[ooc: Er...replaying the events where Tsuna and co. left Gokudera to fight Chikusa, and then losing. Will have occasional time skips later to follow the title.]

He was defeated. Defeated to the tip of his bones.

When Hibari Kyouya woke up, he was furious as he recalled the earlier event. He remembered those cursed cherry blossoms, that mocking face and voice of the main villain, the pain he had to endure when he was weak to his knees. Even now, the physical pain was still in him, a few of his ribs broken, blood drenching him from head to body, though it was almost dry by then. Yet he could not feel them. All he felt was the fury and hatred for that man.

Rokudo Mukuro.

He sat up with slight difficulty, ignoring the pain in his chest. He could not see a thing in the darkness. He was lying among rubble, a makeshift prison they had kept him in, where not the slightest streak of sunlight could enter. He got to his feet and stumbled to all four sides to find an exit, swaying as he did. He could not find any. He was caved in. He could not even see how far the ceiling was. His foot kicked something which was made of steel, and the sound of it told him it was his tonfa.

He was starting to lose focus. He sat down, leaning against the wall, his breath raspy. How long were they going to keep him there? If they were planning of letting him die in that wretched place, he was going to break himself out no matter what. It was difficult at his condition though, and as much as he desired to return to that man, he could not break through concrete easily.

Now, he felt defeated. A feeling that was not sweet, but bitter to the end of the throat. How he despised that feeling.

Just then, he heard a sound. He raised his head a little. It sounded like...the high-pitched voice of a bird. He pushed himself forward, looking up as something bright and yellow fluttered down from nowhere. It perched itself on a rubble above him, chirping away. Lost, lost.

What was it talking about? Hibari did not know any other enemy, so he did not know this bird that belonged to a man who was Rokudo Mukuro's accomplice. He assumed that it was mocking him. His expression turned dark.

"Go away, bird, or I'll bite you to death."

Go away, go away. I'll bite you to death.

What was it, a parrot? He was not pleased by the repetition. His patience had shrunk to non-existence by then, and he wanted to hit something, even if it was a stupid animal. He stood up with his hand on the wall as a support, though still unsteady on his feet. "I...Hibari Kyouya...would not be mocked like this..."

Hibari Kyouya, Hibari Kyouya.

"That's right...remember the name, so you can tell your friends in the afterworld..." He started to reach for his tonfas.

Enemy approaching, enemy approaching. Number of enemies, five. Enemies are: Sawada Tsunayoshi, Gokudera Hayato, Yamamoto Takeshi, Bianchi, and a baby.

Hibari paused. A baby? He only knew one infant that would be with Sawada Tsunayoshi. So they came to fight, after all. The bird called them enemies, so it must belonged to Rokudo Mukuro or one of his accomplices.

Birds lost, Birds lost.

Now it was clearer. The bird was upset over the loss of its master, so it was confused. It must have been a useful pet, being able to fly around freely and passing on news to others. Hibari had those too---pets, or the discipline committee, who did jobs for him when he did not like to, but they were not as reliable. He gazed at it thoughtfully, while the avian stared back with its beady eyes.

"...So you know my name?"

Hibari, Hibari, was the response. He smiled a little in amusement, and then sat down once more, though his eyes not tearing away from it. It was good at repeating something and then remembering it. Then he wondered...

"Listen and learn. I'm going to teach you this song..."

---
He was not sure how much time had passed. He did not have his cell phone. He leaned his forehead against his arm which was rested on a knee drawn to his chest. He had long forgotten about the pain, and was now concentrating more on staying awake. He had vowed to stay conscious until he had figured out an escape route, and beaten the guts out of Rokudo Mukuro. The yellow avian was circling above him, chirping discouraging words. Can't get out, can't get out.

"Shut up, stupid bird---"

Then he heard some explosions. They were from beyond the walls. So those herbivores had arrived...but it was not like him to be shouting for help. No, he was not going to do that. But he was aware that if he did not let them know he was here, he was going to be forgotten sooner or later.

Fight, fight!

The bird was now fluttering by one side of the wall, facing it and chirping excitedly, as if it wanted to go there and watch the show. Hibari's eyes shifted towards it, and he drew up an idea instantly.

"Hey, bird...if you can get in, you can get out too. Why don't you go and show them what you got?"

Hai, Hibari. Show them, show them.

The bird flew upward until it suddenly disappeared from his sight. The explosions had stopped, and the next thing he heard was its announcement of someone losing the battle, and then the sweet high-pitched melody of his school anthem. He closed his eyes, listening to the music which he had taught it so well, but hoped it did not last too long.