Disclaimer: The Reborn manga or anime series does not belong to me
Byakuran
How different would it have been if Tsuna had met him earlier than she had?
Tsuna was 7 years old and shopping with her mummy. Her daddy was off working in Italy so it was just her and mummy at home. They were buying the weekly shop and Tsuna wanted to take a look at some of the toys. Currently her mummy was paying but Tsuna was bored, there was no one in the shop except for a bunch of old people and babies, and was suppressing a couple of yawns. There were a couple of kids playing outside but she felt too shy to go and join them. Usually whenever she tried they would laugh at her and call her names. Kids could be so cruel. Still she was so bored and her mummy had stopped to talk with someone. She groaned; adults always seemed to want to talk forever.
A car pulled up in front of the shop and the girl turned to stare, an old man in a suit stepped out of the front and opened the back door. She blinked as a young boy got out of the car. He looked a little older than her with white spiky hair and pale eyes. He stood out from the rest of the kids and she was sure that she'd never seen him before. The old guy came into the shop and began looking around, leaving the boy on his own outside. Pale eyes met brown, with a pane of glass in between. His face was stoic, like he was bored but trying not to show it. He stood like an adult and he didn't pay any attention to the children playing across the road. Realizing that she was staring at him she blushed and shook herself, now he would think she was stupid like everyone else! Yet his expression didn't change and he stared back at her.
Tentatively a smile stretched across her face. That seemed to surprise him and he looked left and right as if he thought she was smiling at someone else. She giggled and waved at the strange boy. Still looking a little unsure he waved back. Her smile grew wider and a small grin appeared on his face. Then her mum finally took her hand and walked outside, as they headed for home she craned her neck round and saw the strange boy still looking at her. She wondered who he was.
The next day she was at the playground, on the swing set, by herself. All the other kids were playing together in the field and though this one black haired kid had asked her to play she would rather be on her own. She pushed herself on the swings and hummed a song to the wind.
"You're that girl from yesterday." The voice startled her and she fell off the swings. Her knees hurt and her hands were sore. She wiped her nose on her sleeve and pushed herself up. A hand reached down to help her up. She raised her head to see that boy from the shop. There was a slight grin on his face and he seemed friendly enough, besides it would be rude to ignore him. She grasped his hand and he pulled her up. His eyes flickered to her bruised knees and he frowned.
"I'm sorry for causing you to fall." He had a weird voice to, it wasn't bad just different. He looked a little upset so she shook her head.
"It's fine. I fall down a lot anyway. I'm clumsy." Now why had she said that? He laughed and she looked away embarrassed. Maybe he was like the others. He stopped when she turned away and impulsively grabbed her arm.
"Hey I'm sorry for laughing. I don't interact with people much, so I'm sorry if I offended you." He looked like he meant it so she nodded her head. His eyes lanced over to the swings and she noticed.
"Did you want to go on them?" She asked. He looked surprised at the offer.
"I've never been on something like that before." She gawked at him and this time he looked away. "I uh...I don't get out much." Taking pity on him she grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the swings.
"Don't worry there really easy to play on. First you sit on them." He did so awkwardly, not entirely sure why he was doing it. "That's right! Now you use your legs to swing yourself back and forth." He nodded and tried to copy what she had been doing earlier, it took a bit of getting used to but he was able to get a decent swing going. Deciding to join him Tsuna jumped onto the second one.
"See, isn't this fun?" She called over to him. He turned and the smile looked a little more real.
"I must admit this is quite enjoyable." She laughed and resumed her swinging. After a couple of minutes they got off. Tsuna knew her mummy would be coming for her soon so she had to get ready to go.
"It was nice meeting you today." She said and the boy smiled before frowning.
"You never told me your name." He said and she gasped.
"Oh, how rude of me. I'm very sorry." She straightened up and held out her hand. "My name is Tsunayohi Sawada." He took her hand and shook it.
"Nice to meet you Tsunayoshi-san, my name is Byakuran." She shook her head at him.
"Don't call me Tsunayoshi, my mummy only calls me that when she's mad. Call me Tsuna, and you don't have to be formal if you want. But if you do want to be that's fine too." Again he looked a little shocked but nodded.
"Thank you Tsuna-chan." She smiled and saw her mummy coming to collect her.
"Oh there's my mummy. I have to go. I had a lot of fun playing with you Byakuran-kun." She was about to go when a thought crossed her mind. "Are you going to be here tomorrow."
"I should be able to come."
"Great I'll see you here again tomorrow. Bye." She called and ran off to her mummy. Leaving a bemused boy standing behind her.
They saw each other for the whole week. It was a whole new experience for Tsuna; her first friend and she enjoyed every minute of it. Apparently, he was the heir to some big important family but he didn't see his parents a lot. He had weird scary dreams and was hoping to go to university in America. She told him about her normal life and the loneliness that she often felt. Underneath all the formality she found a very funny boy who she liked a lot.
For him it was a much bigger impact. She treated him like he was normal and that had never happened to him before. She wasn't a liar like some of the people who came to his house either. Tsuna was just Tsuna; what you saw was what you got and he valued that immensely. It would have been good had he not had to leave, but he was scheduled to visit some family in Japan and he had stayed for too long. On the last day he came to the playground and she was sat on the swings.
"You're leaving today." Was all she said. Unable to say anything he nodded his head. Her hands clenched but she looked up and gave him a sad smile. "I will miss you Byakuran-kun."
"Tsuna I-" She shook her head and stood up.
"Don't. My mummy says that sometimes people have to go away for a long time, like my daddy, and you might not see them for a while, but if you care about that person then you should let them go to do what they want." She took a deep breath. "I like you Byakuran-kun you've been a good friend to me. So I want you to have this."
She reached into her coat and took out a ring. It was a cheap plastic thing, something that came out of a cracker or something.
"It's a promise ring. It's a promise that we'll be friends no matter what and that we'll see each other again." She took his hand and put the ring in it. "You got to promise." He looked at her and saw an unwavering resolution in her eyes. He nodded and his fingers closed round the ring.
"I promise Tsuna-chan." She beamed.
"Then we don't have to say goodbye because we are going to meet again." He nodded but still looked a bit upset. She hugged him and his arms closed around her. They were just two children whose lives were bound together with the Mafia.
So he left and she was friendless again. It wouldn't be until she was 15 that she would make more, but her first friend would always be Byakuran. She is chosen as the tenth boss and she meets her new tutor Reborn. She forms a family who are incredibly loyal and her smile seems to get bigger each day. Sure she complains, a lot, and she has to be forced to fight (she's more fond of running away) but she's happy. Except now and again when she's walking around town with her guardians they'll pass by the old playground and she'll get very quiet. She isn't sad just thoughtful and hopeful. When they ask her why she just shrugs and says that it's her memories. She wonders if he still has her ring.
He does.
His life had been more eventful. He had gone to America and was studying at university. He had become the boss of the family and his mind was always whirling with ambition and plots. A lot of people respect him but no-one really knows him. He confuses a lot of them with his disposition, he's friendly yet secretive, very informal but he demands obedience. He enjoys luxury yet he wears a cheap child's ring on his finger? To him it is priceless and he never takes it off. It's a symbol of his promise to her. He can still see her smile in his mind and see them playing on the swings. She anchors him and now that he is older he wants to see her again.
Then he meets Shoichi Irie and his life is altered forever, the knowledge from hundreds of parallel worlds fill his mind. He knows how to get ultimate power but he hesitates. The ring on his finger causes a pause. In every other world he has fought Tsuna Sawada and killed her. He can see her body spread out on the floor; lifeless. It haunts him. Can he do it in this world is the question. In order to answer he knows he has to meet her again. Maybe she has changed to be like the countless of other sheep-like humans in the world, if so then he wouldn't have any regrets about getting rid of her.
Within a couple of hours he was back at Namimori. He idly realised that everything looked smaller. Two of his subordinates looked at everything with disdain and the other was a silent statue. He ordered them to relax and take a break while he looked around. His feet brought him to their swing set and he grinned as he remembered how he didn't know how to use them.
"Tsuna-chan." A voice pierced the silence and he glanced behind him. There she was. He knew it was her, it could be no-one else. She was quite short for a teenager and their wasn't anything eye-catching or attention grabbing about her yet she held his attention like a marching band. There was a small group around her-her guardians, the rain, sun, storm and lightning. The sight of her surrounded by men didn't sit well with him for some reason. She was laughing at something and the arcobaleno was resting quite comfortably in her arms. His eyes drank in the sight of her; his first friend, he was slightly startled by the wave of possessiveness that accompanied the thought. They passed by and he felt slightly disappointed, there was nothing remarkable about her really.
Her eyes flickered over and they both froze. Those eyes...were exactly the same as they had been. Only instead of looking sad they were happy. A smile split her face and she didn't move. She was happy to see him and he was happy to see her. She still saw him as a person her friend. It was still too early for them to meet, he wasn't ready. So he held up his hand and pointed to his ring. Her grin got bigger. He had to go.
He gathered his men and got back on the private jet, his mind still reeling. There was no way that he could kill her that much he knew. She was..important to him. Probably the only person who was. Well didn't that just throw a wrench into his plans! He knew that she would try and stop him, they would face each other in battle and now he couldn't kill her. Why did people bother caring for someone? It was just annoying.
He still dreamt of her only they were different, seeing her grown up had changed them. He wasn't sure if they were better or worse. She was going through the exact same thing.
They meet as bosses 3 years later; the ninth suffered a heart attack and had to retire early. She enters dressed in a woman's suit. Her guardians and his Funeral Wreaths wait outside, both groups just glare at each other. She shakes his hand and smiles.
"Never thought that this would be when I'd see you again." Her voice is amused but her eyes are serious. He gives her a grin and she frowns. "Please, show me some respect, don't use that fake smile." Somehow she always manages to surprise him.
"You always could see me clearly."
"I still can." Her voice is confident and he smirks.
"Oh you think so Tsu-kun? (she twitches at the nickname, it seems she became more informal as she grew up) How do you know I haven't changed?" She crosses her arms and leans forward.
"Your eyes. They're more cunning and sly, there's an edge of cruelty that I don't like but I can still see my friend and I can read you like an open book." She becomes serious. "Stop attacking the smaller families."
"Why should I? They're weak and I'm recruiting some of them into the Millefiore."
"This won't end well. The Vongola will oppose you."
"Will you Tsu-kun?"
"If I have to." Her life has not been easy, the early inheritance was not what she wanted, nor was the constant pressure but she had grown. He frowned.
"But I don't want to fight Tsu-kun." Now she looks surprised.
"You must have known I would go against you." He let out a defeated sigh and sat back.
"I knew but I hoped that that you wouldn't. Your the reason why I couldn't poison the arcobaleno, I know how attached you are to your tutor." His eyes bore into hers. "You had to make me care about you didn't you. You had to be my friend." She reaches forward and takes his hand, her fingers rub the ring.
"Years ago you promised we'd still be friends later. Did you keep it?" She meets his gaze evenly and the truth comes out of his mouth.
"Yes I did."
"Then why are you doing this?" He is suddenly angry and stands up.
"Because it's my destiny! Because it's what I'm meant to do. It was my fate to rule the world; to destroy the Vongola and the arcobaleno. Then you got in the way because I can't get rid of you!" She stares at him with those damned eyes and slowly stands up. She takes his face in her hands and pulls him close.
"Who decides?"
"What?" He doesn't understand.
"Who decided that you had to rule the world? Why do you have to do this? I don't believe in fate. If I did I would be a useless woman unable to do anything right probably unemployed and living at home. We make our own paths and follow what we want not what someone or something else wants. That is free will." He stares down at her, his mind processing what she has said. Is she right? Does he have to do this.
"Byakuran." He looks at her. "What-What would make you happy?" That's a good question. His eyes traced her face. Ruling the world? Creating a new one? Being in complete control? Would that make him happy? She smiled and he returned it. His hand reached up to her hand on his cheek and held it there. Her skin felt so soft and smooth under his skin.
This. This was where he felt happy. With her. A huge weight seems to have been lifted as he realises that. The bell rings and their time is up. She steps back and looks at him.
"The next move is down to you." She turns to leave but he grabs her hand. She watches as he slips something on her finger; it is another promise ring.
He looks at her. "Promise me you'll never see me as a monster."
She smiles softly. "I never have, do or will." He nods and releases her hand. She pauses and seems reluctant top leave. He leans forward and kisses her forehead. Her cheeks are red but she doesn't pull away.
"And promise you'll wait until I'm ready." They stare at each other; his gaze nearly pleading hers undecided. They harden and she nods.
She returns to her guardians and he is left alone. Soon he will have to call off the attack on the Bovino family. But first things first.
"How do you court a Mafia boss?"
In all other parallel worlds Tsuna defeated Byakuran. The all-powerful ruler lost and was destroyed. Except in one: there he is the boss of the Gesso Family. The family has close ties with the Vongola especially as the heir to the families is the same person. A young boy with white hair and brown eyes.
AN: Not sure what to make of this, I wanted to do something a little more serious to keep it more realistic and this was what I came up with. A lot of people wanted this, I've had request since chapter 3 and I finally got round to it. I hope you like it. If you guys want me to do any sequels or do a character again in a skyshot please tell me. I AM STILL ACCEPTING REQUESTS, and if you have any inspiration for me I could use some. I'm glad you liked the Squalo chapter and THANK YOU for the reviews!