Chapter 7: Meetings, Fun, and Birthdays
Reborn looked up in expectation when the door opened. Takeshi and Hayato entered, looking glum and a little angry. "What happened?" asked the assassin.
"Well, we found Hibari," began Takeshi, unusually glum.
"But Tsuna-sama flew off with him to fight one-on-one and ordered us back here," Hayato growled out, making it clear that he was none too pleased. Reborn smirked, having a feeling he knew what Tsuna was planning. Sure enough, forty-five minutes later, Tsuna walked in the door, grabbed his first aid kit, nodded to Reborn, and left. The other teens turned to Reborn, confusion plain on their faces.
"Tsuna won. Now he wants to help Hibari and put the nail in the coffin, so to speak. You can be fairly sure Hibari will meet us as we leave," the assassin said, sitting back to drink his coffee. Hayato shook his head at the toddler while Takeshi laughed and Ryohei screamed something about extremely knowing Tsuna could pull it off. Half an hour later, Tsuna returned with a smile.
"Cloud Pillar secured, Reborn-san. We leave at dawn the day after my birthday," he said to the assassin before turning to his Pillars. "Takeshi, I found a little league baseball team that needs a sub in about an hour. I volunteered you. They'll be in the park. Have fun," he said with a smile. Takeshi's eyes lit up and he rushed out, eager to play his favorite sport. "Hayato, I found a music store about three blocks south from here and a bomb range seven blocks to the east. Take your pick, but have fun, ok?" Hayato nodded and left, though if one looked close they would see that he was excited. "Ryohei... the closest gym is just around the corner to the left. You have my permission. Have some fun," Tsuna said, stepping aside and waving to the door. Ryohei looked at his prince in shock. "You've recovered and rested. You watched Lambo while I was out with Takeshi and Hayato. You earned it. Just make sure you get back in roughly two hours, ok?" Ryohei grinned and gave a nod before racing out the door. Tsuna fell into a chair with a heavy sigh, then turned to Lambo. "What would you like to do today, Lambo?" he asked. Lambo gave him a wide eyed look, then looked to the ground.
"Tsuna is tired. Lambo will draw pictures at the table," he said, glancing up at the prince. Tsuna smiled kindly at the boy and got some colored pencils, crayons, and a couple sheets of paper before sitting at the table and pulling up another chair beside him.
"I like to draw too, Lambo. Come on, show me what you can do," he said, smiling at the boy. Grinning, Lambo scampered over and sat beside the youth he was coming to view as his big brother. After about an hour of drawing, Tsuna had a small collection of pictures drawn by Lambo. One was a poorly drawn Lambo alone on a grass plain, then beside it was a picture of a brown mess looking toward the crying child. Next was a picture of the brown thing beside the Lambo thing. Then something Lambo claimed was Takeshi was looking toward them, then joined them. This went on until everyone, minus Reborn, was sitting on the plain, at night, watching the stars. Then there were the individual pictures. But the story was the one Tsuna felt he would treasure the most. Lambo also had a picture from his 'brother.' Tsuna had drawn him a portrait while they worked. It showed Lambo smiling as he held out his hand to take grape candy from a hand entering from the right, his black hair curling around his face and faint streaks of dirt on his hands and clothes, as well as his cheeks. Tsuna was now working on a self portrait to give to the boy, knowing he would love it. Lambo looked over at the prince, watching as the youth held the mirror steady with one hand and drew with the other, trying to keep his expression the same. Fingers that often looked short and stubby now looked long and elegant as the prince expertly twitched and dragged the tip of his pencil along the paper, forming his own likeness on the paper. However, Lambo couldn't help but wonder at how the representation was so flawed. He looked scared, weak, lost, and while the face had the right shape, it just didn't seem like it was Tsuna. Reaching over, Lambo erased part of the iris and gave the eye some light, then altered the mouth a little to make it seem as though Tsuna was smiling without really smiling.
"Much better," the boy said with a smile. Tsuna looked at the picture and was amazed at how it changed the look of the drawing so completely. Now he appeared happy and confident, a leader. He turned to Lambo, a twinkle in his eye.
"Maybe there's an artist in there somewhere after all," the brunette said. Lambo beamed at his big brother, greatly pleased by the praise. For the next two hours, Tsuna gave Lambo art lessons. As the teens returned from their various fun activities, they all peeked in and smiled before moving back to the living room area of the suite. None felt they could intrude on the moment, and none felt the need. A child could only feel so much love by playing at the park.
/*/
The next day, Tsuna left his Pillars sleeping soundly in the suite and went for a walk alone. He had felt the need to have a day to himself, without the brooding rage he had felt when he told his Pillars to lock him in the room. He breathed deep, the cool morning air refreshing him. "It's days like this that the air actually tastes good," he whispered to himself, loath to disrupt the quiet of the predawn. He suddenly found that he had walked all the way to the Namimori Shrine, then smiled. "What better place to watch the sunrise?" he asked to himself before he turned and sat on the top stair, just watching as the sun slowly rose above the trees. He smiled as he saw the mist gathered in the little low areas while the sun chased it down from the tops of the trees. He looked to the east and saw lightning and rain falling from storm clouds far away. Then he looked back to the sky and somehow saw all of them together. He smiled, feeling something swell within him. "The Vongola sky, accepting and embracing all the elements of the weather as a king accepts all the various temperaments of his subjects," he said, feeling the weight of his role heavier than ever even as pride and joy filled him.
"Could you do it, Prince Tsunayoshi?" a cold voice asked behind him. He sighed.
"I thought you hated crowds, Hibari-san," he said evenly, never taking his eyes off the sunrise. The youth behind him scoffed, causing him to smile faintly. "To answer your question, I don't know. I already have the unrelenting Storm, the requiem Rain, the shining Sun, and the hardened Lightning. Perhaps I have the elusive Mist and the aloof Cloud as well. To be honest, I don't know about the last two. They are the most... tricky of the six to find. However, I feel I can at least keep them all from killing each other. They're like my annoyingly lovable little brothers who make a slight habit of destroying stuff." Hibari sighed, then sat beside the prince, much to said youth's confusion.
"Why are you out here alone?" Hibari asked, looking out at the slowly fading sunrise.
"I felt the need to have a day to myself, without the brooding rage I had felt when I found out that Bakauran had conquered Giglio Nero," Tsuna answered. Hibari was silent even as he accepted the answer. He glanced over at Tsuna, then began to get worried as the youth began to grin then slowly turn toward him, though Hibari was proud that he didn't betray this emotion throughout the terrifying moment. "Would you like to help me sow the seeds of a rebellion?" Tsuna asked. Curiosity piqued, Hibari tilted his head, silently prompting the prince to continue. "You don't need to do much. Just come when I call, I'll do the rest." Hibari glared. "Don't worry, you'll get to fight, plus you'll probably get to run the soldiers out of town after the preliminary show," Tsuna added, holding up his hands. Hibari sat back and thought for a moment, then nodded to the youth before vanishing. Just as Tsuna was thinking about getting up, Reborn came bounding up the stairs. "I should have known you'd come, Reborn," Tsuna sighed as he stood. Reborn gave him a look and Tsuna sighed. "I know, but today I want my space," he said as he moved back toward town. Reborn jumped up on his head and caught a ride back. Walking the whole way as a two year old was hard work.
/*/
"Where are you headed?" Reborn asked his student, realizing that he wasn't heading to the hotel. Tsuna sighed, but answered dutifully.
"A cafe. I want a strawberry cake and a hot coco," he said. Reborn shook his head, but allowed his student to do as he wished this one day and leapt off. Noticing that he no longer had his tutor on his head, Tsuna sighed and felt his smile coming back. He kept walking until Gamma and his men came around the corner and saw him. They quickly formed a barricade when, quiet suddenly, a girl stepped into their path from a side street. She was then blocked by the lowered spears of Gamma's troops.
"Hey! I was just going to buy a cake!" she yelled at the men, obviously thinking they were blocking her and never thinking there was someone behind her. Tsuna nearly face palmed at her stupidity. Gamma leveled his spear, ignoring the girl, and prepared to challenge Tsuna. "What?!" she yelled, falling back. Tsuna glared and felt himself fall into his dieing will mode. He didn't really care, he just wanted to make a point and this was as good a time as any. Besides, he had taken a liking to this flame haired girl, even if she did seem a little wrapped up in herself.
"Now now, that's not very nice," Tsuna said from behind the girl. She slowly turned to look behind her. She saw a boy, about her age, with an orange flame on his forehead. She felt a tingle run down her back as she gazed at him. He strode forward with an easy gait, but the soldiers had to fight to keep from shuffling backwards. This made Tsuna smirk in a rather devious manner, and it made shivers run down the girl's back.
"Who are you?" she asked breathlessly as Tsuna drew abreast of her. He smiled down and held out his hand.
"Tsuna," he said, hoping she wouldn't try anything too stupid before he got the soldiers to back down. She took his hand and stood.
"Thank you. My name's Engel," she said. Tsuna smiled and Engel fell against his chest as her knees turned to jelly. "Sorry!" she said, quickly righting herself. Tsuna smiled at her again, then turned to the soldiers, a glare quickly replacing his kind smile.
"Gamma! You know Byakuran will not release Aria until she has been used up. Why do you still fight for him? Why do you follow the harsh orders of a power mad King who has no love for anyone but himself? I know you, and you are not a cruel man. Stand with me and we can take back the Giglio Nero Kingdom!" Tsuna called out, his voice strident and commanding, yet calm and soothing. Engel felt herself falling for the strange boy even more.
"You know it's not that easy," Gamma said, his eyes pleading. He know who stood before him, and he knew that should the youth be provoked, none of them would be left standing.
"So, you won't even try?! Where is the fearsome Lightning Pillar of the Giglio Nero Kingdom! I want to speak to him. If he is not here, I will fight the captain of the Namimori Reserve. Do you not see how far you have fallen?! You were a general! You were the first to fight and the last to flee! Now you are bound to this town, cowed by a teenager, the last to fight, and the first to flee. Oh! How the mighty have fallen! You are not a soldier, you are a shadow bound by the Flame of the King to fight another man's battle!" Tsuna spat back, his eyes burning with the same orange Flame the burned on his forehead.
"I am no shadow! I am not bound! I am the Lightning Pillar of the Giglio Nero Kingdom and am cowed by no one!" Gamma shouted, green lightning flickering about the handle of his spear. Tsuna stood back with a smirk on his face, pleased with Gamma's response. 'Perhaps there is hope for the Giglio Nero after all,' Tsuna thought.
"Better, but your last argument is invalid. Hibari! This man lowered his weapon at a defenseless young lady and disturbed the peace of Namimori!" Tsuna called out. The soldiers paled and even Engel felt her blood run cold in terror. Could this boy really command the overlord of Namimori? Sure enough, the raven haired tonfa user was at the scene in moments.
"You dare lower you weapon at a herbivorous woman? I'll bite you to death," he said, raising his steel tonfas. The soldiers ran while their captain fell to his knees, horror in his eyes.
"So it's true. I am cowed by a teenager," he said, then bowed his head, ready to accept his fate. Hibari attacked swiftly.
"Stop!" yelled Engel, darting between Hibari and Gamma. As a testament to his skill, Hibari was able to change the direction of his swing so as to avoid her. "He has lost the will to fight. Would you bite a toothless lion if he was simply waiting for death to come?" she asked. Hibari gave his customary 'hn' and turned to Tsuna, who was re-evaluating his opinion of this fiery red head.
"Omnivore, fight me," Hibari said, lifting his tonfa. Tsuna sighed, but defended against the older boy's attacks. Engel watched in awe as Tsuna easily defended and even turned his defensive moves into offensive moves. It was over in five minutes when Tsuna got fed up. Both had landed several hits, but none of them solid enough to cause major damage, but now Tsuna was completely serious about ending it. He caught a tonfa, flipped over his assailant, caught the second tonfa, hooked them together, then tied them together with the tie he had pulled from around Hibari's neck earlier.
"There, I fought you. Now can I have my strawberry cake?" Tsuna asked, rather peeved.
"You like strawberry cake?" Engel asked, a plan forming in her mind. Tsuna nodded enthusiastically.
"With whipped cream on top!" he added, looking for all the world like an overgrown child. Engel laughed and took him by the hand.
"I was on my way to get a birthday cake for myself, so, in thanks for dealing with those soldiers, let me treat you!" she said happily.
"How old are you today?" asked Tsuna.
"Thirteen! You?" asked Engel. Tsuna smiled.
"Fourteen." Hibari rolled his eyes at the two and stalked off to find more soldiers to fight. He took two steps then tripped. "Oops! Here, let me untie you," Tsuna said, turning around and untying the tie around Hibari's tonfa. The skylark glared at the boy then disappeared in search of another fight. Tsuna turned back to Engel and they walked down to the cake shop together.
"So, what's your name?" Engel asked as they entered the cafe. Tsuna smiled and said,
"Tsuna." Engel gave him a questioning look, but decided that he couldn't possibly be the prince.
"Clarence! One strawberry cake with whipped cream!" she called out as she approached the counter. The owner, Clarence, smiled at the girl, then did a double take when he saw that she was with a guy.
"Who's this?" he asked, clearly wondering how she hooked a guy.
"Tsuna, sir. A pleasure to meet you," Tsuna said with a smile, bowing to the man.
"Well, aren't you the polite one?" Clarence asked.
"I was raised by a man who believed that if one was not polite the proper response was to attack with extreme prejudice and full strength. I learned to be polite to survive, sir," Tsuna replied, remembering years of living in terror of Reborn killing him for not being polite to everyone, especially the psychotic killer himself. Clarence gave the boy a look of sympathy.
"Was there anything else?" he asked.
"Coco, two cups of coco," Tsuna said, pulling out his money pouch.
"Ah! But I was going to treat you!" Engel cried. Tsuna smiled at her.
"I was on my way here anyway, to treat myself for my birthday. Let me at least help out on the bill," he said smoothly. Clarence blinked, then smirked, understanding how the dense Engel Hertz could show up with a guy. She hadn't hooked him, he had hooked her.
"Here, two cocos and a strawberry cake," Clarence said, pulling out the items requested. Tsuna bowed and took the cake and his coco.
"Where would you like to sit, Engel-chan?" he asked, turning around to face her. A faint blush appeared on her face and she quickly took her coco and headed to her favorite window seat. Tsuna chuckled and sat across from her. "Here," he said softly, handing her a slice of cake.
"Thank you, Tsuna," she said, taking the plate and fork handed to her. He chuckled again.
"You're cute when you're awkward. You know you don't have to be careful around me, right? After all, I'm just a guy who wants some cake on his birthday," he said. She blushed deeper and took a bite of her cake.
"Well... you're just so... cool," she said before hiding behind her cup. Tsuna looked at her as though frozen, a faint blush climbing across his face.
"No one... has ever said that... to me before," he said, stirring his coco. Engel looked up in surprise.
"Why not?" she asked. Tsuna sighed, put down his spoon, and looked out the window.
"Why not? It's simple really. I grew up in a place where I was the least among many. I was good at making things, and I listened, but I rarely wanted to do anything but live my bland life so people always called me a failure, a wimp, a loser, a waste of space, and shunned me. It didn't seem to matter if it was a conscious decision or not, people just avoided me. I had many tutors, but even they couldn't get me to do anything extraordinary. And so, I was anything but cool back home," he said sadly. Engel felt something akin to anger rising within her.
"Then they were blind and you were right to get out of there!" she said fiercely. Tsuna looked at her blankly.
"I was kicked out by the man who raised me. I've been traveling for a year now and have met a lot of new friends, so you don't need to get that worked up over it all. It's in the past," he said, blinking at the end and looking as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She blushed and sat back, drinking from her coco to hide her embarrassment. Tsuna smiled softly at her and reached across the table to cut a piece of her cake, then poked it in her mouth. "I'm just an ordinary guy traveling around Vonogla trying to make sense of his life, Engel, so smile and enjoy your cake while you can. I have a feeling things are going to get a lot more intense in the coming months," he said, sadness once again creeping into his voice.
"Would you stop doing that?" Engel asked, sitting back and crossing her arms.
"What do you mean?" Tsuna asked, honestly perplexed.
"Going all sad on me and making me want to hug you tightly until all your troubles fade away," she said, looking out the window with a faint blush. Tsuna smiled softly at her and took her hand.
"No, I can't stop. Why? Because I can feel this kingdom slowly slipping away from its roots, from what it was meant to be. I feel myself slipping, but I can't tell where it is I'm slipping to. Am I slipping away from who I am, who I was meant to be, or am I slipping into the role I was meant to fill? Confusion, loss, pain, fear; these are my constant companions and yet, no-one seems to really understand that I don't lose these feelings, I just mask them and bury them under happier emotions. If you lost everything you had ever known, would you be able to keep the sadness from your voice if you talked about your past?" he said, rubbing the back of her hand with his vaguely rough thumb.
"I suppose not, Tsuna," she said softly, looking at his hand. It was larger than she had thought, and conveyed a sense of strength belayed by his appearance. "All the same, I want to see you laugh and smile and move forward," she added. He chuckled.
"That's what I've been doing this whole year, through all the pain and the loss and the fear I've been trying to put it behind me and move forward. Why do you think I asked you to drop it? I already have," he said. She sighed and he shoved more cake into her mouth. "Now shut up and finish your cake and coco, they're getting cold," he said.
"Yes sir, Mister Hero," she said, then set too eating her treat. Tsuna rested his chin on his fist and smiled fondly as he watched her enjoy her cake. Engel glanced up and saw him watching her as if she were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "What?" she asked. He shook his head.
"Nothing, I just enjoy watching people enjoy themselves. It reminds me of what I'm fighting for, and why I want to make it through this war." He stood. "Engel, promise me one thing," she nodded, "don't wait to take a hold of your life until the very last, cease the day and don't let anyone tell you you can't."
"I promise, Tsuna," Engel said with a slight blush. Tsuna grinned and took their dishes to the counter.
"What's with the service, Tsuna?" asked Clarence. Tsuna sighed.
"I had to get away for a moment. I have a feeling I was starting to act a little too strange," he said. Clarence laughed and took the dishes.
"Well, you should at least walk her out. Here, a box for your cake," the cafe owner said with a smile. Tsuna gave him a disparaging look before taking the box and returning to the window booth.
"Here, let me help you put away the cake," he said, picking up the cake and carefully putting it in the box. Engel smiled at the young man before standing.
"Thank you, Tsuna," she said, walking to the counter to pay Clarence. Tsuna shook his head and opened the door.
"You didn't really freak out too much when you learned of my connection to the Giglio Nero and Byakuran, why?" asked Tsuna as they walked out. Engel grew pensive.
"We have heard the rumors of the Lost Prince gathering followers to oppose Byakuran, but were resigned to our fate. Ok, maybe not Hibari, but he's an overlord. I'm more surprised that you can call on him than that you are familiar with the Lightning Pillar of the Giglio Nero," she answered.
"Dame-Tsuna, it seems you have a knack for choosing your Familia," Reborn said as he jumped onto Tsuna's head.
"Reborn, please don't say things like that. I'm not a mafia boss, and I don't want to be. In fact, I don't want to be anyone's boss. The only reason I'm gathering people now is because you would kill me if I didn't," Tsuna said. Reborn's foot smashed into Tsuna's forehead and Engel was actually a little impressed that Tsuna didn't fall flat on his back. As it was, he paused as he bent over backwards for a moment before he righted himself.
"Dame-Tsuna. You are a direct descendent of the First Sky. Giotto Vongola was also a Sawada and his blood runs through your veins. You are the rightful ruler, Dame-Tsuna," the baby said, sitting cross-legged on the grumbling youth's head. Engel laughed, not quite hearing that the boy was in fact a Prince, and handed Tsuna a box.
"Here, share the left over cake with your friends, and Reborn of course," she said with a smile.
"But it's your birthday present to yourself! I couldn't take your present," Tsuna said. Engel giggled at the faint blush on his cheeks.
"You gave me something better," she said. He gave her a curious look. "You let me celebrate my thirteenth birthday with my best friend."
"Friendship is the greatest gift ever," Reborn said with a nod. "Accept her gift, Dame-Tsuna." Tsuna sighed, but took the box with a small smile.
"Thank you, Engel," he said, making her heart flutter. She smiled, shook her head, and pecked him on the cheek.
"Thank you, Tsuna. You made this a truly special day, and I know you'll take back what is yours. I can see that mane of yours growing fuller by the day, young lion," she said before skipping off. Tsuna placed a hand on his cheek and felt it heat. Reborn was choking on his laughter as he watched his charge gaze after the red haired girl. Oh yes, the boy had it bad.
"Come, Dame-Tsuna, your quest is not yet finished," he said, having finally gotten his chuckles under control. Tsuna had sighed and returned to the inn where he and his friends were staying. He would have time for romance later, if he survived his next encounter with Hibari and Byakuran. Engel walked into her house with a smile, but it was soon crushed as her foster mother yelled at her and her foster father hit her. In the back of her mind, she remembered the kind smile of the boy who had helped her. As she lay curled up on her bed, she felt his strong arms around her and heard his warm voice whisper her name as she drifted off to sleep. The next day, everyone noticed how Engel seemed to glow. Those who were sensitive to Flame said they felt a tingle of power whenever she passed by them, but it always vanished when they tried to pick it out. Everyday, Engel grew more rebellious against the rule of Byakuran. The soldiers acted like they hated her as a public menace, but in their hearts they commended her for acting out against the harsh decrees of their heartless King.
/*/
The next day, just before dawn, the group assembled just south of Namimori. Soon, they were joined by Hibari and another group of rejects. Tsuna smiled and gave Hibari a nod before turning to the other group and smiling wider. "Welcome to the inner circle, Illusionist and company. Please, introduce yourselves, my friends," he said.
"Chrome Dokuro, Sire," Chrome said, coming forward and bowing to the youth. Tsuna blushed and quickly pulled the young lady to her feet.
"You don't need to bow to me. I am little more than a wanderer at the moment. I may have the Flame of the King and be named the True Heir by the Strongest Assassin Reborn, but for now, I am just a fourteen year old boy trying to find a way to put everything back into some sort of order," he said. She blushed slightly and nodded. Tsuna smiled at her and turned to her brother.
"Mukuro Dokuro," the illusionist said, causing Tsuna to frown slightly. Shaking his head, Tsuna looked to the other two.
"Ken," said a wild looking boy with a mottled burn looking scar running over his nose and spiky blond hair.
"Chicksa," said an emotionless looking youth with a soft white hat and a scar that looked unlike anything they had ever seen. Tsuna bowed slightly to them.
"An honor to meet you; Ken, Chicksa, Chrome, and Mukuro. For trusting me enough to come into the light, I place my trust in you. Please do not make that a mistake," he said, smiling at them before turning to the south and Byakuran, his face growing grim. "The road ahead is going to be dangerous. We are at the northern most reaches of the kingdom and the palace is far to the south, where Byakuran's power is undoubtedly stronger." He turned to his followers, doubt showing on his face. "I know it's a little hypocritical to say this after welcoming you all, but are you all sure you want to follow me into war? Alone, you are all strong, and it is true that together we are stronger still, but the fact is that all of you could survive alone. Are you sure you want to walk into war with a king of three kingdoms? You could all end up dead!" Reborn kicked him.
"Ya think we don't know that? Tsuna, we've traveled with you this far despite how you fought to leave us behind, except perhaps Hibari and Mukuro's gang. If we did that, what makes you think a fearful speech before the next stage is going to make us run home with our tails between our legs to live in fear and shame under the heavy handed rule of Byakuran?" Takeshi asked, sounding vaguely hurt. Hayato nodded.
"I told you before didn't I? I want to travel with you, for better or for worse," he said. Tsuna smirked.
"You said, 'why won't you let me?' not 'for better or for worse,' Hayato," he said. Hayato waved his hand in a dismissive manner.
"Technicalities, I have no need for them." Tsuna snorted, smirk still in place.
"At the moment," he said. Hayato glared.
"Of course you'd say that, Tsunayoshi-sama," Hayato frowned. Tsuna laughed at his friend's peeved look while others looked at the two in wonder.
"They were friends at the palace before Hayato ran away when he was eight, traumatized by the revelation that he was the illegitimate son of a wealthy noble and a talented young pianist, as well as the rumor that his mother's death was somehow caused by his father," Reborn said, managing to sum up a very complicated and tragic story in a single, long, sentence. Tsuna gave his tutor a long suffering look before turning back to the south.
"Enough of this. If you are all sure you wish to fight, let's not waste anymore time," he said, beginning to walk to the palace. Everyone else followed suit and a marvelous, roving, adventure began.
/*/
That night the prince's party huddled around the camp fire nursing their various wounds after a day long training session as they were running through the forest, Tsuna telling Ryohei what he knew about the healing properties of the Sun Flame's activation characteristic. The prince also told the boxer what he knew about healing herbs. Between the two of them, the prince and the boxer made everyone rest easier, but that didn't stop them from complaining. "Reborn is a beast!" Hayato groused. Takeshi laughed while he cooked their dinner.
"He's had to be, hasn't he?" the ex-baseball player said. Tsuna nodded.
"From what I know of his past, yes. In fact, he had a similar past to Lambo's, except he had a natural talent like Takeshi and a temper like Hibari-san's," he said, causing everyone to turn to him in shock. "What? I listen." Hayato shook his head.
"Oh the things one learns by sitting still," he said. Tsuna smiled pleasantly.
"Oh the things one learns when not blowing up the flowerbeds of royalty and the libraries of nobility," he shot back. Hayato glowered at the prince, but soon turned away.
"Tsuna three, Hayato... zero," Takeshi commented quietly. The comment wasn't quiet enough to escape Hibari's notice.
"They have had battles like this before?"
"And Tsuna always wins," Reborn said while Takeshi nodded. Hibari smirked for a moment before it vanished.
"Interesting herbivore, this Prince," the Namimori Overlord said, watching the prince smile at his childhood friend. Takeshi and Reborn both nodded while Chrome watched and longed to join the conversation, but felt as though to do so would be to intrude. Tsuna looked over at the group of four that were unconsciously distancing themselves. He smiled, excused himself to Hayato, and stood. Chrome saw him move and felt a shiver of apprehension as he came closer. She shifted so her bangs hid her eyes as he sat and Tsuna turned his head to her.
"You know you don't have to be afraid around us, right?" he said gently, not wanting to scare her. She nodded and Mukuro came to stop the interaction of the prince and his twin.
"Why shouldn't we fear you?" he asked. Tsuna gave him a blank look, and Mukuro suddenly found himself held fast by the Prince with a hunting knife held close to his jugular vein. The camp went silent and still, shocked by Tsuna's actions and waiting to see what he would do next.
"Why shouldn't you be afraid of me? I know that a man's strength comes not from his ability to end life, but from his knowledge of others and his ability to save lives. I could have killed you a million times before now, but I didn't. I could kill you in an instant, but I won't. Why? Because I'm not like those you once called royals, those beasts who scarred your mind and even now haunt you. Why should you not fear me? An excellent question. There is no reason you shouldn't fear me. I have the power to end lives by the dozens and I have finally embraced it, I just don't flaunt it," he said, his voice a deadly whisper. Mukuro swallowed heavily as the knife was returned to its sheath and the prince slowly moved away from him, his eyes returning to brown.
"Now I don't feel too bad about losing to this guy," Hibari said as he regarded the shocked look of abject terror on the illusionist's face. Ryohei laughed.
"Tsuna's an EXTREME guy, that's for sure!" he said cheerfully. Hibari turned to regard the boxer. Just by looking at the young man Hibari could tell he was a powerful boxer who took his sport seriously.
"Why do you follow him?" he asked. Ryohei gave him a curious look, but turned back to where Tsuna sat with the illusionist and his friends and gave a small smile.
"I follow him because he understands what love is, even though he has never really known what it feels like, and won't force someone to leave their family and all they have ever known. I follow him because he's so ordinary that he's extraordinary. He is honorable, compassionate, and humble. He knows things without having to be told, he can read the people around him like books, and no one has to point out his weaknesses and tell him he needs someone to lean on, he already knows. The rest, he already said it. If you can't understand his extreme speech and see why we follow him, you have a lot to learn about the world, Hibari," the boxer said, turning to the raven haired youth before dishing up some dinner for himself. Hibari shook his head and leapt into a tree to observe the group from above, a safe vantage point that allowed him to be away from the crowd without Tsuna coming after him.
/*/
Tsuna smirked as he heard his Sun and Cloud Pillars talk, and smiled fondly when he saw Hibari leap into the trees. "Thank you, Chrome, but now we actually need to talk," he said to the sweet illusionist beside him. She looked to the side but slowly dropped the illusion. Tsuna smiled and took her hand. "Come on, let's get some dinner. I'm sure you're hungry." She nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. He was so different from the royals she had known before, she didn't know how to react to him. He turned to her and laughed. "You look so cute when you're confused!" he said, then handed her a bowl of stew. She took it and sat, staring into it as through it could answer all her questions. Tsuna sighed. "Say something, Chrome. I can't be the only one talking," he said with a pleading look.
"What's in this?" she asked, her indigo eye curiously plain. Tsuna dished up his own bowl and sniffed it.
"Assorted herbs that promote health and are very nutritious, potatoes, and wild rabbit that I caught and prepared along side Lambo and Takeshi. The broth is made from water, seasonings, and the flavor of the herbs and rabbit themselves. An excellent stew for on the road and when you have very little to work with," he said before putting a bite in his mouth.
"You enjoy living off the land, don't you," Chrome asked. He smiled at her, then shook his head.
"Not unless I have someone with me. Here, I have ten other people with me, five of which I'm fairly certain actually care that I live. This makes me happy and makes me want to help them. If I can help them, then I get to see them smile, if I can see them smile, I can fight for those smiles, if I can fight for those smiles, I can fight Byakuran, if I can fight him, then I can give my all for this kingdom that has come to mean so much to me. That's why I can enjoy our current situation as much as I can, Chrome," he said, spooning another bite into his mouth as he finished. She looked down into her own stew. "What allows you to go on, Chrome?" Tsuna asked, drawing Chrome's head up from her contemplation of her stew.
"Huh?"
"What allows you to move forward? What drives you?"
"Mukuro. He's always been there for me, so I want to be there for him," she said shyly. Tsuna smiled kindly at her, then glanced over to where he knew Hibari was sulking.
"What if there was a soul more lost then Mukuro?" he asked. Chrome looked at him in confusion. "What if there was a boy who needed your gentle guidance more then Mukuro?" Chrome looked back at her hands, then ate her stew with more force, obviously attempting to get out of the conversation. Tsuna sighed and ate as well, knowing she would ask soon enough.
"Who?" He smiled.
"An antisocial boy who finds other people bothersome and even considers them nothing but animals that get in his way," he said, glancing toward the tree they both knew Hibari sat waiting in.
"Him? Why would he need me?" Chrome asked. Tsuna snorted into his stew.
"You'll see, my sweetly bewitching mist, you'll see," he said before standing and taking her empty bowl. She watched him as he left to wash their dishes and thought about what he had said. Perhaps Hibari did need her more than Mukuro.