will kill the Decimo too - this call is different.

Firstly, it's not one of the Ninth's guardians making the call, nor is it one of the Security force. It's Xanxus. Xanxus makes the call, his voice is thick, and the bond that he and Tsuna shares wavers just slightly before Tsuna answers the phone.

"The old man is gone. All of them are gone." He speaks, gruff, emotionless. To anyone else anyway. Tsuna would have thought this all an elaborate joke if not for the feeling of flames across the receiver. Rage pales in comparison to the fury that Tsuna is aware of. His hair stands on end, his eyes sparkle, and his mouth goes dry.

"Kill them all. Let them know Vongola stands together."

Tsuna's guardians do not question it when Tsuna hangs up. They don't question it when he cries all night long. They don't question it when in the morning Tsuna keeps searching for Alaude.

They understand. There is nothing that Tsuna can do for Timoteo now, he is gone, and Xanxus his last remaining son has every right to take revenge. Not only as a son but as Vongola's official 'dirty work' organization.

Tsuna has other responsibilities. He has other duties. He has to grieve in his own way. Instead, they comfort him. They sleep in piles, they spar, they eat all their meals together without argument. They bring Alaude home.

Sonia, it turns out, was the last one to see the Ninth alive. She, while bleeding out, with broken ribs and a broken leg has worked her sun flames to excess to save the man's life. She had taken out half of the force that had attacked the Ninth's convoy.

During the battle, she had saved not only Coyote, but Brown Nie's lives. They had died ten minutes later in the explosion that killed everyone else. But she had died to save the Ninth's life and if she hadn't been bleeding out and exhausted no one in Vongola doubts that the Ninth would have survived the encounter.

Tsuna had been the one to decide who took the place of the Ninth's final sentinel. Usually, someone in the Ninth generation was alive to make the decision. But in one day alone, fifteen people were added to the Ninth's catacomb, and Sonia would be the last.

Tsuna had no doubts that he was not popular with the mansion staff. He would lose half the squads, half the staff, half the support. He was okay with that, the Varia and CEDEF together already had a force in place to enter the mansion upon the exodus. Vongola would be strong with the establishment of the Tenth generation.

Tsuna turned on his heel, walking away from Sonia and Anthony, and the Ninth generation that had finally been laid to rest and headed to Primo's Catacomb instead. It would be many month before Tsuna could walk into the Ninth's tomb to give his condolences. It was too fresh, the flames too new and too familiar right now.

For now, Tsuna would just do his duty, fulfil his promise to Primo and bring his guardians home. In his arms was a large, plain urn, decorated with clouds in thick lacquer. Someone was ready to est.

The guardians followed Tsuna closely, all sombre as the atmosphere shifted. The doors to Primos Catacomb slammed shut, cutting off the wind and rain. For a moment the guardians shivered, cold in the isolated stone empty of life.

Tsuna let his flames fill the void, warming the space and the souls that waited here for their boss' return. His will was sad, the flames rough with grief as they filled the hallways and rooms.

Tsuna said nothing as he walked to Alaude's statue. It was located at the end of the row, the opposite side to Daemon. The man was not laughing, as Asari and Lampo were, but he was smoothed out and relaxed like Daemon. His brow was smooth and his steady eyes were looking to Giotto, not for guidance or direction, but with a calm love that Tsuna is sure Giotto was the only one to ever see when the man was alive.

He placed the urn in the alcove behind the man, and sat on the floor before the guardians, his own guardians taking places around him, close and comforting.

Wind whipped around the room, rough and warm, buffering the guardians' bodies and clothes as it swirled and battled with the stagnation. With a small explosion of colour and light Alaude's pocket watch, sitting serenely in his left hand lit. With it a sense of relief and animosity. It felt all of a sudden more choking in the room, but also more relaxed. Now only four were missing, and Tsuna knew it would soon be none.

Standing, and lighting his ring with a will that burnt brighter now, it really sunk in that he was alone. No more mentorship from the generation before him. No more questions add answers. No more debates. No more arguments about the direction he was taking his famiglia.

Tsuna was alone. Vongola Decimo.

If there was any doubt before now that Tsuna was the true figurehead of the new Vongola, it would be slashed now that the entire Ninth generation was dead. And Tsuna let that sink in as the tears fell, like little drops of firelight they dripped on the floor.

"Welcome home, Alaude. My will is of the Family, and the Family welcomes you home."