Good News Caomhnóir fangirls and boys!: I've uploaded the most recent sketch for Ashlynn! Yay! (Finally! And by the way it look forever for you to update Silver! These chapters better be freaking awesome!) Along with the previous sketches on another page. So Mosey on over to my profile and click on the link that says 'Ashlynn's character bio' and you'll get to the most recent sketch and you can check my DeviantArt gallery for the one that has the other page. And also! AnimeMeg27 from DA drew fanart for me! I've included a link on my profile as well.
Also, I fixed the DeivantArt group for Caomhnóir so it will now actually except people wanting to join. Now all I have to do is upload the last four (and more) or so chapters from here onto DeviantArt (really, it's a pain to do so, because when I add text to the Deviantation it only allows so much on it before I have to split the chapter into two parts~)
It's Christmas day so Merry Christams, or Happy Holidays, or Happy Whatever it is you normally do on this day every year. Have a Happy Day people~.
~.~.~.~
LunaticSheep: oh, I absolutely love your reviews~. I'm still semi mapping out scenes for future chapters but I'd like to wait until further into 'The Curse of The Ranbow' Arc before I make my decision. But you're welcome to dream~. :D Keiko, oh Keiko~ her petnames and huggy habits are actually channeled from me~ :D.
I reread and rewatch both the anime and the Manga, yes, but there are things that one has that the other doesn't and I'm trying to be thorough even though it take a while to sift through. And the Irish traditions that pop up now and then? When I put down in Ashlynn's character bio that she was Irish I researched and researched into everything possible. So do people actually follow them? Someone must have~. Do I believe in them? Absolutely.
"The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
She forewent using the opera glasses as she was close enough to the stage to not have any need of them and instead merely looked down from the top box to the brown haired young woman standing center stage striding forward a few steps and stopped before her long pristine white gown came close to the candle lamps that lit the bottom of the stage. Ashlynn retrieved her fan from the drawstring bag that she had taken along with her and tapped the spine of the closed object to her chin thoughtfully. The opera house was truly a magnificent building and the the woman currently singing, the new soprano was a welcome and pleasant change from the previous woman, Carlotta, who had a rather high voice that rang unpleasantly in ones ears even at her distance above the stage, that along with the fact that that woman strutted like a pompous bird that bothered her greatly. The stage could use a bit more blue and some dark reds however, and a smoke machine to increase the mood certainly wouldn't hurt...
She smiled smugly as the colors of the stage instantly changed and a soft fog enveloped the floor to better suit her mood.
"Kufufufu. Are your dreams always based off of some sort of tale, Principessa? First 'Alice in Wonderland' and now 'The Phantom of the Opera'?"
Ashlynn becoming aware to her subconscious blinked then shrugged not looking away from the stage as Mukuro in a black suit sat down next to her in the box and appraised her appearance consisting of a long beige and wine colored dress and hair pulled up in curls portraying her as a high class Lady of the era of when the story supposedly took place.
"I don't knowingly choose the venue of my dreams, Mukuro."
"Yes, but you are now aware and thus you could change what you wish. But I wonder why you have not casted yourself as the main role as you had with Alice." Mukuro jerked his head to the woman on stage where Christine was singing the end of 'Think of Me.'
Ashlynn pouted but clapped politely as the song came to a close. "But I'm an alto not a soprano, I don't like having to sing that high."
Mukuro chuckled. "You forget that this is a dream and anything you want to happen can happen. You could allow yourself the ability to do things that you would be unable to whilst awake."
"I suppose. But then again I rather like this story without my interfering... even though I would like to point out to dear Christine that her angel isn't really an angel. Really, the Opera house being 'haunted' by a phantom while she was being visited by a so called 'angel'? She should of have been able to realize that the two in the same building would not be just mere coincidence even if the Phantom had some sort of hypnotizing power."
Mukuro grinned. "You seem rather miffed about that."
"It was something that always stood out to me when I watched the film. I never really got around to reading the book version. I'll have to remind myself later to get the chance to do so." Ashlynn said tersely standing up and willed the other members of the audience to disappear. "You now know why I didn't cast myself, but why not you? You were the Cheshire cat last time. And I think you would make a very convincing Erik."
"Erik?"
Ashlynn nodded decisively. "The Phantom. Or Angel depending on perspective."
"A-ano..."
Ashlynn turned to find Chrome standing by the door leading out of the box in a navy lolita styled dress. Mukuro stood to greet the girl and motioned her over.
"You were able to make it here, little Chrome. Well done."
Chrome blushed at the praise. "T-thank you, Mukuro-sama."
"Hello Chrome." Ashlynn greeted the girl with a smile.
She nodded looking down at the flats covering her dainty feet.
Ashlynn tilted her head and out of the corner of her eye she could see Mukuro lean back to watch the two. "Is something wrong?"
"I-I...I went to your home..." Chrome trailed off.
Her eyes immediately shined with understand and grimaced. "I'm so sorry, Chrome. I fully expected that I would be there when you came over. I'm no doubt dead asleep (that usually doesn't happen very often; I'm normally a light sleeper) to the world either on my bed or in Ozumi-san's care."
"I thought you were at school so I waited in case you returned. One of the neighbors told me that you work at a bakery some days after school... then Mukuro-sama suggested to look for your aura...it wasn't in the apartment but on the outskirts of town..." She trailed off again.
Ashlynn furrowed her brows. Just how late was it out there? "...Are you still there?"
Chrome nodded.
"The password code on the lock is '2253' or if you need a word to remember it by the word is 'cake'. Make yourself at home and you can stay for as long as you like, okay?" Ashlynn assured the girl and though Chrome nodded she didn't seem too convinced.
"So your battle was last night, Principessa?" Mukuro queried.
Ashlynn pouted. "Yeah and I fought to a draw though there was a great deal of luck on my part. I'm glad I didn't lose but I'm still kinda disappointed in myself. At one point, Tsuna was about to rush in even if it meant forfeiting both of our rings to the Varia."
"Still very soft." Mukuro shook his head but smiled benignly. "I believe it is time for you to wake up now, Principessa. Wouldn't want to miss the battle would you? Kufufufu, you better get going 'Cinderella' or you'll be late."
Ashlynn huffed looking away, 'Cinderella' indeed, as he laughed at her and her eyes snapped opened to the waking world then immediately narrowed.
"...So, we meet again..." Ashlynn frowned. "...Hospital ceiling. You look well."
"Unlike your current condition, Meagher-san. Whatever happened to trying to stay out of trouble?"
Ashlynn turned her head away from her one sided glare match to her doctor and take in the rest of the room and she noticed that they weren't in Namimori's public hospital. Her eyes settled on Ozumi-san as he checked over a clip board. She frowned, he looked more harried than she had ever seen the man before. "The Varia happened, Ozumi-san so this doesn't count because trouble came to kill us off for jewelry known as the Vongola Rings...Hey Ozumi-san?"
"It is ten o'clock at night. After you passed out from being hit and channeling ungodly amounts of electricity through your body, burns on your hands that will most definitely scar, a hole through your stomach that luckily didn't damage any internal organs and really severe muscle damage, you were brought here and then slept the rest of the night and the entire day away. And that in itself, Meagher-san, was disconcerting since your claims as a light sleeper are proven false because you sleep like the dead when you are exhausted."
'And so that left me away from my apartment and having Chrome wait at my door all day...Poor thing, it's getting really chilly...' Ashlynn stared then clarified. "Okay wait... yesterday was my battle right?"
"Yes."
"And it's ten at night right now? Crap~ Gokudera's match...!" Ashlynn slowly eased herself into a sitting position but even though she hadn't shot up in bed there was still a sharp pain from her poor tummy that made her hiss. "Son of a-!"
Ozumi-san sighed and checked underneath the large shirt at the bandages to see blood seeping through. He carefully pulled the piece of clothing over her head then helped her move so her back faced the door and pulled out a roll of bandages and began to unwrap the ones currently tied around her torso "I cannot allow you in good conscious to go out like this Meagher-san."
She sighed looking away red faced. Even though she still had a bra on and he was only replacing the bloody bandages it still felt like she was flashing the older man.
"But there is a way for her to do so~." Singsonged a voice.
"Shamal?" Ashlynn looked over her shoulder.
The man winked at her from leaning against the open door. "Because you're a girl, I wouldn't mind nursing you back to health. Hehe, what I can do is give you same, but much better and gentler, treatment that I gave to my stupid and un-cute disciple when you all went to Kokuyo. There will be some side effects, yes, but it should get you up and moving and allowing you to show up to tonight's battle as if you weren't as injured as you seemed and give off the image of a strong and watchful Guardian. But before you can pull that off you'll have to put some clothes on... Cute bra by the way~."
"Shamal-san.." Ozumi huffed but focused on his task of rubbing in a salve on the scabbing wound the started securing clean bandages on her stomach as well as changing the ones on her hands as Ashlynn raptly listened to the other doctor in the room.
"Side effects." Ashlynn stated. "How long will they last? My battle ended in a draw so now their going to use it as a tiebreaker if needed so I might end up fighting again if we tie." She wisely kept the knowledge that she knew that she definitely be fighting again, to herself. After all, they would have asked how she knew and saying that it was because of a premonition was stretching it a little too far.
"It'll depend on how well your cute body takes to my mosquito. But if I had to say, then by the end of three days you should be very close to being back to where you were yesterday morning with my help. So how about it?" Shamal held up his hand with a trident mosquito resting on the tip of his pointer finger.
Ashlynn nodded warily. "What do you want in return, Shamal?"
"Hahahaha~! You're so cute. Well, seeing you in your cute state of undress is nice but if you wouldn't mind I'd like you to make me some of those cupcakes that Bianchi and Keiko had been talking about. Being that lucky? Sigh, maybe the ladies wouldn't be so resistant to my charm." Shamal grinned.
'Hmmm, moral obligation to my fellow females...or getting out of here to watch Gokudera's fight and give a good image as a Guardian for Tsuna. It'll only be about a baker's dozen if I agree though we'll still have to find what actually triggered it to be lucky...' Ashlynn gave a small smile as Ozumi finished wrapping her up in bandages. "Then we have an agreement Shamal, though we're still testing my cooking. The first batch after the tests will have your name on them."
"Wonderful! Alright Angela-chan. Time to do your stuff." Shamal blew gently on the mosquito in Ashlynn's direction. She merely closed her eyes as she felt a prick on the back of her neck and calmed her response to immediately smack the little insect. "And there you go. And this, this was left for you when you woke up by that lovely Dolly woman."
"Thanks Shamal." Ashlynn didn't really feel any different save that it was a little easier to get on her feet though it still hurt her stomach to move. She pushed it from her mind as she accepted the bag of clothing no doubt from Dolly as Ozumi-san herded the other man out of the room.
Ashlynn looked on the table beside the bed and scowled at finding no hair tie then fished through the bag of things that Dolly had left for her as her clothes were charred and her tops and jacket had a hole in them. She dumped out the items and changed into the new set of clothes; one of her more comfortable pairs of jeans, a loose dark blue t-shirt, and she slipped her white arm guards back on over her forearms.
Not a single ponytail in sight, she'd have to leave it down. And she'd really go for a trim later despite what Maman said because she found that a good portion of the ends were a little singed.
She sighed pulling her hair over to lay over the front of her left shoulder and the left the clinic careful to keep an easy pace to Namimori Junior.
"Because you arrived before the allotted time we acknowledge your participation in this match." The Cervello nodded to the smoker.
"Gokudera-kun, thank goodne- Hiiiiie! Ashlynn! What are you doing here!" Tsuna screamed.
They and the Varia including Levi who glared, though Xanxus was once again absent from the group, looked up to see the female walking nonchalantly from the same direction Gokudera appeared from towards her group like she didn't have a single care in the world despite being greatly injured the night before.
"Oh? Why wouldn't I be, Tsuna? I came to see the Right hand man's battle." She grinned and patted Gokudera's back as she eyed the other group slyly with a challenging smirk, zeroing in Levi as he opened his mouth but then thought better of rising up to the taunt and shut it.
Gokudera stood shocked before his eyes watered manly with joy. He bowed to the older girl at the waist. "Thank you very much Ashlynn! Your faith in me will not be for nothing, I swear it!"
"But, but how...?" Tsuna's voice dropped. "You were a mess yesterday..."
"Thank you Tsuna."
'That wasn't meant as a compliment!' Tsuna shook his head looking at what he could see of her hands that were wrapped in bandages beneath the arm guards. "That's not what I meant. And then after Dad said you'd be fine he disappeared again and Basil-kun left soon after. We saw him at training but he wouldn't say what Dad was doing or where he disappeared to..."
She smiled consolingly. "Don't worry about it too much, Tsuna. But if knowing will make you feel better, I saw the pervy Doc before heading over here and I now owe him a batch of cupcakes."
"Was that really such a good idea...?" Gokudera mumbled. 'So that's where Shamal ran off to at the last second. He went to see Ashlynn and made sure she was back on her feet to get here...'
Ashlynn shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. But I'm here to support you aren't I?"
"Then we shall now explain tonight's battle field, but first please allow me to report that due to injury we had to make a substitution for one of us." The Cervello announced as the other inclined her head and offered a greeting.
Ryohei merely stared. "She looks exactly like the one who was hurt."
The Cervello continued. "The combat area for tonight is the entire third floor of the school building. Of course that also includes the Eastern building that is connected with this building as well. Not only the hallway but classrooms are also allowed."
'That's good then. I like a place where there are a lot of obstacles...' Gokudera took a drag on his cigarette. '...!'
Ashlynn lifted a hand to keep her hair from getting in her way as a wind suddenly blew from the classroom between the Tsuna's group and the Varia, it carried desks and chairs through the short bit of hallway directly through the windows in a shower of glass before the school's furniture dropped to the ground below.
The newer Cervello stepped into the classroom and pushed out a large box like device that had filters on each side. "In various places on the field, we have installed this hurricane turbine. It has four openings used to produce wind and it will activate at random intervals from any side during the battle."
"That's kinda overdoing it..." Yamamoto frowned.
Ryohei nodded in agreement. "If you get hit by those winds then you'll be carried outside!"
"This battle also has a time limit." The woman announced. "Unless either of you complete the storm ring and possess it within fifteen minutes after the start off the match, the time bombs within the hurricane turbines will set off and explode one by one and destroy the entire floor."
Tsuna yelled. "No way! Then if this match is undetermined, the two of them will..."
"Most likely perish in the explosion." The woman finished the boy's thought. "That means that neither of them would qualify for the position as Guardian."
"In the worst case scenario, they probably don't care if the Storm ring is obliterated if either fail to complete the ring within the set time. The only person that thinks the rings of the Guardians don't matter...probably him." Reborn frowned. "Looks like Xanxus is really serious about this."
"Hrm? What's with the sound breaking glass?" Shamal asked stepping passed them to stand behind the Cervello women and fondled a breast in each hand. "Is anyone hurt?"
The Cervello women slammed their elbows into his face knocking him against the wall.
Mammon tilted his covered head. "Trident Shamal. Rumor has it he was supposedly recruited by the Varia two generations ago. The Varia had meant to gain him...but he refused and got away with his life."
"What the hell are you doing here Shamal!" Gokudera seethed.
The man stood easily back on his own feet. "Well, I heard the sound of breaking glass and thought some lovely female may have been injured so I hurried on over. I thought I'd come and make fun of your match, too. And so I'm on this side~!" He called to the Varia. "Nice to meet you, you guys over there in mourning clothing."
Squalo scowled. "Dino, Colonello, Fon, and now Shamal? Where are such people gathering on that side?... Is it because of that Arcobaleno over there?"
"Good! Then let's do the usual!" Ryohei yelled throwing both his good arm and the one in the sling in the air then grabbing Gokudera with the better arm, much to the boy's indignation.
Gokudera pried off the boxer's fingers but Ashlynn and Yamamoto cheerfully captured him before he could escape. "No! I don't want to do that lame huddle! It's embarrassing as Hell! I don't need that before my match! Dammit, let me go!"
"Um...please don't say that." Tsuna said shyly. "Can we do it, Gokudera-kun? Um...how do I say this? These...these matches relate to all of us here...I don't want to lose any of you for these rings...so, isn't it better..if we act united as a group?"
"...J-Juudaime...you are this considerate and worried for the good of the members of the Famiglia...YES! Juudaime, let's do it, please!" Gokudera bowed then moved to be between Tsuna and Ashlynnin the huddle.
"GOKUDERA...FIGHT!...OHHH!"
"Oh, look at you youngsters, so embarrassing~." Shamal rubbed his nose.
The Cervello stared. "If you are ready then will the two candidates step forward?"
"Right. Juudaime... I will fight and as your right hand man I will not disgrace you!"
Tsuna nodded. "Yeah, but please don't push yourself too hard Gokudera-kun..."
"Because today's combat area is so spread out we have installed cameras to view that battle from a spectator area. If the rest of you would please exit this hallway to the buildings next door?" A Cervello motioned for them to back the way they came. Tsuna shrieked as lasers cut off the way behind them so they would not interfere with the battle. They quickly moved out to the next building over and found a series of televisions hooked up showing the inside of the building and they gathered around the one the ones that showed Gokudera, Belphegor and the Cervello in the hallway.
The women checked the chains around each of the boy's necks then announced for the cameras. "We have confirmed the authenticity of the half rings."
"Ushishishi. you use bombs right?" The blonde laughed. "Well, of course one can tell by just looking..."
Gokudera scowled.
Belphegor patted his shoulder. "Are you nervous? You're shoulders seem a little too tense. Shishishi." The boy smiled as he turned to walk away and waited for the Cervello to start the match.
Ashlynn narrowed her eyes.
'Don't worry Juudaime.' Gokudera thought glancing at the closest camera and lightning up a cigarette. 'I will win here and prove that no one else besides you is worthy to become the Boss of the Family. I don't care if this guy is a genius or not...'
"Then for the ring of Storm, Belphegor Vs Gokudera Hayato! Begin the battle!"
Gokudera took the first move quickly lighting a smoke explosive and throwing it towards his opponent then jumped back a few paces watching the smoke with critical eyes. 'I'll start off by observing and see how he fights...What! Knives!' He gasped as a circle of knives hovered around him and leaped out of the circle before it hit him.
"I'll give you some advice: it's better not to try any tricks~. Do you even understand who you are up against?" The smoked cleared away to reveal Belphegor still standing in the same place.
'Feh, looks like I shouldn't hold anything back.' Gokudera reached for the bombs on his belt and the ones strapped on his thigh, lit them, and targeted the blonde. "Fine, 'Triple Bomb'!"
"Hiiiiiie! He mastered three times the amount?" Tsuna asked.
Belphegor merely smiled and took two steps back as the dynamite closed in on him. Then just as they were about to reach him and explode a harsh wind blew from the classroom between them sending more desks and chairs through another window and crashing to the ground outside sending glass both in the hallway and on the ground.
"The Hurricane Turbine!" Gokudera glared.
The blonde inclined his head ever so slightly as if amused. "I am sensitive to wind...I am the Guardian of the Storm after all. Oh, I'd watch out if I were you."
"Damn it!" Gokudera cursed dropping flat against the floor as all the doors between and a few behind them erupted from the wind blowing furniture and whatever wasn't nailed securely enough out into the hallway and directly outside. 'I can't use my bombs wit these winds! Otherwise they'll blow out the fuses and send them out of the building!...But with this wind, he can't use his knives perfectly either...' He watched as Belphegor removed his hand from his coat pocket, there was a glint of light from his fingers. '...No way!'
Gokudera braced against the hurricane winds and dragged himself into a classroom before the knives could cut into him.
"Damn! How did he do that? Was it a fluke?"
"Flukes do not happen to Princes." Belphegor entered the opposite door of te same room that Gokudera jumped into. "I'll explain it for you~. I just follow the gusts and place my knife on the path going directly towards my opponent. See, I'll give you a demonstration." Belphegor held up a knife and released it into a gust produced by the hurricane turbine. Following the winds it changed paths whenever it met with the air ways created by the other turbines placed in the room. The knife followed the path and sunk itself mere centimeters away from Gokudera's ear.
Tsuna gaped at the screen. "So he's reading the air currents from the turbines? Is that even possible?"
"Hmph, he's taking advantage of this situation that seems impossible and performing inhuman techniques. I hate to say it, but that kid there is a real genius in battle." Shamal ran a hand through his hair. He stepped back to let Yamamoto and Ryohei get a better look at the screen and stood next to Ashlynn and murmured. "You'll start feeling some discomfort in a few minutes before it starts to escalate. Just take it easy, sit down if you need to, alright? And let me know if you start feeling dizzy or on the brink of passing out, knock on the floor or something to get my or Reborn's attention. I'll make sure the boys keep their attention on the screen."
"Thanks." Ashlynn nodded and decided to go ahead a sit down against the farthest wall before it hit. It was slight at first before it turned into a cramp but didn't increase more than that for which she was grateful. Cramps she could deal with. She remembered that when Gokudera suffered from side effects it almost looked like he was having a seizure. But then again Shamal had said he treated her better because she was a female and it didn't seem that her body was rejecting the injection from Shamal's trident mosquito.
She listened to Bel's voice as it carried through the speakers over the turbines winds as she held onto her stomach as the 'discomfort' continued.
"Do you know what the duty of the Storm Guardian is? Being a surging storm, perpetually at the heart of every attack, the storm that never relents. I can do it, but you, it seems, can't."
"Dammit kid, why are just standing there like an idiot? Don't stop moving." Shamal grumbled.
Gokudera glared, moving out of the way as knives followed the winds path from Belphegor to him and scowled as all he was able to was evade before he was hit. "Shit! I can't switch to the attack like this!" He ran out to the closet door of the room slapping a gum like fixture to the wall with two lit dynamites to cover which direction he was going to run. The wall exploded and the room was filled with a dark smoke.
"So you're using your explosives to cover your tracks so you can hide? I love Hide and Seek. It's my fa~vorite game to play. Ushishishishi." Belphegor smiled.
The Cervello's voice sounded over a P.A. system to both the combatants and the spectators. "Five minutes have passed. Only ten remain left until the Turbines self destruct."
"Going head to head with those knives isn't going to get me anywhere with getting that ring. The only thing I can do is set up traps and wait for a chance here in this blind spot." Gokudera frowned holding up four unlit dynamite in his hand. He gasped as two knives appeared as they cut straight through the bombs just above his fingers rendering the explosives useless until he could properly take the time (that he didn't have) to fix them. 'Where the hell did those come from!'
"H-how? That Bel person is still in the hallway! He shouldn't have been able to know where Gokudera-kun is!" Tsuna pointed at one of the screens that showed the blonde.
The wind from the devices ruffled his coat as Bel leisurely strolled down the hallway. "Didn't I say that Hide and Seek was my favorite? Ushishishi, it's because I am a prince. Of course you peasants wouldn't ever be able to manage it~." He laughed as he sent another round of knives to his target.
"Aaarghhhh!" Gokudera cried hands immediately moving to his side to cover the shallow cuts made by his opponents knives.
Bel laughed. "Oh? Have I found you already? It doesn't say much about your Boss if his Storm Guardian is like this."
"C'mon Gokudera, calm down and figure it out." Ashlynn murmured gently rubbing the area where she had been stabbed the night before. 'I use the same thing when I throw my chakrams even though I'm more open about it. C'mon, make the connection!'
'Because of me, the Juudaime...!No! I definitely can't lose here!" Gokudera gritted his teeth. 'But with the fact that I can't overcome this Bastard's attacks...Think! How can he hit me within this blind spot!'
'That's right Gokudera. Even if this kid's a genius, his technique has a trick and a setup that can be overcome...' Shamal stared at the screens at his disciple.
'Calm down' Gokudera ordered himself. 'Think. Was there anything strange about this match? He touched my shoulder and...My shoulder! H-he couldn't have...' He stood up supporting himself on the wall.
"Shall we finish this?" Bel asked the winds holding a number of knives in his hand as if it were a fan. "I'll turn you into a cactus though the sharp ends will be turned inside instead of protectively outwards. Bye-Bye~."
"No! Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna yelled as Bel released the knives into the winds.
"Crap!" Ryohei yelled.
"Ushishishi, checkmate. The Prince wins~." Bel grinned walking down the hallway to where Gokudera was hiding at. A dark mass gathered on the other side of the window before it crashed through the glass and onto the floor with knived lodged into it. Bel's smile disappeared and a thoughtful frown appeared in its place.
"A...model of the human body...?...Hiiie! It's moving!" Tsuna exclaimed as the model moved backwards on the floor.
Reborn scoffed. "Stupid Tsuna, look more closely. Something is caught around its head."
Ashlynn smiled from her place on the floor as Gokudera used the strings attached to the head of the model to lift it into the air.
"This is how you've been pulling this off." Gokudera scowled. "Before the match began when you patted my shoulder, you planted on a string invisible to the naked eye. Thanks to that move, it was like being injected by a full-body anesthetic that numbs you to the weight that pulls on you. Then you stretched out that string, and attached it to the protruding end of the knives. So like on tracks the knives flew to wherever the other end of the sting was. In this case it was the model instead of me."
Bel grinned. "Hmm, good try but that only gives you fifty percent. But if you want to feel good about yourself for getting that far, that's fine too..."
Gokudera jumped back as one of the turbines switched on from one of classrooms between him and Bel.
"...But with these winds you can't use your dynamite. So what will you do now I wonder? Ushishishi."
Gokudera lit his arsenal and sent them flying. "It's over!"
Tsuna gasped. "But the wind!"
"Go!" Gokudera smirked as the ring around the top and bottom end of the sticks of explosives sparked and rocketed themselves torwards the other male before exploding.
"It worked!" Tsuna cheered. "That was amazing!"
Shamal smirked. " 'Rocket Bomb'...that's what he's been working on for the past week."
"Direction changing bombs. Interesting." Reborn commented from Yamamoto's shoulder.
"Aa. Using the firing of a stored propellant to change the trajectory of the explosives twice. Hayato's weakness, originally, was his speed. Using dynamite as a weapon means trying to determine the amount of time it will take for the explosion as well as the trajectory required in order to hit the target is in blunt terms, impossible. So,of course, the logical thing to do was to raise the mobility of the original weapon. The kid only realized it after he saw my trident mosquito flying about because he didn't understand the example I was giving him." Shamal shook his head. "Although the target is a living, breathing, and moving target, you just need to exercise a little technique; with just two instances where your weapon can quickly change direction, all at once your entire arsenal of weaponry, range of attack, and battle tactics are expanded considerably. When all is said and done, in a life and death moment, the kid has finally perfected it. His persistence allowed him to accomplish it."
'But its not over yet, Gokudera. Now it's time for the hard part: a psycho-maniac prince that loves the exhilaration of battle. His genius is going to show so you better get ready.' Ashlynn frowned at the screens.
"Is..is it over?" Ryohei asked scanning all the screens to see what happened to the Octopus Head's opponent but while the smoke from the explosives still covered the hallway they couldn't see the Varia member's body.
"...Ushishishishi..."
"No-n-no way! It was a direct attack wasn't it?" Tsuna's jaw dropped.
Gokudera glared at the shadowy figure that was beginning to reveal itself.
"Ushishishishi!It spilled my royal blood~. My heart is racing so fast! It feels good~! Shishishishi!" The blonde laughed wiping his fingers against the trail of blood that seeped out from his wounds.
'I don't really understand his fascination but...' Gokudera readied another round of bombs. 'Now that I know that he uses wire for his long range strikes he can't really use them anymore with these winds. I'll take the opportunity to fell him in one swoop!' He threw the next round of bombs. "Go! Rocket Bombs!"
"Ahaaaa~?"
Yamamoto stiffened. "He's not going to dodge it? What's he planning?"
"Ushishishi!" Bel crowed in delight, launching himself forward towards the oncoming dynamite, slashing the first three on his way through and jumped into the air as the rest exploded behind his back; he used the explosion to propel himself into close range with the smoking bomber throwing sharp blades into the air.
Gokudera leaped back. 'It's no use to him with these winds to aim accurately so I don't have anything the fear from his atta-!' He gasped as he felt a sharp stinging on his cheeks and on his arms and looked down to see blood seeping from the scratches then quickly brought his attention to the prince coming closer with more knives at the ready. Gokudera furrowed his brows as he lit and flipped a smaller piece of dynamite between the short distance before Belphegor could land a close solid hit on him and covered his head and body with his arms as the blast sent the both of them backwards coughing as smoke billowed around them.
Bel giggled as he sat back up his shirt and jacket torn and charred, his hands catching onto the shards of glass on the ground as he checked his chest and head. "Ushishishi. More blood~!"
"Keh. I can't fight with him in close quarters. It's way too dangerous." Gokudera lifted himself back to his feet, grabbed onto his side and hurried through the gusts of wind away from the psycho laughing Prince as he breathed in deeply as he booked it to the end of the hallway, turned a sharp corner and entered the library.
The Cervello's voice sounded throughout the battlefield and within the spectator areas. "Five minutes remaining before the Hurricane Turbines self destruction."
Tsuna voiced his worry. "But the library only has that one entrance! And there's only five minutes left!"
'Shit!' Gokudera cursed internally. 'I don't have anymore time left!'
Ashlynn furrowed her brow as she hefted herself onto her feet and once she made sure she wouldn't topple over she stood besides a frowning Shamal who gave her a sidelong glance before returning his attention back to the screen Where Bel was entering the library by jumping in through the already broken window and sent knives to cut the dynamite Gokudera had flying his way into halves before they could detonate then followed after the other boy sending knives flying at his prey but seemed to avoid hitting any vital spots.
Tsuna gasped as Gokudera suddenly stopped in his tracks. "No! Gokudera-kun! You have to keep moving!"
"It's not that he won't Tsuna, it's because he can't. He's been surrounded." Ashlynn pointed to different places on the screen where little bits of light reflected off of wires caging in Gokudera.
"More wires?" Ryohei asked squinting his eyes.
Tsuna felt the blood drain from his face. "But when-How?"
"It was the knives from the very beginning and the most likely reason why Belphegor said that it was only half when Gokudera figured out that he used wires." Reborn told him from Yamamoto's shoulder.
Shamal took over. "So the kid had two different ways to attack. The first by the actual blade from the knife or if the target dodges then they will still get scratched up by the wires even if the blade misses. The second would be that he purposefully didn't target anything vital, instead aiming for the walls to cage him in and if Gokudera moves then he and any projectile he attempts to throw will be slashed into pieces by razor sharp wire. This is the reason why Belphegor defused the kid's bombs when he first entered the library. In other words this was a trap set up by that guy."
"Ushishishi, Chekmate." Bel laughed holding the beginnings of the wires in his hand. "Game over."
"Not quite." Gokudera declared, his cigarette gone from his mouth and on the floor. The spark from the tiny stick had caught on to the scattered lines of gunpowder that sizzled as flames traveled across the expanse to the surrounding bookshelves and the planted explosives. They detonated, tossing the bookshelves out of place and causing the wires to go slack. "When the wires are loose they won't cut me~. And now..." Gokudera pulled another round of dynamite, quickly unlocking a hook and laid them on the still taught wires. "Let's use your wires as guides!"
Shamal laughed, running a hand through his hair as the bombs met their mark and exploded. "Well, what do you know? He actually pulled through to the win."
"Three minutes remaining until self destruction." The Cervello women warned over the P.A. "We will not count a win until both halves of the Storm ring have been put together to completion."
Gokudera scoffed but put a hand to his head as dark spots invaded his vision. 'Crap. I've lost too much blood. Gotta get the ring and then back to the Juudaime...then...then...I can pass out...in victory!'
The smoker approached the un-moving sprawled out body of his opponent and grabbed onto the chain around the other boys neck then swore as Belphegor's own hand snatched the chain around his own neck.
"He's still moving!" Tsuna shrieked.
"The winner will be the Prince!" Belphegor grinned pushing the other boy onto his back, fingers grasping for the clasp of the chain.
Gokudera punched the blonde in the face. "Get off!"
"Ring~."
"Dammnit you bastard! Don't you have any self-preservation! Get the Fuck off! " Gokudera cried as the two rolled across the ground striking each other. 'Shit! My visions getting blurry! Why the Hell is he trying so hard even when he's on the brink of death?'...!'
Tsuna , Ryohei and Yamamoto gasped as a hurricane turbine exploded.
"Wha!" Yamamoto scanned the screens for which room had been destroyed.
The Cervello women announced over the speakers as the two Storm candidates duked it out, slamming each other into rubble, into the still standing book shelves, and punching each other in effort to grasp onto the other half of the Vongola Ring. "As previously stated before the beginning of the match, after fifteen minutes, the hurricane turbines would begin to self destruct in a sequential manner. The library's estimated time of detonation is within one minute's time unless the storm ring is completed. Of course, the spectators will not be affected by the explosions."
"Oh no!" Tsuna cried grasping the sides of his head as two more explosions went off and took out even the cameras in the area. "At this rate Gokudera-kun-!"
Reborn's hat covered his face. "Will be taken out along with the enemy."
"It's become a game of chicken." Ashlynn swore.
Tsuna gulped then tore himself away from the screens and out of the room towards the building of the battle with Ryohei and Yamamoto quickly following him and Shamal helping Ashlynn out to follow them.
Ryohei cupped a hand over his mouth and yelled his eyes trained on the place he knew that the library was located. "Octopus Head! Hurry up!"
Gokudera gasped as his head was banged hard against the edge of a fallen shelf. "Shut the Fuck up Lawn Head! I'm trying!"
"Fnn, what should be done, Tsuna?" Reborn asked the boy.
"What? Y-you're asking me!"
"There are only two things that Gokudera can do at this point. He can either die with Belphegor in the blast because neither could complete the ring but I think you'd rather the option where your Guardian comes away with his life." Shamal raised his eyes to the very window that Gokudera and Belphegor were brawling by and called to his disciple. "Hand over the ring to the enemy! And withdraw if you want your life, Hayato!"
"W-what?" Gokudera strained over the words.
"To die for something like this would be completely idiotic! So give up the ring and get down here!"
Gokudera slammed his fist into Bel's face again and was pulled with the blonde as he pulled onto his shirt and a hand was grasped into his hair and yanked. "You've got to be kidding me! I can't lose here!"
"You're opponent has already gone bat-shit insane, kid!" Shamal argued. "This is no longer a battle that means anything! So get down here!"
"I won't come back empty handed!" Gokudera yelled.
Ashlynn cupped both of her hands to her face. "You'll come back with your life! That is what matters most to us, Gokudera! Don't make me come up there and forfeit both of our rings! Don't think that I won't do it!"
"Twenty seconds until the library's destruction." The Cervello warned as four more explosions rocked the building Namimori Junior their eyes keeping track of Ashlynn to see if she would really try to interfere with the match. She would have if not for Shamal grabbing her shoulder and keeping her where she was.
"Gokudera!" Yamamoto yelled.
Shamal growled before yelling again. "You fool! Have you already forgotten what you've learned before your training started!"
"I will not withdraw!"
"Stop fooling around!" Tsuna yelled with hardened eyes. "Have you thought about what you're fighting for!"
Gokudera froze but kept the other boy's hands away from his neck.
Tsuna continued. "It was so that we could have snowball fights, those crazy traditions that pop out of nowhere during every odd holiday with friends! So that we could watch fireworks at festivals! So that we could laugh with everyone! That's why we trained so hard to prepare for this mess! If you die here then all that will be for nothing, Gokudera! Your life is worth more to me than that ring!"
"Juudaime..."
Ashlynn gasped as the final hurricane turbines destroyed the library and the part of the hallway it was connected out. She waited with baited breathe and eyes searching the through the dark clouds of smoke that emitted from the second floor of the school building then followed Shamal's lead as the man entered the building to check with the others following 'Did...did he really not give up the ring...?...Is he...?'
Tsuna stepped to the front of the group as the lasers that previously blocked off the hallway disappeared and called for his friend. "Gokudera-kun!"
"Gokudera!" Yamamoto yelled.
Tsuna sank to his knees as their yells were unaswered, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Wait." Reborn pointed.
Ashlynn sighed in relief as Gokudera dragged himself, his body smoking from the blast and blood smeared all over his clothing, on his feet towards the group and fell to the ground before them. As quickly as her own body allowed she went helped him so he was in a sitting position against the wall.
"Gokudera-kun!"
"Octopus Head!"
"I'm sorry, Juudaime." Gokudera apologized. "I allowed the ring to be taken...I wanted...I wanted to watch the fireworks with everyone...so I came back with just my life."
"Thank goodness Gokudera. That's all that I wanted." Tsuna knelt beside the boy. "Thank you, Gokudera-kun."
The smokers face fell. "Please stop Juudaime! I'm not worthy or deserving of those words!"
"...So he managed through..." Reborn said staying back with Shamal.
"Aa." The man nodded. "At the very end he proved how much he's grown over the last week. Heh, and there's no way I can be arrogant enough to take the credit for that. I've been completely outclassed by that young Vongola Boss right there."
Ashlynn sighed as Gokudera forced himself back to his feet to grab onto the front of Yamamoto's shirt.
"Yamamoto! The rest...I leave up to you! I-if I had the choice I wouldn't be degrading myself to ask you anything, but , it's that there is no other choice because we still don't know who the Hell has the half ring for the Mist and that Hibari is an asshole-."
Yamamoto grinned. "You can count on me."
"Because the ring was completed in Belphegor's possession, the victory of this match goes to the Varia." The Cervello announced walking through what was left of the smoke with the Varia following after them, a giggly, half-dead, and triumphant Bel was slung over Mosca's shoulders with the complete Storm ring adorning his right forefinger.
"VOOOI! What a laughable ending!" Squalo laughed. "With this we're tied but that won't be the case for very long."
Ryohei bit his cheek.
"And so far neither your Mist or Cloud Guardians have shown their faces. If your contenders do not show up for their battles, then we will win by default and everything will be over for you." Mammon told them.
'Now that I think about it...I haven't seen Hibari-san since yesterday morning when Ashlynn came by...and the Mist user...I still don't have any idea of who it might be and Reborn won't tell me anything besides that I should half expect the person's identity...' Tsuna sighed.
The Cervello nodded to each other as one turned so she could see both groups between her. "Then, I shall now announce the match-up for tomorrow night's battle..."
"Reborn!" Tsuna hissed to the Hitman. "What are we going to do? If it's the Mist or Cloud that's next-"
Reborn shook his head. "Don't worry Tsuna. Everyone will come together in time."
The Cervello continued. "The next Ring battle shall be between the Guardians of Rain!"
"Hah! Finally! Don't you dare run away just because you've realized the overwhelming difference in strength from last time, Katana Brat. I want the pleasure of slicing you to pieces." Squalo smirked.
Yamamoto grinned. "Hahaha! No worried about that! I'm so excited I don't think I'll be able to sleep."
"You little brat."
Ashlynn cut in before anyone else could comment. "I've just realized something..."
"Hmm? What's that?" Yamamoto asked patting her hair.
She nodded looking at the ruined second floor of the school then back to her group. "Hibari-san is going to be pissed when he finds out about this." Ashlynn laughed at the dawning terror on the Junior high boys' faces when the information sunk in.
"Oh no. We're dead. We are so very dead." Tsuna despaired grabbing the sides of his head in horror then shrieked as someone jumped over them from behind their head and landed kneeling in fronto f Levi.
"Sir, please excuse the intrusion! But someone has breached the perimeter of the school building and the Levi Thunder unit is being picked off one by one!"
Ashlynn blinked and looked at her hands. "Wow. That was fast."
"What!" Levi demanded the underling.
"You see Tsuna, didn't I say so? All of your Guardians will assemble together in time. You need to be more patient." Reborn admonished.
Tsuna shrieked as screams, yells, crashes, and the sound of breaking glass came from the direction of the stairs and nearly gave into the temptation of flattening himself to the closest wall. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the fact that he was watching the entrance of the stairs in fear.
The radio transmitter of the man turned on as one of the men reported. "Sir! The unknown intruder is heading directly towards your position!"
"What sort of fly has buzzed in? It seems worth waiting for whoever it is to show themselves." Mammon moved from his position on Gola Mosca's open palm to his shoulder.
Tsuna shrieked as an unconscious and bloody man was thrown at their feet from the recesses of the stairs and took an involuntary step back as Hibari climbed the last of the steps and glared at everyone gathered in the destroyed hallway. He immediately made a beeline to Ashlynn and pointed a tonfa threateningly in her face to Tsuna's horror.
"Omnivore."
"So Dino finally told where the ring battles were taking place? It's really not our fault that Namimori Junior was the chosen venue for the battles, Hibari-san. Though I certainly wouldn't have minded if it took place at the high school instead. More room you see? And I kinda want to destroy my classroom." Ashlynn grinned.
He glared. "Unlawfully breaking onto school property and moreover vandalizing the premises. By reason of joint responsibility, each and every one of you shall be bitten to death."
"What! Us too?" Gokudera gaped from leaning against the wall. "We didn't even choose to fight here in the first place!"
"Haha! He really likes the school doesn't he?" Yamamoto laughed as Tsuna just stood there gaping.
"Hmph, it's just another brat." Squalo scoffed.
Levi glared, his hands reaching for the sabers harnessed to his back. "So. You are the one who brought down all of my subordinates."
"You are one of the ring holders allied with Sawada Tsunayoshi?" The Cevello asked the irate prefect. "If so then this behavior is-"
Levi shot forward past the talking woman shooting sparks down his weapons. "Out of my way Cervello! That bastard is just a common trespasser!"
Hibari and Ashlynn glared at the running man and each took a small step back from each other and stuck their legs out at the last second tripping Levi and sent him falling to his face.
Shamal chuckled behind his hand at the man's gobsmacked face.
Hibari coldly stared down at the fallen man. "I guess I'll start with you."
"Che, the moment that guy shows up everything turns into a big mess. I understand that he's not happy that the school was damaged but why is here?" Gokudera winced but made no movement to stop the male.
Reborn smirked from beside Shamal. "That is the ring holder of the Vongola Cloud ring and Nami Junior's Disciplinary committee president, Hibari Kyouya."
"Their Cloud Guardian huh? That means he is to be Gola Mosca's opponent. What do you think Mammon?" Squalo asked the infant.
"Levi is indeed one of the Varia, although he is both slow-witted and easy to break down. Putting that aside however, his physical skills and skill in channeling his element are quite strong."
Levi glared at his comrade. "Why you!"
"Hah! This is getting interesting!" Squalo laughed pointing his sword at the prefect. "How many time shall I slash you open, brat?"
Hibari smirked. "Hnn. Are you next in line?"
The Cervello women intervened. "Please stop. If Guardians enter an unregulated brawl outside of the official battle time and venue then they will both be disqualified."
"What! No way!" Ryohei yelled.
"Okay, okay!" Yamamoto rushed in front of Hibari. "Look, Hibari I know you're angry but-"
"You're in my way. Don't stand in my way, herbivore." Hibari glared moving to slam his tonfa into the other boy but missed as Yamamoto side stepped the attack and moved behind the other boy and grabbed onto the tonfa and smiled.
"The long haired one is my opponent that I'll be fighting tomorrow night so please be a little more patient. And the one you tripped is actually Ashlynn's incase we have to have a tie breaker."
Hibari turned to face him. "If you are going to get in my way then I don't care who you are. I'll bite you to death."
'Oh crap! I made him even more mad!' Yamamoto quickly raised his hands in surrender.
"Please wait, Hibari-san!" Tsuna pleaded.
Reborn stepped forward. "Ciaossu Hibari."
"Hmm, baby, I'm busy at the moment." Hibari gave the hitman his attention but did not lower his weapons.
The hitman shrugged. "Although it's fine if you decide the let loose here you may lose a greater chance to enjoy yourself."
"A greater chance?"
Reborn nodded. "It's not immediately possible but, if you bear with it now and participate in the scramble for the rings you just might be able to fight Rokudo Mukuro in the very near future."
Hibari lowered the tonfa's. "...Hm, really?...All the damages of the school will be repaired."
The closest Cervello nodded. "Yes. We the Cervello Organization will take full responsibility for the repairs."
"Is that so?" Hibari spun and started walking towards the stairs entrance but stopped just after he passed Yamamoto. "Do not lose to the one over there before my turn comes around herbivore. See you; Baby, Omnivore Ashlynn."
"Goodnight Hibari-san." Ashlynn gave a small wave to the prefect's back.
Tsuna stood shocked. "Hibari-san...he...he stopped fighting..."
"From that alone you can see the humiliation that Hibari feels he suffered at Mukuro's hands." Reborn nodded jumping up to a relieved Yamamoto's shoulder.
"VOOOOOI! Katana brat!" Squalo yelled. "Where did you learn to move like that within the last week? I like it! And now your chances of winning against me have went from zero percent to still being zero percent! Hah! The coming day will be your last! All you have to do is wash your head and wait! Laaater." The swordsman laughed before he the rest of the Varia jumped out of the second floor windows and disappeared.
"Thank goodness it's over..Oh! Gokudera-kun! We have to get your wounds healed!" Tsuna cried.
The boy looked away. 'I-it's nothing Juudaime! Just a bunch of scratches! Nothing I can't handle!"
"B-but, Shamal-!"
The man shook his head and started walking down the hallway. "Nope! I don't treat male patients! See ya."
"Bu-but!" Tsuna reached his arm out but let it slump when the man really left.
"I guess it can't be helped if Shamal will only treat females. Romario here is a talented healer so he can look Gokudera over."
Tsuna jumped. "That voice- Dino-san!"
They turned around and found Dino who had a few bandages on him and Romario walking down the charred ruins of the hallway. Ashlynn coughed to smother her giggle as a thought came unbidden to her mind. '..Or we could dress him up as a chick...but then again Shamal would check for boobs...'
"Hey guys. I guess we just missed the Varia then? Heh, I guess you guys haven't seen Kyouya come by here have you?" The man asked.
"Eh?" Tsuna questioned. "He actually just passed by here..."
"Wha-Really?"
"Don't worry, he passed by without too much of a fuss." Reborn told him.
Dino sighed. "I see. So he went back that quickly. He wouldn't listen to me when I tried to tell him about the rings but got pissed off when I told him that the battles are taking place at his school."
"Went back? To where?" Ryohei asked.
"Uh, well I guess you could call it a training journey. That Kyouya isn't someone that will listen to what anyone tells him, even if you pin him by force he'll still fight back. So I was a little nervous when he disappeared after I said the battles were going to be here..anyway, to prepare him for any kind of situation that the battles could throw at him we kept moving away from Namimori to different environments to fight in."
'That sounds really cool' Tsuna though imagining the training that Dino-san had given to Hibari-san.
"Fnn, so how much stronger is Hibari?" Reborn asked.
Dino shrugged walking towards Ashlynn. "Who knows? I'm certain that he's gotten stronger than the first time we fought but even I don't even know by how far he's come. That guys potential for growth is unbelievable, that's for sure. Hi Ashlynn, sorry I didn't come to see your battle. How did it go?" He asked her, kissing her cheek.
Ashlynn folder her arms and looked away pouting. "Fought to a draw. I don't want to talk about it."
"Umm, okay...? Ah, anyway, Yamamoto, I came out here for a reason (other than to find Kyouya~). I have some things to tell you about your opponent, Squalo."
Yamamoto tilted his head. "You know him?"
"Very well actually. Squalo was actually he one that was supposed to be the Varia's Boss."
"Are you serious?" Tsuna cried.
Dino nodded. "Yeah. We went to the same school that had a lot of students who had ties into the mafia. From that time on, I've known his name. Everyone was talking about him: The unbelievably strong student who was training as a swordsman...both his skill and his methods of refining swordsmanship broke the mold. At the time, for the sake of developing his own sword style, Squalo was attacking all types of sword Masters, from East to West; and little by little he absorbed their techniques into his own arsenal. The Varia ended up catching wind of it and scouted him. However, Squalo said he would only join if he got to fight the current Boss of the Varia, Tyr, who was called the 'Emperor of the Sword'. No one bothered to think that Squalo had a chance at winning against the man. But...after a death match that lasted two days Squalo returned victorious and perfected his technique and once he officially joined the Varia he immediately topped everyone else and it was expected that Squalo would be the Boss."
"But, Xanxus is the Boss of the Varia." Tsuna looked down. "Why...?"
"I don't know, Tsuna. It's certain that there is a great mystery surround Xanxus...if you win then maybe you'll learn more. Yamamoto, let me make this very clear. Squalo is a man who has already vanquished several styles of the sword. If you rely on a particular style then he will defeat you. The only way it will be possible for you to win is if you can transcend his style."
"Transcend?"
"Yeah." Dino nodded his head to Romario who helped the dizzying Gokudera up. "See you guys, we're going to go ahead and take care of Gokudera. Think about what I said Yamamoto and be careful."
"Yeah..."
"I'm going to head out too. See you tomorrow." Ashlynn waved as she left herself towards her apartment.
She sighed as she unlocked the door and allowed herself inside then sighed again as there was no sign of Chrome waiting for her. She had hoped that the girl would have stayed the night or stayed until Ashlynn came back so she could walk the girl to Kokuyo.
'Note to self' Ashlynn thought falling on her bed after switching her pants for flannel shorts. 'Ask Dolly to teach me how to drive. Running and walking is fine...just that, it's a long walk between here and Kokuyo land...'
'Omake Theatre: The Scene that Might Have Been~'
"Hmmm? Oh! Honey Darling!" Lussuria squeed and jumped away from his now mostly flabbergasted group to the ground in front of her, pressed his cheek to hers as he spun her in the air. "Sugar, I'm so surprised! So this was the group you alluded to but never named~."
"Hey Luss. Way to ruin the mood; we had such a good thing going on right there. Tension was building, sparks were about to fly, you know?"
"VOOOOOOOOOOOOII! WHAT THE FUCK LUSSURIA!" Squalo snapped.
"Oh? Lussuria knows one of them." The blonde grinned.
Tsuna gaped. "A-Ashlynn? You k-know him?"
Lussuria set her back down on her feet but did not release her. "Ne, Squ-chan~! Boss! This is my Honey! Can I take her back home with us when we're done here?"
Xanxus glared.
Squalo glared waving his sword forcing Levi to move out of the way before he was cut into. "Lussuria! Stop fraternizing with the brats and get your ass back up here!"
"Oh, poo." Lussuria pouted but let go of his hold turned his back and sauntered back to the Varia and held up a small ring. "Here you go, Levi, the other half of your ring. Now you-. oh~~? This isn't what I wanted~." Lussuria looked back.
Ashlynn wiggled the fingers on her right hand showcasing the Vongola Lightning half ring, her silver Claddagh ring missing from the digits which was now being held in Lussuria's gloved hand. "I'd like that ring back, Luss~."
"Oh, so sneaky, Honey."
~.~End Scene~.~
That was an idea that I had played around with when I was writing the part where Tsuna's group faces the inner circle of the Varia. The reason I didn't use it was because it felt that it was derailing from the mood that was building, and even though Xanxus is perfectly able to turn the mood back around to scare Tsuna witless, I feel that the way I have it written in the chapter is better than this scene. It's still funny though~.
My favorite lines from it are Ashlynn pointed out the destruction of the mood that had been building and when Lussuria says,"Oh, poo."
Notes: I'm thinking of going back to edit out Morooaka and replace him with a no-face teacher. Not like he had any place here in my story other than to be a jackass teacher that every one hates. And its not like it will affect the story line at all~. The only important parts of Ashlynn's school life is being with Ran...
~ Is there any pairings (that doesn't include Ashlynn [and the current poll choices]) that you guys want to see? I'm very very tempted to pull off a Fuuta/Birdy pairing because of LunaticSheep (you sweet thing you). But if there are other ideas for pairings I'll take them into consideration~.
