There was a request for Fon, Reborn, and Storm Dragons. So. Fon.
Guest: while there is a female fenghuang, she is described as similar to (of the same species as) but different from the male. The male have a five-color tail, whereas the female only has a three-color tail, and they are both a symbol of just rule. It is true that the dragon is also a symbol of the emperor, but there was also rumors more along the line of 'current' instead of 'rightful'. Rather like Qílín were symbols of a good and just ruler. There are a great many myths in China and Japan that have to do with rulers, either rightful, just, kind, current, powerful, etc. I make a point of putting a basic rundown on each introduced myth at the beginning of the chapter where it appears, at least the aspects which have bearing on the story.
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Fon was, at the heart of things, a Storm. He had earned the name 'The Eye of the Storm' because he was calm, collected, in control—and perfectly capable of destroying everything around him if he so chose. Fon was the Arcobaleno considered to be on par with the 'Greatest Hitman', Sun Arcobaleno Reborn.
Fon was under no illusions of being able to beat Reborn in a straight up, completely evenly-staked fight. Reborn was, simply put, stronger than he was. His Flames burned hotter, higher. He had more of them. Also, an unnerving tendency to show abilities with his Sun that were somewhat similar to a Cloud's Propagation on top of the normal Activation Sun possessed.
(Years before, very shortly after the Curse had first been laid upon them, the six of them who were not the Sun or Sky collectively decided that Reborn wasn't Classic or Inverted but a class all his own, like a Wrath Sky. Colonnello had said 'Chaos', and it had stuck. Even so, Fon would probably be able to win if he had more reason than Reborn, if he was fighting for something important enough.)
Still, they were colleagues of a sort, and contemporaries. So, when Sawada Tsunayoshi turned up to dress down Shī of the First Triad before calling out Fon with no signal from the Sun on his shoulder, Fon had been interested.
Reborn being aware of his presence—he knew the other well enough to recognize true lack of surprise from simple lack of reaction—was expected. The boy realizing he was there without Reborn letting him know about it was not.
The tóngshī hadn't been expected either, and Reborn's response of disgusted exasperation instead of sharing his shock had been even less so from the implications. (Then came the fenghuang and the unicorn, and Reborn's reaction suddenly made sense.)
The tóngshī were one thing. They were guardians, certainly, but any with a hand to carve stone or hammer bronze could have their likeness outside a home, nevermind those who bought such statues. They didn't have any particular connotations beyond simple guardians, loyal to those they served but neutral overall.
(Of course, he hadn't expected any to actually be alive, and that live ones chose to stand against one who'd claimed a name in their honor in favor of the boy he'd tried to have killed… well, even without the fenghuang, Shī might well have stood down. With it, though…)
The fenghuang, no matter the changed pronunciation of the Japanese language, was something else entirely. That such a creature was endorsing Sawada Tsunayoshi was significant.
This went far beyond Underworld politics. Fenghuang were a sign of the Emperor. The rightful, Chosen ruler.
Between that, the tóngshī, and the unicorn, Fon had not been at all hesitant to follow Shī's vow of fealty with one of his own. Tsunayoshi was interesting, and if a fenghuang had chosen him, there was reason. Fon had faith in that reason, even if he did not know it.
Tsunayoshi-sama (he had disliked being called 'Sawada', and while Fon did not know why, he would not push. The exasperation for the 'Tsunayoshi-sama' was real but good-humored, so Fon would use it) had then willingly allowed Fon into his home.
And then, taking the Storm Arcobaleno completely by surprise, Harmonized with him less than two days after they'd met, while out in the forest behind a small shrine near Namimori, and Reborn had instantly complained about 'dame-Tsuna's' impossibility.
Fon was usually much less impulsive. He'd worked very hard to get his Storm temper and hair-trigger attack tendencies under control. There was a reason he'd earned the title 'Eye of the Storm' while being a Classic.
Thrown off by the sudden, raw newness of a Harmony he'd never thought he'd gain, his response to the insult to his Liege-Sky had been that of a Classic Storm.
(Reborn had deflected the Exploding Fire Dragon attack, of course. He was Reborn. He had been a little startled that it had been sent his way at all, though, and Tsunayoshi had actually scolded both of them for the extensive damage to a section of the forest.
Seeing Reborn actually genuinely downtrodden about the scolding gave away that the Sun had been brought into Tsunayoshi's Sky as well, though he still hadn't admitted it.
Not that Fon had endured the scolding any better. In fact, he'd definitely been worse. His literally brand-new Sky had already been upset with him. Still, Reborn's complaints were meant in good humor, and since Fon had realized it, he toned down on his responses.
It had become a bit of a game. Reborn would complain about Tsunayoshi, and Fon would send half-powered Lotus attacks his way. The only thing they were both careful to avoid was collateral.
Neither one of them actually mentioned it, but they had silently agreed that scoldings from their Sky were awful.)
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