OpalescentGold: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

Decisions

This is what they face.

Legacy

Tsuna swallows hard and seems to calm down slightly. "...what happens if I don't take it?" he asks, staring at the sky ring as if at a ticking time bomb.

Noriko doesn't sugar coat it. "The position of Vongola Decimo will go to your rival," she says. "Depending on his constitution, he'll either leave us all alone or decide to kill everyone out of spite."

If it is possible to go any paler, then Tsuna does it. "K-Kill!?" he squeaks, plainly horrified. "Kill everyone!?"

Kyoya says curtly, "This is the Mafia we're dealing with, omnivore. There's death at every step of the way."

"T-Then..." Tsuna's hand convulses on the table, breath coming quick and unsteady. "Then I..." He reaches out.

"Stop," she says, and he does so. "Don't be hasty, Tsuna. With this ring comes all of Vongola. Everything, you hear me? It means you are going to become the Vongola Decimo, with everything that entails as one of the most influential famiglias in the mafia world."

Noriko pauses and locks gazes with him. "Are you ready for that? Hundreds of years, generations upon generations of blood and sin and crime? Because if you aren't...then don't you dare pick up that ring, Tsuna."

Guardians

Tsuna withdraws his hand, clearly wavering. "I... What about the r-rest of the rings?" he blurts out in an obvious attempt to change the topic. "There were seven..."

Noriko glances at Kyoya, who sets his bowl on the table and silently draws out the chain from beneath his vest. The Ring of Cloud glints in the morning sunlight, harshly beautiful though it misses its counterpart.

"I don't u-understand," Tsuna whimpers, horrified gaze set on the purple ring. "N-Nori-chan, w-what...?"

She reaches across the table and settles her hand on his, drawing his attention. "Tsuna. If you do decide to take on the Sky Ring, then you won't be alone. By the traditions of Vongola, you'll have six Guardians with you."

"S-Six guardians?" he repeats unsteadily. She wonders whether it should make her happy or unhappy that he trusts her to the extent that he doesn't even ask her why she knows all of this when, by all rights, she shouldn't.

If nothing else, from the look Kyoya shoots her before going back to his breakfast, ring still hanging out, he's going to question her later.

"That's right," Noriko soothes. "There are seven Flames, you see?" Of the Sky, that is. "Sky, Storm, Rain, Cloud, Sun, Lightning, and Mist. You're Sky. Everyone else is one of the other six."

"Then..." Tsuna glances at Kyoya uncertainly, brow furrowing.

"If you really want to know about the Elements, it'd be better if you ask Reborn or Dino," she says, though it isn't as if they know more about Flames than she does. It's the opposite actually, but it'll be better in the long-term. "Each Element, each Guardian, has a...creed in the Vongola."

"Hibari-san was given the Cloud Ring," Noriko elaborates, resting her chopsticks back on her now empty plate and leaning back. "If I remember correctly, the role of the Cloud Guardian is: to be the aloof, drifting Cloud that protects the Family from an independent standpoint, and whom nothing can ever bind."

She stops to smile wryly. "Sounds like Hibari-san to a fault, hmm?"

Just like Alaude...

Kyoya smirks as if she has paid him a high compliment, and Tsuna flushes, still staring at the older boy like he thinks someone is pulling a joke on him and he isn't sure what the punchline is. "B-But, Hibari-san, y-you'd be w-willing to be m-my G-Guardian?" he stutters out nervously, half-hopeful, half-fearful.

The prefect raises an eyebrow and finishes off the last of his breakfast before answering briskly, "I refuse to let you regress to your herbivorous tendencies, omnivore. And I want to bite those herbivores to death."

Cue bloodthirsty smile.

Tsuna sweatdrops, but smiles back warmly. "If that's what Hibari-san wants." He looks at the Sky Ring again, thoughtful now. "Who are the others? There are five others, right? What about you, Nori-chan?"

Onlooker

Noriko is silent for a long moment before rising to her seat to clean off their plates. "I won't be one of your Guardians, Tsuna," she says lightly as she dumps the everything into the dishwasher.

The words take at least half a minute to process in Tsuna's head.

"Hiiieee!? Why!?" Tsuna demands immediately, absolutely, positively outraged for perhaps one of the first true times in his life. Across from him, Kyoya makes not a sound, but glares directly at Noriko's back, grey eyes narrowing dangerously.

She begins to rummage through the cabinets and drawers, eventually pulling out a mixing bowl and some measuring tools, as well as flour, sugar, etc. It's not well-known, but Noriko's a great baker while Tsuna's a good cook.

It's even less well-known, but Nori only bakes when she's feeling very happy or very upset.

"I'm not suitable for the position," she says, moving to melt the butter and sift the sugar. What is she making? Cookies? "I'd make a terrible Guardian."

"That's not true!" Tsuna protests adamantly, rising to his feet so abruptly he almost trips over his own feet. "Who said that, Nori-chan!? That's just not true at all!" She's his best friend, he can't think of anyone else more suitable!

Noriko sighs and turns around at last to face him. "I'm the Judge, Tsuna," she says, low and frustrated and hurt. "I can't be a Guardian, not now, not ever. Not even if it's you."