Swallowed the Moon

By: The DayDreaming

Warnings: AU Erm, a lot of text? Poor characterization, probably OOC. Slight pervertedness on my part. Ahaha, can you catch all the innuendos?!

Full summary: AU Tsuna, worst magic-user ever, never thought he'd graduate from Salence's Academy for the Genesic Empyrean. Hell, no one else thought he would either. Maybe once he starts experiencing life outside of SAGE school's halls, he'll want to return to that constant school daze for good. Conspiracies, fallen princes, and a quest to find his MIA father send Tsuna's once below-average life out of control. Pulled along for the ride, he can only hope that he's strong enough to stand against the odds alongside a carefree swordsman/bodyguard, an entirely too loyal bomber, and a curly-sideburned gunman. Scratch that; he's definitely going to die.

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn! and its characters belong to Amano Akira, not me. This is the only time I'm going to say it.

This chapter has not been edited for mistakes. If there are any, please notify me and I'll try to rectify the situation whenever I get off my lazy ass.

O.o-oO0Oo-o.O

Chapter 2: The Poster Sends in a Little Bill

(Kudos to anyone who can catch which book the chapter title references. Hint: There's a rabbit.)

O.o-oO0Oo-o.O

The house was still, the only noise being the tiny creaks and moans that always came with residing in a relatively old dwelling.

Tsuna sat on his bed, folding clothes into messy piles by the thick bands of moonlight shining through his open window; he would have had his mother do it (she was the best, after all), but it was supposed to be a secret, and the only time that he was ever free from her presence was in the dead of night, when all of the guests had fallen asleep, with all chores and tasks completed. It wasn't that he minded her constant insistence that he be around her and doing work around the house, but it almost felt like Nana was trying to distract him.

It had been five days since he had arrived at home, and it somehow felt like he had been there for forever and for no time at all. Nothing seemed to have changed, and yet everything had, at least concerning him; everything seemed a little too small, a little too old, and a little too nostalgic. He hadn't realized how off-balance he had been, just stepping into his childhood home, until, on his second night, he had awoken from a particularly startling dream (he could never seem to remember what these unsettling dreams were about, but he always woke drenched in sweat and terrified [1]) and shuffled downstairs to his mother's room. He had stood in front of the old wooden door, brass handle still shiny in the minimal lighting, and raised his hand to knock before he realized what he was doing and quickly averted his loose fist from striking the dark wood. He had felt confused, realizing that he was sixteen, not six, and that he should be able to deal with the 'terrors of the night' on his own.

Another incident had occurred on day three, when he had been examining the collage of family pictures set proudly on the mantle over the den's fireplace. He found himself dazedly tracing his fingers over the slightly dusty glass of a picture frame, following the aged scratches lining the sepia photo of his father and he blowing bubbles. It was one of his favorites, even though the sight of his father acting so carefree, when all he ever did for Tsuna and Nana was make them worry, made a strange mixture of anger and regret bubble in the pit of his stomach. Nana sat off to the side, stretched out in a clean sundress and a wide-brimmed sunhat, laughing at the sight of a Tsuna no older than five blowing bubbles into his father's hair while the man spilled his cup of soap over his and Tsuna's laps. A neighbor had been the one to snap the photo, happening to pass by the front yard of the Sawada residence with his camera and catching a spectacular, up-close shot.

He was startled when he felt something wet dribble down to his chin, hot and cold at the same time. Crying over a stupid picture? He really was pathetic.

And, he was certain Nana was trying her very best to make it so that he completely forgot to go on his stupid mission to find a quest, or make it so that he didn't have the will to leave. He was sure, since she seemed to be going all out on cooking Tsuna's favorite meals, bringing up nostalgic memories of childhood, re-introducing him to the neighbors, and practically smothering him with hugs and kisses. That woman, he knew, was sweet and kind, but also a schemer when it came down to making him do what she wanted. How the hell did his father ever resist her attempts to make him stay at home and go wherever the hell he went?

Tsuna knew that, if left up to his mother, his leaving home again would never occur. So, he had decided to take it upon himself to pack his things and be ready to set out on his journey the very next day, even though he really didn't feel like it; he had all but fallen hook, line, and sinker, for his mother's ploys. Perhaps the only thing that spurred him on now was the creepy footsies man, sleeping just down the hall from his room. It was terrifying and humiliating to be around the guy, always under his constant scrutiny and strangely unnerving gaze, not to mention his wandering fingers and feet. He wondered if any of the other guests also had to experience the guy's creepy touchy-feely tendencies.

What had really made Tsuna get up in the middle of the night and start packing was the fact that, after just having woken up from a sharp sound coming from outside his window, Tsuna had gotten up, checked to see if something was outside, and then headed to the door to get a glass of water. Waiting just outside was the footsies man, staring intently at him when the door swung open. Tsuna had stood, startled into silence, before letting out a loud "Hiiii," and slammed the door closed and locked it.

He knew he had to leave if the guests actually started trying to antagonize him into leaving, having over-extended his welcome in his own home. But, sheesh, couldn't the guy have said it upfront?

Finishing folding his last shirt, Tsuna let out a loud, tired sigh and dragged his traveler's bag out. Though the bag looked like a thin, ordinary, and heavily worn-out messenger's bag, it was actually rather sturdy, and enchanted by one of SAGE school's own charms teachers. Kyoko had been extremely kind and bought the bag from a school fundraising drive, and given it to Tsuna for his fifteenth birthday. The bag was charmed to be able to hold numerous items and had plenty of space, enough so that Tsuna could probably fit his entire room into the satchel if he tried. Kyoko had actually joked that Tsuna could probably climb into the bag whenever one of the teachers passed out graded tests and his score was particularly horrible.

He unbuckled the flap at the top and proceeded to dump all of his supplies into the tiny bag, the cracked leather of the satchel not even bulging as at least a closet's worth of clothes and a pantry's worth of non-spoilable food (which he had climbed out of his window and walked into town at two in the morning to get; the storeowner wasn't pleased when he knocked on her door, but melted under the combined force of Tsuna's puppy eyes and the mouse ears standing proudly atop his head while the rest of the cloak attempted to hide his pajama-clad form) and camping essentials.

That done, Tsuna looked around his room, trying to see if he had missed anything. He might not be coming back for a long time, and it would really suck to forget something important. Just about everything looked important, now that he thought about it; toys and trinkets, keepsakes and photos, books and albums. He knew it was stupid to want to bring old, childish things with him, but it almost felt like leaving them behind would make them disappear altogether; things that he had known his entire life would vanish from his consciousness, blacking out a sky dotted by a thousand stars worth of memories.

Why the hell was letting go so hard?

He was too old to be floundering about with trivial things; that had been stamped into his consciousness the moment he stepped into SAGE school. Still, now there was nothing stopping him from looking back, reaching out, trying to hold on with a slipping grip.

Tsuna sighed again as he stood and walked over to his too-full dresser, the surface littered with all sorts of bottles of various sizes. He gripped a few empty ones, the sheen of the glass reflecting in his eyes by the moonlight. There was nothing in them, but that would change. Even if he couldn't bring his childhood with him into the future, Tsuna would be sure to carry on preserving bits and pieces of it in his jars, stacked haphazardly on his dresser-top. On a second thought, he reached back and grabbed an intriguingly-shaped jar filled with an assortment of marbles, buttons, and seashells, all of which had been given to him by his father on his supposed trips around the world; it was stupid, but just one memento couldn't hurt, right?

He slipped the fragile items into his bag, and, satisfied, settled into the rumpled covers of his bed; would his mother be proud? He had actually done something all by himself. Still, Tsuna tossed and turned, unable to let his mind drift into the soft lull of darkness. He stared at the almost full moon, framed by his still-open window, too tired to fall asleep somehow.

Now that everything was done, what the hell did he do? It almost felt like that last day at the academy, unsure of what to do with his own feet now that he had actually accomplished what he had set out to do.

He rolled over, not wanting to look at that terrifying night sky, so filled with uncertainty and unanswerable questions. He couldn't help but mumble, "Damn it."

O.o-oO0Oo-o.O

Things really hadn't gone as planned.

As soon as he told Nana his intention to leave that day she had gotten all teary-eyed and weepy, muttering something along the lines of 'her baby not wanting her anymore' and 'having to get out the leash and cookies.'

"It's alright, mom," Tsuna said, trying to minutely comfort her by giving small pats on her back while she had taken to kneeling before him and hugging his waist with an iron grip, "I'll come back someday. I mean, how hard could one quest be? A few years at the most, I hear."

This news only made Nana grip him harder and start talking about chloroform. Tsuna was tempted to try and step away from the upset woman. He couldn't remember his mother being this clingy when he was young; hell, she was practically the flightiest woman to be christened a mother, from what he knew. Four years of being alone must have been really hard for her.

Tsuna suddenly felt incredibly guilty, visibly wilting at the track of his own thoughts. Nana slyly peeked up from her position at Tsuna's stomach, watching her son's resolve wither.

But then the guests of the house stepped into the room, seeking to find out the cause of the commotion that could be heard all the way into the dining room, and Tsuna caught sight of footsies guy. He shuddered and quickly gripped his mother's shoulders, making her lift her head fully.

"Y-you know I have to go mom! I couldn't possibly intrude further!" Tsuna stuttered, stepping away from his mother's grip and grasping the strap of his traveler's bag.

"But, Tsu," Nana said, eyeing her son and his peculiar behavior, "This is your home. You couldn't possibly intrude."

Tsuna ignored his mother's infallible logic, and the fact that she no longer seemed devastatingly upset, in favor of stuttering out an unintelligible mess of excuses.

Nana sighed and smiled at the state of her son. Some things just didn't change with time, including Tsuna's inability to get whatever he had to say out without either making a complete fool of himself or mangling the message in the process. Despite it being a bit annoying at times, she couldn't help but think that it made him more endearing. Really, everything about Tsuna was endearing; she had missed him, everything about him, and even his no-good nature. Tsuna was Tsuna, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

She knew she would miss him again, soon. Why was letting go so hard?

"Alright," Nana said, smiling softly and with an air of dejected acceptance, "I get it."

Tsuna stopped mid-rant and glanced at her, disbelieving. He observed her strained smile and slightly watery eyes.

"I guess I can't keep you forever, huh?" she continued, stepping forward and reaching a hand out to ruffle Tsuna's untidy hair, "Even if I only just got you back."

Tsuna stood mutely, a bit perplexed by his mother's sudden yielding. She tugged at his shoulder in a sign to follow her, and together they walked into the den, cool morning light spilling into the room from the uncovered windows.

"Y'know, when you were little," Nana said, walking over to the fireplace and reaching up to grab at one of the picture frames set above, clasping the picture in her hands and staring down at what was held therein fondly, "I thought you would never grow up."

Her finger glided across the glass, trailing around weathered, familiar faces. She looked at Tsuna, eyes shining with something that looked almost like hurt and sadness, but seemed beyond such feeble emotions, "I think your father thought that, too."

Tsuna made a small noise of confusion, still befuddled by his mother's strange behavior. He walked towards her and clasped her shoulder firmly, trying to assure her; of what, he didn't know. He glanced down to see a frame housing sepia tones and faded lines.

"I regret it, thinking like that. I'm sure he does, too," she went on, finger resting on the obvious figure of his father, "I bet he thought that time would stand still when you were involved, Tsuna. That, every time he came back, you would still be there, waiting to have the empty spaces of your childhood filled in.

"Were we wrong?" Nana asked, letting the picture fall to her side and turning to face Tsuna fully. She looked like she was about to cry; Tsuna quickly enfolded her in his arms, feeling too lost to say anything of measurable value.

Suddenly, the morning felt all too much like night, still and silent; the footsteps of wanderers treading over fragile ideologies obvious like people standing in doorways without entering.

After a while, an undeterminable amount of time that seemed to stretch on like five days, forever and not at all, Nana moved away from her son's embrace and quickly handed him the picture frame, Tsuna's favorite one, with the picture that made it look like they were all a family and not just a bunch of scattered chess pieces strewn on the ground after having bitten the dust.

"Take it," she mouthed at him, before giving him a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. Audibly, she said, "Well! I better get breakfast ready! Everyone must be starving. Are you sure you don't want anything?"

Tsuna nodded numbly, staring dumbfounded at the picture, before stuttering out, "Y-yeah. I gotta go. The train leaves in an hour."

Nana nodded and smiled, looking him over one more time before shoving him playfully on the shoulder in the direction of the front door. It was obvious that Tsuna didn't have the will to move from his spot, and at her prodding, suddenly jolted backwards and towards the entrance of the den.

"I'll call you when I get the chance, okay? And I'll write, too," Tsuna said, smiling shakily and stepping towards the exit. He hesitated, then turned around, smiling as brightly as he could. He didn't want his mother to see him leave looking so unsure. The brightness of his smile put one on Nana's face as well, "Love you, mom. I'll see you soon, I promise."

"I love you, too. Of course."

O.o-oO0Oo-o.O

Perambulāre was a bustling city, set at the very outskirts of the country, with one side bordered by a neighboring province and another by the sea. The city was famous for its capacity as a merchant city; it was also well known as a hotspot for wanderers, bounty hunters, and potential employers to meet and conduct business.

Tsuna was amazed, and stood, gawking like an idiot, at the entrance gates. He had never seen a place so huge, having been cloistered in the relatively small confines of his hometown and SAGE school. The buildings were old and incredibly detailed, the architecture wrought by master artisans' hands, and it sprawled on for miles and miles.

He could see in the distance the looming form of an airship, possibly carrying cargo from a far-off land, circling the airdrome as it prepped to land. Bright sunlight and reflected rays from the glittering ocean in the background made the ship shine like a star.

Busy with his staring, Tsuna didn't realize until it was too late that he was in the middle of an extremely busy thoroughfare, and was promptly knocked to the side when a burly man pushed past him.

Laying on the hard, cobbled street, Tsuna stared up like a deer caught in headlights at the rude man. He looked burly, in his mid-thirties, with a long, greasy Mohawk tucked into a ponytail at the base of his neck. A long, thick scar marred the side of his face and sealed his right eye shut. Tsuna nervously gulped when he noticed that the peculiar shininess around the man's ears, eyebrows, nose and lips were multiple piercings, gold and silver hoops studded in cheap gems.

The man sneered at him, revealing a mouth in a similar state to his piercings, glinting and bedazzled.

"Watch where you're going, hick," he spat, and moved on.

Tsuna let his mouth move inaudibly for a couple seconds, looking like a fish out of water, before he heard the condescending giggles of a few girls huddled in a group on the other side of the road, clad in skimpy school uniforms (at least by SAGE standards) with short-sleeved blouses and skirts that only went down to mid-thigh, to reflect the balmy weather of the sea-side city. Tsuna blushed heatedly, scrambling off of the dirty cobble stones, not only in embarrassment for acting like a complete tourist, but also at the fact that at his angle, he could almost clearly see their slinky undergarments.

Mortified, he pulled the hood of his cloak up, hiding his eyes in the resulting darkness and away from onlookers, realizing belatedly that this would only result in further embarrassment due to the 'attachments' at the top. With a shuddering sigh at hearing the girls burst out into full-bellied guffawing, Tsuna turned and walked forward into the city. If this encounter was anything to go by, he could tell that just graduating from SAGE hadn't made him a better person; he was no-good and an idiot, but with a diploma, now.

As he walked further in, Tsuna attempted to take in his surroundings, noticing the alarming amount of people who looked similar to the rude man that had knocked into him earlier. It was terrifying to be under their scrutiny; it almost felt like their hardened eyes could see right through him, even though he had hidden his face within his ridiculous cloak. A few were even sniggering at him and waving him over, making weird gestures around their waistlines. Tsuna gulped; what if that sign meant that they were going to drag him into an alley and kill him?

He let out a low "Hiii!" and hurried along, searching for a tavern where he could possibly find an employer and trying hard to not meet anyone's eyes. That weird man in the fedora and suit had said that Perambulāre would be the best place to search for a quest or apprenticeship, and that the most likely places to find employment were bars and other places where people congregated; taverns would be the most likely spot, since they posted job requests on boards at the back of pubs and allowed for a place where the poster and job-seeker could converse and work out the terms of their contract.

Tsuna wished that the man had told him more; he seemed extremely well-versed on the subject, an experienced traveler. But, unfortunately, the man had seemingly disappeared after dinner, completely vacating the household, without Tsuna even able to find out his name; none of the other guests knew who he was, either, the man having chosen not to divulge his identity to the other residents of the house.

Tsuna continued to wander, starting to get desperate when people began to go out of their way to push and poke him as he passed. He couldn't tell if the people of the city were really that rude, or he was just that unwelcome and clumsy. He also began to worry as the afternoon wore on. He needed to find a tavern or a place to stay; he really did not want to be out on the streets in the dark, not when people kept making that weird crotch-gesture at him.

Just as the sun was beginning to set, and Tsuna's sore feet were protesting a little too loudly, he spotted a low, squat building with bustling activity on the inside, a sign reading "The Company" hanging on an aged, antique-looking rod. Outside, a couple bodies were strewn haphazardly; Tsuna hoped that they were completely smashed bar-patrons, and not dead.

He really hoped this place was a tavern; he was exhausted and felt completely despondent. Salvation had to be close at hand, hadn't he suffered enough?

Tsuna eagerly walked into the noisy tavern, taking in the sight of aged, stone walls and dirty, tiled floors with heavy wooden tables, shining from thick varnish and spilled alcohol, set about the room. An upper story hung above the ground floor, the fancier patrons staring down at the ruckus caused by several drunks with a look of disdain.

He wasn't quite sure what to do as he looked around, trying to identify anything that looked remotely close to a board with postings on it. He stood nervously by the heavy, double-doored entrance, trying to shadow his face as much as possible from the curious patrons with his hood. They pointed openly at the strange appearance of the newcomer.

Tsuna looked frantically, eyes scanning each crevice of the room, until he realized that the large group of bodies huddled around the right wall of the bar was muttering about something, ogling at something…

Tsuna made his way over to the group, taking in the appearance of many hardened-looking warriors and wanderers, and twitching when he caught sight of the rude man from earlier, who was bickering openly with two other individuals that looked much the same as him. He tried to make himself look as small as possible, but then realized that hunching up only caused him to be even shorter and incapable of seeing what everyone was looking at.

He pushed himself up on his tiptoes instead, taking in the appearance of a large and weathered board with many pieces of paper tacked onto it. Some people were reaching out and grabbing at the paper, tearing the posters down and leaving the mingling group to head for the front, where they would assumedly talk to the owner of the establishment and set up a meeting time with the poster of the bill.

The group was thick, and Tsuna had to wait patiently while the crowd moved forward; he had become sandwiched between a man that wore a colorful parka and a wizard's hat that constantly clashed with his mouse ears, and a woman with very full cleavage in an extremely short tube top and heavy-looking pauldrons.

He was stuck like this for a while, leaning back slightly to keep his ears away from the wizard's hat, and trying to ignore the soft chest which he leaned against, the woman pressing back unashamedly. Just when the wait was becoming unbearable, and Tsuna was beginning to be tempted with the idea of leaving the hot, alcohol-scented crowd, a commotion was started at the front as a squat, middle-aged woman in a dirty, stained apron shoved past everyone and posted a large piece of paper, before quickly retreating as the crowd closed in like a bunch of starved vultures to gaze at the new posting.

Due to the swelling in the crowd, Tsuna was shoved forward, losing the sensation of the woman with the large chest against his back, and now standing side-by-side with the colorful wizard at the forefront of the rowdy group. He blinked at the sight of the postings, dazed but also trying to quickly read, in case anyone decided that he didn't deserve to be at the front and shoved him aside.

He ignored the new posting completely, thinking that it would most likely be taken before he even got a chance to look, instead focusing on an interesting page asking for a housemaid with some magical training, good pay, room and board, and no experience required. Nothing seemed wrong with the posting, and he was just about to take it, when the sudden yelling from a few feet away jolted him. He looked over, seeing Mr. Rude shouting to his cronies about the newly posted bill.

"What the hell is this shit?!" he shouted, pointing spastically at the paper. The crowd gave a murmur of mixed agreement and scoffing.

Another person snickered, letting out slyly, "Obviously an idiot. A greenie we have right here."

"What's happening?" could be heard from the back, people too far to see the apparently offensive posting wanting in on the uproar.

"Some moron," Mr. Rude enunciated loudly, "Just posted for an escort to go with 'im to fucking Heretic's Hollow!!"

The crowd began to murmur, the hum filling Tsuna's ears. Whatever this Heretic's Hollow place was, it obviously didn't stand well with the job-seekers. Was there a point in even going for the poster? No one wanted to touch it; did that mean it was a poor job? He really wished he knew what the hell he was doing.

Tsuna sighed and turned around, deciding to just go for the maid service posting (if there was one thing he had learned from his mother and his many detentions at school, it was that he was a damn fine janitor). He then let out a small moan when he realized that it was gone, and the wizard that had been standing right next to him had mysteriously vanished.

What now? It didn't seem like there were any other good jobs around him. All required some level of skill to pull off, skill which he lacked. He gave a quick glance over to the new posting, deemed by onlookers to be unworthy (or maybe distasteful?) and therefore sat by its lonesome on the board, the crowd swirling away from it.

It couldn't hurt to look, right? Tsuna inched over, pressing himself up against the board and smooshing his way through until he stood in front of the posting, quickly scanning the bold text printed on the paper. It did indeed ask for an escort up to Heretic's Hollow (knowledge of the area unnecessary), some ability to fight, and preferably soon. The pay wasn't specified, and an interesting tidbit caught his eye: "Preferably have little to no family ties, and a will written up." He mouthed the words, trying to puzzle over the meaning.

Well, surely all of the uncertainty in the writing could be cleared up by speaking to the employer, right? It was okay to ask questions, wasn't it? It was totally okay to say no if he ended up not wanting to?

Tsuna was hanging on a limb. What should he do? He needed a job, one that he could do, and a person that seemed desperate enough to hire someone like No-Good Tsuna. It was perfect, really. No one wanted the job, he really wanted something to quest for, the poster needed someone gulli—willing to go; match made in heaven.

Tsuna wanted to bang his head against the wall and scream; he was in denial.

He looked around, making sure no one else was going for the bill, and then quickly tugged at the bottom of the paper like he had seen so many others do while waiting on the outskirts of the crowd. The crisp paper came off with a pop, the sound suddenly extremely audible as silence fell over the mob and all eyes turned to the idiot in the mouse-eared cloak. The tack holding the paper to the cork paneling of the board had flown up as Tsuna pulled the paper away; before it hit the ground, a gloved hand easily caught the tiny spike of metal, while the hand's twin clamped firmly onto Tsuna's shoulder.

He was promptly spun around, his hood flying off to reveal stunned, tawny eyes, as he clutched the posting to his chest in reflex. He could feel all sorts of eyes focused on him, but he ignored it in favor of staring up at his assailant, a teen with blond, scruffy hair much like his own, and a pair of sky blue eyes. The teen was grinning madly while he absentmindedly threw the tack he had caught up and down.

The guy glanced down, eyeing the paper clutched to Tsuna's chest, and Tsuna was able to look away from his startling eyes to observe that the teen was dressed in a dark mantle, and that printed on the glove clutching his shoulder was a large 'I.'

"Now, then," the teen glanced to Tsuna, grin widening in excitement, "If you have the time, let's get down to business. Drinks on me, yeah?"

O.o-oO0Oo-o.O

(1) – This is kind of hinting at the fact that Tsuna can't really remember what he was dreaming on the train. Also hinting that Tsuna seems to be able to get premonitions in his dreams. I always think it's weird how Byakuran and Uni can [SPOILER] see into the future, but all Tsuna gets is hyper-intuition. Y'know, Tsuna uses the sky flame, so wouldn't he be able to do this, too? Well, we'll see if this subject gets expounded upon.

O.o-oO0Oo-o.O

For fuck's sake, this chapter is exactly 4900 words, 9 pages with Calibri and 11 point font. I hate you all. Hate you. I hope you're happy. I can't feel my ass.

Sorry for being so late, guys. School got crazy (I mean batshit insane), and I haven't had an opportunity until now to write. And, I told you guys, didn't I? This story will have a lot of Final Fantasy elements, but not exactly the same.

I don't think I've ever had so much trouble with characterization. Nana totally threw me off. She makes me want to stab my eyes out with toothpicks. I don't know how to write her, since she never seems to have serious moments with Tsuna. Then, once Nana managed to piss me off, I think I threw off Tsuna's character. I'm sorry guys. There's a lot of text in this chapter, and it was probably pretty boring. I'm trying to work on adding detail into my story; I don't know if it's working. You all also might be wondering why all this build-up is necessary for Tsuna leaving home. Well, uh…You know, I'm just trying to describe how hard it is to leave home. The motif is supposed to be growing up and letting go, but I'm having trouble showing it. God, I hope you guys got all my references. It's just, videogames and mangas never really expound upon how hard it is for people to set out on journeys or move up in their lives. They always describe the characters as being confident and self-assured, and the parents always seem willing to let their fourteen year old children go out and fight big, bad monsters. Never really made much sense to me; people like me, who cling to routine and stability, would be terrified. I imagine Tsuna would be, too. I don't know if I conveyed it successfully, but I just wanted to write out these feelings, since I too will be stepping out of my comfort zone soon, since I'm graduating from high school this year.

About why I take so friggin' long to update: I have about two hours every day to use the computer. I'm a busy high schooler, and much of what I'm busy with involves the computer as well, so I can't use my time on the comp. to write fanfiction. Also, my parents don't know that I write, and I'd rather keep it that way. I can't go on the computer when they're home. Also, I write stories in one sitting. This chapter right here took me about six hours to type, sitting straight through; I can't stand starting and stopping writing, so it can only be in one sitting. The days where I have enough time to just sit for six hours and type, with my parents not home, and me having nothing to do, are far and few between. I'll try to update more frequently, I will, since I am honestly interested in this story, but I can't promise you guys weekly, bi-weekly, or even tri-weekly updates. Sorry.

There's more to say, but this is already too long, so, whatever. Merry Christmas, guys! This is my gift to you for being awesome and giving me loads of reviews for my very first Reborn! story. Thanks a lot! And, share the love by giving me Christmas or Hanukkah presents, or whatever, in the form of reviews! The DayDreaming out!