"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."

- Jane Howard

"Why do they say that something is 'toast' when toast is generally such a yummy good thing?"

-RealLemonPlease


The aftermath of events and then the beginning of many more to come. That's just how a Shounen series work. Sure, there may be a bunch of fillers to go through but after living through those and then finally getting to the important plot points to move the story along where everyone gets hurt...you kind of start wishing for the fillers to come back so you could at least catch a beak and an actual good night's sleep. And since Ashlynn was the only one that had prior knowledge of what was going to happen, needless to say she was really starting to stress. So many things that had to be done in what she was forced to assume was a very limited amount of time as the passing of time in anime and Manga tended to skip around to scenes and settings that are important for character development.

And then out of the blue you cross from one arc into the other. Well, it didn't happen within a few days of each other (thank goodness) since they had to heal their wounds from Mukuro's Arc, get some little training here and there, a small filler or two that never happened in either the anime or Manga and then just when Ashlynn was starting to loosen up from the tension of worrying about the Varia and the fact that Seanathair was going to be stuffed into a robot that was going to be pitted against Hibari, the ring battle Arc begins.

She wasn't sure if she was happy that the story was moving on or not. The non fillers were making it very hard for her to keep her mouth shut. She wished that Seanathair hadn't ordered her to keep her counsel. She probably would have been able to at least drop some hints that he should keep a close eye on the Varia. She wished that she had said something! She wished she had someone that she could share it with. Sometimes it sucked to be in a Shonen series with knowledge of the events that were to come.


It didn't need to be said that the first week after their encounter with Mukuro was, plainly speaking, a total bitch.

From being hospitalized again to having nightmares to being asked some very uncomfortable questions from Ran. Luckily Ozumi-san had come to her rescue and had told her friend that she was not allowed to reveal any information of what happened at Kokuyo. The story they were going with to convince the other girl was that Ashlynn had been attacked because of the red band around her arm.

Poor Ran, the girl had gone home to find that her Aunt had been in an accident and wasn't expected to pull through and now her friend was in the hospital as well. Even when the visiting hours were long ended Ashlynn had Ozumi-san allow the other girl to sleep with her on the condition that Ran didn't kick her in her sleep.

"Are you feeling okay?" Ran asked playing with Ashlynn's hair.

"Doing better."

"That's good...Aunty wants us to let her go...so I won't be around for a while. Going to some old friends house and she and her family are going to help me set up the funeral..."

"Do you want me to come?"

"To the funeral?"

Ashlynn nodded.

She shook her head. "No, it'll be okay. Depressing, but okay. My parents will be there anyway to pay respects so I don't want them to badger you thinking you're my girlfriend. And anyway we're not burrying her in Namimori so I'll be out of town until all this blows over. Sigh, I might be sent off to another relative because I'm still a minor with family that can take me in."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, thanks. Maybe we could visit her grave later; around Christmas or something."

And so she didn't get to see Ran at all for the next three weeks...

But Ashlynn couldn't have been more glad to finally be back in her apartment and she had two weeks off from school and work to heal form the ordeal so that meant nothing but a few doctor visits to monitor her healing and lazing around at home.

Still, the nights sucked and it was really tolling on her to the point that Ozumi-san threatened to have her stay in the hospital until she was completely healed and sleeping properly. She was actually a little surprised that she didn't wake Ran up when she slept with her at the hospital.

She had passed out from staying up three days in a row without any sleep and barely eating anything. She had passed out on her bed in the early afternoon one day and had woken up screaming in terror sometime in the evening. She had panicked even more when the door of her bedroom burst open and struggled against the person that grabbed her and held her close as she burst into tears of fear.

"Ashlynn calm down. It's just me, Dino, and Romario coming to check on you. Dolly, Birdy and everyone else have been very worried."

She continued to struggle but calmed down soon enough when those words set in. She looked up and there was Dino patting her hair with a sad somber expression on his face while Reborn sat on her bed and Romario looked over worried from the doorway.

Dino sighed. "It was your first kill."

Ashlynn nodded feeling tears spring back into her eyes. Sure they had tried to kill her, Hell they were going to kill her and present her severed head to Mukuro if she hadn't been lucky that Sanem hadn't noticed the wire and she had used a gun against Yann. "I threw the larger chakram at the woman, Sanem, and she didn't notice the wire when she jumped over it so when I tugged it back it sawed right through her legs. She fell down screaming. Then Yann, her partner, went berserk and, and, he was choking me... I just can't have something around my neck and he was...sigh,... I panicked, and I shot him three times in the face. Then I shot Sanem who had still been alive despite losing so much blood...I...saw her eyes...Then... After that I just left them there and continued on..."

"..."

"Fnnn, how long did it take you from that point to the main building?" Reborn asked.

"...About another five to ten minutes, I wasn't exactly counting. I...I didn't want to rest there with bodies in sight...so I kept going, climbed upon the wall that kept rising and jumped onto the roof. I stayed there for fifteen minutes tops before I moved on."

Reborn shook his head. "So you bottled it up to continue."

Ashlynn stared at him. "Kind of had to, Tsuna would have been hurt bad by that attack if I had come any later...The others...do they know?"

"Not unless you want them to. All they know is that you fought them, had some trouble, and then moved on. And now that Vindice has the others in their custody, they believe that is also where your opponents are. In reality the Vongola medical team just took... care of them. Do you want them to know, Ashlynn?"

She shook her head tensing. Dino gently took out her ponytail and ran his fingers in her hair. Ashlynn lowered her eyes. "I don't want them to know...at least not yet anyway… especially Tsuna...At some point there will be another incident and someone is going to kill, whether it be me or someone else...but...I don't want them to be afraid of me...I don't want them to look at me like I'm some sort of monster..."

"If that is what you want."

Ashlynn nodded.

"As for healing over this." Dino said still patting her hair. "There really isn't much we can tell you, Ashlynn. Yes, we've killed before but it's different for some people. There are those who enjoy killing and there are also those who don't. It won't really help if we say it gets easier or that you will become numb against it as time goes on because there are people in this world that never get over the fact that killing is sometimes necessary and needed in our world. We are all different people thus we do not react the same so it is up to you to find a way to cope whether it be honoring each kill or trying to drink the memory away. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Her sleep had improved a bit from that talk and she started hanging out with Tsuna and everyone more often. Though it wasn't until she talked to Lussuria that she came completely to terms with killing those people. She didn't hate Mukuro for it. Just the fact that she had to kill when the others were able to defeat their opponents without crippling them to much for them to come back later in the story...well...except Birds and the zombie twins...

It had been really early in the morning, a lot earlier than she normally woke up and she remembered that she wanted to call the Varia guardian. So since she couldn't fall back asleep she fumbled for her phone and called him on the phone and hoped he wasn't doing anything too important. She didn't wait long as Lussuria practically answered on the first ring. Such a weirdo sometimes. At least he was speaking in Japanese for her.

"Honey, my darling! How are you? It's pretty early for you to be calling me dear."

Ashlynn smiled glad to hear his voice and if she strained enough she could hear some voices in the background. "Hey Lussuria. I couldn't sleep and remembered that I wanted to talk to you."

"Wanted to talk to me? You're so sweet! What is it? Is there a boy that's caught your fancy and you need some advice?"

"No, nothing like that though I do admit that the boys here are getting mighty pretty as they get older. Nah, I wanted to thank you again for those armguards."

Lussuria chuckled. "You already did dear."

"I know." Ashlynn shrugged though he couldn't see the motion and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "I got some use in them recently."

"Oh? Can you tell me about it?"

Could she? They were both Vongola and no one had said to keep quiet about it except for towards the civilians. Maybe so long as she didn't mention Tsuna's name and that he was the heir to the Vongola. It wouldn't be all pretty if Xanxus was in the room while Lussuria was on the phone with her. "Not sure, though no one said that I couldn't..."

"Then you should be fine. Now tell Lussuria everything you can!"

So she recounted her tale of how the events turned out. How someone had been attacking the prefects of the town then started attacking the junior high students to flush out any of the members of the mafia because someone had found that she was attending school in town and wanted to go against the Vongola (she said it was to flush any members that were even loosely affiliated with the Vongola out though really it was to find Tsuna. but she got involved so she went with that). She along with a few others received orders to take capture the threat, who turned out to Mukuro who escaped from Vindice which drew a startled gasp from Lussuria asking if she was sure he escaped from the place and the background noises on Lussuria's side quieted down, and rescue the two hostages: Fuuta the ranking prince and a girl that she saw as her little sister.

She talked about how she was separated from the group and that was true, (she just didn't say how and when) and that she was ambushed. That those two people had been a major pain in the ass to beat and they were her first kills. Then she met up with the group and after a few hours they defeated Mukuro and his gang and Vindice came in and dragged them back to prison. But before they left one of them (the one who took Mukuro) had stopped to stare at her and she told Lussuria that it was one of the most frightening experiences she had in her life. It was like the room's temperature had dropped solely because of them.

Lussuria turned out to be a perfect sympathetic ear for her to talk to. He didn't ask for her to elaborate on anything except when one of the wardens from Vindice stopped to look at her. It was very worrying when the Vindice became interested in someone. He cautioned her to be careful but other than that there really wasn't much she could do about it.

"How are you sleeping dear?"

Ashlynn sighed. "It's getting better but sometimes I still wake up really early...I was told that it was up to me to find a way to cope with it."

"And you should."

"What do you do, Lussuria?"

"Hmm? Me? Well, I like to find things of beauty."

"..Eh? 'Find things of beauty'? You mean, you like collecting art? Are you saying that I should find a hobby?"

Lussuria clapped his hands no doubt his phone was being held to his ear by his shoulder. "Got it in one sweetheart. I like collecting art pieces if they are beautiful even if it is only a sketch or a piece of glass or jewelry. Tell me, what do you like?"

"...I like baking, I guess. And running."

"You're a bit like Keiko-chan then. She uses baking and being happy as her way of coping. Though her being happy just comes naturally to her so its really just trying to make others happy. You've noticed that she hugs people a lot?"

"Yeah?"

"She once told me that she craves the contact she has with people. Keiko is one of those people that loves everyone regardless of their background. After some operations she will seek out her friends to feel that they are alive and well. I think she's hugged even Xanxus once~."

"By smothering them with her massive boobies?" Ashlynn snorted.

"Ah, I guess with your height you would be smooshed into keiko-chan's lovely bosum."

"Lussuria!" Ashlynn laughed.

"Just continue doing what you like to do, Honey. Be happy and do things you normally wouldn't if that will make you happy. Just live your life and care for your own."

"Thank you Lussuria. Love you."

Lussuria squeed. "Oh Honey my sweet darling! I love you too! Ne, I have to go now Squ-chan doesn't look so happy that I'm talking to such a cutie like you. He wasn't very happy when Valentine's day came around and I had my gifts from you and Keiko-chan out. So jealous, our little Squ-chan. Maybe next year you can make him a small gift so his feelings aren't hurt~."

"That's fine."

"VOOOOOOIIIIII! Lussuria! Why the Fuck are you talking about me for! You're supposed to be working not talking on the phone with any of your friends!"

"I have to go now Honey. Next time I'm in Japan I'll stop by the shop and see you and Keiko-chan." Lussuria promised.

'I'm sure you will, Luss. And it won't be the reason you think it might be.' Ashlynn thought but smiled anyway. "Alright then Lussuria. Love you."

"Love you. Bye Bye. Neh Squ-chan, guess what!"

Ashlynn grinned as Lussuria hadn't pressed end on their conversation yet.

"I just talked to my darling Honey and she said she'd send you something on Valentine's day when it comes around again! Isn't she nice?"

"VOOOOII I don't need those stupid chocolates!"

Ashlynn smirked and pressed end and closed the phone. "Too bad Squ-chan. You're going to get them anyway. And it's going to say 'Squ-chan' on the top~."


"Wooooh! He hit another home run! Go Yamamoto!" Tsuna cheered in his seat in the middle of his friends. They had all come out to see Yamamoto's baseball game and cheer the boy on.

Gokudera scoffed and lit a handful of dynamite and shook them angrily in the air. "Che, the opposition is struggling against that idiot? IF YOU GUYS DON'T TRY HARDER I'LL START A RIOT!"

Ashlynn laughed careful not to jostle Reborn sitting in her lap.

"Gokudera-kun that is not what you're here for! Put those away before we get into trouble!" Tsuna shrieked.

Ryohei crossed his arms on Tsuna's right. "Calm down Octopus head. There are other things to do while watching sports."

"What?"

Ryohei nodded and cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled. "WHY DON'T YOU QUIT BASEBALL AND JOIN BOXING INSTEAD!"

"Nooo! That's wrong too! Sit down Onii-san! You guys are making a scene!" Tsuna pulled on the older boy's arm and pouted when Ashlynn laughed harder.

Gokudera stood up facing Ryohei. "Quit being stupid Lawn Head!"

"Ha! Don't be so easy Octopus Head! Even if I'm stupid, I'm stupid for boxing!" Ryohei proudly declared.

"That's still admitting that you are stupid!' Tsuna gave up.

"Hey! Foul ball is coming this way!" Birdy jumped up with her glove reached out but the Ball was caught in Bianchi's glove before she handed it to the little girl.

"B-Bianchi. Ahh! Gokudera-kun got sick again!" Tsuna grabbed his head. '...But I'm glad that everything returned back to normal...like that ordeal with Mukuro was just a bad dream...We would have really been toast if that new bullet didn't work...! Eh?...What...? What was that just now?...Just my imagination...?' Tsuna shook his head and helped Gokudera back into a sitting position.

Reborn turned his head as a mother and her son walked down the isle behind them.

"Ne, Mi-kun, big brother was working hard. What she we make tonight to celebrate?"

The child smiled. "We should make hamburger!"

The mother clicked her tongue. "We had hamburger last night, remember?"

Reborn smirked. "Being alone must be lonely. We'll play again with you anytime."

Ashlynn turned her head just as the boy paused to look at them. He had a red eye shining with kanji in the right iris. She gave him a small wave and he inclined his head.

"Again...Someday...I look forward to it." The boy smiled before walking away with the woman.


Ashlynn sneezed. It was getting colder as the months turned to October. And it was one of those days again. Her gut was telling her that today wasn't going to be all that good. It started with pouring rain and another car accident.

She had forgotten her umbrella when she walked to school that morning and hadn't thought she'd needed it. Sure it was a little cloudy but that wouldn't hurt. But then starting from her third class it started pouring and Ashlynn pouted glumly looking out the doors wondering if she should try rushing through it or try to wait it off a little longer.

Meh, she just wanted to get home before anything bad happened. And she knew it would. She just wasn't expecting it to happen so quickly just a block away from the school.

Screeching tires and a crash. She seemed to be involved in car accidents often...Still Ashlynn pulled out her phone and called Ozumi-san and asked for an ambulance. The man in the car hadn't been wearing a seat belt and had crashed through the windshield, he was still thankfully breathing, but did not dare to move him. It was when she saw the girl on the bloody ground with a cat rubbing against her arm. And an umbrella was laying on its side of the opposite end of the street.

Nagi.

Ashlynn smoothed the girl's hair away from her face and winced a little when she saw the girl's right eye literally had literally been pooped out of its socket. Poor kid, and the fact that Nagi would lose a lot of her internal organs. Ashlynn sighed sickened by the gore but stayed with the girl even to the point of demanding that she ride the ambulance with her (and the man) holding the girl's hand.

While in the waiting room, Ashlynn got a first hand experience with the girl's parents and found them to be lower than most of the mafia scum on the Earth and that was saying something because she hadn't met any mafia people that she could classify them as pure scum yet. Just what the hell did that woman (Nagi's mother) go off saying to let her child die! Where was the sadness that their daughter was hurt? Where was the pride that their daughter had selflessly saved another life? where was the righteous anger at the jerkass man who had run her over? Ashlynn was certainly feeling it from just listening to the woman and her husband.

The dark haired woman scoffed disbelievingly at the doctor that had come out of Emergency. Both she and her husband were in nice suits and certainly didn't notice Ashlynn watching them and they didn't bother being quiet either about their protesting.

"But ma'am, your daughter can live if you go through with this." the Doctor sounded like he was pleading.

The woman shook her head. "Give up my organs for that useless and ungrateful little thing? She shouldn't have been out in this weather in the first place. And the gall to save a stray animal? Just how stupid is she? We raised her the best w could as she goes off gallivanting into the streets! No, I will not give anything more up for that wretched girl. I say let the failure die."

Ashlynn stood up enraged. "How could you say that? She's your daughter!"

"Daughter? No, she's more like an unwelcome guest that is finally getting out of our lives."

Ashlynn glowered and was pleased when both parents stood back fearfully. "You monsters!"

The doctor put a placating hand on her shoulder and pulled her away. "Ashlynn-san please. Why don't go on in and talk to the girl?"

"What am I supposed to say? Hi, I'm Ashlynn. I found you being run over a car from trying to save an animal that will most likely die despite your efforts and oh, by the way, when you really need your parents they say that they'd rather let you die instead of donating some organs that would allow you to live?"

"Please, Ashlynn-san?"

Ashlynn nodded and sent another glare to the husband and wife and entered the room where Nagi, poor Nagi, was hooked up to a many things that were keeping her mostly sustained. Bandages everywhere and an eye patch covering the right eye. The left one was open and staring at her in tears leaking from the sides. Ashlynn grabbed her hand and smoothed out the tense fingers.

"You probably heard all that didn't you?"

Nagi nodded.

"I'm sorry." Ashlynn rubbed her thumb over the girl's knuckles. Nagi's lone eye closed as tears fell down her bandaged cheek. Ashlynn kept her hold on the girl and hope that Mukuro would hurry the Hell up and meet Nagi because there was nothing she could do but offer support until she was told to leave the room while they operated on what they could. The talk that the operating staff was grim; even if they did surgery, without any of the needed organs with the same compatible blood they were uncertain that Nagi would really pull through and live.

Ashlynn still in her uniform wandered in a somber mood into the shopping district for a while no really doing anything until she hear familiar voices and laughter. "Eh, Ashlynn?"

She turned and found Dino walking forward with his men trailing after him. "Ah, Dino. What's up?"

"Reborn asked us to come walk around the shopping district. But knowing him there's probably going to be some sort of trouble in the works. Nothing too bad so we're not in too much of a hurry." Dino said kissing her cheek.

'You would be if you knew it was Squalo. And I certainly can't hint at it since I shouldn't know about it.' She nodded then spoke. "I'll come with you then if that's okay?"

"By all means." Dino chuckled as explosions and yelling sounded in the distance. He offered her his arm which she took as they walked.

The men laughed as Romario spoke up. "Careful Boss, people might think that she's your girlfriend."

"R-Romario!" Dino blushed.

Ashlynn grinned. "Now now, Romario. This is fine, I've walked like this plenty of times with a bunch of friends before whether they were male or female. Now, if he had his arm around my waist then you could talk. Oh? Dino's blushing again. Haha~."

"Ashlynn, don't tease me too, I get it enough as it is with these guys." Dino sighed.

She smiled but pressed on. "I think you bring it on yourself Dino."

"Eh? I do? How?"

"What do you always do when you meet me?"

"...What?"

The men guffawed instantly getting what their Boss was missing. He glared half-heartedly at them but it only set them off into laughter once more, getting strange looks from the civilian passerby's. But that was to be expected. One male dressed normally with a high school girl on his arm surrounded by men in expensive looking black suits. Rumors and theories were flying at high speeds and Ashlynn was sure she was going to hear about it at work. And then Keiko would add her own spin on it.

Ashlynn repeated herself. "What do you always do when you meet me?"

"Umm, I greet you?"

"How?"

"Uh, ummm, oh! I kiss you on the cheek~! But that's a greeting in Italy."

"But I'm not from Italy and did not know that until Reborn said so after the first time you did it. You better watch out Dino." Ashlynn winked poking him in the stomach. "I just might end up with a crush on you if you're not careful."

And again Dino was left blushing while his men laughed merrily at his expense but the laughter quickly disappeared when people rushed past them in a panic to get away from a long white haired man was yelling death threats and swinging a very real sword at two boys. They were grim as they got close enough to perfectly hear what was being said and stopped just a few meters away.

"VOOOOII! Before you hand that over, how many pieces to you want to be cut into?" The long haired white haired male in black asked sword pointed at their throats.

"Hiiiiiie! We're toast!"

"Do not give it to him Lord Sawada!" The tired and beaten brown haired boy who had a blue Dying Will Flame burning on his forehead. Tsuna sat next to the boy in only his boxers and the wooly mittens with the number twenty-seven on them and holding a box of weirdly shaped rings.

"Heh, you're just like always, Squalo."

Tsuna looked up relieved. "Dino-san! Ashlynn!"

Dino and Ashlynn stood next to each other as the small group of Dino's men moved the injured Yamamoto and Gokudera away from the fight. Dino pulled his whip out of his jacket. "Aren't you a little embarrassed? Being so rough on kids? If you don't stop this distasteful game, then I will have to be your next oppponent."

'So the Japanese brat has some connections...? I don't know who the girl is...but there is still Dino of the Cavallone...If I were to go against him...' Squalo glowered. "Bucking Bronco...Dino...I have no problem with killing you right here. But if I fight people from allied families then the higher-ups will be nagging me. So for today I quietly...Not go home!" Squalo grabbed Tsuna by the hair and lifted him off his feet.

"You let him go!" Dino yelled.

Ashlynn charged in changing her bracelets into chakrams. Squalo dropped Tsuna to bring his sword up to block and was forced to jump out of the way of the second one and grinned as she chased after him. They crossed blades a few more times jumping over picnic tables and benches with Ashlynn launching the circular weapons and pulling them back by the wire they were attached to when they didn't find their mark. Just a few strands of the man's long hair had been taken away.

The man scowled but grinned savagely as he nicked her shoulder with a shallow slash that didn't make it all the way to actually cut too deep. Ashlynn simply rolled out of the way while snapping lightning at him to his short lived surprise.

"VOOOOII! At least you're a lot better than those other trash! But now it's time to go!" Squalo threw down three capsules and the area was clouded in smokescreen. Ashlynn coughed and barely missed having her head chopped off as Squalo rushed passed her.

"You guys! Are you okay?" Dino checked the boys over when the smoke cleared enough to find them.

"For your sake Cavallone, I'll leave their lives in your hands. But I'll be taking this!" Squalo revealed the box that Tsuna had Basil had given to him.

Basil coughed. "Noo! The Vongola rings!"

"Hehe, see ya!" Squalo disappeared.

Basil raised to feet and fell down again. "Uugghhh!"

"It's too dangerous to chase after him. Settle down Basil, you're exhausted." Reborn ordered the boy.

"Reborn!" Tsuna cried. "Where were you? Why didn't you help!"

"Because I am not allowed to attack him. He is also a member of the Vongola Famiglia." Reborn pet Leon.

Tsuna gaped. "You, Y-you mean that I was attacked by someone that is part of the Vongola? Why would they attack me anyway! What on Earth is going on here!"

"Who knows? Ah, Basil is out cold now."

"Boss the cops are coming." Romario said hearing the incoming sirens.

Dino nodded and scooped up Basil into his arms. "Tsuna, we'll talk later. I had an unused hospital reserved for us just in case. Let's go."

"Hiiie! Please wait! What about Yamamoto and Gokudera-kun! They were-!"

Reborn smacked the back of his head then pointed. "You don't have to worry about them. See?"

"Juudaime!"

Yamamoto checked over him. "Are you alright Tsuna?"

"The level you two are fighting at right now will be nothing but a bother. go home." Reborn cut in before Tsuna could reply. "Tsuna, Ashlynn, let's go."

"What! Reborn!" Tsuna yelled as both Gokudera and Yamamoto froze and was left to watch as they entered in one of the cars brought by Dino's men and rive away from the shopping district.

Reborn stared out the window. "Don't worry about it Tsuna. They probably sensed it already. After being defeated in such a one-sided match even when it was two against one, there's no way that they're not pissed off right now. We'll leave them be for a while."

They arrived at a place just out of town where they were met from a medical team that took Basil and also Tsuna to check him over. The rest of them waited (While Ashlynn also had her shoulder looked at and her sleeve fixed) a while until they were called into Basil's room where the boy was still out cold but still looked better than he had earlier.

"How is he doing?" Ashlynn asked.

Romario answered. "His life is no longer in any danger. Looks like he was trained well since his wounds weren't too severe. It's mostly exhaustion along with some dehydration."

"umm..." Tsuna hesitated. "Just...Just who is he? Is he from the Vongola too?"

Dino shook his head. "Nope. Not from the Vongola. But from what we can tell he is on your side, Tsuna."

"What! What's going on here? Suddenly the Vongola is the enemy and the person who isn't a part of it isn't...I...I mean! I don't need enemies or allies!" Tsuna shuddered at the look Reborn was sending him.

"You can't say that anymore Tsuna." Dino sighed.

Reborn nodded. "He's right. 'Cause the rings have started to move."

"Rings? This boy said something about that...and that long haired guy stole the box that had them. Something about the Vongola...Is there some kind of connection...?" Tsuna trailed off.

"Yes, but the proper name for them is the 'Vongola Half Rings'. It's a treasure of the Vongola Famiglia that was supposed to be stored in a secret location for three more years." Reborn frowned.

Tsuna was confused. "So those rings are really pricey?"

"They are so valuable that a price tag cannot be attached to it, but that's not all to them. In the long history of the Vongola it is not known how much blood was shed over these rings. It's something historical with a dark past."

"Hiiiiie! Are you serious! Th-then, it's a good thing that that long haired guy took the rings then. I want nothing to do with them!"

Dino reached his hand into his jacket and grinned showing a small box with the Vongola's crest. "Ah, about that Tsuna~. Look, I have them right here. The ones that Squalo took are fakes. These are the real ones. It's actually the reason why I came to Japan today. Because a certain person asked that I give them to you personally because you are the Vongola's Tenth-"

"Noo! Stop! Stop right there! I, I have to go home and study because I missed the reviews today! I better work really hard on them! Bye Dino-san, Ashlynn! Reborn I'll be heading home now~! Bye!" Tsuna ran out of the room screaming.

Ashlynn smacked her palm to her face. "Tsuna, Tsuna, Tsuna. Sigh,... Dino, the kid was a decoy wasn't he?"

"That's right. Basil himself probably wasn't told that though. That person no doubt thought that this was going to happen...must have been a really tough decision." Dino smiled. "You know he should have just given these to Tsuna directly. He came with me here after all."

Ashlynn nodded and waved as she left the room as it was about time for her to head home anyway.

She had a lovely visit from Tsuna's father Iemitsu (though he didn't know that she knew of him) in front of her mail later that evening as she was walking towards her apartment. The man was dressed in a muted orange jumpsuit with a white t-shirt underneath and heavy boots on his feet. And the blonde man was picking the lock of her mailbox with a nail filer.

"...Is there something you're trying to accomplish by breaking into my mailbox?"

The man turned around and smiled and his eyes flashed; recognition, Ashlynn decided. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. Ashlynn got the impression that he had planned on being caught. "Ano, I came to leave you something that can't be dropped in front of your door but the mailman wouldn't take from me and then...this...happened..."

"...okay...And you are?" Ashlynn asked out of mere courtesy.

The man grinned boastfully. "Me? I am Tsuna's Papan, Sawada Iemitsu (Since you call my Nana Maman , you can call me Papan if you want)! And you are my boy's friend and upperclassman, Ashlynn...right?"

She nodded.

"Haha, Papan is so proud! Having so many pretty girls as his friends~...Ah, that's right! This is for you." Iemitsu reached into a pocket on the inside of his jumpsuit, took her hand, and placed a small trinket into her palm. The half of the Lightning ring. "I was going to leave a small note as well but since we're here right now I'll go on ahead and explain what you need to know."

Basically everything she already knew but listened to it all anyway and she found herself relieved that Lambo would not have to be a part of the battles. He was still a child and should have no reason to be fighting a man two times his age to the death.

"Goes without saying." When he finished regaling all the important information. "I'll definitely take up the mantle. Thank you for taking the time to explain it to me, Papan."

Iemitsu smiled (and gushed that she had called him Papan so readily) and told her they had about ten days before the Varia realized that the half rings that Squalo stole were actually fake, and they would definitely be back to take them. Ashlynn watched as he skipped off home calling for his sweet Nana. She shook her head amused and made her way up the stairs to her apartment.

'Gokudera and Yamamoto will be finding their own tutors; Shamal and Yamamoto Tsuyoshi-san respectively. Then Dino is going to tutor Hibari, Reborn and Basil with Tsuna, and Mukuro...I have no idea what he's doing but he (and Chrome, minus the part where her stomach caves in) should be fine. Now that leaves me wanting for a tutor. Of course I could still train with Bianchi...Are there any others that I can ask as well...?' Ashlynn thought before going to bed for an early start in the morning.

Sleep turned out to be a weird...situation that night. In a freaking Alice in Wonderland set where she was Alice. At least the dress was cute. She merely stared unseeingly as voices sounded from everywhere and from nowhere as she strolled down a dirt path marked with a sign that she couldn't read and only hearing a few of what the voices were talking about.

"You appear to understand how a portal effects forward momentum, or to be more precise, how it does not. Momentum, a function of mass and velocity, is conserved between portals. In layman's terms: Speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out."

"We're all mature until someone brings out the bubble wrap."

"In the movies, there always has to be a plot twist. That means things always go wrong once before you get to the happy ending!"

"It doesn't really matter what the question is! 42 will always be the answer~."

"I would just like to point out that I'm changing my name to Awesome McBadass PowerFist."

"Chuck Norris does not breathe. He holds air hostage."

"And Remember, a portkey can be any sort of seemingly harmless object like...a football, or a dolphin."

"In related news, I can look down and nuzzle my own cleavage."

"Right now I would settle for the ability to stab out my mind's eye."

"Never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down! Never gonna run around and desert you~ Never gonna make you cry! Never gonna say goodbye! Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you..."

"Life is too short to safely remove a USB."

"It's a sad and disappointing experience when you go over to someone's house and find that they don't drink the same colored cap of milk that you."

Wait a second, did she just get Rick Rolled. Wow. That was kinda sad. Ashlynn shrugged and walked away from the diet path into a forest and stumbled across the funniest thing ever. Man she thought that Were-cat Gokudera had been cute and funny but as a little bunny? Bunny Gokudera scoffed at her and hopped away with his cute fluffy little tail twitching.

"You know, you're supposed to follow after the little white rabbit? Don't you know how the story goes?"

Ashlynn looked above her to find Mukuro in a dark pin striped suit with a cat ears and tail. He disappeared and reappeared by her side. She gave him an appraising glance.

"Cheshire Cat, Mukuro? How fitting."

"Kufufufu, I didn't know that you dreamed of me Ashlynn-kun. Or shall I call you Alice why we are journeying in through your dream land?"

Ashlynn tilted her head becoming aware. "Ah, this is a dream. And you're not a figment of my imagination. Which means I can't do anything embarrassing to you without consequence. Shame."

"Kufufufu. I was on a little walk and came across some interesting things before I stumbled upon your dreaming."

"Interesting? How so?" Ashlynn asked as she and Mukuro entered a clearing of violets and sat down at a hovering table with teacups and kettles. Tsuna with a mousey little nose and ears had his head laying on the table fast asleep. She picked the now smaller boy and settled him into her lap and rubbed his back as he snuggled into her. A Kyoko hare and a Haru kitty sat down at the other end and started eating cake and talked amongst themselves.

Mukuro sat down next to her motioned to the chains serving as a fashionable belt around her waist. On one of the chains was the piece of the Lightning ring. He picked up a yellow tea saucer and took a delicate sip. "Usually people wear necklaces around their necks and not their waists."

"Ah. I don't like having things that can choke me around my neck." Ashlynn looked to his neck in return and found the mist ring. "You have one too. Though it is different."

"It was quite an interesting conversation. For some reason they want me to become the Mist Guardian of the Vongola. The person I had attempted to possess then use to attack the mafia; and they want me to protect him now." Mukuro tweaked the boy's ears making him wake up with a startled 'Hiiiiiie!' and ran away from the table to Ashlynn's disappointment.

She shrugged sipping on her drink and waved as a green skinned Yamamoto grinned and passed by juggling little orange frogs. "Apparently defeat means friendship. It was the same with Gokudera, I hear (The bomber). He didn't believe that Tsuna could possibly become the next Boss so he set out to challenge him. Then in the middle of the fight Gokudera screws up his attack and is about to die from his own dynamite until Tsuna goes all Dying Will Mode in his boxers and saves his life. So now Gokudera has an obsessive bodyguard crush on Tsuna because he 'saved' him and claims that he will become Tsuna's right hand man."

"Che, like I would allow myself to fall for that. What of yourself, Yamamoto Takeshi, and Hibari Kyouya?"

Ashlynn hummed idly waving her hand to create yellow and blue bubbles into the air then fully realizing that she had full reign here, she materialized butterflies, fireflies and dragonflies to lazily fly around them amongst other things that appeared to her whim, much to Mukuro's amusement.

"I'm not so sure about Yamamoto..." And she wasn't: In the Manga Tsuna had to stop Yamamoto from committing suicide by throwing himself off the roof because he hurt his arm and that his average in baseball was declining. And in the anime Yamamoto just became friends with Tsuna not very long after Gokudera out of nowhere. If she wanted to know then she'd have to ask Tsuna or maybe Reborn. "I met Tsuna because of Reborn. I bought coffee for him and he demanded me at gunpoint that I was going to follow him back to Tsuna's so he could pay me my money back. Then a day or so later there was that test to see if Yamamoto and I could protect him while Reborn started targeting us with lethal weaponry. And Hibari-san...He's more concerned about the order of Namimori and its junior high school...I'm pretty sure that they also have these half rings in their possession."

"Oya? Why do you think so?"

'Because I know so.' She didn't say that out loud, instead she said. "Because our group is the only one that is training with Tsuna and building trust with him. I just find really convenient that we apparently have an affinity with the correct rings. This could probably be punishment for you trying to possess Tsuna in the first place. I think you were chosen because they thought of you at the last second and you also 'conveniently' had a strong affinity that was suited to the left over ring.."

"Kufufu, how cruel."

"Well, having a strong affinity in the first places helped the decision didn't it? Besides, now that you can be considered part of the Vongola Famiglia (Once this ring battle stuff is over and done with), we could probably bust you out of Vindice. What sort of Guardian protects the Boss while in an impenetrable prison?"

"I am here now aren't I?"

"Point." Ashlynn conceded. "But then again this is a dream."

"You will have to wait and see Ashlynn-kun. Kufufufu."

"...Hmmm, You may address me without the honorific." Ashlynn played with the ring on the chain.

"Oya? Allowing me to be so familiar with you already? Why, I hadn't realized that our relationship was growing at such a pace. Shall I make it up to you for my negligence?" Mukuro tilted her face closer to his.

Ashlynn huffed and poked his forehead but did nothing about the pink that was doubt dusting across her cheeks. "I call you by your name with nothing attached to it so it would be fair to allow you to do the same (I've got a feeling that we'll be spending a lot more time together in the future). And I am not originally from Japan so I don't normally use them except for when I must. You are from Italy aren't you? Do they use honorifics like the Japanese?"

"Not in the sense that you think. Honorifics were used mostly for nobility... Kufufu. Would you like if I called you 'Principessa'?"

"I would not say no or yes to that."

"Such an interesting individual you are, Ashlynn." Mukuro released her chin and leaned back into his seat.

She shrugged. "I try to be. Good to know that it's working."


"Eh? I-pin? What is it? Would you like to come in?" Ashlynn asked slowly. This was the first time the young girl had come to her home and she was all by herself. Had something happened?

"I-pin, fetch Ashlynn." I-pin chirped in choppy Japanese.

"Fetch?" Ashlynn was confused. 'A game where she is a dog? Is that what she's up to? Confusion~.'

"Yes. I-pin fetch Ashlynn. Bring to Fukano."

"Fukano's? Oh, okay." Ashlynn slipped her shoes on and walked with I-pin to the bakery. That was closed for the day. 'Strange. Boss Lady doesn't normally close unless she warns everyone in advance...' She opened the door kinda relieved but also concerned that it was unlocked and let herself and I-pin in the building.

"Honey! Over here!" Keiko turned around in her chair at the table in the back. "Good to see you sweet pea! Now I don't know if the two of you have met yet but this is-"

Ashlynn stopped. "Fon?"

Keiko pouted and sat back down. "So you have. Nevermind~."

Ashlynn sat down in the seat next to Keiko while I-pin hopped into the one next to her master. Fon's cheeks dimpled as he smiled and he inclined his head to her in greeting. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Ashlynn."

"Ah, and to you as well, Fon. May I ask why you're here?"

"Eh? Don't you know already? Someone should have told you all you needed to know." Keiko frowned.

"About the ring battles that are going to start? Yes." Ashlynn nodded.

Fon chuckled lightly. "But you wish to hear it anyway. Miss Ashlynn while Reborn works with Tsunayoshi, and Colonello working with that Ryohei fellow, I was asked to oversee your training in preparation for the Varia. I agreed."

"Really? Thank you, Fon."

"Of course. We'll pick up some provisions then we shall heading out to the building that Miss Bianchi has been training you. Fukano-san has talked to the woman who acts as your guardian and you will be excused from school for the time being while we prepare. We can also expect Fukano-san and Bianchi-san to come along for further instructions."

Ashlynn mentally did a happy dance. Sure things were starting to progress (and that was a good thing as well as a not so good thing) and it was going to be dangerous, and yeah she was going to have to fight Levi but she was going to be prepared for the encounter for the ring. And she was going to have the help of an Arcobaleno with her training.


Notes~

Haru kitty Sounds like Hello Kitty

chapter feels random and all over the place...

edit: I took out the 'Dooby do Wah' that I had earlier...I don't think anyone got the reference I was making...