muuuyuyuyu: "can we just make this ashlynn/everyone?". Sorry but no. I'm trying to make each character's interactions with Ashlynn grow into something but not everyone of them will develop into something intimate. Ashlynn is not in the KHR universe solely to create a harem of smexy Bishies :p. There would be a lot of fighting over one female and that's not the kind of drama I want in this story. If it was a triangle I would understand but...the remaining men still in the running are the extremely competitive ones and that would lead only into disaster.

But here is a concession for you; if at the very end of this poll, that if two are tied in first place and everyone says they want those two with Ashlynn then I'll do it. But I will not go above that number. A threesome is stretching it and any more would be asking for trouble (not to mention that it's be really hard to write...)

LunaticSheep: Regarding Chrome: Mukuro and Ashlynn are the two people she can expect to care for her in some sort of fashion. Ashlynn because she stayed with Chrome, stood up to her parents and offered comfort; There is also the fact that Ashlynn vouches for her to the rest of the Family. Mukuro because he saw potential in her, created illusions so she could continue living, and all that good stuff that makes her hero worship him. As it is, Chrome is just happy that: At best Mukuro and Ashlynn enjoy each other's company somewhat by the way they tease. And at the worst, well, at least they are civil with another.

Yes, there will be times where Ashlynn doesn't have knowledge of the events. She's more familiar with the Manga events than the anime ones but even so; that is a lot to remember and as time goes on she will be less likely to remember. Anime fillers will also throw her off, especially the future battle ones. So far it is planned that she definitely has knowledge of the Simon Arc and the beginning of the Arcobaleno Arc but that may be subjected to change.

sourapple2000: I'm glad that you are enjoying the story so far, hun~

And here you go Fanboys and Girls~ The results of the Top Ten Poll:

Hibari in the lead with 54 votes

Reborn following closely after with 50

Dino with 32

Mukuro with 31

and Xanxus with 28

Now, I'll be waiting a while before I put up the Top Five Poll (at the very least a few chapters into the Future Arc). Yes, there will be another poll to cut the numbers down again; (like I've said in a review) there is potential relationship growth for all the people that Ashlynn meets. Whether that relationship stays platonic or grows to either just friendship, seeing each other as siblings, or further onto something more intimate...Well, that's still yet to be seen.

My reasoning:

1) In the mafia, I believe staying alive is a bit more important than one's love life or lack of one. Remind yourselves that Ashlynn (along with Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Ryohei of growing core Family) have lead a purely civilian life before canon started.

2) You may change your mind on the pairing you'd like the most. This is giving you a chance vote again. Simple as that.

3) It's also making it a surprise and it keeps you interested in the final result, no?

There's another piece of fan art for Caomhnoir! Mosey on over to my profile for the link to the picture (Of a gender-bended Ashlynn :D) made by Kurohanefuyu. Should go check it out and give lots of love to this wonderful person~!

I believe that I have started a trend: There are a lot of new stories here on that feature a character from our world being hit by a car and waking up in a hospital in the KHR universe~

One last note before we move on. With the concession that I've given you I have decided to have the next poll open. Meaning, you'll be able to see the results one you vote. But since there are some who do not have an account on here who have voted through reviews I'll just add the tallies and post them before each chapter (After each installment I'll remove the results from the previous pages. Just like I've removed the poll choices from the very first chapter.)

And now onwards to the story~!


I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle, victorious."

- Vince Lombardi

Perhaps the distant part of the sky always seems clearest, so that we will always strive to reach it.

- Himura Kenshin (Rurouni Kenshin)


Thirteen years earlier...

"Ashlynn, Iníon, why did you want that hat so badly?" Cliodhna questioned her eldest daughter. A week ago while they were packing up for the new house, Ashlynn had come home from playing outside with a little request.

Her sweet baby girl wanted a hat.

And it was not just any ordinary hat. It had to be a specific one. One that her daughter didn't know the name of so it took a good while of Ashlynn becoming increasingly frustrated as she tried to explain what she wanted with grand gestures and drawing pictures that did more to confuse her mother instead of helping her.

Cliodhna had gotten to her wits end and was more than relieved when her husband came home a day later and she asked her sulking daughter to explain to her father what she wanted.

"It was black and it had an orange band around it and, and at the top it was pushed in like this." Ashlynn demonstrated the supposed shape of the hat with her tiny hands then showed off her crayon drawings to her father.

"Hmmm," Cayden scratched his chin. "...A fedora? Is that what you want, Princess?"

Ashlynn scrunched up her nose. "...I think so..."

"Was it a part of an outfit?"

"What?"

"You saw someone wearing it right?" He asked patiently.

His daughter bobbed her head. "Uh-huh."

"What else was this person wearing?"

"A black suit and shiny black shoes. He wore a dark red shirt and a dark blue tie. He also had a cool pet lizard that changed colors."

"That's a chameleon not a regular lizard, Iníon." Cayden frowned thoughtfully. 'She saw someone who was dressed like a mafia gangster? Going to have to keep a better eye on her if she sees someone like this at a public park. But then again, it could have been just a costume. Kids like to role play and all that nowadays...'

"Athair?" Ashlynn questioned.

He smiled tugging gently on the girl's pigtail. "It sounds like you're talking about a fedora but let's see if Athair can find a picture of it and you can tell me if it's the right thing or not, okay?"

"Kay!"

Not a whole day after that, Ashlynn was proudly wearing her brand new black fedora with a bright orange ribbon tied around the base. It was adorable, Cliodhna decided, but there was still the mystery of why Ashlynn had wanted it in the first place and she couldn't help her curiosity.

The almost five year old child looked up from her spot on the living room floor with her doll where she was coloring a picture of two men, one very tall and extremely skinny while the other was short and portly, both in lime green colored suits being beaten by a brown haired boy in shorts. She tapped the brim of the fedora then lowered her head to shadow the top portion of her face in an imitation of a certain hitman.

"I saw a baby with one." Came the cryptic answer. "He was cool."

Cliodhna blinked as Ashlynn returned her attention back to her picture. 'A baby?'


A grand total of two and a half hours was how long she was able to sleep before suddenly shooting up into a sitting position in bed, her hands, face and the back of her neck clammy and sweaty from yet another night terror. Her heart pounding faster as her mind's eye showed her the remnants of her dream. Her breathing became faster as she started to see grotesque faces pointing accusingly at her in the shadows of her bedroom.

'Monster!' they cried damning the actions she would make in the future. 'Murderer! Fiend! Heartless witch!'

"Miss Ashlynn? Miss Ashlynn, are you alright?"

She cowered back onto her pillows eyes staring wide in the abyss of the dark room. Her mind mercilessly showing her the images of the dead; deformed visions wailing as they slithered through the expanse of her bedroom. They mocked her. The condemned her for the deeds she had yet to perform for the sake of the Family. They cried vengeance against her, scratching against the floors, walls and the posts of her bed, they scoffed at the guilt she felt and the fear that swallowed her voice. 'Sorry? You're not sorry. Not sorry at all~.' They chanted as they gathered closer and closer. 'If you were then you wouldn't have gone and gotten yourself involved. You don't really care what happens to them do you?'

"Miss Ashlynn!"

She jumped at the soft tiny hand pressed firmly against her cheek. Fon. He was kneeling beside her head with worry. He reached his hand higher to smooth the creases between her eyebrows and waited patiently for her to regain her breathing to its normal state.

"Fon?" She said shakily.

"Let's go to kitchen, Miss Ashlynn. Some tea will help."

She nodded swallowing her terror and followed the Arcobaleno out of the bedroom, turning on the lights on her way to the kitchen where Fon sat her down and went to make tea for them. It was silent for a while as they waited for the water to boil. Fon merely waited as Ashlynn sat at the island counter staring at the marks on her hands.

Finally Fon spoke. "Miss Keiko told me about the dream yesterday. Was it the same tonight?"

Ashlynn looked up from her hands. "More or less..."

"You are not a monster, Miss Ashlynn." Fon declared taking the kettle off the heat. "The very fact that you are afraid of becoming one speaks of your humanity. It is okay to be scared, Miss Ashlynn.

She shrugged neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the statement.

Fon put a steaming cup in within reach of her hands. "I am not sure why you are having a delayed reaction to this; which explains why you slept soundly the first night, just like you had when we first started training for these battles. But it is not healthy for you to bottle this up, Miss Ashlynn."

"I know, it's just-. No." She murmured grasping the cup and feeling the warmth seep into her palms and fingers. She took a few sips from the glass when it cooled down enough for her to drink without burning herself. "I can't. Not yet...I-"

The Arcobaleno sighed this time. He tapped her hands motioning for her to set the cup back down and out of the way then grasped her hands in his own little ones. "You are a strong, confident, young lady, Miss Ashlynn,"

"Fon..."

His smile was small and comforting. "Let it go, Miss Ashlynn. It is not a shameful thing to be afraid. It does not make you weak if you cry. "

She closed her eyes. Her lips trembled. Her shoulders shook. Her breathing became unsteady by the dam of emotion cracking into bits. She hadn't even realized until now how much she had pushed away in favor of putting a strong front for the others to lean on her if they needed. She was the eldest one out of the Guardians if one didn't count the fact that Mukuro remembered going to Hell six times. She liked that they depended on her, that they found her reliable, useful despite only training seriously to be inducted into the mafia for about a year give or take. She knew it was only an excuse, a petty one even. But…

"It's alright." He squeezed her hands.

She sobbed bowing her head over their hands. "I...I'm tired of this! It's h-hardly the beginning and I'm already tired of all of this! A-and I have no idea what the fuck I'm supposed to do-! Lal, in the future- she said not to b-bother joining the Family if I couldn't handle it...But! I can't abandon them now! I-I can't do that to Th-them!" She cried.

She let the tears fall for the loss of the future she might have had with her family if she hadn't died and come here, the future she would have had if she just didn't get herself involved in the first place, then cried even more for even thinking that because then she would have never got to actually meet those who she would now call her Family even if they were not related by blood. She let the tears fall; in sadness, fear, gratitude, and hope until she was emotionally spent, leaning tiredly against the island counter, her hands still clasped with Fon's.

"I won't do that to them. Ever." She swore.

Fon inclined his head at her conviction. "And you won't."

She nodded, happy that he believed her, lifting her head back and let go of his hands. "Thank you, Fon." She managed blinking back the weariness.

"You are welcome, Miss Ashlynn. Do you think you can make it through the remainder of the night alright?

Ashlynn mumbled an affirmative scooping him up and returning back to the room not bothering with the barely touched tea or the kitchen lights that were still on.


'Weird.' Ashlynn thought as she came up the road to school in her uniform after she waved goodbye to Fon for the day. 'It kind of feels like I just had a Fall break and now I'm coming back for the start of the new quarter. Though I don't know why I came I the first place since today is Saturday and there's no school tomorrow...Maybe I shouldn't have bothered coming.'

"Ashlynn!"

She turned back down the road and ran back part of the way she came as Ran was running up the other end and the two had a near collision of bodies and school bags thanks to Ran tripping right in front of her. Ashlynn giggled offering her hand to help her friend back on her feet.

It was taken but the other girl gasped standing on her own and pulling Ashlynn's hands into her own and lightly tracing the slight scaring in the palms, inspecting the lines that had been engraved into the skin. "What happened?"

"I was working with wire making another set of bracelets and I, stupidly enough, was next to an electrical socket. It got me twice before I managed to let go of the damn thing. Thankfully Dolly was there when it happened. One of the times I'm really grateful that she goes through the trouble of checking up on me every once in a while." Ashlynn explained though felt a stab of guilt in her stomach at the lie.

Ran made a soft noise in her throat but otherwise did not comment on the authenticity of the story but looked down worriedly at the marks.

Ashlynn lightly tugged her limbs back, startling the other girl back to the present. She tilted her head touching the bottom strands of Ran's hair that was now just a few inches short of her shoulders. "You are growing it out? It's cute."

"Un!" Ran smiled then gasped as the bells from the school rang signaling that there were only five minutes for them to get on and across campus and up to the second floor for their first class. "Quick run!" She cried and only a few moments she whined when Ashlynn was gaining more speed. "Not so fast! I can't run as fast as you~!"

Ashlynn slowed her pace by a few steps to put her in sync with Ran as they passed through the gates towards the building. "Sorry!"

"Come on! Make it, make it!" Ran panted running up the steps.

"Safe!" The two barreled through the open door, stopping in their tracks barely managing to keep themselves upright. Ashlynn was fine, controlling her breathing but Ran was bent over panting with a slight sheen of sweat on her face from the trek. The teacher sighed pressing a hand to her temples.

Ran scratched the back of her head. "We made it, right?"

The teacher nodded. "Go sit down." She nodded again when Ashlynn stopped to hand over a packet of paperwork before moving to take her seat. The woman turned around and pulled the projector screen up to reveal a passage written on the chalkboard. "This is your writing prompt for the day:

'Remember youth as you pass by,

As you was once, so once was I,

As I am now, you soon will be,

Prepare to die and follow me

-Epitaph on a warlock grave'

What I want you to do is write down what you perceive this to mean, what is the intent of the message then write what your plans are for your death. How your body will be disposed of, will you be put into a grave or an urn within your closet kin's home? Would you donate your body to science? What would have written as your epitaph?"

One of the boys in the back raised his hand. "How long should this be?"

"Give me two pages minimum due first thing Monday morning." She ignored any groans of disappointment. "I really want you to think about this so you'll have the entirety of the class to work on this and you can talk and work among yourselves, but if the noise level gets too high then you'll work by yourselves in silence. You may begin."

Ashlynn frowned thoughtfully at her notebook as Ran snagged the now empty seat next to her. 'This seems a little coincidental...Ran just got back from her Aunt's funeral...and I run the risk of dying tonight...You'd think that schoolwork would get my mind off of dying...'

"So, what do you think?" Ran asked a bit somber and more than a little bitter about the assignment, her earlier good mood gone. "A morbid start to the first day back from attending a funeral and a will reading." She sighed tapping her pen against the page. "My family has always been buried on another island so that's where my body will end up being buried at. I have that but not sure what I'd have on a gravestone if I have one anyway. What are you thinking?"

Ashlynn fiddled with the pen in her fingers. "I'd have the traditional Wake ceremony..." She gave a small grin at the look of astonishment mixed with confusion on the other girl's face.

"There is a secret tradition to make you come back to life to finish anything you left unfinished? Would you be a ghost or a vampire... or a zombie?" Ran gasped.

Ashlynn poked her pen in the middle of Ran's forehead. "I am not going to be turned into the undead. Basically, believe it or not, it's a party that is held in the home of the diseased where you celebrate that person's life on the night of the burial."

"Um, that sounds-"

"Yeah, I know." Ashlynn agreed. "But I would rather you celebrate my life rather than mourn my death."

Ran blinked. "Isn't that what birthdays are for?"

Ashlynn mulled over the thought a moment then laughed. "Ha ha, you have a point. But this would be a post-life party that would go late into the night and actually last from two to three days."

"So how does that work?"

Ashlynn put the pen to paper. "The body would be prepared in the home of the person; you know best clothes, flowers and ribbons. There would be tobacco where every male caller would be expected to take a puff from so that the smoke would keep spirits from finding the soul of the deceased. Um, Mirrors would be covered, clocks would be stopped at time of death, all the blinds would be closed save for one in the room where the body is laid out, people would kiss the person if they weren't disfigured before being covered... then at the end of the Wake and on the way to a cemetery, or wherever the person instructed as the final resting place, the procession would stop if they pass by the dead's home or place of work. There's other stuff, but that's what I can remember from the top of my head."

"Hmmm, you have a really good memory, Ashlynn. I can hardly remember what I ate for dinner last month."

"I guess." She shrugged. "I'd like the Wake, but I think I'd also like to be cremated."

Ran looked up from her own page. "What? Seriously?"

"Yeah," Ashlynn shrugged. "I could change my mind of course further on, but it seems like it'd be less than a hassle for everyone. And I could have my ashes be made into something, you know? Like a piece of jewelry, stained glass, or even a wind chime or something symbolic like that."

"Well, I don't really have any traditions to have when I die. I think it'd just be something simple: prepare my body then stick me into the ground." Ran blew at her bangs. "We kind of worked backwards on this thing. Weren't we supposed to write what we thought of the poem thing?"

Ashlynn shrugged. "It doesn't matter so long as we finish it, right?"

"I guess..."

"…"

Ran placed her pen down and leaned her chin on her hand. "I'm still stuck on the thought that it was a Warlock and that you want to be cremated."

"Pffft." Ashlynn snorted.

"What?" Ran smiled. "It's a Warlock! That's pretty cool. Hey, hey Ashlynn, I know what I want to be out of high school."

"And that would be?" She asked. She had a feeling she knew what the answer was going to be.

"I am going to become a Warlock...or would it be a Warlockess?"

"Ha!"

"Hey, I'm being serious!"

Ashlynn grinned grabbing a water bottle out of her bag. "And what would be your title oh Mighty Warlock?"

Ran hummed thoughtfully as Ashlynn took a gulp. "I shall from this moment forth be called Ranizzle."

Ashlynn choked on her laughter nearly spurting water out of her nose.

"Hee hee. See how you tremble in the might of the great Warlock Ranizzle!" Ran spoke triumphantly ignoring the incredulous looks from the groups closest to them.

Ashlynn snickered wiping her face with her hand. "How is that a Warlock name? All you did was add 'izzle' to the end of yours!"

"I found it online. You know those things where it gives you a new name or a sentence out of your birthday? Well, this one said gangster names and it told me to add izzle so I added izzle. And now I have a fear-inspiring name!"

"Fear from laughing to death when they hear it. Hmmmm...Ashizzle...I don't know, doesn't sound very impressive as yours Great and Powerful Ranizzle..."

Ran shrugged grinning at the flattering words on her Warlock gangster name. "What about Lynnizzle?"

"Hunh, I like it." She smiled

"Then we shall be the Mighty Warlock Ranizzle and, um, the Valkyrie Lynnizzle! Cause you're Irish..."

Ashlynn shook her head. "Right idea, but Valkyrie's a Norse myth. Think the Morrigan or the Fair Folk."

"That too."

"Hiraoka-san, Meagher-san!" The teacher called. "Work more quietly please or work by yourselves."

"Hai! Sorry!" Ran apologized nudging Ashlynn lightly with her elbow and receiving one in return.

At moments it seemed things were back to where it was before Ran left for the funeral and Ashlynn herself was absent in preparation for the ring battles. But there were also times, many, that Ashlynn noticed a somber tiredness from the other girl. It wasn't too surprising of course and she understood that it took time to grieve. She knew that very well. But there was something else...there was the fact that Ran didn't want to let her out of sight. Again, not surprising but that wasn't it. She just couldn't find the right words to describe it. And she had spent nearly the entire day working to keep with the class (she actually found herself a lesson or two ahead of a few of them. Reborn's doing again she figured) and trying to work up the nerve to ask what Ran was planning on doing now.

Ran shrugged as they walked down the stairs to the cubby lockers to switch their inside shoes for their outside ones when school was let out for the day. "I'm still staying at the house here in Namimori. Aunty made sure that if anything ever happened to her...I would have something to fall back on. So the house is now mine, completely paid off and only needs payments for its upkeep which I am more than able to do...I have a few friends in the town next over that have offered for me to stay with them...but I'm going to go through the things in this house starting this weekend..."

"Do you need help?" Ashlynn asked as they stopped just out of the gates, to the side so they weren't in anyone's way.

Ran leaned against the surrounding wall and looked up at the clouds in the sky. "No, I should really do it on my own."

"You sure?"

"The offer is tempting but yeah, I'm sure. Thanks though. I'm going to go on ahead and try to make a start on it now, see ya~"

"Ja." Ashlynn waved to her turned back as the girl walked away. She hummed to herself as her feet carried her halfway to her apartment before her phone went off playing a small music box melody, Keiko's name flashing on the screen. "Hello?"

"Honeybun~! Are you out of school yet?"

"Yeah, just on the way home, what's up?"

"I have something special for you so if you'd come over sometime today before you leave for the scramble battle~"

Ashlynn smiled turning a right towards the shop. "Hm, I'll come over right now."

"You don't have to if you're already on the way home dear. I could have it sent over really quick if you'd like?"

"Nah, that's okay. I already changed my route. I'll see you in about five to seven minutes, Boss Lady."

Keiko giggled over the phone. "I can't wait to see you then, dear!"

"I'll hurry then. See you in a few." Ashlynn picked up her pace to the bakery, shutting off the phone when Keiko bid her a safe few minute travel. She nodded to a few of the shopkeepers on the way knowing a few from a couple errands for Keiko and offered a wave and smile to Yamamoto-san when she passed the sushi restaurant.

"Alright, here it is~!" Keiko waved to the box with a flourish when Ashlynn appeared in the doorway of her office at the bakery. "Come in! Come in and open it! I want to see your reaction!"

Ashlynn pushed off from leaning against the open door and reached for the long but thin white box lying innocently on the desk. Inside the box within the many sheets of colored tissue paper was a plain, dark red Chinese styled top with belled sleeves, black baggy pants, and black flats. She hummed interested at the now pouting woman. "These are for me?"

Keiko sighed. "That was not the reaction I was hoping for~! You were supposed to gasp or something and be really happy!"

"I am happy." Ashlynn fingered the soft material and a thought came to mind. "Ha-ha, I'll match Fon with this!"

"That was the idea, dear." Keiko explained. "I was going to give it to you for your match but there was a little mistake in the hemming. It used be longer but now the bottom should reach about mid-thigh."

"It's pretty."

"Why don't you go ahead and try it on. And oh! Let me braid your hair too! That'll be so adorable!"


"Looks like our opponent is already geared to go." Reborn surveyed the area with a critical eye.

Tsuna stared at the Varia Boss a ways away from where he stood. "Xanxus..."

"We've been expecting you." The Cervello jumped off the main building of the school in the middle point of the distance between Xanxus and Tsuna and his Guardians.

"The Guardians for Sawada's side..." The second woman observed those in attendance. "Storm, Rain, Sun, Cloud and Mist are all accounted for."

"Aa! Dokuro!" Ryohei pointed to the girl as she pushed off the side of the building and came closer but still stayed a good ten feet away from the group.

Hibari crossed his arms and glared at the group.

The Cervello continued. "That leaves the Guardian of Lightning."

"Who is here, thank you." Ashlynn called to the women as she and Dolly strolled over to the group. Reborn smirked.

"Principessa..." Chrome murmured.

"M'Lady!" Basil greeted.

Yamamoto laughed tugging lightly on one of the two braids Frenched tightly against her scalp. "You're matching the little guy that was there for your match! The one that looked like a little Hibari~!"

She nodded smiling. Just as Keiko had said the dark Chinese style top reached her mid-thigh, and the belled sleeves reached over her arm guards comfortably. And the gun strapped to her thigh didn't her any problems with the baggy pants. If anything she was a little more worried about stepping out of the black flats but they had yet to do so. "It was Keiko's idea." She explained. "Said that she was going to surprise me with it on the day of my battle but it wasn't ready. Dolly here was laughing at me too when we met to come here."

"You even got your hair braided." Reborn pointed.

"He told Dolly that he'd be here tonight after he helps Dino for a bit." She looked down at her clothes. "He better appreciate the sentiment..." She trailed off to look over at Ryohei who had the headband that matched Colonello's then to Tsuna who was dressed normally in his school uniform.

Tsuna jumped a little at the sudden stare. "Ashlynn?"

"If it wasn't for the fact that it'd probably get dirty of fall off you should have worn a fedora to match Reborn." Ashlynn nodded to the fedora that Reborn was wearing.

"E-Eh?"

"You're the only one not matching your Arcobaleno tutor. I've got the whole Chinese ensemble going on and Ryohei's got the headband...poor Reborn" She said sympathetically to the hitman. "I would have worn a hat to match you."

"Thank you Ashlynn. A hat would have been a good idea but you're right, it would have fallen off. Too bad Tsuna was so against wearing a suit."

"There's still Dino if he ever decides to show up."

Reborn nodded agreeably to the suggestion.

"It looks nice on you, M'Lady." Basil complimented. Dolly smothered a smirk with her hand.

"Thank you Basil. Though I almost ripped the shirt on the way here because the Cervello are freaking ninjas." She grumbled.

"Ninjas?" Tsuna sputtered. "You mean that they went looking for you today?"

Chrome spoke up but not very loudly. "The Cervello women...they said that all the Guardians had to come..."

"That is correct." The pink haired woman nodded. "All the Guardians who are still alive were sent a compulsory summons."

"A summons?" Tsuna murmured.

Reborn tapped his hat. "Those guys are here too." He nodded to Bel and Levi, the larger man holding a cage that held Mammon inside.

"Oh~ Please be more gentle with me~~! You're handling a critical patient!"

Ryohei gasped turning around to see one of the Cervello woman pushing Lussuria restrained upright in a hospital bed. "Lussuria! Wow, you're alive!"

"They even brought his bed along..." Yamamoto observed as the woman rolled the man over to the other Varia Guardians.

"It does not matter what the condition the Guardian is in when the summons is issued. If they are still alive then it is mandatory for them to show up. For the Sky battle the rings and the lives of the Guardians are at stake here."

"'The Guardians lives are at stake'? What do you mean by that?" Tsuna demanded.

"It means exactly what it means~." Lussuria called. "Once the summons was received, no matter what condition we are in or what we are doing at the time, we have to assemble. That is the duty of a Guardian!

Mammon nodded agreeably from his little prison. "Exactly. I am also hoping that Boss's anger has been appeased and that I have a chance to aid him."

"Ushishishi, how nicely put~. We only caught you instead of killing you, so don't try to smooth talk here, Mammon." Bel smirked.

Yamamoto bit his lip. "Wait! What about Squalo? Isn't he-?

The Cervello stared back at him eerily. "You know very well what the outcome of the rain battle was, Yamamoto Takeshi. We are unable to confirm Superbi Squalo's current status. Now then...let us begin the battle."

"What? But we haven't even clarified the rings-!" Tsuna protested.

"If you do not want to start then you will be disqualified." The masked woman stated. "And Lord Xanxus will officially be given possession of the rings."

Tsuna yelled. "That's not what I meant!"

"Bitch." Gokudera accused sourly.

"Very well, then we shall start by collecting all of the Guardians rings. We already have the Lightning ring in our possession." The other woman announced.

"What!" Ryohei demanded. "After we fought like mad to get them in the first place, we have to give them back just like that!"

"If you are the true Guardian then there is nothing to be worried about. The Vongola ring will return to their true owner anyway." The Cervello replied both pulling out a ring box showing the Lightning ring already within one of the cases.

Ashlynn glowered at it when they came by to collect the rings.

"I don't have mine anymore." Hibari glared at the woman.

"That's because you threw it at me, remember?" Ashlynn pulled out the Cloud ring and placed it into one of the slots to hold it in place.

The Cervello inclined their heads. "The rings have been confirmed. Now we shall explain the rules of the Sky battle: Like the previous battles there is the condition that both half pieces must be combined and in one of the candidate's possession. However, this time the battlefield will be the entire school. In order to watch such a large battlefield, we have installed large screen displays at the observation box as well as various other locations. Also the Guardians will be using these wristband watches installed with a camera-equipped monitor." One of the women explained as the other passed out watches to the Guardians for both teams.

Ashlynn reluctantly slipped the watch over her wrist. 'I'll have to have something done for these arm guards. They protect my arms and the back of my hands but not enough of the underside of the wrist and my palms are left unprotected.'

"It looks like a little TV." Ryohei stared at the little monitor on the watch.

Yamamoto laughed pointing the screen in Tsuna's direction. "Hey Tsuna, it's your close up~!"

"Now, would all of the Guardians report to your battlefields?"

"Our battlefield? What's the point in that?" Levi questioned.

"We will no longer entertain anymore questions. If you do not follow the rules then you will be disqualified." The Cervello turned their backs on them to converse to them.

"So we're not just going to stand by and watch the battle? Ushishishi, sounds fun~." Bel sauntered over to the building where the Storm battle had taken place.

"Alright! Then this will be the only time that we can do this!" Ryohei declared stepping forward to make a small group between him, Yamamoto and Tsuna.

"The circle right?" Yamamoto asked as Ashlynn and Gokudera nodded coming forward as well. "Then let's get fired up!"

Ryohei glanced in the direction where Hibari and Chrome were and said, "You two can stay where you are! We've revised it with the ten-meter rule so you are a part of this too!"

"Ten meter rule? I don't remember that...?" Tsuna asked as they huddled.

Ryohei nodded completely serious. "A limit rule that anyone within the ten meters is within our rally circle."

"Hmm~. That means that the Cervello are in our huddle." Ashlynn jerked her ahead across from them where the Cervello were waiting. "Alright, you ready?"

"SAWADA...FIGHT...OHH!"

Yamamoto smiled. "Don't be rash okay?"

Ryohei clapped his good hand against the brunet's shoulder. "Good luck."

"We'll see you later." Gokudera grinned.

Chrome nodded. "Be careful, Boss."

Ashlynn smiled as Hibari went ahead to his battlefield with a soft huff. "You can do it, Tsuna." She said encouragingly before stepping away with the other Guardians then split paths as they went to each of their designated locations.

"Everyone..."

"This is it, eh?"

Tsuna turned around. "Eh? Shamal? Colonello?"

"I came here to collect your ashes." The doctor greeted with a smirk.

"I just came here to jeer." The Rain Arcobaleno declared dropping to the ground with Falco resting onto his mop of blonde hair.

The Cervello looked up. "The Guardians are at their battle fields."

Ashlynn looked down at the monitor in the watch when the Cervello's voice carried over the device and the woman began to explain about the poles that were at each battlefield. Levi was standing right next to it while Ashlynn had opted to stay two steps away from it.

"The towers we have set up now have the completed Vongola Guardian rings."

'Wonder how they got them here before we arrived...probably thanks to the people in charge of putting illusions around this place during the day...'

"The ring-? So we have to scramble for the rings all over again?" Gokudera asked.

"Ushishishi. In other words, we get to fight instead of just standing by to watch~ how fun."

Ashlynn didn't bother trying to relax the sudden tension in her muscles. Couldn't, actually. It was a predictable response to the fact that she was about to get stabbed with a needle to the wrist and given a poison that could take down an elephant.

"You are all free to do so...that is, if you are able to..." The Cervello paused.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ryohei frowned.

After nothing immediately happened Ashlynn took the spare split moment to move the plot along. "Why do I not like the way you just said that?" Just when the words spilled from her mouth she felt the wristband puncture through the tender flesh of her wrist. "Ow! Son of a bitch!"

"Wh-what? What was that! What just happened to them?" Tsuna yelled.

"Just now," The Cervello informed the two Boss candidates and spectators. "All the Guardians have been injected with a poison administered from the wristbands."

"The hell did you just say?" Dolly snarled.

"F-Fuck~" Ashlynn gasped out as she lost feeling in her legs and fell heavily to the ground with Levi following seconds after her. Over the small speaker on the watch she could hear the other Guardians in the same boat. She bit her lip as the rest of her body turned numb and a burning sensation was slowly overcoming her.

"The poison in question is called the 'Death Hitter'. Once administered into the bloodstream, it will paralyze the victim's nerves instantly. Even standing up will prove to be challenging. Then a burning pain will spread throughout the body, increasing gradually, until thirty minutes later...the victim will die."

"But why! Just what is the meaning of this! It's supposed to be the Sky battle, so why is everyone being involved like this!" Tsuna demanded.

"Because the Sky is the mission of the Boss." The women stared eerily at him. "The Sun, Lightning, Storm, Rain, Mist, Cloud...he influences all of them. He understands, accepts, leads and envelopes them all. That is the Sky's mission. In this battle, the lives of all the Guardians are entrusted into the hands of the Boss. And that is the basis of this battle."

Tsuna continued to argue. "Entrusted you say, but this, this is too much!"

"There is only one way to stop the progress of the poison. And that is to insert the matching ring into each Guardians wristband." The Cervello gave a moment then continued. "Once the ring is inserted into the indentation just below the monitor, it will activate the mechanism to administer the Death Hitter's antidote."

Reborn's voice was grim. "So not only is this for the Sky ring, but the Guardians' rings have become a crucial element in this battle as well."

The woman nodded. "Therefore, the condition for victory in the sky battle is this: You must acquire all seven of the Vongola rings. Use the chains around your neck to collect the full set of rings."

"Alright! I get it! Let's hurry otherwise everyone-!"

"There is one more thing that needs to be said," The other woman interrupted. "Once the battle has begun, any outside interference from non-participating personnel is forbidden, this includes any special bullets."

"I understand." Reborn said coyly.

There was a small crash over the speakers and the Cervello cried out. "Lord Xanxus! Not yet!"

"Hmph, Lets hurry and get started. Wasn't that what he said?" The Varia Boss asked.

"Well yes, in that case..."

"Xanxus, that was foul!" Basil cried.

"Oh my bad, did I get him before he got his special bullet?" Xanxus smirked.

"How foolish," Reborn admonished. "Just who do you think you're dealing with here? Tsuna, Xanxus is not a person you can fight against half-heartedly. If you are thinking of going after your Guardians first, you'll lose your own life first."

"I know, so I'll take care of him first." Tsuna said calmly within the Hyper dying will mode.

Xanxus scoffed. "Going to take care of me first? Ha! With that same pathetic level of power as last night?"

"Do I look the same as I did last night?"

"Can we...start now...?" Ashlynn gasped out asking. "If all you people...are going to do...is talk...then we...should have got...the poison...when you say to begin...the battle. Not before it...Dammit."

The Cervello nodded to each other then split off, one staying and the other motioning for the spectators to follow. "If you wish to observe the battle then please follow me. Quickly! The observation area is at the back of the school. As with the Guardian's battles do not leave the boundary of the infra-red lasers." The woman nodded as they approached the designated area and stared at the side of the building and also at the closest tree. "The three of you as well, please."

Ken sighed pushing off the wall and entered with Chikusa to stand on one side of the area while Fon revealing himself from the branches of the tree and moved to join the other two Arcobaleno in attendance with Shamal, Dolly, and Basil.

"At this time the communication between Guardians and spectators is shut off. Now, the Sky ring- Xanxus versus Sawada Tsunayoshi! Begin the battle!"

That was the last she heard over the speaker and mentally cursed that communication would be shut off. That would have been very helpful once someone got a ring. The only good thing was the giant screen that she could spy from laying on her side that showed the battle between Xanxus and Tsuna. And only within the first ten to twenty seconds Xanxus had melted through reinforced concrete. She struggled, rolling over onto her back and stared wearily at the tower. 'Xanxus will shoot it down with his very angry flame soon enough...but can I get to it before he does it...?'

She blinked swallowing as she painfully twitched her fingers to where her gun sat, not seeing that she was being shown on the big screen and her voice carried to the observers thanks to the slight movement. "I could shoot the damn thing down...but I'm not...that good of a shot...and I could end up...accidentally...shooting myself...if it...ricochets...Fuck...this sucks..."

"Just. Lie there...and die...scum..." Levi growled.

"Oh right,… do nothing...just like...you are...doing...asshole..."

And so she really was forced to just lay there and let the poison burn within her trying to think. The only thing of note that she had been able to do in the first three minutes was keep a few feet away from the tower before it inevitably fell over, move over to her back and then over again on her stomach. She couldn't say the same for Levi who merely laid there twitching every so often.

She blinked at the sound of an explosion and wracked her brain for what was happening since the screen was showing the Yamamoto next to the ring tower.

"Boss..." Levi moaned in pain. "Please...help me...I will follow...any orders you give..."

"...Shut up Levi." Ashlynn glared moving her hand into a fist sparking her aura into it and letting it travel outward across her skin giving it a tingling feeling as she labored to move her forearms shakily beneath her and was able to slowly lift herself, feeling triumphant at the small success, before a stream of orange light beamed over her head hitting the tower directly causing it to creek as the supporting disintegrating into nothing from the flames that now licked against the metal and the building surrounding it enveloping the rooftop with black smoke. The tower tipped over dropping the ring as it crashed. A startled scream tore from her throat as it landed.

With her trapped beneath it.


Basil gasped at the screen. "That was the Lightning and Storm poles! A-And! Look! The Cloud Pole's been destroyed as well!"

"Heh, Hibari struck his down and cured himself." Reborn smirked as they were shown Hibari grabbing the Storm ring back from Bel and tossed it back into the building.

"But how?" The Cervello gasped. "The Death Hitter's poison is so lethal that even an elephant would stop in its tracks..."

"It's the persistent power of a guy who hates to be restricted. That is why Hibari is...The aloof drifting cloud who protects the family from an independent standpoint and whom nothing can bind! Also, the true Guardians are not just about their missions. Their relationships also resemble the weather they are named after. When it is cloudy, there will be a chance of the remaining weather conditions. For example, it could be accompanied by a Storm."


Levi nodded gratefully up at the flying figure in the air, grasping the ring and inserting the emblem receiving the antidote from the band. "Thank you, Boss!" He waited a few moments regaining his stance on his feet, flexing his hands as the feeling came back into his limbs and the burning pain disappeared. He turned around surveying the area. "Now, where is the girl? I'll kill her first before moving on if she hasn't already been burned to a crisp...There!" He spotted the dark red of the shirt she was wearing as she strained pushing and sweating against the uncomfortable weight and extra heat from the metal.

"Not so fast!"

Levi pulled back at the last instance as a stick of dynamite blasted in front of his feet before he could halve the distance between him and his target. He snarled searching through the smoke. "What was that?"

Gokudera stepped through the smoke with a cigarette hanging from his lips and sticks of dynamite in his hands. "Stop where you are!"

"You! The Storm bomber kid. Stay out of my way or I am going to kill you." Levi declared reaching his hand to the harness on his back.

The smoker smirked. "Hmph, there's not a thunder cloud in sight; just how are you going to go about killing me? You're not all that scary without that electric umbrella technique, are you?"

"...I see...you are a fool...If my technique could only be used on a rainy days, you think I would be a core member of the Varia! My Levi Volta is-!" The man yelled releasing the umbrellas into the air. "An all-weather technique! I can use it whenever I choose to!"

"That's exactly as I thought. I've been waiting for this...the moment when all of your electrical umbrellas are...opened! Take this! Rocket Bomb!" Gokudera released the trajectory changing explosives into the air and hitting the floating devices head on then pulled out another set. "I don't have time to play with you at leisure. Eat this!"

"N-no!" Levi cried out as the explosives blew him off of the roof, leaving the ring that had been in his hand on the ground.


"He succeeded! But, Oh! Lady Ashlynn is still there as well!" Basil strained his eyes at the screen above them.

Reborn shook his head. "He hasn't forgotten about her. Speaking in terms of weather, the Storm and Lightning are like siblings. Look there, he's got her out of the rubble."


"Thanks Gokudera." Ashlynn smiled as the antidote entered into her wrist and placed the Vongola Lightning ring on the middle finger of her right hand.

"Yeah, and that gives us three rings in our possession and nothing for them. But there is still Lawn Head, Baseball Idiot and that Dokuro chick…"

"Right." She nodded absently as they both looked up at the two Bosses flying through the air with their flames propelling them through the space to attack each other.

"Arghh," The boy suddenly shook his head then helped her to her feet. "C'mon! We're not going to let the Boss worry about the other Guardians all by himself!" He led the way across the roof back to the back door leading back downstairs. Ashlynn gave a last glance to the edge of the roof before stumbling after the bomber down the steps.

'We're just about done here...' Ashlynn thought as the two froze in the hallway of the second floor of the building, shielding their eyes from the bright flash that came from the other side of the next building.

"What the Hell was that!" Gokudera rubbed at his eyes.

"Tsuna and Xanxus. The closest person to us right now should be Ryohei right? Let's keep going."

"Right!"

They found the boxer and Lussuria on the ground and upright in bed respectively in the courtyard on the side of the school. A carefully placed stick of dynamite from Gokudera tore the ring pole down without any problems and Ashlynn quickly put it in the space on Ryohei's watch.

"Ha ... thanks Senpai...Octopus Head..." The boy thanked them.

"You'll probably feel a little lightheaded for a while." Gokudera turned towards the two orange lights soaring in the sky. "I've got to go get the others. You stay here and catch your breath and wait until you can run without looking like you're going to keel over. You too Ashlynn."

"Then you should take our rings with you. You have a high chance of meeting with Sawada sooner than we do."

"He's right," She agreed taking off the Vongola ring. "You're the right hand after all. We'll follow soon enough."

"There is one thing...I'd like to save Lussuria..." Ryohei looked towards the still restrained and poisoned man.

"Oh well...Boss would have done the same thing I bet." Gokudera scoffed but took both rings and used the Sun ring to give Lussuria the antidote. He nodded to them before running off to find the remaining Guardians who still needed the antidote.

"With the ones that Octopus has so far, what's the score?" Ryohei asked after a few minutes rolling his shoulder.

"Including yours we have four of the seven rings. I'm going to go on. See who I can find."

He gave her a thumbs up. "To The Extreme, Senpai!"

Ashlynn nodded leaving the area and back-tracking back to see if she could find anyone. So she was running on the other side of campus nearly to where Tsuna and Xanxus were finishing up their fight. She nodded determined that the other Guardians were fine as the gym collapsed on itself, thanks to Ryohei. So now all she had to do was find Hibari. And she did find him. Just not in the way she expected, and she earned a whack to the back of the head by a tonfa for nearly running him over in her rush.

"H-Hibari-san! That hurt~..." She gingerly rubbed the bump she knew was going to grow in the very place he got her. "Hunh? Hibari-san?" She asked when he did not answer. She pressed her hand on the wobbly boy's uninjured shoulder and frowned when he merely pushed her off to walk towards the Boss fight. She huffed following after his fast walking pace. She paused but hurried on after the prefect as the speakers on the watches turned on and she could hear Squalo explaining the events that led to the cradle affair.

"Your mother didn't care anything and brought you to meet the Ninth Boss…He saw your flame and claimed you as his son…and you believed that declaration without a doubt. You were adopted, and as the Ninth Boss's son your impudence grew. You used your dignity and your power as the son of the Godfather and as his successor and grew to adulthood without anybody daring the risk to challenge you. But, the time came when you found out. That your mother never had a connection to the Ninth Boss. That you had been taken in as the adopted son of the Boss and worst of all, there was a law that stipulated that without the blood of the Vongola, you would never be accepted as the successor. That's around the time that I first met you…I realized it at once….and I decided to follow that rage of yours. Then half a year later…"

"The Cradle Affair." Reborn finished the sentence.

"That's all I know. And it wasn't until after the Cradle Affair that I dug it up…" Squalo confessed.

They arrived just as Tsuna stared over at Xanxus, both on the ground, beaten up but the Varia Boss was covered in his own blood from the Sky ring rejecting him.

Tsuna gritted his teeth. "All crap…You staged a rebellion against the Ninth Boss…and yet he didn't kill you for it…even till the end, hadn't he always treated you with acceptance? He didn't care about bloodlines or the law. He believed in you because you were his son and he treated you like you were his own—"

"Don't make me sick with that unconditional love shit!" Xanxus snarled. "What use is that trash! The only thing I wanted was the seat of the Boss! I only wanted those scumbags to worship and praise me!"

"This guy…" Gokudera stared shell-shocked as the man spit out blood.

"Lord Xanxus! We need to deliberate further on whether or not you are suitable for the rings. "The Cervello claimed swiftly making her way to the kneeling male.

The bloodied Boss roared. "Shut up! If I can't have them then no one's ever going to get them! KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!"

"Lord Xanxus!" The Cervello protested.

"I approve! Way to go Boss! Ushishishi!" Bel turned to Tsuna with his knives glinting.

Mammon nodded next to the Prince. "Back to our original plan then. Very well!"

"How rotten can you assholes get!" Gokudera called standing forefront with the remaining Guardians minus Ashlynn and Hibari standing with him. "You think that I'll just stand back and allow that?"

"Aaa~ But you're all about half-dead, aren't you? Those two as well?" Bel motioned to them and then to the glaring prefect and the high school student who both had their weapons out and ready. "This time we'll do it a hundred percent right~. You're all going to die here. Ushishishi."

Gokudera scowled over his cigarette. "Are you blind or something? You're two against six! Who do you think the odds are favoring right now?"

"Two against six? What are you talking about? The odds are in our favor; you are facing an army ten times greater than this. All fifty members of our inborn Varia squad will be joining us momentarily." The Arcobaleno declared.

"Wh-what!" Ryohei gasped.

Mammon continued on smugly. "They were already on their way here because after our Boss's victory, they were supposed to eliminate the rest of the people here and settle everything. These are our elite, next in battle only to us core members."

"Wait! Wait a minute!" The Cervello gathered together, one of them stepping closer to the Varia Guardians. "We cannot allow any outsiders to interfere in the middle of the battle-!"

"You really think we care!" The Prince grinned savagely digging a knife into the Cervello's stomach and ripped it out, reveling in her scream before she fell bloodied to the dirt.

"So they've finally showed their hand." Shamal cursed over the speakers

Colonello snagged his artillery rifle in front of him. "Since they've shown their true intentions then we will join the battle too, on Tsuna's side! Let us out of here, kora!"

"Do it Cervello!" Dino yelled. "You shouldn't have any objections if they're bringing in outsiders!"

"I shall join the battle as well!" Basil agreed.

The remaining woman nodded jumping out of the way of incoming knives and dodged out of being trapped within the wires, all the while pulling out a remote. "Understood. In that case, the Varia side has been disqualified from the Scramble battles. The infra-red boundary on the observation box will be deactivated immediately."

"Let's go." Dolly growled stalking forward but stopped short when Reborn tugged the bottom of her pants.

He shook his head, Leon transformed as goggles over his eyes. "Wait. It's still activated."

Mammon flew into the air. "How naïve. We sabotaged it before. It was already arranged for you all to die in that jail cell."

"Move, then! I'll blast us out of here, kora!"

"That's useless! It's been constructed to explode internally if you fire from the inside!" The woman warned.

"Then you better get to fixing it, girlie." Dolly glared heatedly up at the giant TV on the school's wall.

"Fuck! You mean we're on our own!" Gokudera glanced around trying to see where these elite members would try to attack from.

"Th- Someone's here!" Chrome pointed towards the gates where two men and one woman in the black uniform of the Varia moved within sight.

"Nice timing~ We've been waiting for you." Bel folded his arms behind his neck.

"Reporting sir!" The man in the middle cried as his two comrades fell to their knees in exhaustion "We are the only ones left! The Varia squad has been taken out! That man is too strong! A demon, and he'll be here soon enou—AUGHHHH!" The man yelled as a giant ball of iron bowled the three over like pins.

"Boujareppa!"

"It's that guy!" Gokudera gasped in recognition.

A chain was in a tightened grip of the dark haired young man who appeared from the school gates.

"Don't be mistaken, Vongola. I didn't come here to help you…I came here to say thank you."

"Lan-Lancia-san!" Tsuna stared in shook at the approaching newcomer.

"Lancia? You mean that 'Lancia'?" Mammon asked.

Bel paused. "Who's he?"

"Lancia," Squalo answered over the speaker. "The strongest and most fearsome man in Northern Italy. The Lancia who murdered his entire Famiglia."

"Fnn, now that he's fighting with his own will instead of being controlled by another, he has no more doubts." Reborn smirked beneath his hat.

"Shishi, well in that case, we should go ahead and finish this off, right?" Bel grinned suddenly launching knives at Tsuna.

They were knocked down however by Yamamoto standing in front of the Boss with Shigure Kintoki drawn. "Sorry, but I can't let you do that!"

"Muu, so it's come down to this." Mammon frowned "Then I'll-!"

Chrome snapped her trident to the dirt beneath her and called forth an arrary of fire pillars to strike and contain the Arcobaleno. "You won't escape again!"

"Hey. We have unfinished business." Hibari called to the blonde Prince with Ashlynn and Ryohei moving to support as Gokudera slid towards Tsuna. The Guardians in their positions pushing the two still able fighting Varia Guardians to stand defensively beside their defeated Boss.

Bel dropped his knives and put his hands up in surrender. "Well, looks like that's it…"

"Boss….it's over…" Mammon landed lightly to the ground.

"Useless scumbags…all of you…" Xanxus choked out, the Vongola ring still on his finger and his body gradually getting weaker because of its rejection. "Fucking shit, Damn you all! ALL OF YOU SHITBAGS! I CURSE YOU TO DEATH!"

"…Lord Xanxus." The Cervello knelt above his head. "Since you have been disqualified you must forfeit the Vongola rings."

"Cer…vello…It's gone…to your wishes…you were…right…You happy now..?" He huffed out a breath.

The woman placed her hand on his cheek. "You say such words, but…we do not have wishes. Nor do we predict anything… Everything was already decided. Your role in this is over Lord Xanxus."

"Haa…You…cunning…fox…" Xanxus replied closing his eyes.

The Cervello did not react to the moniker and re-took possession of the rings and stood up, two other Cervello stepping to her side. "Thank you for doing your part. With this the Scramble battles for the rings is officially over. We will now announce the overall result: Since Lord Xanxus has been disqualified do to the rejection of the Sky ring, the winner of the Sky battle is Lord Sawada Tsunayoshi. Therefore the next successor of the Vongola is Lord Tsunayoshi and his six Guardians."

Reborn tipped his hat. "Well done, everyone. Now we can go home."

Tsuna let out a breath of relief as he moved his gloved hand to his pocket to pull out a small charm and smiled. "E-everyone…we did it…"

Then passed out.

"Juudaime!"

"Tsuna!"


"Juudaime!" Gokudera yelled running to the boy in the front leading the last group to arrive at Takesushi restaurant two days later.

Ashlynn smiled at the almost horrified look Tsuna was giving off when the boy caught sight of the Vongola rings on their hands and the near fearful look he gave to the Sky ring when Reborn presented it to him. The official story that they told Maman and the girls was that they had won the so called Sumo tournament and that the party was to celebrate a flawless victory. And of course they bought it and the fact that the rings were trophies…well, Kurokawa Hana didn't seem too convinced but seemed to let it go since she was invited.

'This is nice though…how light everything is now that the Arc is over…but….' She plopped a piece of sushi in her mouth with her chopsticks thinking back to the conversation she had not a few hours earlier.

"Seanathair." She had greeted the man when she was allowed in the Don's hospital room. The Guard that was standing on watch beside the old man nodded as Timoteo motioned for him to leave the room.

"My dear." He grasped her hands and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. Then smiled, bittersweet, at the new ring on her right hand.

"You're doing better?"

"Another day in bed and a good sleep and I shall be recovered enough to travel back to Italy. "

Ashlynn nodded.

There was a knowing look on the man's face when she did not say anything further. "You knew that I was being held in Mosca."

She nodded again looking down at her hands. "I found…I wanted to change things…I thought maybe I should have given you hints, vague ones, to warn you what was about to happen. I could have let someone, Reborn, know what I knew. I could have tried to find where the Varia was staying and come find you—."

"That would have been a extremely foolish thing to do, Ashlynn. While you have grown exponentially over the year you would not have survived against them on your own."

"…I know…"

"Now, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Things have turned out for the best, My dear."

Ashlynn shrugged. "For now at least and I'm not sure how much time there is until the next Arc. I…sigh…really don't likethis. Hindsight may be twenty-twenty but foresight really sucks without a good course of action or at least an idea of one…I hesitated so many times these past two weeks. Debating on keeping with the events as they were and continue knowing what is to happen or to deviate and be thrown into something I'm not prepared to work with."

"Ashlynn," The old Boss tilted her chin up to look at him. "Life never gives us time to be prepared and sooner or later your knowledge will end with the story. But I will tell you this: I trust your judgment as you are a very level headed person. If you see fit to deviate and that deviation can save lives then do so, if there is some good that you can do, then do that in favor of standing back. I shall not blame you either way." He told her firmly patting her cheek.

"Thank you, Seanathair..."

She laughed as Yamamoto tried to throw his arm around Gokudera in celebration and the bomber scowled throwing it off then exploding in rage when the baseball player wrapped his other arm around Tsuna. 'I want them to keep finding things to be happy for….to keep this light feeling…I'll protect that.'


Boujareppa: Violent snakes fierce conquest!