Author's Note: THIS IS IMPORTANT SO PLEASE READ. Firstly, I've posted this story on Quotev, Wattpad, Ao3, and now . Wattpad is the only site that I have the same username in the other two wouldn't accept it. Secoundly, this story was inspired by 'From Mafioso to Pirate' written by the wonderful BlueSkyBlueWater. The beginings may seem similar, but that are quick to differtiate from one another. If your still worried, I've also already talked with the athor as well, they're very nice and their story is amazing and deserves to be read as well. This story is mine, but I don't own anything from One Piece or Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Hope y'all enjoy!

He is not going to deny anything, Lambo was a brat the moment he met Tsuna. Almost every person he met, he gave them either bad or degrading nicknames, more like insults, or would call them his subordinates. Whenever he didn't get his way, he would throw a tantrum and then cause chaos and/or trouble for Tsuna and his friends. He had an ego the size of the moon, stating how he was the strongest and nothing can beat him, when in reality, the moment he gets hurt, even just a little bit, he pulls out the ten-year bazooka and jumps in, causing the him from ten years in the future to pop out.

Tsuna would tell him that there wasn't much of a difference except his ego, thankfully, has gotten smaller, just a little bit though, he was extra lazy, and he was a coward.

So, what hope did anyone have of Lambo ever changing? Everyone assumed that the Lambo from ten years in the future, who was fifteen years old, was a part of a concrete future. That nothing else could happen and change that logic.

But time is a funny thing. It's a bit like a giant spiderweb, each thread an event or another path. One small thing could lead to a bigger change than anyone could have ever predicted.

Then came the year he turned eight years old, near the beginning of the school year, I-Pin told him they couldn't be friends anymore because his personality and bad manners kept pushing people away and making everyone not want to be their friends. She felt lonely despite the duo's long friendship, it didn't feel like enough to her. So, she left him to make friends of her own, leaving him with no one.

Not even a couple of days later, Mukuro bluntly, and harshly, told Lambo to shut up while he was ranting about I-Pin, his classmates, and school.

"Why do you think people don't want to be with you? Keep leaving you?", Mukuro snaps at the young boy after finally having enough, "You're a annoying, selfish, stupid, cowardly crybaby. No one would want to hang around with some one that has at least two of those traits. You're the very definition of abominable. Face it, stupid cow, no would ever want to be with you, much less your friend."

The harsh words unsurprisingly got to Lambo, but surprisingly they hit them in a way Mukuro didn't mean for them to, hitting Lambo hard with the realization that I-Pin and Mukuro were right. He was such an awful person, such an awful brat to everyone, that everyone avoids him now, never wanting to be the ones to be with him or, more accurately in their minds, babysit him. Even Mama looked weary whenever dealing with him.

It was a brutal awakening, especially for an eight-year-old, but it was needed in order for Lambo to grow. Because of this, Lambo matured quickly. He stopped carrying all of his weapons around in his afro, got a haircut and a different style of clothes, though kept the cow theme, even though it was more subtle than before. He became more polite, he studied diligently, he was quiet now, never disturbed class, and finally wore his uniform properly, his teachers where so surprised, they called Nana to make sure she had given them the right Lambo, then the school called Tsuna to double check and make sure Nana wasn't confusing the boy with someone else instead..

For some reason, the two adults never thought much about it. Only thinking that Lambo was quieter since his break off with I-Pin was still pretty recent. They never thought much or looked into how school never called about Lambo getting into trouble during the years to come.

The school honestly never saw it coming. They don't know what happen to instigate the change, but they didn't care. They're just glad it happened when it did so Lambo could have a bright future with his education if he continued on this new path he chose.

Lambo stopped looking at others as his subordinates, instead, he did everything he could to become a better person and for the guardians and those that live in the Vongola mansion to like him.

Yes, Lambo did mature faster than an eight-year-old should. But he's been through more than any other child, along with Fuuta and I-Pin.

As months passed, Lambo knew that the others wouldn't notice the change right away, much less accept it. Never thinking that the selfish, egotistical, cowardly, cry baby could make such a switch on his personality.

He learned patience.

He remembered all the time he has spent with Tsuna and all that time, the patience Tsuna needed to deal with Lambo as his adoptive older brother, while having to watch over and take care of I-Pin and Fuuta as well. How many times Tsuna and the others had to save the younger trio because Lambo kept dragging them into trouble.

With all this in mind, Lambo grew patience and waited for years, patience never wavering until he was eleven years old. Three years since he made the change. Yet no one has accepted the fact that he has changed. In fact, no one has even noticed except for a certain skylark, who has kept it to himself for his own reason, not even telling Lambo, the school itself, the adults not so much the kids, and a specific teacher that worked there when he first made the decision to change in the first place.

He realized this when he noticed that both I-Pin and Fuuta began their training. In fact, he found out that they were training without him when he was ten. Purposely keeping it a secret from him so they wouldn't have to train Lambo as well, thinking him to be useless or to destroy the training area. It's not like Hibari and/or Gokudera don't do it every single day, as well as in every other room in the Vongola Mansion.

Don't even get him started how they wouldn't give Lambo his inheritance, the special box he received from the original Lightning Guardian, Lampow. One that showed he had the first Lightning Guardian's approval. It didn't seem like they saw it that way. Many, if not all, thought Lambo didn't earn the box. So they took it.

A decision that wasn't there's to make.

They thought he was oblivious, that he was stupid, that he never realized what was going on. When in reality, he just pretended to not know. He knew that they would try to placate him with something stupid to try and stroke his no longer existent ego so he wouldn't throw a tantrum.

So, he decided to wait until he was older, when they've seen when he has matured.

On the day of his eleventh birthday, Lambo thought it'd be a good idea to ask for mafia training so he could become a true Guardian, worthy of his title.

Birthdays are supposed to be happy.

Birthdays are supposed to be special.

Birthdays are one of the few days where you put your differences aside and celebrate another year you have lived, better yet, you have survived.

Especially when you live with a Mafia Famiglia. Even more so with the Vongola Famiglia.

But no one looked happy, the day didn't feel all that special, and when they had a short mini party at the end of the day after dinner, when Lambo asked to start his training…

"I don't fight with herbivores.", Hibari grunted.

"You're too weak to begin training, let's wait until you're older.", Yamamoto said in a reassuring, yet patronizing, tone.

"No one can train you idiot cow.", Reborn says in his usual stoic voice.

"You're not EXTREME enough yet!", Ryohei shouted.

Tsuna smiled softly, apologetically, but it just made Lambo's stomach twist. He felt like throwing up.

"I'm sorry Lambo, I don't think it's time to train you.", Tsuna said softly, "You're no good right now."

"Krufufufu…. If he's too weak, shouldn't we try to find a better Lighting Guardian? Everything would be so much easier."

"Stupid Cow!" screams Gokudera, "Stop asking stupid questions! We don't need you, you'll just get in the way! Maybe we should find another guardian."

The table broke into chatter about who could be a good replacement. Right in front of Lambo, no less. None seemed to care or were oblivious of the hurt Lambo was clearly feeling., And all on his birthday too, adding more salt to the wound.

But that wasn't even the worst part.

Nope.

The worst part, was that Tsuna never objected, not even once, to replacing Lambo.

. . . he was weak in their eyes. He'll never be strong like them.

With this thought, tears pricked the corners of Lambo's eyes. But he quickly blinked them away, skillfully hiding them from sight. Then, without a single person noticing, he left to his room.

At least, that's what he thought, oblivious to the curious predatory stare that watched as the boy left a party that was meant for him.

Ever since that day, Lambo refused to cry. Even when he's by himself, he still doesn't cry, too scared that others would unexpectedly pop in and see. If anyone were to see him crying, they'll think he's a cry baby or that he's throwing another temper tantrum.

He became numb to his emotions, the only way he could find in order to successfully avoid crying. He was to not feel anything at all.

After Lambo's eleventh birthday, he stopped trying to show Vongola how much he's changed. They never noticed the change in the first place.

They never cared enough to notice. Even with his grades being mostly A's with a couple of B's, no one noticed. How could they when they all stopped checking his report cards. They all still thought him stupid, still thought he had barely passing grades.

Only to remind himself how far he's come on his own, to encourage himself to not go back the way he was, Lambo places all his perfectly graded papers proudly in a box under his bed in his room. He's even place little notes his teachers have started giving him, noticing how he has seemed more depress during class. So they would give him uplifting encouraging notes or small letters. Lambo took great care with these items, placing them with the rest of his graded papers under in the box under his bed.

Every day after school, Lambo would go through the papers and sort through the memories of the proud teachers he has met. Every single one of them proud of how grown he has become. He'd smile and continue through the rest of the day refreshed; mental walls stronger until he crashes in his bed for the night.

Lambo refuses to let the opinions of his Famiglia to cause him to turn back into the selfish brat he once was in his younger years. He's a petty person, no one is perfect. Not even his Famiglia.

He would reason with himself that his Famiglia never truly mean their words as time passed on.

Everyday getting harder and harder to face, harder to get out of bed, harder to go to school. He just wanted to stay home so he wouldn't have to continue facing the world.

But would you really call a place 'Home' when it feels as if no one there loves or even cares about you?

His shoulders began to hunch in on themselves in hopes to get through the day without being chased by a dynamite throwing maniac or hot-tempered skylark. In hopes of not having to hear their dispiriting words.

Only for it to be in vain, Tsuna, Reborn, and the other Guardians remained oblivious to how much their words hurt the youngest Guardian. Causing him to be slowly filled with depression throughout his days.

No longer hopeful for a future where people were to truly care for him. Where he could be strong, where he could be a protector and be of use to Tsuna.

Alas, it seems it wasn't meant to be.

It wasn't long after Lambo entered his depressive state, that he began to believe most of the words they've said.

He's weak.

He doesn't deserve to be the Lightning Guardian.

Everyone would be just better off without him.

It'd be easy to find a worthy candidate for the ring other than the stupid cow.

Nobody needs a weakling like him.

He's nothing without his Dying Will Flames.

Flames that he can barely control, even at the age of fifteen. Once he reached that age, Lambo realized something, he officially made another change. From a hopeful child with a bright future ahead of him, determined to be better than his younger self and show his famiglia how good he became, to a depressed teenager with low self-esteem, and a bleak outlook on his life, seeing himself and his actions holding no worth to the world and the people around him.

But who would notice? No one, that's who.

Then, that's when someone finally did.