A/N: Written for khrsecretsanta 2017 for thatpieceofkingdomheartstrash on Tumblr! Be sure to check it out!

I was playing Ys (which is an awesome JRPG with AMAZING music), and I was inspired to write something like it. I ended up writing something that had less to do with subverting jrpg tropes and more with trying to Hibari's character? Which may or may not have been successful, mostly because 1) I have no idea how to write his personality, and 2) I'm shit at character development. So! Let's see how this goes.

Please enjoy!

XxX

Kyoya settled onto his tatami mat, a cup of green tea steaming on the table and Tetsuya's reports in hand, when he first noticed it.

A buzzing, heavy quality hung in the air, like the prelude to a gathering storm that raised the hairs on his neck. The feeling grew by the second, and Kyoya was pretty sure that there was an intruder somewhere in his house, on his property, and Kyoya was going to bite to death whoever had even dared to set foot in his house.

He calmly laid the reports on the table beside his phone, cast a somewhat mournful glance at his cooling tea, and stood. His tonfa slipped out of the sleeves of his dark green yukata, and their comforting weights slipped into his hands as he prowleded through each room, looking for whoever was making that damnable feeling and beat it into submission. There was disturbing the peace, and then there was disturbing Kyoya's peace, and then there was disturbing Kyoya's peace in the safety of his own home. The herbivore would be lucky to make it to the hospital in one piece when he found them.

Disturbingly, though, there was nobody lurking around his sprawling Japanese gardens, nor was there anybody waiting to ambush him in the house. His bedroom was pristine and neat, the windows of his bathroom locked, and other than Hibird's inquisitive chirping, no noise in his gardens.

By now, Kyoya's hackles had been fully raised, and there was a faint alarmed ringing in the back of his brain.

Finally, he returned to his living room, Hibird in tow, when he found it.

A small, black hole was growing in the middle of his table. Kyoya was pretty sure that whatever it was, it didn't belong there. He crouched and stared at it, eyes narrowed threateningly.

The black void was spreading, centimeter by centimeter, widening like the gaping of a beast's maw, and here, Kyoya felt the buzzing the keenest. It felt like there was wind blowing into the hole, or maybe it was sucking in air, tugging at the flaps of his yukata and making his hair flutter. Hibird landed on his shoulder and whistled quietly in warning. Its feathers were rustling with the unseen wind, and Kyoya reached up a hand to steady it.

Kyoya considered his options. Perhaps the pineapple had decided to play a trick on him. Perhaps this was a new enemy of the fluffy baby boss's. Perhaps whatever the growing void was, it was harmless.

Kyoya found, in the end, that he didn't really care what the hole was. So he did the (questionably) sane thing he would have done with any other unknown, threatening source.

He attacked it.

In hindsight, perhaps attacking a black hole hadn't been the smartest route to take, but it certainly was the most direct. Kyoya appreciated nothing more than cutting to the chase.

The moment he neared it, an invisible forced tugged on him forcefully, and he growled, lashing out with one steel tonfa and meeting nothing but air. Hibird chirped, alarmed, and quickly winged its way out of the living room. Well, at least one of them would be out of harm's way.

Kyoya narrowed his eyes and brought his tonfa down with a resounding crack! His wooden table splintered, but his attack didn't stop the black hole from sucking him in. Wind whistled past his ears and tousled his hair, and his bare feet skidded on the tatami.

With the knowledge that he wouldn't be escaping…whatever this was, he decided (as was usual) to either go big or go home, and he lunged straight through the black hole, ready to meet whoever was on the other side with a tonfa to the face, maybe a ruptured spleen, a couple of broken bones. He really wasn't picky.

The moment his feet made it through the edges of the hole, it sucked closed with a disturbing slurping sound, and Kyoya (he would deny it to his very dying day) fainted straight away.

It wasn't the best moment of his life, to be honest. At least nobody was there to see it.

XxX

Contrary to popular belief, Kyoya was not, in fact, a morning person. Nor was he an afternoon person, or a night person. He really wasn't a person without a good cup of tea in the morning and a thorough patrol around Namimori to start off his day. He usually woke up like a zombie, and until there was a Hibird on one shoulder and tonfa in his palms, he wasn't quite a functional human yet.

(Many would argue he never had been a functional human, but they never voiced this thought aloud.)

Kyoya was also a very light sleeper. A mere creak of his floorboards, or the click of a door opening, was enough to rouse him enough to instinctively send a tonfa flying towards any intruder with deadly accuracy and force.

So when Kyoya woke up to silk sheets that he most definitely did not own, with some herbivore daring to intrude on his slumber and no cup of tea at his bedside ready made by Tetsuya, Kyoya rose like a hellhound and chucked his pillow at the intruder.

There was a squeak, the sound of the pillow smacking satisfyingly into someone's face, and then the crashing of said someone into ornate double doors.

"I will bite you to death," Kyoya hissed with the fury of a man woken up in unfamiliar surroundings and no tea in sight.

"Kyoko-hime!" came a distressed cry from the other side of the door. Kyoya swung out of the four poster bed with disgustingly luxurious sheets, spied his tonfa lying on the nightstand, and immediately palmed them in preparation for a good beating.

"Wait!" The body unearthed itself from beneath the overstuffed pillow, and Kyoya was faced with the female fluffy herbivore sister to the stupidly loud boxing herbivore. She was dressed differently than usual, in a pale pink kimono and ornamental clips in her hair. Her short hair had grown longer, pulled back into a bun held up by an elaborate and beautiful kazashi. Despite her somewhat crumpled state and her position on the ground with the pillow held defensively against her chest, she sat rather regally. She blinked doe eyes up at him and said, "I apologize for waking you!"

Kyoya felt something inside him soften. He'd always had a weakness for small, fluffy herbivores, especially ones who knew when to apologize.

Kyoya pursed his lips nonetheless. He didn't like being woken up. "Explain. Now."

The herbivore squeaked before scrambling to her feet. She bowed with more grace Kyoya had ever seen her display. "My name is Sasagawa Kyoko, and I am the princess of Nippon."

What.

"My retainers and I summoned you to this kingdom to defeat a great evil that will befall us."

What.

"As our Chosen One of prophecy, we hope that you will lend us your aid in defeating Checker Face and bring peace to our land of Nippon once again."

What exactly was this.

Kyoya narrowed his eyes and adjusted his grip on his tonfa. Perhaps the pineapple herbivore really had wrapped Kyoya in an illusion…but no, not even that insect would be able to create an illusion this elaborate.

But why worry about the details, when he could just beat anything that attacked him into submission anyways? There was a threat the fluffy herbivore needed eliminated, and oh look, Kyoya happened to be just in the mood to thoroughly and completely eviscerate something.

"Tell me about this Checker Face."

He had a bone to pick with that old man, anyways.

XxX

It turned out, the land of Nippon was ruled by the princess Kyoko, since her older brother had up and vanished one day without warning. They were currently in a city named Namimori (which, despite the much older styled buildings and lack of technology, still resembled the town Kyoya was much more familiar with), the capital of Nippon, and right below the palace, in a large cavern, was a cavern containing the weakening seal that held back Checker Face, the greatest evil their land had ever faced.

"…rampaged through Nippon one thousand years ago, and was sealed away here by the great adventurer Sawada Tsunayoshi with the help of the four Guardians. However, the Oni have been growing more and more unruly in the past decade. Attacks on villagers have been happening with increased frequency. We suspect…"

Kyoya yawned drowsily, still not having had his cup of tea yet, and gazed half-lidded up at the large, glowing black stone in front of him. There was a strange creature etched onto its surface, one with a large horn and hooves, not unlike a horse. Rusting chains and decaying charms wrapped all around the large monolith. Power pulsated from deep underground, and the etching glowed with black and yellow light.

Mind made up, Kyoya withdrew his tonfa in one smooth movement and readied himself to attack.

"…leaking from the weakening seal. Thus, we require your aid to…w-wait, Hibari-sama!"

Kyoya disregarded the fluffy herbivore's plea and brought his tonfa down with a resounding clang! After all, whatever was sealed behind this large rock was probably strong, and aside from the baby hitman, Kyoya rarely faced anything enough to excite his bloodlust. Perhaps the budding baby boss would grow to become a king, but as of yet he was still weak.

Kyoya was ready for a fight, a challenge, and if this Checker Face was anything like his world's Checker Face, he'd most certainly get one once it was released.

The rusting chain broke easily, and the rest of it clinked as it fell to the ground. The charmed tags fell off of the rock, and the creature etched into the stone began to glow intensely. Kyoya's mouth stretched into a grin when the pulsating power suddenly roared. Black energy whirled around them, and the fluffy herbivore screamed. She grabbed his sleeve, but he shook her off impatiently, anticipation rushing through his veins and excitement lining his teeth.

Suddenly, the large monolith cracked, and out from the middle rose a giant, with checkered skin and a metallic, black and white mask covering its face. It had large, skeletal wings and a wicked, whip-like tail. It rose, standing taller than three times Kyoya's height, its horns grazing the roof of the cavern as glowing golden eyes blinked lazily behind its mask. White hair flowed over its scalp and down its knobbed back.

Ah, how long it has been since I had been imprisoned, it breathed, large and terrible. It fixed its gaze down on the two of them, and it gave a rumbling laugh. Two children, come to release me. Tell me, what are your names?

There was something wriggling in the back of Kyoya's brain, something that he hadn't felt in a very long time, something he couldn't recognize. He ignored it and gripped his tonfa tighter. He didn't have his Box Weapon or his Vongola Ring with him, but that didn't mean he couldn't cause considerable damage with just his tonfa.

"I-I am the princess of Nippon, Sasagawa Kyoko, and beside me is the Chosen One!" The fluffy herbivore raised her chin admirably, and but her voice trembled. A mere herbivore, playing at predator. "We will defeat you, and we will seal you again, just as my ancestor Sawada Tsunayoshi did one thousand years ago!"

Checker Face snorted, and with alarming speed for such a large beast, brought his clawed hand down where Kyoya had been standing. Rock crunched, and a small earthquake radiated from the impact. The ceiling rained dust and rocks.

Heart pounding in his throat, Kyoya sliced through the air, over the claw and debris pelting him from the blow. His feet touched the ground before he was in the air again, throwing his whole weight behind his tonfa. The metal met checkered skin, but Checker Face only shook off Kyoya's attack with a laugh.

Is that the best you can do?

Fast as a viper, Checker Face swept his arm across the ground, and suddenly Kyoya went flying across the large cavern. His back met the dirt walls, and he absorbed the pain, legs already coiling to launch him into another attack.

A sudden shriek caught his attention, and Kyoya's eyes snapped towards the fluffy herbivore. He snarled, having forgotten that there was a defenseless herbivore in the middle of the fight. She was clutched in the monster's hand, eyes wide with fear.

Dear little princess, how I shall enjoy crushing your kingdom within my fingers, Checker Face purred. She screamed again, this time in pain, and Kyoya hurled himself right at the fist. He rammed his shoulders right at the joints of the beast's hands, and Checker Face released his captive with a surprised roar.

Kyoya leapt, unceremoniously slinging the female herbivore over his shoulder in midair, and darted for the stone stairs leading up back to the palace. Alone, perhaps he would have fought, but Kyoya had always been taught to protect his own pack, and while the female herbivore was not pack quite yet, she was someone who did not need to suffer. Not even he was so tunnel-visioned that he would stay in a collapsing cavern with possible collateral damage to fight a beast just as powerful as he was.

(He didn't not acknowledge the traitorous thought that said it was perhaps even more powerful.)

Mocking laughter echoed around the rock walls, and as Kyoya climbed, the herbivore clutching at his clothes, he felt a tremor, faint at first that grew by the second, cracking across the rocks of the stairway. Black lines spider webbed across the path, and small bits of rock began falling from the ceiling.

With another burst of speed, Kyoya sailed back into the palace and ran full tilt towards the courtyard, still towing the herbivore like a sack of potatoes.

When his feet finally hit grass, he unceremoniously dumped his burden onto the ground and turned around to watch the palace collapse. Already, parts of the palace was crumbling like a sodden cookie. A large spiral tower rained debris into the courtyard. There were faint screams, and Kyoya spied several servants fleeing out of the building. One particular servant spotted them and ran over, panting for breath and flushed from exertion.

"Kyoko-hime!" she cried when she was within hearing distance, grabbing the fluffy herbivore in a fierce hug.

Something like regret panged through him. There were undoubtedly lives lost and property damaged, and Kyoya did not need to think very hard to place the single causal point for the incident.

Kyoya had done this.

True, his recklessness had put his own life in danger before, and his tendency to rush in and attack did put him at a disadvantage at times, but he had always been strong enough, fearless enough to defeat (or at least survive) his enemies.

This time, though, he'd let his bloodlust consume him, his excitement for a challenge and his quest for a fight guide him as usual, but he had…miscalculated. Checker Face was strong, and it truly pained Kyoya to admit this, but perhaps even stronger than he was. The environment for the fight had not been ideal, and he had a civilian with him at the time as well.

Kyoya didn't often feel shame. He felt it now.

"You!"

The exclamation was hissed vehemently, fury lining the words and anger wakening in her tone.

Kyoya turned to find a finger in his face, and he had to curb the instinctive urge to break it into tiny little pieces.

"You," the servant repeated, and Kyoya now recognized her as the other herbivore, the headstrong one who was incredibly protective of the fluffy one. The herbivore was, strangely, carrying a silver bow with blue etchings on it, and a sheathed katana. "You did this!"

"Wait, Hana-"

"I thought the Chosen One was supposed to save us, but instead he released Checker Face from the seals, and at the same time doomed us all!" The girl narrowed her eyes. "We shouldn't have summoned him."

"It was a mistake-" the fluffy female tried to defend, but Hana shook her head.

"It was a mistake summoning him. We should never have relied on outsiders," Hana snarled. She gestured at the castle. "Look what he has wrought! Now, Checker Face will-"

There was a distant, muffled cracking sound, and the palace collapsed completely into a heap of rubble. From it, Checker Face rose, its skeletal wings flapping in the air, horns raking the sky. It landed and tilted its mask towards the sun.

Ah, yes. It has been so long since I have felt the sun. And soon, nobody in this land will ever feel its warmth after I am finished with it!It cackled, and black, crackling energy formed between its horns. Checker Face swung its head, and the energy exploded, reaching out like lightning and quickly setting several neighboring buildings on fire. Black miasma rose from where it stood, crouched on the collapsed ruins, and it finally spotted Kyoya. I must thank you. Come and serve me, and I may not decide to kill you.

"Fuck off, you murderous cretin!" the angry herbivore shrieked, and with a whirl of movement, had her bow nocked and ready to fire. Blue, gleaming energy wound around her fingertips and the bow's string, tightened and trembling.

Ah, yes, you are the bodyguard. Perhaps you will be the first to taste my power!

She released her arrow at the same time Checker Face fired another bolt of black lightning, and the fluffy herbivore managed to tackle the archer out of the way just as the lightning swallowed her arrow and struck the ground where she had been standing.

A proud little Chosen One, the very bringer of disaster upon the land. An inexperienced princess, still naïve and unburdened. And a fierce, hot headed bodyguard! You think you will be enough to defeat me? Checker Face rose into the air, wings beating powerfully and tail writhing. It raised its claws above its head. Perhaps I shall defeat you here and now…!

It yanked to a stop, as if still shackled to something, and gazed down at the ground blankly.

The fluffy herbivore gasped for breath. "The seals have not been completely weakened yet. You are still chained to the palace."

It will only be a matter of time, girl. Checker Face shook its great horned head. I can still kill you!

"We need to leave," the fluffy herbivore muttered, and the angry one nodded in agreement. She shot Kyoya a dirty glare, to which Kyoya only stared back coolly, before handing the princess the sheathed katana. The fluffy herbivore strapped it to her waist.

Do not think you can escape so easily! Checker Face roared. It brought its claws down, and the ground began crumbling beneath them. Kyoya retreated, as much as it hurt his pride. He would have to lick his wounds today. He had already felt the sting of failure from being unable to protect the lives of Namimori, for causing disturbance in his city. He would have to get stronger, much more so, before returning to defeat the beast.

"Run," he barked, and he sprinted past the two female herbivores. All around him, the damage had spread. Smoke turned the sky a dusty red, and fleeing villagers screamed for friends and family. He saw children lying dead, their crying mothers kneeling beside the still bodies. He saw sprinting young men, their most precious belongings held to their chests. He saw women helping their elderly parents hobble to safety.

Finally, after what felt like hours of dodging panicking civilians, he made it out of the village. All around him, villagers were collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, staring at their former home in despair. Despite the crowding, Kyoya could not find it in himself to care much about them, focused more on the disaster spreading behind him.

Fear. That had been that niggling emotion at the back of his mind earlier. Fear, an emotion he could not remember feeling before, and overwhelming shame.

Kyoya closed his eyes, fingers clenching around his tonfa. He now had a debt to these people, this world, wherever he was. He had failed his duty, and he had betrayed his people.

"Oh kami." The fluffy herbivore knelt in front of an old woman with a bleeding gash on her forehead. "Healer, we need a healer!"

The angry herbivore gazed around her, bow slung across her back and hair tied up in a high ponytail, desperately seeking out anyone with medical training.

Namimori, collapsed within the span of a day.

Kyoya, the perpetrator of the disaster that befell them.

He turned and left. He would have to train, to explore this land, to grow stronger. Only then, when he could look them in the eye, would he return and lay Checker Face to rest.

XxX

A/N: Thank you for reading! As usual, comments and criticism are welcome. Hopefully I'll get chapter 2 up by tomorrow. There's a total of 6 and they're all written.

Sincerely,

haplesshippo