Byakuran was defeated. Everyone was safe. He'd kept his promise. He couldn't figure out why he felt so terrible. He fell with a smile.

His family called to him. Alarmed for some reason he couldn't quite put his finger on. He was too tired to try all that hard right now, but later, when he woke up. Certainly, he would take care of it all when the darkness stopped encroaching on his mind. When he could do more than welcome it as someone lifted his head and started slapping him.

He needed to sleep for a while. That was all.

"Get up! Nobody said you could rest Dame-Tsuna." Reborn was so, demanding. He sounds worried, upset even. It was a tough fight, but he won, he only wants a nap. It's nothing to worry over. It is a little bit cold though.

"Tsuna-nii. Y-you can't sleep on the gr-ground. You'll cat-catch a cold."

Why is Lambo crying? Was it Gokudera again? Need to tell him off when he wakes up. They always argue and Gokudera can be so mean to him. Gokudera can get him grape candy when they get back, to make it up to him. He wished they'd stop telling him to get up. Stop being loud. Leave him be for once.

"Juudaime please, please, get up. One more time. You can't go yet."

Go? Go where? He's not leaving. He's tired. The darkness has almost taken over, it's okay now. He'll be with them soon. A few hours, a day. He'll wake up. Nothing's wrong, they shouldn't worry so much. Why are they all so worried?

"We need you Tsuna, you're everything that holds us together. You're always there, you need to always be there. You can't leave us."

Takeshi is pleading with him. Why is everyone so certain he's leaving? He just wants a quick nap. It's been days. A long fight. Dread is starting to take root, they're starting to scare him. Are they hurt? Is something wrong with him? Is he being taken from them? It sounds like he is, their voices are getting muffled, fading. Where are they going?

"I will bite you to death carnivore."

Kyoya will do that no matter what he does. He sounds close, so long as one of them was then everything was fine. Kyoya would understand him just wanting to sleep. He was always escaping to nap in some obscure corner in their general vicinity. He sounds close but something is wrong. It's not as threatening. There's a strange fruity wobble in his voice. Like something is stuck in his throat.

The darkness is so close but he's not sure he wants it there now. He's worried, anxious, everyone else is upset. Someone needs to make it stop. He doesn't think he can. Kyoya might be able to help. Make it stop.

'Kyoya, bite that darkness to death!' He thinks he says it. Kyoya doesn't though.

"I can't take you over if you're gone Vongola. You promised-"

Even Mukuro is breaking up. He's terrified now. The darkness is settling in, holding him close. But it's just sleep he thinks. Only sleep. The takeover would only fail if he died…

'Oh'

He couldn't be. He doesn't want to. He has so much to do. So much to change and restore and fix before this future comes to pass. Is that what the darkness is? Death wrapped in sleep? He's freezing. He understands what everyone means now. Why they're upset. He's dying but there's still time. He can be saved.

'Mukuro help! It's almost, too late.' He can taste the words on his tongue. Is sure they get out but Mukuro doesn't touch him. He's still with whoever was slapping him before.

'Who was that again?'

"He knows." Mukuro says.

"Knows what?" Reborn snaps. Mukuro looks him in the eye to say it. Doesn't think he could do it any other way.

"He knows he's dying. Knows he doesn't have long left."

He wished Mukuro had said that in a better way. A way that hadn't left all his guardians with a sob on their lips, choked back or set free. A way that hadn't had Reborn squeeze him so tight he thought his bones might have crumbled in due time.

"Lussuria! Get your fucking peacock out and heal him!"

As ordered they jumped to it. Drawing out the peacock and hovering over a gore covered Tsuna. Lussuria had Reborn move. He had to put his student down. Leave his side when he needed him there the most. It was safer outside the beam of sun flames though. For Reborn.

He could do nothing but watch, fighting back burgeoning tears. When had he become so attached as to shed a tear for his pupil? The very same pupil he took joy in tormenting into top shape to be a great Don.

Lussuria's peacock vanished into its box. Prematurely Reborn thought. Surely that wasn't all it had taken to save him. A glance at his face told him the truth.

"He's gone."