Right, then. Here's what was meant to be the second half of the last chapter, but there were some issues with it. Now it is here, and will not have any new critters.

Interlude II

"So," Squalo waited until his Boss had herded the mini-Boss out with most of said mini-Boss' Elements. And that terminology was weirdly catching—sounded better than 'Guardians' for them, too. Varia were assassins, and the Elite generally went by that instead of 'Guardian', but Squalo knew he was Xanxus' Rain and thinking of himself as one of Xanxus' Elements was a hell of a lot better than one of his Guardians, because Xanxus didn't need fucking guarding. He was stronger than the rest of them, that's how he got Squalo.

Luss, whose arrival had prompted the evacuation of the pipsqueaks (they were Japanese and Arcobaleno; wasn't his fault that generally meant 'tiny') as it meant he had dealt with the bloody mess that had been mini-Boss' sleeping quarters, only looked back at him with a lot less flamboyant enthusiasm than usual.

"Snake. The hell is up with the snake?"

Lussuria coughed slightly, casting a glance at where said snake was disappearing around the corner after mini-Boss and co, the unicorn sidestepping it carefully with the multicolored bird on its back. "Ah, when Tsunayoshi-kun woke, he said it had been 'testing' him. It did not attempt to harm the Boss for manhandling it, and Flames weren't effecting it at all, so…" Luss shrugged, lips curling in a baffled smile, "Boss let it go?"

Squalo tried to figure that out and promptly gave up. Teleporting multicolored bird and unicorn. Snake that looked like it was not entirely normal. Man-eating whale-wolf monster (Squalo hadn't seen it, and was inclined to think that was a good thing because if the fucking unicorn was scary, he didn't want to know what qualified as 'monster') and living bronze statues. Decimo's crew just didn't make any sense, and if Squalo ever started thinking otherwise, it would be proof that he'd cracked.

"I'm not even going to fucking ask," Squalo decided. "Shit, that's just… no. I'm going to go through the mission reports while Decimo rounds up his out-of-country escorts, and we'll crash Vongola Mansion in a couple hours."

The Peacock just nodded, clearly as thrown by the fact that there were some seriously odd guests in with the Varia, and that wasn't even including the animals. When those got brought into the equation, Squalo was pretty sure it meant reality had broken somewhere and Decimo had decided to take full advantage.

(Holy shit, that kid had a dragon. It wasn't in Italy, thank God for small mercies, but holy shit. Dragon.)

xxxx

Tsuna settled back on the bed—he was pretty sure it had a new mattress as well as new sheets and blankets—resigning himself to all of his Elements hovering in varying states of nervous energy.

At least only his Arcobaleno, Xanxus, and Mukuro had witnessed the actual injury, instead of just the immediate aftermath. Apparently the whole 'bleeding out from the throat' thing had only lasted about three minutes, and by the time majority of his teen Elements had woken and stumbled into his room, Reborn had already managed to heal the wound.

It had felt like a lot longer than three minutes to him, though, and not at all in the same way. He remembered waking, getting bitten, a wash of fire that was more heat than pain and then—well. It hadn't been a dream, quite. But it had been something.

Stone pillars and open walls, desert-gold, pyramids gleaming white against the horizon, the soft lap of water to the opposite side. Something that smelled fresh and sweet and earthy on the breeze—and a large cobra coiled before him, hood flared and showing the bright ruby circle under its chin.

The hiss revealed her as female, and she demanded answers he couldn't help but give, demanded strength he wanted to keep tucked inside his soul but blazed out in sunset-gold, eclipsing the noonday light from the desert outside.

Said something about a test passed an instant before Mukuro was standing beside him, his crimson eye's pupil flicking between the kanji for six, one, three, and two as indigo Flame licked across his fingers.

The following hiss had been both startled and impressed—Tsuna caught 'What strong acolytes you have'—before he was waking up with all the Flame that he'd been forced to show in that not-quite-real place following him back to reality.

He'd jolted upright before realizing how badly he was bleeding, Xanxus snatching the not-cobra out of the air as Reborn glowed yellow before hopping back up onto the bed from where he'd been sent sprawling by the force of Tsuna's quickly reigned-in Flames.

Hands on his throat, small and warm, and the dizziness hadn't abated but the bleeding had, and then there were a lot more people and it had become kind of hard to follow what had been going on. He remembered saying something in response to some kind of question, but…

Yeah, he'd definitely been delirious from blood loss. He couldn't hold it against everyone that they were so jumpy. And he was pretty sure the only reason no one had tried to kill the snake—a 'khe-ti', she had called herself—again was because Moeru and Venna were both there and unbothered by her scaly presence.

Although when she made her way back in the general direction of the bed, Moeru thrilled reprovingly and Venna pointedly planted a delicate hoof on top of the suddenly sulking serpent's head.

Everyone looked in that direction for a moment, and Xanxus and Reborn exchanged something a lot like commiserating glances before blatantly deciding to ignore the supernatural animals entirely.

Tsuna very carefully didn't coo at them.

(The rest of the people in the room, including Fon and Skull, were slightly more curious about the new addition but clearly uncertain about questioning Tsuna while he still had two overprotective assassins hovering next to him. Rather than waiting for said questions, Tsuna waved his eclectic group closer and explained what had happened.

Reborn's flat comment on bites to the throat not counting as testing had said snake twisting from under Venna's hoof to hide her head under her own coils, clearly ashamed of herself and hissing dismayed apologies.

Reborn stared at her for approximately three seconds before facepalming, muttering disparaging things under his breath.

Tsuna couldn't quite stop himself from scooping him up and cuddling him, and all Reborn did was grumble and lean into it.)

xxxx

"Call us if you need us, haha!" Takeshi waved, shinai slung over his shoulder. Tsuna wondered if he'd shown that thing to Squalo, yet—a bamboo-slat sword that 'turned into' a live blade with use of a specific type of sword-style would probably catch his interest.

Tsuna gave an absent confirmation as they moved towards the custom jeep-like vehicle out front, not questioning the logistics. Obviously, if unicorns and dragons were real, enchanted weapons could be, too. Besides, the thing felt like a sword in Tsuna's… not Flames. Not what Reborn called 'Hyper Intuition', either. More what he felt around Venna and the others—a kind of not-Flame aura that he never actually saw.

He had the feeling that it was some kind of association-based solid illusion, kind of like what Mukuro was teaching Chrome only designed to drop when the person holding the hilt was thinking in certain patterns. And that also explained why the bamboo was stronger than it had any right to be—it wasn't bamboo. It was enchanted steel pretending to be.

Reborn tapped his temple sharply, and Tsuna blinked. "Right, sorry. Got distracted by the spells on Takeshi's sword," he apologized, and there was something a lot like a collective blink.

He blinked back, "Can no one else tell that thing is not bamboo?"

Reborn took a breath, let it out, and said "I'm not going to ask how you know that," very evenly. "In fact, I'm not going to ask about the spells. I'm not even going to ask why the cobra is hiding in the hou-ou's feathers. Just—get in the car without breaking reality any further."

Tsuna shrugged and did as requested, gathering all three of his Arcobaleno into his lap as Gokudera slid in beside him, Xanxus taking the driver's seat as Squalo took the seat behind him with Mammon on his shoulder, Kuro and Shī settling silently in the back. Mukuro felt like he was on the roof, and Moeru shuffled his wings a few times—the khe-ti readjusting to allow him free movement—and thrilled.

Tsuna eyed the hou-ou's rather impressive talons and considered. "One moment," he lifted a tolerant Reborn to his own shoulder and gently shooed an amused Fon and pouting Skull over to Gokudera, who had the notebook out again, his enthusiasm having recovered from the morning's bloody wake-up call.

Moeru hopped from the window to Tsuna's lap, managing to avoid hitting the three in the way, and Tsuna winced lightly at the sting as those talons dug into his knees for a moment while the bird caught his balance.

Reborn quite pointedly tucked an arm into his hair, clearly not intending to share lap-space with a bird and the snake curled thoroughly into said bird's feathers.

Tsuna shrugged his free shoulder and turned his attention upwards, "Mukuro, are you sure you want to ride up there?"

A flicker of illusionary kanji in front of his eyes had him shake his head and sigh, "Suit yourself."

"Everyone set, then?" Xanxus demanded.

"Fine back here, Boss," Squalo agreed as Gokudera nodded and Skull and Fon chimed in with "Good" and "I am secure," respectively.

Reborn scoffed at the questioning glance and Tsuna nodded, so Xanxus started the car.

(Forty minutes later, they were pulling into Vongola Mansion's drive and the car smelled faintly of smoky ginger, warm sand, and myrrh. He should have expected that—Moeru always smelled of smoke and ginger and Venna smelled like fresh-cut laurels and spring rain. Of course the khe-ti would have something similar.)

xxxx

Timoteo blinked when his office door burst open, prompting his Mist to reach for his gun before the intruder registered properly—a younger member of security, wide-eyed and looking like he wasn't quite sure how to react to whatever had him so worked up.

"Lord Nono," he panted as he sketched a quick bow, clearly having run from his post at the front entrance, "The head of the Varia is here with his Rain and Mist as well as a seven guests, three of whom are Arcobaleno. They've requested immediate audience!" A slight pause, "… and were somewhat polite about it."

Today, it seemed, was a day for surprises. First Reborn cancelling his contract due to having Harmonized, and now his wayward son come home to talk? Xanxus was rarely polite, and usually only grudgingly so. Perhaps the Arcobaleno had something to do with it?

"Which Arcobaleno?" Timoteo asked briskly, signaling for Croquant to call his other Guardians to the conference room. Xanxus having that many with him meant having all of his own Guardians was likely a good idea, and eighteen people was simply too many for the office.

The guard winced, glancing down. "I'm afraid I don't know the Arcobaleno by sight, and their Pacifiers weren't in easy view. I think one may have been the Hitman, and the other two might have been the Storm and Cloud, but with the number of Active Flames in such close quarters I may have been mistaken."

Reborn wouldn't leave Tsunayoshi's side so soon after Harmonizing, surely. That made no sense… unless one of the others was Tsunayoshi? Iemitsu had said he was visiting his family in Japan, though, so what on earth would the boy be doing in Italy, much less with Xanxus?

Timoteo nodded instead of speculating aloud, "Thank you. Escort them to the main conference room—my Guardians and I will meet with them there."

xxxx

Xanxus was gratified to note they'd beaten the old man and his Guardians to the conference room, aiming his little Sky at the chair at the head of the table—at least from the side they'd entered the room from—and pointedly shifting to stand behind it to the Tsuna's right. The Storm-brat huffed but didn't protest, clearly seeing the practicality of the arrangement—this was all about making an impression, and the show of subordinate support was needed. Instead, he took an evenly distanced place to their Sky's left, and Reborn eyed the arrangement before hopping to Xanxus' shoulder.

He didn't blink. The Hitman-Sun was about the only one who seemed to fully share his opinion of the Brat's weird presence—addictive, amusing, and damn annoying. Also something to be protected, no matter what he had to break to do it.

Fon hummed and took up a spot on the Storm-brat's shoulder, and Kuro and Shī flanked him on either side, Squalo settling to flank Xanxus' right with both the Baby and the mini-Cloud on his shoulders. Not quite symmetrical, but it would give a powerful visual impact, and the damn bird looked over the arrangement and then hopped to the arched center of the chair-back, turning to face the table while the snake—and Xanxus was not even going to ask—shifted until its head tucked right below the bird's neck, most of its length hidden by wings and feathers.

Tsuna—and he could not call him Brat while the old man was around, the show of support had to be irreproachable, but the familiarity of 'Tsuna' would leave an impression all its own… and probably make the Brat happy—clearly knew the reason for the arrangement and, while exasperated, he accepted it without more than a resigned sigh.

Anyway, point to question, "We doing this in Italian, Tsuna?" Xanxus asked, testing the use of the name.

He liked 'Brat' better.

Tsuna, in response, turned to beam at him and Xanxus had to stop himself from holding up a hand to shield his eyes. Holy shit, it should not be physically possible to exude that much cheerful happiness in an expression. That smile was a damn weapon. "That's why I didn't bring Takashi or Hibari," he agreed.

"And your Mists?"

Tsuna's smile eased to something less staggering, "Chrome's keeping everyone under control back at the mansion and Mukuro's being Mukuro."

In the room and unseen, then. And unsensed by anyone but that tiny Transcendent. Figures that the Brat could tell, though—the creepy Mist was his.

Xanxus nodded and Squalo asked a question that made him turn to stare at his Rain.

"Do you even speak Italian, mini-Boss?"

There was no chance to answer, as the opposite door opened and the old man stepped into the room, his eyes visibly widening as his stride faltered on what he was seeing.

Xanxus kept his expression clear out of sheer force of will, viciously pleased at the obvious realization while also disgusted at the level of shock. Wasn't his fault he'd been raised as an assassin, and it sure as hell shouldn't have been so strange that he hadn't hurt the kid. As much as he'd thought it would be necessary, that kind of thing was last resort. He wasn't a mindless killer and he didn't hurt civilians or children unless he had no other choice.

Tsuna had also lost the smile on what he was seeing, twisting to face firmly forward again. "Xanxus?" he asked.

Xanxus appreciated the gesture. "The one in the center is Timoteo Vongola, the Nono and my adoptive father. The others are, from left to right: Visconti, Cloud; Ganauche III, Lightning; Bouche Croquant, Mist; Brow Nie Jr., Sun; Coyote Nougat, Storm; and Schnitten Brabanters, Rain."

Tsuna nodded slightly, sliding his chair back to stand with a blandly sweet smile that made Xanxus want to cringe from the edge of it he could see. "Proper introductions, then," he decided aloud, and Xanxus suddenly realized that Tsuna wasn't speaking Italian, but it sure sounded like it.

Or… more like it felt as natural to understand as Italian, even though Italian was Xanxus' first and best language. He didn't comment, though.

"I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, as you no doubt already know, as it was the Nono who chose me as his successor. To be clear, however—Xanxus is my Wrath, Squalo his Rain, and Mammon his Mist. Reborn and Skull are the only Sun and Cloud that accompanied me here today, and Fon and Hayato Gokudera are both my Storms. Kuro-san is the one I generally leave in charge of the Namimori base and Shī is in charge of the Triads."

Timoteo wasn't the only one visibly stunned this time, and since the reason was for the array of allies, Xanxus found himself feeling a dark curl of amusement.

"Down to business, shall we?" Tsuna swept a hand at the table and sat down again, taking charge as though it was his base—and it was, as far as Xanxus was concerned. Brat was Decimo, and since he was literally the only heir, no one was going to change that.

Xanxus smirked and slid into a chair, the Decimo's people following suit easily before the old man reacted, a few moments too late to gain any sort of control.

Brat was good.

xxxx