Target 15: Byakuran – A look into a certain harbinger of Chaos's life after the death of his Brother and Sister and his thoughts after reuniting with his Siblings.
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Tsuna's death, Byakuran had the time to accept and anticipate it. Tsunayoshi's body had been deteriorating rapidly due to stress and injuries he had throughout his whole life. It was a news that the Vongola Sky took gracefully (his Guardians and friends on the other hand caused several cases of property damage, attempted homicide, and lots and lots of paperwork for their boss.)
So, when one of Giotto's guardians (the storm guardian to be precise) had called bearing the news of the death of his brother… Byakuran accepts the news calmly and solemnly.
There was grieving and tears, of course. But Byakuran didn't fell down the hole of Denial and do something Drastic (like 'sending Tsu-chan's soul into a Parallel World for another chance in life' drastic) because he understands and knew that Tsuna had left the world with a smile that speaks of a life lived to the fullest and no regrets.
Nonetheless, it hurts. But he can bare it in the way Byakuran did with the death of his Storm (due to old age, thankfully.)
With Tsuna's death, Byakuran clings to the other Tri-ni-Sette Sky as much as he could. When he wasn't doing his work and training his successor, the Mare Sky seeks out the Giglio Nero Decima's company.
Until his little sister slipped pass his fingers and disappeared forever.
He heard it when everything was done and over- when he was at the other side of the world dealing with an allied family's betrayal (the timing was suspicious, Byakuran should have just let his remaining Guardians deal with it. A coup d'état happening as soon as he was on another continent and country? Byakuran would eat Bianchi's cooking if it were a coincidence.)
He heard of it as soon as he came back to Italy.
A very loud and overwhelming news of a planned coup d'état that happened in a famed Famiglia. A coup that actually succeeded, planned by a young ambitious Sky (a white eyed wolf, ungrateful bastard-) that the Donna of the family took in and adopted as her child.
A Sky who eyed the title of Don and killed his adoptive mother and her chosen successor for it.
The coup took the life of the Donna, her successor and the members who were loyal to them. A coup that a brat that Byakuran used to think as a nephew planned and led.
The Gesso Don wishes nothing more than to rain his rage on that ungrateful little shit but before he can do so- before he can drag everything to hell with him- the memories of his brother and sister would haunt him and remind him how wrong it was for him to go down the path he took in the Future-that-Never-was.
Still, there was some part of him that wants to keep raging and destroying everything in his path. To play that game again, to fall down the path of madness and insanity. If he did, if he tries to destroy the world again… Maybe his Siblings would come and try to stop him (like they promised him that they would do.) Maybe then, Tsuna and Uni would be back again and they can be together once again.
But the thought of what his brother and sister wishes for stops him from walking down that path. What Tsuna and Uni wanted was a world of peace, a kingdom that isn't steep in blood and sin. A famiglia that isn't built from a mountain of corpses.
So all that Byakuran can do was stifle his Rage and leave.
The burial of the Giglio Nero Decima was also the last day the Mafia had seen Don Gesso. And thus; the three Great Skies cease to exist within the Mafia, leaving behind nothing but stories and legends that speaks of their strength and power.
...…
Leaving Italy and settling down to Japan- back to the quaint town of Namimori, Byakuran couldn't help but regret his choice of location a little bit.
He finds solace and peace from the all-consuming rage (was this what Xanxus always felt when the man found out the truth of his heritage) that the town offers him with the normalcy of a peaceful and civilian life.
Still, he regrets a little. If only for the fact that every turn and move reminds him of his siblings. From the shop just around the corner of his house to the familiar but foreign streets (so many things had changed- was this block always number 8?)
Byakuran is reminded of the days where everyone was young- where they were idealistic children and youths who dreamt of peace and hope. The days where they thought nothing was impossible- where their resolve burns as bright as the super nova.
He regrets it for a while before Byakuran indulged in those memories.
Byakuran immersed himself in memories of a time long gone so much that even as days, months and several years pass by, the man continues to live in his fantasy that Uni (she didn't die, wasn't killed by that ungrateful boy that she took in and loved like her son) and Tsuna (poor innocent Tsu-chan, whose soul cries whenever he was forced to spill blood) lives.
Byakuran continues to indulge and live in lies.
He ignores the reports that came in, reports of a war sparked by the death of his sister. A conflict between Vongola and Giglio Nero that started with revenge for Uni's death before turning into a war between two factions: one that wishes to go back to the old roots of Vigilantism and one that wishes to continue on with the current path of death and sin.
Byakuran continues to lie.
If he didn't- if he stops, he doesn't know what to do. He could barely breath, feel and live without the two people who gave their trust on him; who believed in him that he changed.
Up until he (that accurse immortal) arrived.
Checkerface suddenly appears before him in the confines of his room; the flare of timeless and ancient mist flames and the distortion of the space next to his bed being the only warning of his arrival.
"Oh my," The bespectacled man whose appearance hasn't changed at all muses out loud as his dark brown eyes scrutinized the insane Sky before him. "Don't you look quite pitiful, Byakuran-kun?"
Byakuran spares the man a glance before he looks away and closes his eyes, ignoring the last Earthling effectively.
"It seems that you won't acknowledge my presence here." He continues on, not feeling discouraged at the cold reception he received (which was surprisingly unnerving. Kawahira had been used to being greeted by the boy's insane smile and violent attack.)
He observes the old man (how time flies by, but these three Skies are still the same in his eyes. They might be old and wiser now, but they are still children in his eyes.) Kawahira sees the exhaustion and pain in Byakuran's features, feels those bright Sky flames withdrawing from the world and slowly falling into discord.
"But no worries," He continues on, determination and resolve filing him. He knows that by the end of this ordeal, the moment they realized what he did, he would be in hot water with the holders of the Tri-ni-Sette. But, this had to be done. He's so tired and weary of this. "I'm here to give you a choice."
"Do you wish to see Sawada Tsunayoshi and Uni once again?" Without waiting for the other's response, the man continues on.
"I have a way for you to do that. Are you willing to take this offer- Byakuran-kun?"
Kawahira waits and watches the Mare Sky. He waits for the agreement, waits for the little boy to accept the bait.
Byakuran turns to him, violet eyes filled with desperation and hope.
"I- I don't care what you want me to do. I just want to see them again. Even if your request has something to do with the Tri-ni-Sette… As long as I can see them… I'll do anything you ask for."
Kawahira smiles as he holds out his left hand. "And you will see them again," He promises.
As Byakuran reaches out to take that hand, his vision suddenly blacks out as his flames envelopes him. The last thing on his mind as his consciousness left him was that he really shouldn't have put his trust on the blasted administrator.
...…
"What. Is it this time?" A childish young voice questions, as a small albino child turns away from the mirror to face an old man dressed in a suit.
"Hohoho! Young Byakuran, please cease looking in the mirror for a moment and change into these clothes." Wonomichi ignores the withering glare the boy throws at him as he holds up the clothes prepared by Kawahira for the irate child.
Byakuran frowns, eyebrows furrowed in displeasure but he accepts the clothes offered to him. It wouldn't do for him to wear a large shirt after all.
"And why," He asks through gritted teeth. "Am I a child again?" He couldn't help but ask again- even though he knows the answer to the question already. After all, he and Wonomichi had been repeating this conversation all over again ever since he woke up in a very young body.
"Why," The man smiles genially as he moves to assist the child in wearing his clothes once the Sky glares at the clothing venomously as he struggles with the clasps and buttons- still unused to his much smaller body.
"It's so that you can see them again! Isn't that what you want?"
The little boy pursed his lips at the unrepentant expression of the old man before him before he turns away with a snort.
Annoyed at how they kept on repeating the same conversation all over again, Byakuran decided to walk out on his new 'guardian' and starts to wander around the town the Earthling left them in while he was away 'to do some important things' (as Wonomichi told him after the Mare Sky asked where Kawahira was.)
Byakuran's feet brought him to a small but crowded park after acquiring his favorite sweets to calm down his nerves. He notes the man dressed in a stripped kimono with piercing golden eyes who heads to an ice cream store near the park.
The moment the (current- he would make Kawahira age him up as soon as he sees the Earthling) young boy step foot in the park, he feels a very familiar flame signature a few feet away from him. Byakuran turns to the direction and sees a young boy sitting on the bench who would have passed for a more boyish version of Tsuna.
His heart skipped a beat at the sight as hope blossoms within him. This isn't some sort of joke that meddling administrator is playing on him… right?
As Byakura offers his marshmallow to the younger boy, as amber eyes turn to look at him and utters his name, the Mare Sky finds that he can finally breathe again.
…Still, it hurts to hear his brother say that he's casting aside his past life and live for the sake of 'Rikuo Nura.' Why can't Tsuna be so selfish for once?
...…
Every day, after his reunion with Tsuna (now Rikuo), suddenly became a whirlwind of chaos and adventures as he drags Rikuo around and towards Chaos and Trouble. Byakuran made sure to keep the other Sky's loneliness away, to make sure that those amber eyes shine with happiness and any emotions that isn't sadness and pain.
Maybe that's why the doors of his friend's home is always open for him- even when it's painfully obvious that the family has some secrets that they don't want him to find out. (Byakuran ignores the pang of sadness at the thought that Tsuna didn't trust him enough with the secret.)
Byakuran made sure to deflect and avoid the questions about them from Tsuna though. He didn't have the courage to tell his brother of what happened to Uni, his decision to leaving Italy, and of the War that occurred.
Still there were times when Byakuran finds himself looking around and searching for a pair of blue eyes and a large mushroom hat, only to disappoint himself and be reminded of her death once again.
He misses Uni.
He wants to see her again.
He's scared of facing his sister whom he failed.
So when he felt those gentle and knowing flames reach out for his own… As her name stumbles out of his lips and answered by her bright smile and greeting, Byakuran uses all of his might to stop the tears from flowing as he embraces his little sister.
Finally…
Finally, Byakuran came home.