A sky within the night -KHR

126. Ieyoshi's Failure

1023 Words excluding (A/N)~ I no own KHR~

Written September 27 2021
Posted September 29 2021
NEXT UPDATE is on October 13 2021

It was time, they knew that they couldn't prolong it any longer. Not unless they wanted all of the effort required to even get here to go to waste- which wasn't an option- would never be an option. It still didn't stop their heart from beating rapidly in their chest, they wouldn't let their fear stop them from doing what needed to be done.

They made a futile attempt to calm themselves with a steadying breath before approaching the room. Mukuro had done his part, so the sky shouldn't be able to stop him. Pills they'd stolen from Shamal rested heavily in their coat pocket. They might have worked, if they'd been made just a few weeks earlier. They hadn't, so it would be pointless to even allow them to be placed within Tsuna's grasp. The outcome had already been decided, at least it had been. Face carefully blank, he entered the room. It was hard to stop himself from viewing Tsuna as his brother, this wasn't his Tsuna, his Tsuna died.

'My brother...'

Tsuna's hazy eyes brightened a bit, face scrunching up with confusion "There are two Ies..." He couldn't really see all that clearly, but he knew his brother's flame. Even if the second Ie's flames seemed more sickly.

"Who-" Hayato was silenced by a raised hand courtesy of Ieyoshi, the older looking Ie.

"I love you so much Tsuna" Ieyoshi breathed, crouching down next to the cuddle pile. He was lucky that Reborn hadn't attempted to attack him on sight. Ieyoshi's eyes glowed a pale orange "I'd do anything for you" Quick as lightning, Ieyoshi yanked the sky pacifier away from Tsuna, quickly hopping away to clutch it towards his own chest "Are flames can easily sync into one"

'There's no time to hesitate, I need to do this'

"Ie!" Tsuna screamed, eyes a blazing orange as his intuition begged him to move. He couldn't though, Mukuro's arms were suddenly wrapped around his waist. Then he started to feel his flames leaving him, being sucked out "No! nonononononon" His cries became no more than a repetitive babble. Why wasn't anyone stopping him?!

Ieyoshi grit his teeth, shooting his younger self a bitter smile "I failed to protect my brother, you better do a better job than I did" Tsuna's flames came to him with ease. Having been a part of him for most of his developmental days, he was sure that he could trick the pacifier. It wasn't like it hadn't already been readying itself for a new holder anyways. He glanced over at Reborn, the hitman was looking away, his expression hidden.

'The sky pacifier is special, only passed on when the holder's flames are gone- more frequently exchanged than the others. Tsuna will be free when my flames are gone'

Ie watched the other man who was apparently a version of him, probably from another dimension or world. He knew that he should stop him but... Ieyoshi's words terrified him. Ieyoshi's Tsuna had died, so he was stopping this world's Tsuna from meeting the same fate. Ie shut his eyes, wrapping his arms around Tsuna, ignoring his brother's pleas. The very action made him feel like a failure, even though he knew that his actions were protecting his sky.

"I removed the only means to time travel in this world" Ieyoshi tried to head towards the window, not wanting Tsuna to watch him die. His legs failed him, sending him to his knees instead. Ieyoshi closed his eyes, if he couldn't move, he may as well explain more "My world is no more, obliterated. It was the price of coming here without replacing this world's Ie" Oh, his vision was already darkening.

'I failed when I had my chance, I don't deserve to replace this world's Ie'

*

Tsuna let out a despairing wail as Ieyoshi faded into flames and then said flames vanished. The breathing was already easier, he broke out of the hold, running and falling to his knees beside the empty clothing. Not even the pacifier remained "Ie..."

"I'm here" This time Ie held Tsuna in a more comforting embrace "I'm here, I'm alive"

'I'm confused, but Tsuna will be okay now, right?'

Tsuna sniffed, latching onto his brother "Don't ever kill yourself for me!" He looked around the room, meeting everyone's guilty faces "If you do..." His voice was shaking, but it still held a level of threat to it "I'll kill myself to void it!" He couldn't do anything to save that other version of his brother, but he didn't want to live in fear of there being another repeat "If you want to be by my side, then do your best to live!" It was scary, that could have been his Ie that'd done that instead.

"I'm not planning on dying anytime soon, Tsuna" Reborn affirmed.

"Same here!" Hayato nodded frantically.

"We still need more time to build our friendship" Takeshi laughed.

"I'll never fall in battle" Kyoya stated.

"Agreed" Fon added.

"I'll always be with you, we have a contract" Mukuro grinned, plopping a kiss onto Tsuna's cheek.

"Only if you don't kill yourself for any of us" Ie replied, eyes soft.

Tsuna wiped his face, tears were still falling "Okay" Having someone die for you, it hurt. He didn't want to inflict that kind of pain onto anyone.

Ie quickly caught Tsuna when the sky suddenly passed out "I thought he was supposed to be better now..." He fretted.

'Please don't have Tsuna suffer through that only for him to still be dying anyways...'

Fon just smiled "He probably passed out from either stress or exhaustion, maybe even both"

Hayato bit his lip "How long do you think it'll take him to forgive us?" Their sky had been crying and they hadn't done a thing to stop Ieyoshi.

"He already has" Reborn stated, eyeing his sky's slumped form "If there'd been another way, that other Ie wouldn't have died because that Ie knew what it was like to have someone you care about die" Tsuna now knew the feeling, and obviously didn't like it "Tsuna's kind"

Ie wiped Tsuna's face, Tsuna was still crying, even in his sleep "Tsuna is the best, he'll recover from this"

'I doubt he'll get over it, but he'll recover. At least he'll be alive to recover'

Me: Who was able to guess that the mysterious person was future Ie... Or at least an Ie from a nonexistant future?

Comment? ^-^