Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is a creation of Amano Akira. The plot's based on a true story.

Chapter Dedication: Jikage. She's such a nice person, and I would be glad if she manages to read this :D.

Random Rant: It took me a while to finally end this. Thank goodness I managed to. Three weeks of typing this story again and again- YES.

It was almost ten years ago at the rooftop on Namimori High when my father 'introduced' me to the pet he had nurtured for eight years. I was only three. It was a breezy day, with the sun shining placidly against the blue sky. From my father's hands, he held aloft at what seems to be a yellow puffball. It turned out to be a bird with a big and flat orange beak. It was dubbed as 'Hibird'. From the way my father let this harmless being sing from his hand and cuddle to his neck I knew that these two shared a strong bond. It would then wink at my father, all the while chirping his name. And surprise, surprise. My father won't be insulted. I knew it: these two are inseparable.

My father only gave hints of how he had gotten the little fowl as we walked home with the bird singing the Namimori High Anthem. He 'adopted' Hibird from a battle, eight years ago. He refused to tell at what battle it was, and he just gave a clue for me to ask his 'Boss'. I asked him (politely) at why he used the name Hibird to christen its name. He shrugged and told me to ask his Boss also. I then began to ask more questions regarding the bird, and to my surprise, my father would reply, but only with a grunt and a maximum of five words per answer. I didn't mind it at all, though. It was the first time we really talked about ourselves and it was the first time I saw another side of my father. His (bitter)sweet, caring side. A side that he neither showed to me nor to my mother. It somehow, made him earn more of my respect and made me love my father more. It was all thanks to Hibird.

Hibird was a hall monitor in Namimori Junior High School. Clad in a red banner titled 'Discipline Comittee' sashaying its little body, it would lazily flutter around every hallway, alert for any trouble. When it spies a trouble-maker, it would then report to the Prefects, who'd then 'discipline' the 'law breaker' in an effective manner. From there, the very image of Hibird would immediately strike fear across the hearts of many and whenever it flies on the hallways, the students then would immediately return to their rooms to escape its 'Dot-eyes of Doom'.

There were times that, in every two months, my father's colleagues and his Boss would come to visit. They all looked cool and intimidating, except the Boss, Sawada Tsunayoshi-san, who looked really meek and timid. He seemed like a lamb against a pack of hungry wolves. But his men thought otherwise, telling me that they had such an excellent boss. I highly doubt it though. I guess they only tell it because he looks so gullible and would probably give their salaries a raise whenever they wanted to.

While my father 'entertained' them with his tonfas, one of his subordinates, Gokudera-san, an emerald-eyed, silver-haired man would go into the living room with me and play our grand piano that was caked with dust (since my father wouldn't want any of us to touch it). It was a marvel to see Gokudera-san's dexterous hands fly across every key, bringing a softly-played melody. From there, Hibird would join us, singing along with the piano. My father would then run to the room, looking really pissed because of the noise. When his eyes land on Hibird though, his shoulders would relax, and his slanted eyes would lessen their narrow-ness as he returns to the kitchen, threatening the others that he'll bite them to death. Someone would then scream, and then chaos begins. We don't mind though, and Gokudera-san (who also happens to be my favourite subordinate) would then play a lively tune, and Hibird and I would then play along, until mother calls us for dinner.

The bird wasn't allowed to come with my father whenever he goes to do business in Italy because of his job. Brief goodbyes would be the hardest for the bird, who'd sing to my father and snuggle next to him as a sign of goodbye, its eyes drooped and his feathers limp than usual. My father would simply pat its small head and assure the bird he'll return. He would then ride on his black limousine and drive away to who-knows where, with the bird emitting a sorrowful tune as farewell and then fly away.

Hibird would then try hard to fly all the way on top of Namimori High, by the rooftop. It will continue to stay there, not minding the hunger, the sweltering heat, or the battering cold of night and day. Morning or night; sun or thunderstorm or snow it would stay on the rooftop, on the same spot near the antennae. Mother and I would come up there and camp near the bird, giving it crumbs out of pity and fear of my father's wrath. Hibird would hoot thankfully, saying father's name many times.

The bird would know when father would return. It would suddenly light up, madly singing the Namimori anthem many times as it flies around and around in circles. It would then swoop down into a glide then... land on my father's shoulder, which I still get at how he manages to suddenly pop out from nowhere. He'd smirk as he lets his fingers run though the bird as its fuzzy feathers fall because of the heavy patting.

When I was six, father had some serious business to take care of in Italy. But at the time my father had to say goodbye, Hibird was nowhere to be found. Father didn't bother finding the missing bird, and proceeded to hop on his sweet ride and speed of to the airport.

With my mother, I tried in vain to search the little fowl. I combed the streets, the familiar rooftop, the playground, and all the possible places where Hibird could've visited but my search was futile. Three days did my mother and I wandered through Namimori and three days would we return home empty-handed.

By the fourth day of Hibird's absence, our search was interrupted by a phone call. Mother was shaking when she answered the phone. It was Gokudera-san from the other end. He informed us that father was heavily injured in an ambush from a rival Mafia family and was in a critical condition. Sawada-dono prompted us to visit him in a hospital in Genoa.

I hesitated for a moment. Father and I were really never that close, and I thought it was better if I didn't come but since my mother strictly insisted it, I had to go. The first-class seats were not a thing to miss. Magnific!

After getting a large dose of jetlag on the fifteen-hour flight (I still didn't know if it's really that much hours of travel) we hopped on a taxi to the hospital and into father's room. All of father's subordinates were there, along with a mournful Hibird.

Gokudera-san proceeded to tell us the story. My father, because of his incurable stubbornness refused to work with the others on the mission they were in and went ahead. It turned out that there were so many enemies that were too much for him to handle causing him several broken bones and wounds.

"It was all thanks to that annoying bird of his that we were able to track him actually," added Gokudera-san irritably, as he tried to shoo away the wailing bird to no avail. Hibird, for explanations unknown managed to sneak with my father to go with him to his missions. When father was supposed to lay for dead, it signalled the others to come to my father's aid.

Father was really pissed when he woke up, with the bird stopping its cries and wails. It was probably because of the noise it was making. When Hibird saw its master was alive, it would chirp uncontrollably as it sang the Namimori School Anthem and wink at my father again and again. After though, it would shriek and shrilly chirp at my father, as if reprimanding him for being so stubborn. I smiled at this strange sight, as mother let me come near my father who was also now shooing away his crazy bird, as it tweeted more and more angry chirps.

However, that small act of Hibird wasn't enough to save my father, two years later after a brutal encounter with a rival Mafia family along with a few of his subordinates. On that day, Hibird would be on top of the roof, tilting its head up and down, left and right as it searched for its master. Days took off and weeks rolled by, but still that bird waited for my father. The weeks turned into months, but the bird remained firm, singing the Namimori High song.

Something then happened as we continued to aid the bird on its wait. It grew old. It almost seemed like its love and loyalty for my father was the only thing that kept it alive from all those years as its graceful glides turned into feeble swoops, and its sweet voice started to crack.

There came the time that Hibird was unable to stand. It would chirp in frustration as we gingerly helped it rise up to sing the Anthem as it flew around the rooftop, waiting for its master who would never return. Two years it kept its vigil despite the pleas and tears we shed. It waited. It suffered. It hoped.

Then, as it sank back onto its ball of feathers and the small patchwork quilt we gave it as it feebly chanted my father's name, we decided the most humane thing to do to this thirteen-year-old puffball. Yamamoto-san was a veterinarian, and we, with heavy hearts led it to the rooftop and give Hibird the injection. Quietly, it lay down on my mother's lap. Its 'Dot-eyes of Doom' filled with love and understanding. Somehow, it must've known what was gonna happen.

After Yamamoto-san gave the injection, it chanted 'Hibari' midway, before slipping peacefully in my mother's arms.

In tears we wrapped the quilt around the small bird as we buried it on the spot beside the school building as remembrance of the love my father and it shared for the school. All of us, even my father's subordinates huddled beside the grave to pay our respects. I then smiled as my small voice ached to sing the Namimori Anthem, along with them all. Somehow, as I looked up in the clear sky, I see a bird, then a man running through the heavens with the bird singing a melody, its dotted eyes winking. I knew it: those two are inseparable. Now and forever.

~Higirl

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