I do not own KHR.


Tsukiyo, being confronted by her dad, forgot what her dream was all about. It was the first thing she could recall but was displaced by his father's sudden intention of getting her back to Japan. And now she was under the trouble of choosing whether she wanted to stay or go. She would love to go, and never come back. She never came to being close to the Varia anyway. Okay, she felt guilty about that. But you can't blame her. Bel throwing a multitude of knives at him, Levi giving her stupid retorts and demands concerning their unconcerned boss, Marmon who ignores her and opportunely hurl her into some crazy illusions just because Bel paid him, Lussuria who was overfriendly, gay and eccentric, and not to mention Squalo's ear-deafening superiority. That's what Varia quality is.

She sighed. Just who the hell suggested to her dad to give her two days to make up her mind. She could decide right away, though she's going to miss the comical theatre the Varia was giving her, to compensate her misery - physically, emotionally and mentally.

Her dad and her grandfather left already with the Vongola's helicopter, and will be back after the given time for her decision. And about the kidnapping incident, they told her it was all a set-up. Upon learning that, she wanted to beat up his grandfather but she was not that disrespectful. As for Fran and Rasiel, both of them left with her seemingly heartless relatives.

After slipping into a different black maid uniform, she proceeded to the kitchen and found a crestfallen Lussuria.

My, what happened to his happy nature?

"Lus-nee, what's wrong?" Tsukiyo walked to him, only to found out he was near to crying.

"Tsu-chan, are you really going to leave us?" He asked with visible tears on the side of his eyes. The look on his face – the way those brows puckered, those lips curved into a gloomy line – made her thought otherwise. Maybe, she could stay for Lussuria. After all, he was the person she got nearly friendly with.

Tsukiyo, you already decided, you'll go! "We're still not sure about that, Lus-nee," she said to her. She swore she saw some rays of hope at his background, and she sort of regretted saying that.

"All right, Tsu-chan, you're not going to take any part of the kitchen chores. You must spend your time making up your mind," he said pushing poor Tsukiyo out, to the corridor.

"But.." Before Tsukiyo could even reason out some irrational raison d'être, Lussuria turned his back against him. Well, it's better than being slammed on the face, courtesy of the door.

"Okay. I'll go," she sighed, and took her steps to wherever part of the castle she might be. She stopped in front of Marmon's room. The baby wouldn't even care even if she left. Nevertheless, she knocked at the door, thinking why she even did that. She heard the baby's voice confirming her entry.

"What do you need from me, Tsukiyo Sawada?"

"Nothing really," she said.

"Heh, then leave. I'm not even being paid by just talking with you."

Right, Marmon was the ever epitome of the god of greed. "Money is your fuel[1], isn't it, Marmon?" She asked, with her stolen line from an anime she had watched before. The protagonist was really making money his best comrade.

Marmon, which Tsukiyo guessed to be amused at her question, had his attention at her. "Without money, the world won't be even turning."

She sighed. Too much for greediness.

"Let me tell you something about Reborn," he said earning Tsukiyo's interest. "I'll tell you something… but everything has its price."

My, the little baby is trying to make some money from me. "I was interested," she laughed. "But no thanks. I've got no money for you, you see."

"You're boring."

Ouch. "Well then, I'll take my leave, Marmon."

She was about to close the door when Marmon gave her a surprising deal. "I can tell you anything about Reborn. If you stay, that is."

She just smiled. "Sure thing," she replied with no such meaning in it. She hadn't made up her mind yet. She carried on her way to an undetermined destination. But really, why would Marmon want her to stay? Money involved possibly.

She met Belphegor on the hallway. He was still the same – the usual Cheshire grin, the usual outfit, the usual Tiara – wait, he had his little mink on his shoulders. And no set of knives approaching her. No shishishi-ing either.

"Wahh, Bel, your mink, can I hold it?" She asked him, excitedly, pointing at the white creature on his shoulder.

"No." The reply came instantly which made Tsukiyo fell into gloom. What do you expect from the selfish prince anyway?

She was about to pass through him, annoyed when she felt something landed on her shoulder. It was Bel's look-a-like mink.

"Hey, if you stay, I might let you keep him," he offered.

She blinked at him. Now she's getting something. Does Belphegor like her? She's not dense all right but… nah. She shrugged the thought. Impossible. But what if… She battled with her thoughts again.

"Hey," Belphegor leaned closer to her.

"H-hey, Bel, why does your mink have the same appearance as you do? Y-you know, the eyes, being covered," she instantly asked, taking some unremarkable backward steps. She was barely looking at him. The mink jumped back at his shoulder.

"Shishishi. You seem disturbed, Tsu-chan." He grinned, ignoring her question.

"I'm sorry. Ah, I need to go. See ya around, Bel." After saying that, she dashed right away to somewhere really far from him. However, her mind was still fighting over the idea that Belphegor like her.

But hey. If you stay, you've got to keep that mink. Her mind mentioned, and she was seeing herself agreeing.

That was the first day and her mind was still battling Belphegor's case. But she was also insisting inside her head the main problem she needs to get decided. She sighed. Thank goodness she fell into a satisfying dreamless sleep.

_._._._._._._._.

And on her final choice…

I'm not staying. That's what her mind was saying while walking alone in the hallways of Varia Headquarters. I want to see Namimori and if I did I might even give Gokudera and Hibari a bone-crushing hug, even shout at their faces that I missed them very much. Tch, no way, I'll kill them once I heard they lay a finger on Tsu-kun.

"It'll be a trouble if she goes, Xanxus!" She heard Squalo's loud voice coming from their boss' room.

Now, why would that be a trouble? She stood in front of Xanxus' room. Interested she was, she leaned closer to the door to overhear something.

"I don't like her a bit, boss, but if she leaves, Fran and Rasiel are staying." It was Levi, and she wanted to say that didn't like him either.

"Don't you dare feel apathetic at situations like this, Xanxus! Fran and Rasiel will aggravate trouble in the quarters," Squalo managed to threaten him before stepping out of the room and seeing Tsukiyo standing in front of him. He closed the door of Xanxus' room; the remaining two inside didn't seem to notice her.

"Eavesdropping, aren't we, Tsukiyo?"

With a loud voice of yours, there's no use of eavesdropping. She didn't answer. "Uhm, I need to see Luss-nee. See ya." She trailed back to the kitchen.

Tsukiyo was baffled. What is it with Fran and Rasiel that they seem to impose disarray to Varia? She left, on her way to Lussuria. He was the kindest of all of them, so he won't bother if she asked something about what she heard.

"Hey, Lus-nee, if Fran and Rasiel stayed, what might possibly happen to Varia?"

Lussuria gazed at her, thinking this was his chance to convince her to stay.

"Well you see, Tsu-chan, about Fran's case, there might be some trouble between him and Marmon. We don't need two mist guardians."

"Guardians?"

Lussuria told her then about the Vongola rings, their respective owners, and inevitably, the Ring Conflict.

After hearing the long narration, Tsukiyo was silent with apparent blinking. What the hell did his little brother got involved into? Mafia and then now, subordinates called guardians. And no way, he got Hibari on his league? And wait, Lambo? Ah, who the hell is Mukuro Rokudo, and why did that timid Chrome got into this?

"So you mean, the Varia has its guardian,too?"

"Yes."

"The Ring Conflict, I remember they told me something about sumo wrestling. Tsuna won in there, I heard." She suddenly took a mental image of Tsuna and his friends. Then, she stared worriedly at Lussuria. "Is that why Xanxus seemed to be irritated with me?"

"Past is past, Tsu-chan. We should just move on and look for a better tomorrow," he said gaily, swaying his fingers fashionably to Tsukiyo which she found disgusting yet amusing.

She sighed. Now she knew why Marmon wanted her to stay, as for Bel's case, too. I really think he likes you though, an antagonistic side of her mind argued. Yeah, right.

"Tsu-chan, please stay. Once those two started living here, the Varia Headquarters will be at chaos!" He clamored, desperately, his hands clasping her shoulders. She sighed again.

"I'll think about it," she said.

"You don't need to think about it," Xanxus said, unsmiling, appearing from nowhere. "If you really want to leave, you can just go. Don't bother yourself about it. This is Varia's problem, not yours." His gaze went to Lussuria. "Get me tequila. Bring it to my room," he said and left without even saying goodbye. He was really unconcerned, and somehow Tsukiyo just felt something was not in place.

"Lus-nee, can I bring that to him?" She asked pointing at the tray he was holding.

"Sure, Tsu-chan, here. Are you sure you're going to be fine?" He asked in concern.

She nodded and smiled. "Of course I am… not." She said making her last word inaudible.

She treaded her path. On her way, she gazed at the lavishing sets of forest trees outside. She saw a lightning drew in the dark cloudy sky that afternoon followed by an earsplitting clash of thunder. She was frozen at her place, still staring at the dark sky wherein the lightning flashed as if she had seen something out of the ordinary. The tray she was holding fell on the floor as memories came flooding inside her mind.


{1} - 'Money is my fuel' taken from the anime zombie loan, as said by Chika Akatsuki