This can get a little confusing, so we're going to provide you with a 'Key':
'Name' = Animal version
Name = Human version.
Basically, if a name has a single quote around it, then it refers to the animal. If it lacks quotes, then it refers to the human.
It was extremely noisy in the shelter, as animals crowded to the edges of the fences, begging for attention from the group that walked past them.
They made a rather odd looking group.
"VOIII! Why am I here with you stupid brats again?" one of them, a lean man with silver hair and gray eyes growled. He wore a black Varia jacket and a sword blade was attached to a mechanical left hand.
"Because you were chosen to represent the Varia in this," a black-haired man with spiral sideburns replied, smirking as he adjusted a black fedora with an orange stripe on it. "We're choosing and animal to take care of each as a way to teach responsibility to the Vongola family, it was the boss's idea."
Squalo continued to complain about the good-for-nothing-leader-that-wouldn't-even-represent-his-own-squad as the group continued. He paused outside the cage of a German shepherd that was swinging around a plastic sword in its mouth, its tail thumping the cement ground. "Just like the katana brat…" he muttered under his breath as he kept on walking, inconspicuously looking at the sign hanging on the dog's cage as he went.
A tall blond, wearing a thick parka with a fur-lined hood, stopped outside the cage of a black dog that definitely looked like he had some wolf blood in him. "You look just like Kyouya!" Dino said, squatting down and sticking his finger in between the gaps in the metal. The black canine growled at him, snapping out with its teeth. "Yep, exactly like Kyouya," Dino was still smiling.
A woman with dark pink hair walked outside, seeing a massive cage that held a snow leopard. The snow leopard appeared to be wearing a spiked bracelet around its paw and a studded collar. "Hayato…" she said, leaning forward so that she and the leopard were now face to face. The leopard gave a strangled cry and fell to the ground wrapped around its stomach. Bianci smiled, "Definitely Hayato.."
"This one." Bianci said to one of the employees while gesturing towards the leopard.
Squalo walked through the cages again, pausing once again outside the German shepherd's cage. He glared at the dog, who sat up, thumping its tail against the floor. "Katana-brat," he muttered, looking around and waving down a helper. "VOII! I want the dog!" he hollered at the stunned workers. He REALLY didn't want to get any of these animals but at least the Shepherd was seemingly obedient and since they didn't sell sharks here...
They nodded, a little afraid of the lean man's ability to be so noisy.
Meanwhile, Reborn had decided to adopt a rabbit, after naming it 'Sawada Tsunayoshi' or just 'Tsuna' for short. He smirked at how much this little animal reminded him of his incompetent student.
Reborn looked pleased with the others choices, although nobody could really tell because his face remained the same.
"VOI! Where is the old man!?" Squalo asked Reborn. Reborn looked up at him and didn't say anything. The swordsman huffed, holding the leash to 'Yamamoto', who was now chewing a baseball.
"'Gokudera'!" the dog suddenly barked. The snow leopard, who was sitting next to his new owner with his back straight on the floor, his thick tail flicking in annoyance. He glared at 'Yamamoto', twitching his ears.
To humans, the animals looked just like that: animals. But to the animals themselves, they resembled people. 'Hayato' was a tall, lean teenager, his hair silver and shoulder-length, his snow leopard ears and tail the only evidence that he was in reality an animal to humans.
'Yamamoto' looked like his namesake, only for the fact that he had a pair of German shepherd ears and a shepherd tail that constantly thumped the floor. The baseball that he had placed between his paws had definitely seen better days.
'Tsuna', the rabbit, was a small, almost pathetic thing, a thick head of brown hair and wide brown eyes, as well as a rather nervous and tentative nature. He had large white rabbit ears, ears that constantly flopped down over his face and a short, fluffy white tail.
He was quivering in his carrying cage, looking up constantly at his new owner: Reborn.
Dino had gotten the black wolf-dog that had reminded him much of his former student, whimsically naming him after said student 'Hibari Kyouya'. The wolf-dog sat next to Dino, glaring at anybody who looked at him, reducing the other dogs in the room to piles of gelatin. 'Yamamoto' seemed to be the only dog unaffected by 'Kyouya's' stare.
"What do you want?" 'Gokudera' growled at 'Yamamoto', crossing his arms across his chest.
"Want to play a game?" the dog asked eagerly.
'Gokudera' rolled his eyes. "You do realize you're on a leash, right?" he growled.
'Yamamoto' turned his head, his eyes widening when he saw the leash. "I never noticed that before!" he gasped, tugging on it with his hands. "That's so…weird…"
Squalo looked down at the dog, as he pulled on the leash. "I'll let you off when we get back to the mansion, brat."
"Mansion?" Immediately, 'Tsuna' seemed to perk up.
"Jyuudaime!" 'Gokudera' had been calling Tsuna that as he was the tenth animal to arrive in the shelter after him.
'Tsuna' kept looking up at Reborn, unsure what to make of the hitman. "'G-Gokudera-kun…" the rabbit stammered, looking at the snow leopard with wide, pitiful eyes.
'Gokudera' strained on the leash, trying to get closer to the rabbit. Bianci looked down at her new charge, smiling. "Can't wait for freedom, eh, 'Hayato'?" she said. "Don't worry," she knelt down, patting the snow leopard on the head and looking 'Gokudera' in the eyes. "We'll be home soon and then you can do whatever you want."
"Kora!"
"Yo!"
An all-too familiar voice interrupted the conversations going on as the entire group turned to see Colonello and his new pet, 'Ryohei', walking down the path towards them. 'Ryohei' was a kangaroo, his front paws bandaged and his eyes seeming to burn with an everlasting flame.
Colonello walked up to Reborn and told him in a hushed tone. "He's here." Reborn's eyes narrowed slightly as he quickly dialed a number on speed dial for them to be picked up.
"Guess who else is EXTREMELY here?" 'Ryohei' shouted, punching the air. 'Tsuna' began to shake uncontrollably, while 'Gokudera' and 'Yamamoto' looked on with interest.
"Who?" 'Yamamoto' asked.
"That EXTREMELY weird guy with the white hair and that EXTREMELY weird guy with the red eye!" 'Ryohei' answered.
Before they had a chance to say anymore, several limousines pulled up in front of the sanctuary and the entire group poured into the limos.
---
A man with a claw-like tattoo under his left eye stepped out of a limo just as Reborn and the other drove away.
"Ahhh…just missed 'em." A white owl flew around his head, attached by a leash around its talon, trying to get away.
"Gah! Just let me go!" It screeched angrily.
A Few Hours Later
"Ahh! No 'KYOUYA' STOP!" A blond haired man ran after the dark colored wolf-dog, his men running after him to ensure his safety.
"Hmph, dumb Cavallone." 'Kyouya' replied, looking back while smirking, as he ran away from his trainer lithely. Earlier he had behaved himself an in return, as a reward, Dino let him off of his leash for a bit. As anyone could've guessed, the end result was chaotic.
Sensing an object coming up he turned back around to see several large cages in the way of his path. He jumped up on top of the cages and looked down at Dino, who was still chasing him, and twitched his ears. Dino stopped in front of the cages and gave a questioning look. 'Kyouya' suddenly heard a small squeak, looking below him to see the creature whose cage he had landed on. A small, shivering, white ball of fluffy fur huddled in the farthest corner of the cage from him was cowering as he looked at it with interest.
"Hiii!" It squeaked, clearly frightened that there was a WOLF on his cage looking down at him. "'H-H-H-Hibari'-san… why are you here?" the little rabbit asked peeking out from between his paws that were placed in front of him to shield himself to look at 'Kyouya'. 'Kyouya' was wearing an un-tucked black collared short sleeved button up shirt with a black long sleeved shirt underneath. He also was wearing a pair of fitted black slacks and a red belt to go with it.
"What I do is none of your business, 'Sawada Tsunayoshi'." He replied in a menacing tone which quickly shifted to a more playful one as looked the rabbit over.
Tsuna was wearing a slightly baggy white pull over sweater and a pair of light tan pants to go with it. "But since you asked in such a way…I'll tell you……I'm getting out of here." 'Tsuna' quivered slightly as his eyes widened.
"W-what!?" 'Kyouya' bent down and pulled open 'Tsuna's' cage door.
"Here I'll even open the door so that you can escape too." 'Tsuna' ran over to the door and attempted to pry the carnivore's paw off of the metal.
"Wait! No we'll get in trouble!"
While his beloved not-so-little-wolf was caught up with the poor rabbit, Dino had taken the opportunity to stealthily get closer to his pet.
"Gotcha!" he said triumphantly holding 'Kyouya' with, one hand softly around his muzzle and the other arm around his waist, against his chest. 'Kyouya' struggled fiercely and caught the edge of the cage he was previously perched upon and knocked it over causing 'Tsuna' to be thrown out of the cage as the blond struggled to keep 'Kyouya' within his grasp.
"Stupid herbivo—"
Dino had clamped his hand around 'Kyouya's' muzzle, rendering him incapable of speech.
Unable to struggle anymore, 'Kyouya' paused to take in the situation he was now in. Dino's hand restricted his head movement and the arm around his waist was starting to cause his shirt to ride up slightly, showing the bare skin of his waist. Trying to ignore the heat rising up to his face, 'Kyouya' began to struggle once again. All of a sudden, the grip around his body relaxed and 'Kyouya' leapt free. Or, at least, he thought he leapt free.
Dino had deftly tied his whip around his like a harness in the midst of their struggle. Dino tackled him again this time, to the ground. He glared at the blond, but Dino seemed unaffected. 'Kyouya' growled menacingly, his ears flattening against the base of his broad head. But any counter measure he was going to take was quickly cut off when they heard a high-pitched shriek.
"Hiiiiiiiiii!" Tsuna screamed as he dangled from the edge of a hidden passage that dropped down some dark distance.
Prologue