His Boss.

Sitting there, watching the lid slide over his master's still body, he watched and waited.

His colour changed under the dim lights of the quiet forest. Maybe it was because of the paling skin, or because of the fading warmth of his boss, but he started to lose his glow, paling as his boss became less and less alive. However, he still sat there, watching the darkness his boss was so afraid of encroach on him.

Silent and calm, he reminisced about everything he had been through with his boss. His boss' world was dark and cold; he had fought many battles together with his boss, to protect what was precious to his boss, what his boss loved; his boss' friends and their village.

He had fought beside his boss for many years, watching him grown and change, he had battled at his boss' slender side, blood had been spilt on his face, he had been there to wipe away many of his boss' tears, and he had seen so much pain in his boss' soft, chocolate eyes in those years.

Their last adventure together was only two days prior.

It had been a normal day. His master has dressed in his fine suit and tie; he had his messy, spiked, mahogany hair in its usual erratic display of height. His boss had fetched him from his room, before leaving to check on the innocent villagers whom his boss loved very much.

His master always checked on his villagers, he loved them, and cared for them more than any of bosses had. He was different, kind, honest, willing to accept everything, and anyone; no matter how crazy, or blood thirsty they were, he had even made his enemies change sides, making them willing to give their lives to him because of his warm smile, and all encompassing arms.

You might ask why this was so strange, and why he had so many enemies in the first place. Well his boss was a Mafia Don, and he wasn't just any Boss, he was the Decimo; the tenth boss of Vongola, the strongest Mafia in all of Italy, some would argue, the world.

Of course, his boss was changing the mafia. He was bent on killing only as a last resort, and if he had to kill, he would never allow any of his subordinates do the task. He took the entire burden, and all the pain. That is why so many followed him. He didn't judge, he was all accepting. The Vongola were a mafia that prided itself on the 'Sky system', the boss is the sky, and his seven closest friends are the elements of the sky. Of course, the sky had to accept all 6 other elements of the sky, and his boss did it the best. That's why everyone followed him, he was sweet, kind, and gently. He wasn't like all the other mafia bosses that had ever reined; he was different.

If course, that day was different too. The strange men appeared that day. Long, white cloaks hid their faces, and sinister smiles shone into the shadows of their hoods.

His master's famiglia- the six elements of the sky- strong, kind men surrounded his boss. This famiglia was made of friends dedicated to his boss' ideals, and had an unbreakable faith in their boss. Their strong arms created restraining fences against the unknown entity. Protecting their boss' slim, slightly shaking form.

"Protect the villagers!" his boss' voice solidified his orders, he sent his famiglia to protect and fight what was precious to all of them, all the innocents, and members of the famiglia precious to their boss.

The ensuing battle was a fierce one. He didn't know why they were fighting. Maybe that was why his master wore a very good suit, or the reason his Boss' entire famiglia was with him. Maybe they knew they would be fighting today. He didn't know the real reason for the fight. He could only do his best, sticking to his boss' side, and protect him while the other guardians were off, following his boss' orders to protect the others.

Blood from his master dropped on him, warm and salted with the thick iron in his boss' blood, he recoiled at the scent, and he seethed at even the thought of another harming his boss. Watching, watching the fighting slow, the pools of broken men and land trashed the once glorious town square. Tears, warm like spring water, grieved and cleansed the tainted ground, they dripped from his boss' wide, innocent eyes and washed away the gore as they traveled down his flushed cheeks.

His boss hated fighting.

"Juudaime." The soft voice of his boss' closest friend- his right hand man- echoed in the silent square, momentarily breaking his boss' grief.

The sight before him was an image he would never forget; it was both gruesome, and magnificent. Seven strong, lanky, young men and one woman stood tall and proud dressed proudly in black suits covered in blood, dirt, and scuffs. As threatening and horrific as they looked, there was a kindness in the way they stood, as if embracing each other without touching. Each one had solemn eyes, yet, they were equally happy, before them, their boss was barely injured, only a few cuts, and bruises yet to appear; but it could have been far worse. On their left breast, stitched in gold and silver thread was the symbol of their famiglia. The words 'VONGOLA' were stitched proudly, shimmering behind the grime underneath the crest they all were proud to bear.

Behind their gruff, almost juvenile faces, their eyes all explained the same soft, embracing thing.

"We're back safe, Boss."

Many of his boss' seniors, those meant to teach and guide him, often chided him on his choice of guardians, all seven of them –for he had two Mist guardians- were young and inexperienced, were once his enemies, or had no ties to the mafia's world before meeting his boss. His boss' tutors and predecessor had called him a fool for having such an inexperienced, juvenile famiglia. But his boss just smiled at all their concerns, and he explained in his soft, warm voice;

"My famiglia are the only ones I trust with the lives of those I love. How can you expect me to trust people I wouldn't leave my life to, with things as precious as that?"

His boss' most trusted guardians stepped forward with worried eyes. One was tall, and old faced, even thought they were all between the ages of twenty-five and twenty-six, the silver haired storm guardian held the rough, delinquent style he had when they were teenagers in their Japanese middle-school. His green orbs of intellect watched his boss' flushed face, and flooded eyes with worry.

The second was the cool, calm, rain guardian, he too was twenty-five, yet the tallest of the group, however, he had aged graciously, a single scar adorned his chin, making him seem rogue and distant, but looking up, into his clay-coloured eyes, everyone could see he wasn't as cold as he made his exterior out to be. He was the joker of their group, keeping everyone calm and happy.

"Tsuna, everyone is safe. No one is injured or missing." The black haired rain explained, his soft eyes displaying his understanding of his boss' gentle, overprotective nature.

Turing, his boss smiled a relieved smile that overshadowed, and dismissed any years from his boss' eyes.

Then it happened. A single shot from a sly, disgraceful sniper sent their boss gliding to the ground.

He had never seen tears fall so slowly form his boss' eyes, but he knew his boss wasn't crying because he was dying, he was crying because he wouldn't be able to see his famiglia again, and that they would cry because he was leaving. He was worried about what would happen to his famiglia, and to Vongola without him alive. His boss' famiglia were at their boss' side before his boss ever hit the ground. But even by then, there was nothing anyone could do.

That was his last adventure with his boss.

Watching the lid slide over his boss, he shone with a sad, lonely pride. Not like the one he shone with only two days before though.

He wondered why, unlike the famiglia, all around his boss' corpse, he couldn't shed a single tear. Why, what he felt wasn't grief, or turmoil, it was more like a dog who had lost his first master, his first friend, and knew he would never find another.

He had many bosses over the years, he had almost had eleven. However, his now cold boss was his favourite. He would follow this boss anywhere. After his first boss, one who bore striking resemblance to the corpse before him, he didn't think he'd ever have another. But he loved his boss; he loved him, and wanted to protect him, even in death.

As the coffin lid slid over him and his boss, he knew he'd stay there forever; with his Boss. He would never be able to love another as much as he had loved Decimo; Sawada Tsunayoshi.

He has seen so much blood for his Boss. He had seen so many tears. He was a friend to his boss; he was part of his boss' Famiglia.

He was his boss' protector.

He was the Vongola Ring.