For the King I Love

24. chapter - Challenge

Characters:
Tsuna - White Rabbit
Hibari - King of Hearts
Kusakabe  - Knight of Hearts
Gokudera - Tweedle Dee
Yamamoto - Tweedle Dum
Shamal - caterpillar Absolem
Hana, Kyoko - chefs in the Red palace
Haru - gardener
Reborn - Cheshire Cat
Dino - Alice
Mukuro - Mad Hatter
Chrome - Mice Mallymkun
Ken and Chikusa - Hares
Varia - the Royal guards of Hearts
Vindice - the Others
Six Funeral Wreaths - the White Royal guards
Yuni - White queen
Byakuran - White knight
Checker face - Time
Ryohei - Captain of the palace guards
Bianchi, I-pin - chefs in the White palace
Lambo - gardener

〜 〜 〜

For a second it was quiet. It was as if time stopped for that brief moment after Ryohei said those words. Shock froze the whole Dome. No one said a word. Tsuna couldn't think of anything. His mind was blank, he couldn't move his body. He couldn't define how long this moment lasted for him. Was it as if he was sitting there and staring into Ryohei's eyes for a decade or just that tiny second? He didn't know and didn't care. But soon he felt that this moment was just a second before storm came.

"What's the meaning of this?!" "Who's that??" "I wanna see good fight!" "I didn't come here for this!!" "Who's that Sawada Tsuna?!" "Why did the queen choose him??" "Who's Sawada?!? "Who's Sawada Tsuna!!?" Everyone in the Dome came back to life and loud voices mixed together with angered shouting. Storm really did come. No one understood Queen's decision. Why didn't she choose one of her guards? And who's Sawada Tsuna? These two questions were heard the most. People searched with their eyes King's balcony, trying to find him there but by that time Tsuna darted his head down, shaking.

'What's this? Am I having a nightmare?? This can't be happening!' he thought and didn't dare to face Varia, Dino and the King. As the despair, shock and disbelief filled his mind, Varia was meanwhile sitting there and arguing. Of course they were angry. Of course they hated him now. They looked forward to this competition but now he ruined it all. What is the King thinking of him now? He can't back down right? That would mean he gives up. 'This is the worst! What should I do?!?'

"Are they serious? How could that pebble chose someone other than me?" Bel said, clenching in his fist one of his knifes. He must have been very pissed off but since Tsuna couldn't see his eyes he knew only because of his way of holding knifes.

"Omo, omo! He wants to fight poor rabbit?" Lussuria covered his lips with his palm, surprised.

"Tch! Thrash!" Levi frowned, still copying Xanxus even in this moment.

"WHAT'S THIS!?? I WANTED TO FIGHT!! HOW COULD THAT IDIOT PICK THIS GOOD-FOR-NOTHING IMBECILE?!" Squalo yelled, swinging around with his arms.

"Hey! Isn't this against the rules?? You can't let Tsuna fight!" Dino shouted at them and looked at Tsuna's back with panicked expression.

"It's not against rules. Challenger can choose anyone from our group as long as he serves the White queen." Mammon said calmly.

"But Tsuna isn't fighter! He can't fight!" Dino yelled. "He will just get hurt! He won't last there even a minute!" When Tsuna heard his words he flinched. Up till now he was wondering how to get out of this situation but he wasn't even thinking about the reason why did Ryohei chose him. He remembered his promise when they parted. He said he can get stronger if he fights and that he will help him. But seriously! Why like this?

"We shouldn't let him fight!" Dino stated.

"No fighting means giving up." Xanxus growled suddenly. "And giving up can be done only by thrash like you!" he didn't even look at Dino but the mood around him got already too deadly.