If Kyoko's win was luck, Miura's was a definite showing of a great many diverse skills. Her Varia opponent had one attack, in the end. Sure, he could vary the voltage of that attack – he really took the 'Lightning' aspect very literally – but it was still the only attack that he had. He was also, unfortunately, quite clumsy. Mammon even made comment on it.

On the other hand, Miura was an acrobat, capable of grappling like an octopus, and a swords-woman to boot.

Xanxus would have laughed, except that it was just too embarrassing that one of his men – an elite officer of the Varia – had just been trumped by a little girl. Not even the pure luck that anybody could have that had been what defeated Lussuria – he could have just as easily connected a powerful kick with the girl's neck or ribcage and taken her out – but Levi had actually been legitimately beaten by a more skilled opponent. A teen-aged girl.

"Voi," Superbi said with an appreciative look at Miura. "We should spar some time. I'm always looking for skilled opponents."

"Hai, and Yamamoto-kun too, desu!" Haru chirped in cheerful agreement as she hopped out of the arena and slipped the completed ring onto her finger.

"Oh?"

"I'm learning my old man's sword style," Yamamoto admitted with a smile.

"Yamamoto-san is also Tsuna's back-up Rain Guardian," Reborn offered. "You won't get to fight him officially in this setting, by maybe another time."

"Voi!"

Unfortunately for Superbi's desire to take his turn, the next fight drawn was not his. They were going by papers taken from Reborn's hat, the tutor hitman had confessed amusement as much as frustration at the 'solution' that Tsuna and Xanxus had agreed to. Iemitsu, on the other hand, outright rejected it, and had his underlings working overtime to find the Ninth in the hopes that he could overturn the arrangement.

Initially, he'd just wanted a reason why the old man had apparently changed his mind and allowed Xanxus to fight for the rings. Now, well, he was at least two years too late to be trying to be a protective father. He (foolishly) was making the effort though – and complaining the whole time about so many 'wrong' Guardians being chosen.

The next fight drawn was for the Storm Ring, which, according to the styles of both Hana and her opponent Belphegor, turned out to be a something of a knife-fight. Hana had gotten new stiletto heels – ones that had actual stiletto daggers, rather than just the regular heels sharpened to incredible points – and Prince Belphegor used throwing knives that were also attached to wires.

"You ruined my shirt."

"You cut me!"

They both blurred, impossible-to-follow movements highlighted by the occasional flash of sharpened steel.

Tsuna burst out laughing when they both finally stopped moving, which sparked similar reactions in some of the others present. Not all. Actually, a majority seemed to be somewhat horrified by what they were seeing, but to Tsuna, it was just too funny an ending not to.

They each had a knife in one hand (Hana had clearly stolen the one she held from her opponent), and the other tangled in the other's hair as they ground together and tried to swallow the other's tongue.

A very short person with a long black braid, who had been watching from his perch on Hibari's shoulder, blushed as red as his shirt, and dropped his warmed face into his hands.

The Cervello, who were acting as official judges, sighed and suggested it was a draw. At least, until Hana moved her hand and the glint of the completed Storm Ring could be seen on her finger.

That set Lussuria at least to join in with those who were laughing.

"Brat prince is never going to stop hearing about this," Xanxus declared with a distinctly amused smirk. "What is it with little girls still in school beating my trained and deadly men?"

Tsuna judiciously didn't answer, and did her best to stifle her laughter and repress her smile.

Even if she had tried to answer though, it wouldn't have been heard over Superbi's yelling. It was finally his turn, and he wasn't being asked to fight a girl still in middle school. His opponent was at least in high school.

"I am not a swordsman," Kusakabe stated straight up as he eyed the weapon strapped to his opponent's wrist, his own hands easily slipped into his pockets.

"Don't tell me I got the one Lussuria should have been fighting," Superbi groused as he took in the teenager's relaxed stance. "Voi! At least I'm not fighting a little girl."

Kusakabe smirked at that.
"And look how well it turned out for your fellows, losing to little girls," he pointed out, amused. "I suppose your ego won't hurt quite as much as theirs, huh?"

It was a clear and blatant implication that the swordsman's loss was a foregone conclusion, and it had Superbi grinding his teeth and growling. He had enough self-control not to simply charge though.

"I think that the descriptions of the elements are very poor ones," Tsuna said softly as the fight began. "The unrelenting storm that destroys everything in its path. The bright sun that breaks down adversity. The rain that cleanses battlefields and washes away conflict. These are only one dimension."

"Nm?" Xanxus grunted curiously from his seat next to her.

"It could be just as easy to say that the storm brings change, by sweeping away that which was before, and bringing in new things. The storm can leave you exposed to everything, or buried and trapped," Tsuna said with a wave to where Hana and Bel were still kissing. "The sun is warm and comforting, and encourages growth," she gestured to Kyoko, "but it can also burn, and cause things to wither. The rain -"

Kusakabe was covered in cuts, some shallow, some deep, but he had also landed a number of hits on Superbi, each one at a pressure point, slowly but steadily weakening him.

"- which traps us indoors, which inspires introspection, and is good weather for catching up on administrative duties. Or maybe you like to go and stand out in the rain and scream your pain to the heavens, which are already crying," Tsuna suggested, and tilted her chin towards the fight that was taking place before them. "The rain washes away pain, sorrow, happiness, and joy equally, but it also always brings hope."

"And lightning?" Xanxus asked.

"The lightning that damages the enemy, and the rod that accepts all damage, and destroys it?" Tsuna recalled thoughtfully. "Hm. I wonder. Have you ever noticed that the air smells fresher after a lightning storm? Or that the plants grow a little greener? It's also beautiful, in a dangerous way, and people have long-since harnessed lightning, electricity, to power our appliances. It can just as easily revive a heart that has stopped beating, as it can stop a healthy one. A truly diverse, spectacular force of nature, ne?"

Kusakabe finally incapacitated the arm that Superbi's sword was attached to, then kicked out his knees and grabbed hold of the long, silver-white hair.

"Voi," Superbi choked as his head was pulled back so far that it was painful, and harder to breathe.

"You should really do something about this," Kusakabe said as he took the ring from around his opponent's neck with the hand not holding the hair. "If you don't want to cut it, then you should at least tie it back."

And as of that moment, the majority of the Vongola Rings were held by Tsunahime's chosen Guardians.

"Do we even bother to continue?" Mammon asked, tone curious but uncaring. "I can't see any profit in it..."

"I will not accept a default win," Mukuro spoke up. "It is unworthy of my lady, and of myself."

"I'm not leaving without breaking someone," Hibari growled in agreement, and his quicksilver eyes darted across to Xanxus in challenge.

"It's alright to be scared of losing," Tsuna offered with a serene little smile. "But the agreement wasn't 'best of', it was fight by fight."

"Don't be so confident that your Mist Guardian will defeat me," Mammon puffed up.

"Kufufufufu, one way to find out," Rokudo said, laughing darkly and smiling eagerly. For his Sky, for the chance of her kind touch and approving smile, for a chance to bask in her light, he would not lose.

"I'm surprised to see such attitudes in your Cloud and your Mist," Xanxus said as a coin was flipped to decide which of the two would fight first. "The two types have a long history of not getting along."

"Maybe that's because they are too alike," Tsuna suggested thoughtfully. "After all, what is a Mist but a Cloud that lingers over the earth, rather than floating in the Sky? People see things in the mist, and lose their way, or they see a mist-covered valley from above, and marvel at its beauty. At the same time, people look up at the Clouds, and see shapes there, and lose hours in rapt contemplation of them, or the Clouds might be so numerous and thick that it is impossible to see the sky at all."

"And yet, yours are content to stand side by side, calmly, and without attacking or provoking one another," Xanxus observed.

"Mukuro-sama knows that he is Boss's footstool," Chrome spoke up, "and that Hibari-sempai is the one who will always hold her and guard her and protect her, just as there are always Clouds somewhere in the Sky, and the mist hovers beneath the Sky over the earth."

"The Small Animal broke him down most thoroughly," Hibari interjected with a proud smile.

"You say that as if you didn't both help," Tsuna grumbled good-naturedly.

Hibari shrugged, Chrome blushed, and neither said anything further.

A dagger flew through the air, whistling, until it landed with a sharp thunk in the middle of the arena, where the two Mist Guardians were fighting.

"Your illusions are spilling over and beyond the arena," Belphegor snapped at both of them. "Stop disrupting my reality while I have a pretty girl in my lap, Mammy!"

"I'm surprised you were even aware of their illusions and trickery," Hana said with a smile. "I suppose I need to put in more effort," she declared in a cooing tone, and took charge of their... actions.

"I felt the ground disappear," Belphegor murmured between kisses.

"That wasn't them," Hana scoffed lightly.

"Chrome-chan, could you give them a room, please?" Tsuna requested as she fought down a giggle.

Miura, Kyoko, and Chrome herself didn't bother with such restraint as the female illusionist created walls around the Storm couple, so that no one else could see or hear what they got up to.

Within the designated fighting area, there were conjured snakes and groping tentacles. Rokudo particularly horrified his opponent by proving to be equally capable with a weapon as he was with illusions, and offended him with his talk of having seen the different paths of Asura – it seemed that Mammon was not a fan of the transmigration theory. There were pillars of fire, of ice, and a sudden outburst of glowing water-lotuses that trapped and squeezed the Arcoboleno who was part of the Varia. The floor broke up, and then there were pillars of fire going from every direction that were wrapped in lotuses as well. More ice to counter the fire.

Mammon flew, and Rokudo stood firm, unmoved as the world within the cage warped and dissolved. And, of course, there was a great deal of taunting.

"You must realise, that if your illusion is countered by an illusion, it means that you have given up control of your perception," Rokudo said when he held up both halves of the Mist Ring.

"You win the Ring Battle," Mammon agreed with a growl as Rokudo slotted the halves together and slipped the ring onto his finger, "but my professional pride will not accept defeat yet!"

"The Committee prepared multiple arenas, in case any one was destroyed by the battles, if Kyou-san wishes to begin his fight without waiting further," offered Kusakabe quietly.

"Iie," Hibari denied casually. "I wish to see the pineapple-head's victory on behalf of the Small Animal through to the very end. Then I will bite my opponent to death."

He didn't even have to wait very long. Rokudo made his final victory over the Arcoboleno very flashy, and almost totally final. Mammon escaped the battlefield as a literal mist through the small openings in the cage that surrounded them.

By comparison, the fight between Hibari and Gola Mosca – a giant automaton loaded with more weaponry than most anti-personnel ordinance – was almost terrifyingly brief. In one sweep of both tonfas, it was so many tiny pieces of scrap metal.

All of the Varia stared, slack-jawed, at the swift execution.

He clicked the two Half Rings together, and looked over his shattered foe one last time as he slipped it onto his finger.

"I want a better fight," Hibari declared, and piercing silver eyes swept over everybody present. He reached into the shattered remains, and pulled something out. "An old man in fancy armour is not up to my standards," he dismissed with a sneer as he threw the man out of the arena.

At a more sedate pace, somewhere between stalking and prowling, he followed.

"It- it's the Ninth!" exclaimed Basil, shocked. "What... what in the world is he doing here?"

"Why was he inside the Gola Mosca?" Gokudera asked the younger boy, confused.

Reborn leapt forward to tend the old man. "Oi! Get a hold of yourself!" he said as he set down a first aid kit and set his hand over the Ninth's brow.

"I'm not normally one for explanations in the middle of things, but just this once, I'd be happy to hear one," Tsuna requested.

"I've seen Mosca's structure once before," Reborn divulged as he ran a cursory eye over the wreckage, then got back to checking over the unconscious, bound old man that Hibari had pulled out of the destroyed machine. "It seems like the Ninth was being used as Gola Mosca's power supply."

"How delightful," Tsunahime grumbled, and sighed. "Reborn-san, is he physically hurt at all from when Hibari-sempai destroyed Gola Mosca?"

"No," Reborn confirmed.

"So he's only suffering from being a human battery," she recognised with a satisfied nod. "Does he need to go to the hospital right now? Or can it wait until after I've had my bout with Xanxus-san?"

"The sooner he's treated, the better," Reborn answered plainly. "Also, it's beginning to get late. Everybody should eat, rest, have any injuries properly tended, and then return tomorrow."

"Ah, that's a good point," Tsuna agreed, and stood from her chair. "Everybody is invited to eat at my house tonight," she called over. "Mama always cooks too much when her husband comes to visit, so it will be good to have extra people there to eat."

"And to get between you and the stupid monkey," Hana added.

"Oh? You've stopped making out with Belphegor-san at last?" Tsuna teased her friend.

"I wore him out," Hana declared with a helpless shrug, a wicked smile, and a brief but pointed glance over her shoulder.

Lussuria and Squalo both burst out laughing. They had followed Hana's over-the-shoulder glance and spotted Belphegore laid out on the ground, snoring, with a ridiculously happy grin on his face and his manly pride hidden by his Varia uniform jacket, which had been thoughtfully draped over him by the girl who had... apparently stolen his crown, along with his virginity.

"Small Animal..." Hibari said softly.

"Hai," she answered, just as softly.

When the very large party of Varia, Guardians, tutors, and CEDEF personnel reached the Sawada household, Hibari Kyouya and Sawada Tsunahime were not part of it. When Sawada Iemitsu loudly demanded to know where his daughter was, no one gave any answer. When Nana quietly asked Reborn if he knew where her daughter was, he was forced to admit ignorance beyond that she had slipped away from the group at some point – which frustrated him, because he genuinely didn't know when it had happened.

It was Hana that reassured the woman that she needn't worry, and reminded her that Tsuna had said she wouldn't return to the house as long as Iemitsu was present. She hadn't lowered her voice when imparting that information, and heads had swung around to check the CEDEF leader's reaction to the news.

Probably the only reason he hadn't burst into dramatic tears was because he was surrounded by the Varia, as well as there being one of his subordinates and a good number of very respected members of the greater Mafia all present. He could not lose any more face in front of them, not after being so blatantly avoided by his own daughter.

~oOo~

The Cervello had changed things up for the Sky Battle. While everybody else had gone home, gotten some rest, and then (for those who were not Varia) attended school, the Cervello had set up seven poles. Small towers with three bracing lines and a platform on top of the central pole that were still easily as tall as a two- or three-storey house. They was at least five hundred metres between each pole in every direction. Clearly visible above the trees, and within sight of each other, but not exactly close.

"According to tradition, the Sky Match must risk the lives of the Guardians as well as the prospective Bosses," one of the pink-haired cyborg woman explained.

"We allowed the other battles to go ahead as they were, but in this we will not be moved," added the second.

"Risk the lives of my Guardians how?" Tsuna demanded sharply. "You will lay out the rules now, before anything begins, or I will ignore your wishes. You have no authority over me."

"We have the authority of the Ninth," the two stated.

"I repeat," Tsuna countered firmly, her eyes flickering between sweet honey brown and a vibrant, fiery orange. "You have no authority over me. Now, answer my question."

"We will first reclaim the Rings -"

"You will first answer my question!" Tsuna snapped, and slapped her riding crop into her palm forcefully. There were sparks.

"We will not answer questions. You will obey, or be disqualified."

"You will answer the questions, or you will be shot," Tsuna growled.

"Eh-heh!" Kyoko giggled, as she pointedly raised her shotgun, aimed in such a way that it would hit both of the Cervello.

"One of the conditions of victory is the same as the others: the completion of the Ring," the Cervello said, and those completely white eyes still seemed to linger nervously on the gun pointed at her. "The arena is the whole mountain, and we have set up small cameras all over, as well as a few large displays, other than just this one here, which will be the observation area."

"We have also prepared camera-equipped monitor wristbands for each of the Guardians, for both sides," added the other Cervello, and held up one such item so that it could be seen. "Each of the towers has clearly marked which Guardians are to take their places there, and we ask that each Guardian move to take their places as soon as you have put the wristbands on."

"... So, watching isn't all we'll be doing?" Belphegore mused as he accepted the wristband offered to him. "Will we be fighting again?"

"If you can, then if you wish. At the top of each of the poles, we intend -" the Cevello not handing out the wristbands scowled pointedly at Tsuna, "to set each of the Vongola Rings to match the Guardians that will wait below." It seemed that the scowl was for blocking them from collecting the Rings.

"Because it is the destiny of the Sky to embrace all, the Storm, the Rain, the Sun, the Lightning, the Mist, the Cloud. So, the lives of the Guardians are entrusted to the Boss."

"You're leaving something out," Tsuna said plainly, and tapped her crop against her leg impatiently.

"The final condition of victory is completing the Sky ring and obtaining all of the other Vongola Rings. You can set the other Vongola Rings in this chain," said the Cervello, and held up two chains, each with a slot made for a ring set at regular intervals.

Xanxus and Tsuna both claimed one, and hitched it to their belts.

"Also, as soon as the battle begins, we will not permit any outside interference," the other Cervello stated, and turned her white eyes on the tutors, friends, and CEDEF personnel who were not Guardians or Varia.

"Of course," Reborn spoke for the group.

"That is all that we will say until the Guardians are in their places," the two Cervello stated adamantly.

"Small Animal," Hibari said softly, and very lightly brushed his fingertips against hers, just briefly.

Tsuna forced herself to let go of the anger and tension. The Cervello still hadn't answered her question about how, exactly, her friends – and the Varia, for that matter – would be risking their lives. Still, she knew that her friends weren't defenceless or weak, and would have to have faith that, whatever it was, they could defeat it.

That, whatever she would have to do, she would be able to.

"Fine," she huffed.

~oOo~

"Now that everybody and everything is in place, including the Vongola Rings," the Cervello held up a small remote control device. "The poison built into all the wristbands has been injected into the Guardians."

Tsunahime's eyes lost any trace of honey brown, and a bright orange flame sprang to life over her brow in the place where the 'third eye' was said to reside.

"The poison called 'death heater' instantly attacks nerves, and even makes standing difficult," the Cervello woman continued, her voice far too calm and disaffected.

A second fire appeared over Tsuna's hair tie.

"The burning, piercing pain will gradually increase, and in thirty minutes, they will die."

The end of Tsuna's riding crop was glowing now as well.

"There is only one way to stop the progression of the poison. Insert the Ring into the Guardian's wristband. If you insert the Ring into the hollow of the wristband, then the antidote, which is also built into the wristband, will be released."

Suddenly, Tsuna wasn't there at all.

~oOo~

Kusakabe and Hibari were both their mother's sons. They wouldn't let something as petty as debilitating pain stop them. Kusakabe might be defeated by a concussion or a crippling injury, but pure pain? No. As for Hibari... Definitely not.

Rokudo knew pain. He knew death. He'd be alright for a little while.

Tsuna prioritised those of her Guardians who would not be so able to withstand the pain of the poison that had been injected into them. She went to Miura first.

"Hahi..." the girl whimpered in pain.

Tsuna descended from the sky, snatched the ring from the tower on her way down, and was quick to slam it into the spot on her friend's wristband. When she was certain that her squeaking friend was recovered, she moved to quickly cure Levi as well. Tsuna wasn't one to just leave someone to die, after all. Then she slipped the ring into its place on the chain, and took off to check on Kyoko.

Both Kyoko and Lussuria were moaning in pain, but clinging to each other for any comfort in the face of potentially imminent death.

"Lussuria-san, as you have a greater body-mass, the poison won't be working as quickly on you as on Kyoko," Tsuna said as she landed before them, Sun Ring in her hand. "So, forgive me for tending to my friend first?"

"Hai..." Lussuria agreed weakly.

Tsuna didn't wait between releasing the antidote for Kyoko and Lussuria. Both were sweet people (for all that one was also an assassin), and neither deserved to suffer like this.

She slotted the ring into the chain, and took off again.

Belphegor was face-down and not moving except to occasionally moan in pain. Hana was leaning against one of the supports for the tower, and breathing with deliberate regularity. Sweat was pouring down her face.

"Almost..." she hissed, her face scrunching just as Tsuna landed in front of her best friend with the Storm Ring.

Tsuna slotted it in.

"I think I almost had it on my own, Tsuna-chan," Hana said, but she was breathing much easier already. "I learned from Hibari-sempai's uncle that Storm Flames can dissolve things. I think I was just about able to dissolve the poison in my blood."

"As long as you don't dissolve the rest of yourself," Tsuna countered. "I've got to check on the boys now," she said as she pressed the ring into Belphegor's wristband. "Keep him occupied?" she teased with a smile.

Hana laughed, but it was weak.

"Sure."

Tsuna launched herself into the sky once more.

~oOo~

"...I wonder if they'll sell me the antidote," Mammon asked weakly.

"How about in trade for a favour?" Rokudo suggested, just as weakly, as he stood over his previous opponent, leaning heavily on the tower that loomed over them.

"What do you want?" Mammon demanded with a pained sigh. "You don't have the antidote."

"Who better to ask for lessons in accounting, than a self-proclaimed miser?" Rokudo countered with a grimace. "Sawada-hime is going to have to run all of the Vongola, after all."

"Rokudo-kun," Tsuna called as she came to land in front of him. "Are you alright? The ring was still at the top of the tower..." she said, even as she pressed it into his wristband.

"I am accustomed to pain, Sawada-hime," Rokudo acknowledged, "but not quite... this kind," he admitted. "Thank you."

"Like I'm going to leave you to die of poison after everything you've survived already," she informed him with a relieved smile when she saw his breathing even out.

"Oi! For the antidote, I'll pay you!" Mammon called, drenched in sweat and lying on the ground.

Tsuna shook her head as she knelt over him.

"I won't take money," she said as she pressed the ring into the much smaller wristband. "Rokudo-kun, let Chrome-chan, Ken-san, and Chikusa-san know that you're okay, ne? I've got two more to check on."

Rokudo nodded.

Tsuna vanished again.

~oOo~

Kusakabe tossed Tsuna the ring before she even landed, and went right back to sparring with Superbi.

"Voi!" the man yelled in complaint. After all, he did want his boss to win, and his opponent had not only been the one to give him the cure – knocking down the tower with sheer refusal to quit, no matter the pain – but had also just handed over the ring without even breaking stride in their fight.

He was a great deal more than just a little put out about the whole situation.

Finally, Tsuna landed in front of Hibari.

"You came to me last," he noted as he handed her his ring and she slipped the ring into her chain.

"I have ultimate faith in you, Hibari-sempai," Tsuna countered with a smile. "But the Lightning is so fleeting, I had to check it first, and the Sun should never be snuffed, so I went to that next."

"Logical," Hibari agreed. "They are learning, but they are Herbivores still. You also checked on Kurokawa-san? The girls wouldn't have the same constitution in general..."

"I did," Tsuna confirmed. "Then I had to make sure that my footstool had not been broken by someone other than myself, and I could check Kusakabe-sempai on my way to you."

"And what of your own opponent?" Hibari pressed.

"Ara? I'm sure he'll catch up. Ano..." Tsuna looked up to check the sky, then raised a hand, three fingers outstretched. One by one, she folded them down. "San... Nii... Ichi..."

"Trash!"

Tsuna shot up into the air in the direction that the shout had come from, riding crop in hand and on fire. Then again, both of her gloves were on fire as well. She was using her flames to propel herself into the sky. It was how she'd flown so quickly between all of her Guardians.

"Why do so many mafiosi have no manners?!" she scolded as she smacked Xanxus across the face with the riding crop. "That. Is not. The correct way. To address. A lady!" she informed him, and punctuated her speech with more strikes of her flaming riding crop. "Ever!" Tsuna declared finally, and snapped the chain from which his half of the Sky Ring was hanging around his neck.

She caught the Half Ring, cut her flames and let herself fall as she slotted the two halves together, then she set the completed ring back onto her finger.

She barely avoided being shot by Xanxus as she went into freefall. She didn't see the world fade out, or Hibari shoot past her to, ahem, bite Xanxus to death.

~oOo~

"We are the sins of the Vongola."

"We are the Bosses who have come before you."

"Will you accept the Sins of the Vongola?"

"Will you carry on our bloody legacy?"

"Will you make the sacrifices necessary to keep Vongola strong?"
"... You're kidding, right?" Tsuna countered. "I just proved, in what was probably record time, that there are sacrifices I am not willing to make, and you're asking me about carrying on a 'bloody legacy' and 'accepting sins'? Congratulations, you're all idiots, but I'm the next Boss of the Vongola, so I'll be doing things my way, thank you very much!"

"That won't be easy," warned the only woman in the circle.

"Tch," Tsuna scoffed. "Of course it won't. I'm not Italian, and I've just inherited a mafia family. I'm not a man, but I've got to run a male-dominated organisation. I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request," she said pointedly as she glared at the people who surrounded her, "so I'll be shaking things up. Frankly, I'm surprised my first meeting with any mafiosi went as well as my meeting with Xanxus-san did."

From beyond the circle of seven people with eyes that radiated fire, an eighth stood. The circle parted to let him through. He lay gloved hands on Tsuna's shoulders, and fiery orange eyes looked into fiery orange eyes.

"You will do well, Sawada Tsunahime, my descendant. Rule the Vongola with such a heart, and you will not fail those who follow you."

~oOo~

"Trash!"

"I'll bite you to death."

"Ushishishi!"

"Kufufufu..."

"Voi!"

"Hahi!"

Tsuna blinked, set her feet on the ground (she'd been floating a foot above it, like she was lying on a literal air-bed), and turned her hands to the ground.

It iced over, and everyone lost their footing in a spectacular show of abrupt-loss-of-grace-and-balance.

"I close my eyes, meet a bunch of dead people, and everything turns into a free-for all," Tsuna scolded them before anybody could right themselves. "I am not at all certain that I approve."

"You met -?!" Xanxus asked, eyes wide and frame tense where he was sitting on ice.

"Well, they said they were the Vongola Bosses who had come before," Tsuna said with a shrug, "and the one with the gravity-defying blonde hair gave me his blessing to rule the Vongola."

"Primo..." Superbi breathed, his own eyes wide in his face.

"Of course, the only woman in the group pointed out that I'd have a hard time of things. Seemed sympathetic though."

"Nonna did?" Xanxus asked. It was hard to tell, but those hard red eyes softened, just a little, at the mention of the woman.

"Mm," Tsuna agreed with a nod. "Now, is everybody willing to play nice? The whole question of official succession to the heirloom rings seems to have been resolved, however unsatisfactory some of us may find that resolution to be. There are still some important logistics to be sorted out though, and I'd rather do that in a comfortable chair, than out here on the side of a mountain."

Before they could go anywhere though, Tsuna had to melt the ice she'd made.

~oOo~

They were violent men, both of them. Not abusive, not uncontrolled, but violence was part of their nature. It was how they expressed themselves when words were not enough. Soft touches were reserved for deeply private times, she knew from her experience with Hibari, and postulated from what she had learned of Xanxus. It should not have surprised anybody, therefore, that the two men had... agreed to fight one another to decide which wedding would be happening first.

Which wedding night would be happening first.

Not that either wedding would be happening immediately. In the first place, Sawada Tsunahime was still too young to marry. For another, there were traditions and legalities that needed to be observed for both of these weddings, quite apart from all the planning that went into any wedding, no matter where, when, or who it was.

The consolation prize for whichever of them did not win, was the right to be the one who finally did something about Iemitsu. Hibari had his reasons for hating the man, most of which were spawned from Tsuna's, but the feather-wearing Italian had a long list of his own reasons for wanting to be the one to deal with the man.

Still, that was something that no one would be allowed to follow through on until after the wedding – Nana still loved her husband, after all, even if Tsuna had disavowed all relations with him.

~The End~