AFTER THE RAIN
Author's Notes: Target one of the first arc is here. I want to write as much as possible while I still have my muse. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Amano Akira-sensei, arigatou for the wonderful people you've made.
Target One: The Encounter
Long brown hair waved against the air as the young lady landed on her behind. She let out a tiny whimper of pain as she moved her bright golden eyes around. "Where am I?" she asked to herself. Natsu growled from her lap and that was the time she noticed her companion. "Ah, Natsu, are you alright?" she stroked the small sky lion's head making it moan.
Ciel smiled. At least she wasn't alone here, wherever she was now.
She stood up and Natsu situated itself on top of her head. She noticed that there were no people around and it was almost getting dark. It was better, she decided, since it will be messy if she appeared suddenly in the middle of a crowded place.
However, the disadvantage of this was that something bad was bound to happen.
"Areeee…. What a cute little girl…"
See?
She ignored the voice and continued walking towards a bridge that she was looking at. She was forced to stop though with a hand on her shoulder. "I don't appreciate you ignoring me, little girl."
She glared at the man behind her and noticed he was drunk. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I don't appreciate you talking to me in that disgusting tone of yours." She told the man, shrugging off his hand from her shoulder only to receive a painful grip on it. She frowned slightly, and evenly stared at the man.
"If I were you, I will not resist…" he moved his free hand on her cheek, stroking it gently and Ciel gritted her teeth. Preparing herself to kick ass, she fisted her hands to land a punch on the man but…
"Hey you! Get down!" she heard a somewhat familiar voice and decided to trust her instincts and did what the voice instructed.
Natsu let out a small barrier of flame, enough to protect her from the explosion caused by the dynamites.
She gasped in surprise as the smoke slowly dispersed. "Too reckless… dynamites… really?" she muttered as she stared at the body of the drunken man. Although she thought he deserved it, this was still a little bit… extreme.
She stood up and patted her knee length orange dress as Natsu settled on her shoulder.
"You! Are you alright?"
Wait, that voice… was very familiar.
The source of the voice was running towards her, and she slowly turned to face him, eyes wide. "P-papa…"
The brown eyed boy stopped in front of her and scanned her for injuries. "Thank goodness, looks like you're fine."
"Tenth!" Tsuna faced his friend who called out to him. He saw him checked the drunken body and told him he was just unconscious. The brunette sighed. "That's good. I don't know what to do if you accidently killed him, Gokudera-kun…"
Gokudera Hayato. Her Zio. He looked so young and reckless, unlike the Zio she knew. She gazed to the other boy.
Dark brown eyes stared back at bright golden ones and 14-year-old Tsuna couldn't help but remember Kyoko's eyes from this girl.
She also looked like her, except the color of her hair. "Y-You…" he gasped at the tears gathering in her eyes. She sniffed and Tsuna, being Tsuna, panicked.
"Hiiiiieee! W-wha—Why are you—?"
The girl's eyes were hidden in her bangs and her body trembled, making the boy panicked more. "Whaaa—don't cr—"
"PAPA!"
She shrieked and hugged the panicking Tsuna.
"HIIIEEEEE! P-PAPA!?"
Tsuna and Gokudera were walking from school to their usual headquarters, Tsuna's room. Yamamoto had his baseball practice and Gokudera was very happy that Baseball idiot wasn't around to interrupt him and his 'Tenth.
Though, said Baseball idiot will be going to Tsuna's house after his practice to hang out with them.
The usual.
On their way home, Gokudera asked Tsuna of the next inheritance ceremony, since the first one was postponed because of the Shimon family, which were now a close allied Famiglia.
Tsuna stuttered at the question, not really expecting it because whatever happened until now, he still didn't want to be a mafia boss. Gokudera didn't notice and continued talking about the future of Vongola with him as the boss and him (Gokudera) as his right-hand man.
Same as always… Gokudera-kun… he sweat dropped.
All of a sudden, he saw a young girl, being bothered by a… is that man drunk? His eyes widened in alarm and let out a small shriek. It didn't go unnoticed this time by his self-proclaimed right-hand man. "Tenth?"
He looked over to what Tsuna had been looking and he volunteered himself to help.
"Leave it to me, Tenth!" he declared as he ran towards the young girl, dynamites in both hands.
"Ah! Wait, Gokudera-kun!" he exclaimed however, his friend had already thrown his dynamites towards the drunken man. Noticing the young brown-haired girl so close to the man, Tsuna warned the girl to take cover.
"Hey you! Get down!"
The girl did what she was told, and he sensed a dying will flame near her. He couldn't explain how but he was sure there was a dying will flame.
And then, after scanning for her injuries, she was on the verge of crying. What the—
And worst of all, she had called him, PAPA?!
His hyper intuition was acting up again and it was saying that something was bound to happen after this encounter.
"OI! LET GO OF JUUDAIME! YOU—"
The young girl was crying so Tsuna didn't have the heart to actually push her away, so he looked at his friend and begged for him to stop.
"G-Gokudera-kun… let her be for now…"
The right-hand man stared at his boss uncertain. "B-But Tenth… we don't even know this girl!"
"But she actually knew Dame-Tsuna." A voice was heard near them. They turned to their right and saw the sun arcobaleno. Former arcobaleno.
"Reborn!"
"Reborn-san!"
"Do you know this girl, Reborn?" asked Tsuna, glancing at the trembling form of the brown-haired girl.
"No, I don't. But she knew you." He spoke. "I don't think she's really the type to hug strangers just because she was saved by them."
The two young boys looked at each other.
"And another thing…" the arcobaleno pointed at the small animal whimpering near the young girl.
Their eyes widened.
"NATSU?"
Tsuna gazed at his finger with the Vongola gear. His sky lion was sleeping. However, there was Natsu in front of him.
What did this mean?
"Anyway, bring the girl home, Tsuna."
"Eh? EHHHHH?!"
"Then, I'll go ahead." And his baby tutor disappeared.
Gokudera heard his beloved boss sighed and he glanced at the small sky lion, who was rubbing his head on the mysterious girl's leg. "Tenth, what should we do?"
Tsuna's eyes moved from him to the girl in his arms. He let out a loud sigh. "Let's just do as he says."
The right-hand man nodded. "Okay..."
Tsuna helped the girl up who was whimpering, Natsu perched on her shoulder, consoling her by rubbing its face on the girl's cheeks. The young brown-haired girl glanced at her companion and smiled however she was still trembling. Tsuna led her and he was wondering if he already met the girl before.
His hyper intuition says that he should know her.
And he kind of trusted his intuition. After all, they were saved by it so many times.
R&R. Thanks for dropping by!
#Mari / 6.19.2022 (revised)