Tsuna's chapter.

Finally.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn nor any affiliated characters

"Arrividerchi, Tsuna-kun."

There is, in almost every case, a moment of complete silence after a great catastrophe.

A highly filtered quiet; thick and encompassing. This silence comes while blood is still traveling though the air, while the pistol's barrel only just begins to deposit smoke, everything suspended in time and space. It came just as readily in that instant. Soon, though, the silence would be broken, having only lasted but a flicker of time when the eyes adjust and register what is being laid out before them. Then, the pupils dilate to extremes, and everything seems to hover on the brink of some great mysterious chasm.

Then, the screams.

"JYUUDAIME-!!"

"TSUNA-!! NO!!"

The Guardians, keepers of the Vongola's Sky, ripped their throats with the cries of utter terror, horrified at the blood pooling upon the white marble floor and dripping down the walls. Gunshots and echoes of ring-boxes opening tore the silence apart further.

Copper eyes stared upward from the cold, blood matted floors, trying to focus on the gathering faces that were so warmly familiar.

That silver hair, grey-green eyes filled with horrified disbelief. Then just to the left, dark brown irises under short black bangs were the widest the Vongola Boss had yet to see, so it was maybe a relief that they clenched tightly such beneath furrowed eyebrows a second later. Just beyond the Storm and the Rain, Vongola's Dicimo could see the stationary Cloud. Yet that person was growing blurry, the most striking feature that left them recognizable was that ever present silhouette of a perfect posture and steel-grey eyes. The Mist was busy elsewhere among the destruction, judging from the sounds of that bell-like voice screaming incomprehensibly. This was a sad thing. The Mist should not have had to bear witness, not her.

There was a distinct absence of the Sun, or Thunder at this time, and it was a warm relief. The Tenth Vongola closed his eyes slowly, and he could hear the panicked voices blend. What a strange sound, that tone of soul-splitting distress...

"Open you're eyes Tsuna, keep them open!"

"Its fine..! If we just get a medical squad here.. it'll be fine!"

"His heart rate is slowing... He's... he's not breathing!!"

"No Tsuna, please open your eyes!!"

Tsuna smiled, absent and light, for he was very tired now. Hearing all their voices meant that they were safe; alive. He had protected them all sufficiently. Being a Mafia boss meant you gave yourself to the Family, and he had known since he accepted his role years ago that he would always do just that, no matter what.

Millifiore; Byakuran. That white haired man could kill him, and it seemed likely that's indeed what had happened, but he could not hurt his family anymore. His family will become more determined now. Knowing them (and Tsuna did), they would not give up. They would become stronger allied together under the threat of total destruction.

"Tsuna! Tsuna!! Come on, please! Ryouhei..! Why the hell isn't Ryouhei here?!"

"Jyudaime, don't do this! Don't!!"

"The medical unit is on it's way...!!"

The Vongola's Sky drifted in, then back out, and then in again. The voices -his beloved family of Guardians- all intermixed. They were screaming things. Begging unknown patrons saints for something; anything. Tsuna wondered if he was smiling still. He felt like he should be smiling, even though his body was filled with sadness. Sadness, but not regret.

"Jyuudaime, no! Non vada per favore! Svegliare per favore! Per favore, per favore!!"

Had they just been talking in an everyday setting, Tsuna would have commented to Gokudera exasperatedly about the fact that Italian was wasted on someone like him, who didn't know much more besides greetings and broken phrases. Ah, but it seemed the Storm had forgotten his audience in the sudden turn of events, and abandoned Japanese to begin ranting in his fluent tongue. Screaming , even, if anything else.

"Tsuna! Tsuna! Open your eyes Tsuna! Look at me! Just open your eyes and look at me!! Tsuna?!"

No, they wouldn't open no matter how insistent Yamamoto was. It was a shame, too. Tsuna would have liked to see many things just once more, if only he could. But it was okay too, it was alright. He could hear them still, and that was just as well.

He noted that the Cloud was silent. It was expected. Considering many things, it was no surprise that Hibari chose to only take the opportunity to kill as many Millifiore as he could sink his teeth into. That was fine, there was nothing really he could do anyway.

Credit to him though, for shattering the doors Tsuna had used as a barring mechanism between himself and the Guardians. He was slightly startled to see how bothered Hibari had suddenly become, even though he'd known what was going to happen for many days before it actually did. Perhaps the Cloud Guardian had reconsidered the plan after seeing it take place before his own eyes. Maybe he had his own doubts when Tsuna closed those doors between them.

Slowly, the cacophony began to fade, like water was filling too small a space. Like sinking into an ocean without a bottom, watching the flickering light dance above the surface, but setting aside the desire to reach out for it.

Tsuna wondered if Shouichi would be okay. He was never sure about that boy. He had great respect and believed in the chronically nervous redhead's abilities and loyalty, but Shouichi would be under the weight of the world now. The challenge of withstanding Byakuran's hypnotic suggestion was so extreme, Tsuna wouldn't blame the man if he just bent under the pressure and allied himself with Millifiore in the end.

The look in those wide hazel eyes under coke-bottle lenses as Tsuna felt the hot sting of bullet entry was more painful then the fatal wound itself. He prayed Shouichi could hold on for just a little while longer.

"The medics are here, give them space! Gokudera, get away! Let them take him!"

"No! Soggiorno indietro! Siete tutti i bastardi, soffiorno indeitro!!"

"Gokudera, shut the fuck up and let go! He's gone!!"

"No, no, perfavore..!! Jy-Jyuudaime, please! You can't! No!! Please don't leave me-!!"

Though the sound of the screams and shouting turned into dull, muffled echoes, Tsuna could feel Gokudera's painful heart-ache through what little was left of his conscious. Fingers clutched and reached for him as the Storm was pulled from him forcibly. He wished his dim eyes could still see, but was glad they didn't. He wanted to go with the images of smiling faces and embarrassed grins, like a projector film with crackling light; a warm and familiar golden hue.

He thought of everyone he was leaving behind, leaving to become stronger and change the fate of the world. He'd tried in vain to separate himself from most of them in the days leading up to this very point in time, but it had been so hard...

His Lightning Guardian, still so young, was probably scuffing his feet around the Bovino mansion, and wouldn't find out until later the real reason why he was ordered to stay home. Lambo would cry when he was told. He'd cry for a long, long time, but he'd grow up to be the strong, brave man Tsuna had seen many years ago in the Ring Battles.

His Sun Guardian, he'd sent away to the Varia. Ryouhei had the healing flame, and if he'd gotten the opportunity, might have put a hitch in the plans. Though it was sad that the Boxer would have to be told of what happened here in Italy by Xanxus and the others -something that probably wouldn't be done very delicately- it had to , the thought of Ryouhei led to the thought of his younger sister. Tsuna hoped she'd be spared the knowledge for as long as possible, and hopefully she didn't even have to know before things were put right again. It was the same for Haru as well, and his mother. In truth though, part of Tsuna knew that they would find out before things could change...

His Rain Guardian,Yamamoto, he hoped to be as brave and strong as he'd always been. He knew the man hid many things behind a goofy grin, but his eyes when his hands lifted a blade told the truth. Yamamoto had been staring with such wide, disbelieving eyes; a strange and unfitting expression. Tsuna would remember the feel of his rough, warm hands clutching his own in his final moments. Yamamoto would probably be too shell-shocked to offer much comfort to the others, as he would normally.

The Mist would come in two parts, as sad as that would be. Chrome had seen it all happen; a sever miscalculation. Tsuna hadn't wanted her to see, not such a delicate thing as her. She was a powerful illusionist, but prone to fits of distraught panic, and she'd looked so very confused through the fog of his blurring eyes and the smoke of the ring-flames. She would no doubt go to Mukurou for solace.

But Tsuna was scared for what Mukuro would do when he finds out what took place here.

Up until now, he'd avoided the man, promised meetings he wouldn't keep just to be thrown off trail. If Mukurou had been present when the first bullet penetrated the Sky, both Vongola and Millifiore alike would be caught up in his unpredictable fit of emotion. No doubt that whoever gave him the news of what took place in this large white office, would be subjected to the violent confusion and anger that would erupt. Mukurou would no doubt begin to act recklessly, and would most likely get himself caught between worlds for it.

His Cloud Guardian.... Hibari already knew exactly what he needed to do. It was Hibari's turn now, to fulfill his end of the plan and keep up the arrangements. He'd been very cool about the whole idea when Tsuna had first explained it. His eyes were calm and collected as he nodded in understanding of what he needed to accomplish. However, through the plate glass doors, for a brief moment, he'd looked unnatural. Scared.

The Storm. Oh Gokudera... With the thought of crying dusty-green eyes and the sounds of his deep voice screaming pleas drifting in and out as the last bit of consciousness Tsuna possessed, Gokudera took up forefront in his sadness. That poor man knew about loss too well. He was so loyal and so easily hurt, just the thought of what he had planned had made Tsuna cringe in the knowledge that it would hurt his Right-hand-man the most. He wished he'd been able to move his hands, that his shoulder joint hadn't been pulverized by a stray bullet, so that in his last moments he may have been able to pull his hysterical Storm into a light embrace, or hold his hand and tell him to 'please wait, because everything will be okay soon'.

Dino, his 'older brother' and fellow Mafia Boss would be a bit dangerous. Dino had seen the many dark things in the world, and at some levels it affected him. Tsuna hoped that he could realize it was best for the world to hold himself together and fight harder now then he had ever needed to before.

And then, Reborn. Well, that unreal, crazed, psychotic home tutor of his... He'd be seeing him around sooner or later.

And so his world was almost gone, the blackness consuming his mind turning lighter until it was a fuzzy shimmer of bright colors. He felt warm now, and weightless, though in reality he was most likely surrounded by medical teams who could only stand by at a loss as the machine at his side let out a flat digital tone; long and ceaseless.

So Tsuna felt himself leave that world, thoughts of nothing but his precious people. The ones he loved more then anything.

His family.

Final Chapter. I hope you enjoyed the series! Thank you for all the reviews and faves!

-Rae