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Mochida loved very deeply. So deeply that many could not see the ardent flames he burned apart from the way they coloured his eyes in determination.
He had loved his brothers like no other person in his life, and he had even loved himself - he still did, he had a great respect for the things he had managed to accomplish. But nothing, absolutely nothing compared to the absolute adoration that he felt for his Sky.
You only get one sky, really. You might fall into other cosmos, you might be drawn to many in your search, but you will only ever have that one sky that is Yours and Kensuke found his in the boy who burned his way to the stratosphere. Kensuke found his love, his Sky, his everything, and his ultimatum in the ardent fury and compassion of a boy turned man.
And so, like all things, once Kensuke loved something he gave himself over. He gave his life, his decision making, his soul. His brothers had had him until they were grown and well on their way, but Tsuna? Tsuna would never ever find a reason to not need Kensuke.
There was always a mission.
There was always a new enemy.
There were always new recruits.
There was always another family dinner.
A dinner of the Guardians, the seven, their siblings, Reborn, and the Sky. A dinner that Kensuke was always invited to.
Something that gave Kensuke such pride and drive was knowing that of all the Famiglia - all the staff, the guards, the mentors - only Reborn and Kensuke were invited to these dinners. Yes, there were sometimes Famiglia dinners, where Tsuna and the Guardians would cook for the staff. But these Sunday dinners where Tsuna cooked with Ryohei's help, these were special. These were to remind guardians that they were home with their sky, and not just the Mafia's demon escort.
"Get your ass out here, SkyFall!"
Kensuke sighed, straightening his suit and taking a breath. "SkyFall". His nickname, the dreaded title the mafia bestowed upon him when he became Known. Known for kissing Yakuza feet. Known for downing elements no matter who or what element. Known for his attempts to put out Tsuna's flames. KNown for abandoning 'his sky' for a more powerful one without a second glance. Known for abandoning the Yakuza scum -who could never dream of synchronizing with Kensuke- to Mukuro's flames because Tsuna offered him home. He was the abandoning element, the one who would let a Sky crumble just to get to a bigger sky, just to get more money, fame, or prestige. It wasn't true of course, no one but Tsuna would ever be Kensuke's sky, no-one would be able to force Kensuke from Tsuna's service, Kensuke was here to stay. Yet still, despite this truth, he was known as SkyFall, the reason his sky would fall.
His eyes surveyed the room, already trashed, already ruined, and then he faced the door.
"We're going to kill the guardians, and then we're going to kill your sky, and you're going to tell us where they are!" The man behind the door screamed. "It'll be your fault, SKyFall!"
Kensuke scowled at the name, checking the room one more time to make sure all the important information had been destroyed. Making sure he couldn't be used in any way to end his sky.
There was a great misconception amongst the mafia that, standing here, Mochida thought should be cleared up. You could forgive the ruffians who knew nothing of the sky flames, they were just emulating those in the know, but these men, the ones spewing that fatigued cloud and sun flames? They should know better, they should recite with reverence the truth of the Sky Flames.
People called the guardians the sentinels to the sky. In a way, of course, this is correct, they were called guardians after all. But the sky himself is a guardian too; of flame, of harmony. A Guardian cannot be guarded by his kin in the way people said.
No. The upper echelon for all intents and purposes were one body. One being that needed to be united to work. They couldn't risk one falling to protect the others, they needed to be protected as one entity. So who then was their sentinel? Who guarded the guardians.
Kensuke Mochida.
Kensuke with all his misguided beginnings. Kensuke who spat at Tsuna once. Kensuke who could never be an upper echelon but was bound to Tsuna all the same.
He alone stood sentinel to them. Their guard. Their protection. He protected the sky and all those the sky needed to function. The squads protected the Famiglia: took their orders; spread their word as gospel. They were the loyalists, the patriotic The Guards and the soldiers were awesome and they moved like a hive mind at the command of their chosen sky. But Kensuke? Kensuke didn't have that choice, he didn't choose Tsuna, Tsuna chose him and he was Synchronized in the damning way of never being Tsuna's guardian. His repentance was knowing that he was needed, yes, but never in the same way that Hayato or Lambo would be needed. Instead, he was their bleeding soul, their avenger in the night, the gargoyle at dusk that moved when you blinked.
And moved too fast for you realise.
And so. As sentinel to the Famiglia: the guard; the gargoyle; the ferryman; the final call to arms Mochida stood. Bloodied. Avenging. Looking like pure prophecy and like exploding universes, all at once he stood.
He would stand. He would bleed until his blood turned golden. Because he was the first to fall of the Family. The first brother, the first of the inner sanctum to feel death. He was the sentinel for the inner Family. And it was Known that when he finally fell, The Guardians were alone.
"I'd like to see you pisspots try to get past me." He said. Calm and sure. He would never live to see a single person get between him and Tsuna. It had always been this way, even when it was Mochida doing the harm.
The sky burned. A collision of green and red so disastrous it took out an entire wing of the mansion that hadn't been used since the Millefiore attacks started, and with it every last enemy there was. Kensuke took the knee, then, as if before his reigning monarch. He kissed his family ring and fell.
The sentinel had fallen, but his job was done. He was not meant to be eternal. Even stone gargoyles wore away with time. But time he had bought. By now the younger version of his sky should have arrived. Safe. And that was his duty. 15-year-old Tsuna didn't need a bully as a sentinel, and Kensuke's sky was not here anymore.