Thanks for the reviews! About Dino, you're right I didn't mention him directly, like other characters, but he is involved. Just remember the chapter where Reborn says he has his own candidate. His other student... Anyway, enough foreshadowing in the author's notes. Except, look at the new cover image. It explains alot of the Ark I'm starting, all of it is important, especially the center 4 pics.

21

No rest for the wicked

"Nagi." Tsunayoshi whispered along the meadow. He took an unsure step forward. The lake life after was glistening to her ghost shine, tempting them to cross it. The everlasting truth of a lie to his life, Nagi, stood by the river, her hair and white sundress swayed, the river rippled peacefully, and the grass besides her, ruffled with somber notes. He was about to walk to Nagi. She stumbled out of the forest behind them. She was as confused as Tsunayoshi.

"Ara, ara?"

Tsuna shot back up. He gritted his teeth. Ever since the Vongola ring, his dreams were revealing more and more to him. He clutched his crystal eye, out of habbit. "Akeno..."(Highschool DXD) Why did that name sound so familiar?

A green hammer sent him flying out of the room. "Hiiieee!"

"Sleep is important Dame-Tsuna." Reborn ordered. "So let me get it." He slammed the door and locked him out.

"But it's my room!" His signature no good whine was left unanswered. "That damn Reborn." He grumbled, standing up, ruffling his hair with an annoyed hand. He decided to head down stairs for, maybe a glass of water, or something to munch on.

He yawned, walking down the stairs. "I wonder what time it is?" He paused, almost at the kitchen. The lights were on and he heard a strained sigh. He leaned his hand on the doorway, entering. "Ruby?"

"Oh hey, Tsuna. You still up?" With no effort in it. She barely took a glance at him, before going back to staring at the table, with complete defeat.

"Still? Eh, you haven't slept?" The sun was barely breaking over the neighborhood.

"I guess not... funny."

But Tsuna's eyes dropped, worried. She sounded so sad. Where was the always finding a reason for a smile Ruby? "Hey Ruby, is something wrong?"

She recalled earlier that day, and how he shrugged off his own worries. It was probably immature, but she wanted to be towards him and how he acts. "I'm fine, really."

His eyes grew into realization. "Oh." He almost dropped his head, before raising it and deciding to take a seat across her. "Um, so you can't sleep?"

"No, it's not that." One hand, holding her cheek, slipped off, past her ear. She subconsciously caught her own head, back up. She was definitely tired, but refused to call it quits. Tsuna didn't know why.

He decided to stand up and head for the coffee maker. He was already up, and Ruby didn't look like she wanted to go to sleep.

"Are you worried about the attack on the mall?" Tsuna honestly was. He kept his thoughts occupied on the coffee he was making for the two. He was putting his family in danger because of his bloodline. 'The mayor is my ancestor...' It was still a hard pill to swallow. He had known him his whole life and never knew. To everyone else, it might of been obvious, but to him, it was a punch in the throat. He hasn't been able to see mayor-san, 'Ah, I guess I should start calling him Primo...' since that day.

"Yea, kind of, but..." She sighed again. It was so frustrating.

He finished his thoughts and the coffee.

A cup for her and him. He placed it down in front of her. He walked around the table and sat down. He blew on his cup, and took a small sip. Ruby smiled at his gesture. She grasped it with both hands, blew, and took a similar sip. "It's really good!" She chirped taking a larger sip.

"Um, maybe you should slow down."

"My throat!" She was to brave and burned herself.

Tsuna sweatdropped. How was someone so skillful with a deadly sniper-sythe, also able to be so naive.

Her smile dropped as she placed the cup back on the table. It was replaced with furrowed eyebrows.

"So, um, what is wrong?" Tsuna urged again.

She gave up on her grudge. She never could hold one. "Ok, it's like this, see." She began to talk real fast, explaining her problem, all in on breath, with her pitch of voice increasing as she lost air. "I'm stuck on this level in one of my games once you jump on a cube you have to jump on the next one before the cube rolls over from your momentum but the faster you try to make your way through the faster the cubes move when you land on them and if you go too slow you can't make the cube tilt high enough to do a slanted run jump for leverage you have to go through the level with just the right balance of each but I can never get past the last cube and the end of the dungeon is right there!"

"Oh, so that's what been bothering you." One massive sweatdrop behind his hair. His grin, obviously uneasy.

"Weiss, Blake, and Yang, all kicked me out, because I kept yelling after I died." She frustratedly waved her arms in an animated style, with the theme song of Rwby Chibi playing in the background.

He sighed content even though it was all out of context. 'I guess, this is our home. Ruby, you really do make it feel like one.'

They shared a simple conversation that night about her game.

In the morning, Nana and Reborn woke up to find them in a fluffy moment.

They played in the living room, finally completing the level. Tsuna figured out that you had to jump to the farthest edge of the second last block, get it to tilt in reverse and run up in the opposite direction, and jump up.

After the last hurdle, and leaving the dungeon, Ruby tackled him with a friendly hug, and cheer. Her stress gone, she fell asleep in his arms.

It was the warmest hug and Tsuna couldn't break it. His eyes were falling, heavy. 'Nani...'

A good night's sleep.

"My, Tsu-kun is finally getting more rest with her around." Nana sighed with a smile.

Reborn agreed with that knowing smirk.

Spike dropped his old Vongola ring and half of the cloud ring on Primo's desk.

Ieyasu was standing with his body facing Spike. His eyes admitting toward the city behind the glass. "Thank you."

"I'm not giving my daughter the ring. I don't want her to be a guardian." His usual cool attitude was a serious demeanor.

Ieyasu glanced down at one of the gloves he was always encased with. "Yes, I believe that is best. In CEDEF, she will not be apart of the Vongola, not apart of our crimes."

"Unlike me?" Spike asked with his cocky smirk.

"I will keep my word."

"I know... Primo."

"Don't call me that."

He would decide the cloud guardian. Iemitsu did excellent at picking the rest.

"This was my last favor." Spike began to take his leave.

Ieyasu kept staring out the window. "Sorry, for everything..."

For the past and what's to come.

Misuzu laid awake in bed. It was breakfast time, but she was stuck in a staring contest with the ceiling. Yesterday was...?

The family stumbled into the Sawada house hold like always, even without their Boss.

Mama was having a lively conversation with a raven haired boy... and he was actually the one doing all the house chores!

"Tsu-kun could learn a thing or two from you and Misuzu-chan. My, you're both well mannered. While my son is, well," She laughed off, changing the subject to his cleaning skills.

Ruby snickered until everyone reminded her, how messy she was.

"Mama, who is this?" Ruby was the first to step forward into the kitchen. Yang, Weiss, and Blake, helped Misuzu to her room. She was drained of her flames and needed to rest. Ryohei tended her wound, but she needed to let it heal, and not move it much. Misuzu was only able to glance at the boy cleaning dishes. He had a white handkerchief tied around his hair as he cleaned the dishes. His varia jacket was on the coat hanger, but no one noticed it. He was wearing the Namimori school uniform. He flashed a genuine smile, until dropping slightly from her injuries. 'I see, the Varia are already on the move.'

We aren't the Varia's enemy, right Chuuta? I don't want to fight our family.

"Misuzu-chan, you're friend Kokonose-kun came by to let you know he was transfering to school here." Nana tried to wave. "Ara, Misuzu-chan?"

"D-Don't worry about her!" Ruby waved her arms infront of the door way, blocking Chuuta's, but more importantly, Nana's view of Misuzu. Madigan-Sensei, said there was a special rule about making sure Nana wasn't involved with anything mafia related. "She, ugh... She just ate too much ice-cream and got a tummy ache!" Ruby was such bad liar, but only Chuuta seemed to notice. He cringed at her awkward. "Hehehe?" Wondering if they believed her.

"Oh, is that so? Misuzu-chan usually keeps to herself. It's great to see her enjoying spending time with her nakama. Sorry, Kokonose-kun, you won't be able to tell her."

He shook his head. "It's fine. I'll surprise her at school. There, all done." He finished preparing a stew. "I should go." Taking off the apron. "It's getting dark and it gets pretty dangerous." Chuuta accidently cracked his index finger with his thumb. "That's right, I never met you're son." He pondered.

Ruby also wondered where Tsuna could be right now. She last saw him coughing his lungs out. 'I hope he's okay.'

"You won't find him right now," They both had a confused expression as Nana finished. "You can never find my son during sunset."

They laid Misuzu on her bed. It was only Weiss, Blake, and Yang. Reborn had ordered for Yamamoto to head home and check on his father. Ryohei and Kyoko went home to do the same. Gokudera had been missing ever since they found out Tsuna also was. He was probably out looking for his precious Tenth. Hana was trying to figure out what she could at city hall.

"Thank you, but really I'm fine." Misuzu didn't want to be a burden on them. "I just need to rest."

They all gave her a worried look then, glanced at eachother for a decision. "Well, you do need rest." Weiss agreed for them. They all nodded.

"Thank you for everything. Please tell Ruby as well." Misuzu huffed out, with strained breaths.

They left with a soft click of the door. Misuzu dropped her eyes. She had been struggling to keep them open. She was fatigued.

She blinked to the window. The sun was setting. Why wasn't Tsunayoshi-kun here? She opened her eyes again. "Na...ni...?"

Someone was perched on the window-ledge. For how long? Wasn't it locked shut? Her vision was blurred. She tried blinking it clear. He was wearing the Varia outfit, his hood, and the mask of an updated Monitalien.

"Sonokata, Misuzu?" His voice was too kind, compared to his appearance. It only made this creepier for her. She was about to scream for help.

He noticed.

Sympathy!

A mini frost blast? It sealed her lips shut. She couldn't breathe! She was about to get up. But, he had already lept up, inside. He kicked off the ceiling, and wall, pouncing straight down on her, keeping her on the bed, not making a sqeak. One of his arms pressed on her collar, keeping her restrained. His other hand was over his mask's lips, with one finger to indicate silence. "Use your nose." He whispered.

Her air desperate shaking calmed down. She muffled angry at him, trying to throw him off, but she was weak. "I'm not working for the Varia right now, I just want to talk." He waited for her jerking to stop. "I have a letter with the seal of Primo." He used his free hand to reach into his coat. He revealed the fire insignia seal to her, then dropped it face up on her cleavage without a care. "Read it." He ordered. "I'm going to let you go now. Don't move, until I'm gone."

Misuzu, against her wishes, agreed, only for the envelope on her blouse. 'If he's not the enemy, why is he acting like one?'

He used the spring on her bed to do an acrobatic leap off. In the middle of her room, his momentum switched. 'Miniature wings?' Bursting out the window, with out a sound.

Varia quality...