EDITED: Mar 10/19 (no special changes)

THANK YOU TO: Akayuki Novak. Kuroi Rin. general zargon. sympatheticassassin. vampireharry the 2. Endless Chains. XxShadowfangxX. Dragon God xxx. fireycloud. MissSexyRain. Aaaaaand Zivyx! Thank you all for reviewing!

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WARNING: More Daily life Arc...

x-X-x-X-x

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." - Douglas Adams.

"No. There has to be someone else who can teach her."

"Baka-Tsuna, there's no one else available who could withstand the pressure of her Mist Flames long enough to teach her. Your mother is only growing stronger. If she doesn't get training she may be overwhelmed and go into a coma."

Tsuna was pale as he sat on the floor of his room with Reborn sitting on his pillow. He felt sick to his stomach and he wanted to go destroy a bunch of boulders, or maybe take care of all the garbage in the nearby dump. He could so do it, and nothing but ashes would remain.

"Sh-Shamal is the only one with a Mist Flame strong enough?"

"The only one available. Make me repeat myself once more and it's a dance lesson for you."

Tsuna slumped againt his desk chair and swallowed hard. "If you could do me the favor of... of shooting him in the crotch after she's trained should he touch her in any way, I would be eternally grateful."

Reborn cocked gun-Leon with a serious expression. "There isn't a power on earth that could keep me from shooting him dead if he tried anything on your mother, and he will know that."

Just like that all the tension making the young future boss shake bled away, and privately Reborn was pleased by how much trust the boy must hold in him. Made training him easier (to a certain degree). Tsuna looked up with a heartfelt smile and left to go tell his madre that she was going to be taught how to use her Mist Flame, and Reborn then called up Shamal.

"What is it now? I was scoring this gorgeous signora!"

"Tsuna's mother is a powerful Mist that needs to be trained for her own good."

"She beautiful?"

"Think Tsuna in drag only matured."

A perverted giggle over the other line made the Arcobaleno frown. "Now think carefully before you come here. Tsuna is the future Decimo and he was powerful on his own without training from me. He has a vindictive streak when it comes to defending his Famiglia. Do you really want to go getting on the wrong side of him? He may hold a grudge until well into his career as the Vongola boss, and you will never see it coming." Reborn let that and the fact that he was speaking seriously sink in. "Then there's me. We're both protective of Nana. Tsuna wanted me to shoot you in the nuts if you so much as touched her, and I promised that no force on Earth could keep me from shooting you dead. Through necessity I am no longer a part of the Vongola, so joining the Varia won't do a thing to hinder me."

Shaky breathing and a wheeze on the other end made Reborn grin. "Good, we have an understanding. Be here yesterday, got it?"

"F-fine, Satan."

Five minutes later Tsuna, who had been seated with Fuuta and Lambo watching a cartoon, got up to answer the door and immediately scowled at the sight of the tall doctor.

"Touch her wrong and you won't have the plumbing necessary for pleasuring anyone."

Shamal swallowed at the snarl on the boy's face and the near physical presence he possesed right then. What happened to the timid, adorable girl he saw yesterday? Was Reborn giving the kid acting lessons?! He was creating a monster, a tiny and terrifying little beast that sent Shamal's heart skipping from 'caution' (because the great Shamal cannot be terrified of children).

"No problem, brat. Move aside so I can get this favor for Reborn over and done with. Then I won't have to deal with the likes of you ever again."

Tsuna allowed the doctor inside and then went to Lambo and Fuuta as the man walked off in search of Nana. He knelt down in front of the kids and had his most serious face on. Fuuta straightened up and Lambo didn't like the expression at all. Where was his smiling almost-papa?

"Boys, I need help protecting my mom. There's a doctor here right now called Shamal who is... not completely good. I want you two watching him to protect her from bad touches, but don't be scared. He only likes girls."

Fuuta's frowned. "Why is this Shamal even here then, papa?"

"Because mia madre has a power that needs to be trained, if not she could get sick and never wake up."

"Waaah! Z-z-zia[aunty] can't die!" Lambo threw himself at Tsuna and started crying.

Tsuna cradled the kid close with a little smile and patted his back. "And she won't. Shamal will have to deal with me and Reborn if he touches her, but I don't trust the doctor one bit. That's why I want both your help. I'll pay you in chocolate and grape candy."

"Candy! Candycandycandycandy!" Lambo launched himself off Tsuna and started jumping on the couch. "Lambo-san will protect zia with his all!"

"I will too! Papa and zia do enough, it's my turn to protect!"

. . .

An exhausting but not really notable week later school was back in session and Tsuna, against his wishes, was nominated to be the Pole Knocking Team's representative in the Sports Festival that was coming up.

Even with Takeshi, Gokudera and his other friends in the room Tsuna still tensed up and became quite nervous under the cold and scrutinizing stares of the other students in the room and he couldn't stutter out a refusal. Deciding he couldn't screw everything up to total hell he had bitten his lip and nodded his agreement. As though his consent would have mattered anyway. On his way home he was quiet and trying to talk himself into not being so nervous he makes himself No-Good by default.

Haru was met on the way and the strange girl was on a telephone pole mimicking the Pole-Knocking Pose! Tsuna had to catch her, which lead to her asking if there was anything she could do for him so he, not really wanting anything from her, suggested she cheer him on the next day*.

A few minutes later Tsuna was found and dragged off for Pole-Knocking Training by Reborn. It actually went well until Gokudera lit a cigarette and got into a fight with Ryohei over smoking, then Tsuna fell into the cold river and crawled out soaked to the bone. He refused to undress in front of everyone and hurried home to soak in a hot bath, drink several mugs of honey sweetened green tea, and then eat three oranges and some kiwi. He really didn't want to get sick. While it rarely ever happened it made use of his Lightning all but impossible outside his body, and what about his Sky?

Tsuna awoke the next day with a stuffy nose, a sore throat and little pains all over.

"Crap," came his stuffed-up sounding voice. "Of course I get sick the day before. Why not? It wouldn't be an average week if something beyond my power to help with happens to me..."

Tsuna got dressed, washed his face, and grabbed a pack of several months old fruit flavored throat lozenges and shuffled down the stairs. He knew his face was flushed and he even felt weak as he ambled into the kitchen and gawked at the sight of Hana, Kyoko, his madre, Bianchi (shudder), and none other than a cheerful Haru puttering around the space and putting together food.

Contrary to what he wanted to do, Tsuna slumped and went along with everything as all the girls and his mother packed up food and drink and sent him off. He almost didn't get to grab his motrin before getting pushed out the door, and forget having breakfast. With a sigh and a small smile Tsuna went to the market to get some salmon onigiri, a snack pack of vegetables and a bottle of orange juice. By the time he made it to school he felt marginally better and bumped into Takeshi who grinned and tucked Tsuna close under his arm as they walked to class. The swordsman talked about this anime he'd discovered and that his favorite character was Roronoa Zoro.

The sports competition wasn't easy for Tsuna. Fevered and with a headache since some dickbag stole his motrin from his locker at lunch, Tsuna opted not to do his best until the Pole-Knocking Competition and got fourth place in Pogo Jumping, then he had to grab and pull Ryohei and Gokudera's ears to keep them from fighting (as he usually did this to Lambo when he got too out of hand and needed a time out). Reborn pulled a stunt and got damn near every student hating Tsuna by framing him for other group leaders being attacked.

At lunch there was a lot of dark glares directed at Tsuna's group and the boy, aside from squinting at Reborn, ignored them and hid a smile when Bianchi knocked out a bunch of perverted boys with some tainted chocolate. Sure, he was somewhat freaked out internally but he knew she wasn't crazy enough to kill so openly, and he knew for a fact that Reborn talked to her about only dealing with mafioso after Fuuta. Maybe he was absorbing some of his tutor's evil.

After the leader of Team A was poisoned the competition devolved into an A versus B Deathmatch of a kind and Tsuna was caught between being in awe of the total chaos Reborn could create with a few well placed moves, and horror at being the center of attention. Tsuna rightfully blamed 'Pao-sensei' and questioned why he trusted the crazy 'infant' when the little bastard made it so he and someone else was the 'main attraction' in the last match of the Sports Competition.

Everything only grew crazier when it was HIBARI who stepped up to fight Tsuna with a smirk. "If you don't put up a good fight, Anaguma, I will have to bite you bloody."

"D-don't speak so morbidly when you're grinning like that! You look diabolical!"

Hibari's smirk sharpened and Tsuna swallowed a whimper. Looking over at the judges, who were the students known as Most Reliable and with Greatest Grades, set the boy at ease slightly since Hana was there to ensure unbiased judgement.

The Pole-Knocking Match involved several dozen students trying to knock Tsuna from the ground. The Sky felt a tingle of Intuition and it sent a cool shiver through him. The worst thing wasn't losing, it was getting hit with a Dying Will Bullet to ensure a win, and that damn bullet might strip him out of his clothes, and this more than anything at that moment triggered his Flames. Unlike the homey kind of warm static of his hybrid it was pure, hot Sky that flooded him.

Thus, Tsuna spent ten minutes wobbling on the shaking pole and kicking and throwing others off with minimal Sky reinforcing his body before he called out directions to Ryohei and asked him to knock down Hibari's pole. The Sun user was physically stronger than pretty much all the students on the ground, fitting since he's the only other tank the Decimo knows, and so Tsuna needed Takeshi and Gokudera to remain with him to watch his back. In the end Ryohei powered through the throng of students to slam into the pole Hibari perched on and Tsuna was also knocked off his when one of the larger sumo-type students came along and did the same as as the boxer. Tsuna and Hibari both hit the ground at the exact same time.

Of course, no amount of shouting from the judges (Hana) stopped Tsuna from getting mobbed by students who had been filled by a whole lot of anger courtesy of Reborn.

"That is it!" Tsuna, after getting hit in the face three times for his reluctance to use Nobu's teachings on average students, snapped because someone had torn his shirt open. "I can only take so much from all you assholes!"

Tsuna became a whirlwind of movement and a great number of students in a ring around him fell unconscious or took off running with squeaks of alarm or yells of pain. In the middle of the mass of students laying about stood Tsuna, shirt ripped wide open and exposing the scars he absolutely hates on top of a swollen cheek, swelling eye and a bleeding nose. As he calmed down and began to realize that he'd gone and shown the students that he himself was a bit of a monster.

(From that day forward the smarter bullies left Tsuna in peace and his school life became easier now that his senses weren't on constant high alert in school. Few wanted to mess with the Junior Demon who took down twenty-six students in half a minute.)

There was absolute silence in the area and Tsuna turned to stone as he realized hundreds of eyes were settled directly on him. As his breathing began quickening and his head became swimmy, Takeshi, Gokudera, Hana and the rest of his main 'pack' came rushing over. Hana made sure to step on several crotches and faces as she 'delicately picked her way over' the bodies because Gokudera, who had snatched it from Hana along the way, already wrapped a towel around the short Sky. As he was about to thank the bomber Lambo, Fuuta and his madre swarmed him with Reborn sitting on Fuuta's head, and in moments Tsuna found himself removed from the area that was still threatening to send him into a panic attack.

(Meanwhile, Haru took offense to all the students beating up Tsuna and kicked the meanest looking one in the side before proceeding to fuss over him with Kyoko and Nana.)

Since Nana had driven to the school in order to properly transport lunch for all of Tsuna's friends she could drive her boy and her other 'daughters and sons' home. After bidding each friend a good day Tsuna was quiet on the drive home while Reborn sat on the boy's shoulder instead of in Bianchi's lap. The Arcobaleno made some observations and put together a theory that he planned to lay on his student soon.

Recently the normal evening routine consisted of wrangling Lambo into having a bath with Fuuta before the children brushed their teeth for bed. Tsuna then would read them both a few children's stories or recycle tales he has read or watched, and then he would make himself a strong chamomile and green tea with plenty of honey, kiss his mother good night and do his homework right before dropping into the blissful darkness of sleep.

Reborn saw fit to disrupt his sleep by jumping onto his students belly and pulling a muffled shriek of surprise from him.

"R-Reborn! What's wrong? Did I make a mistake on my homework?"

The Arcobaleno settled on Tsuna's stomach and pointed a Leon-ruler at his face. "No, you showed your work and answered properly. What I want to talk to you about is the way you froze in front of the student body after revealing that you can, in fact, fight more than competently."

Tsuna shuddered slightly and looked to the side as he contemplated answering with the truth. Leon-ruler slapped his chest and he meeped. Truth it is.

"Um...I-I liked not being noticed. I liked that I was no different from anyone else, aside from being so lame all the time..." Tsuna turned his eyes back to Reborn and forced himself to keep talking. "I... don't want anyone being scared of me like they are of Hibari or Gokudera. I'd rather be invisible than that."

Reborn poked Tsuna hard in the forehead. "They all have terrible memories, I'm sure they'll forget the incident somewhere down the road and be back to treating you like dirt. What I want to say is this: home is your territory. School is your Cloud's territory, right?"

"Y-yes."

"Why are you so uneasy and incapable of concentrating in Hibari's direct territory? Don't you trust him? If anything the only other place aside from home that you should feel most at ease is school where you know Hibari normally dwells. Nothing can hurt you unless you let it."

Tsuna blinked and his mind raced. A minute passed and Tsuna pulled his pillow over head to smother himself and muffle his voice. "How could I not come up with that myself?"

"You're Baka-Tsuna."

"... True... And the only people who should matter... they're in my group. They're my friends." Tsuna's smile was soft and warm as he looked at his ceiling and imagined their faces with perfect clarity. "The teachers who can't see me for me, the students to try to tear me down, they're all nothing to me. I don't... have to be scared like I have been."

Reborn slapped his student across the forehead with the ruler, making him flinch with a squeak, and gave him a smirk. "For being so slow I'll have you do double the training."

"Ugh... no reprieve, huh?"

"Not if you want to bring the Vongola back to its roots."

Tsuna pondered whether he should ask. "Wh-while we're on the subject, what... might that be?"

"Well, since I have waited until a moment of inconvenience for you, I might as well say it now."

Tsuna flipped over and buried his head under his pillow, barely twitching when Reborn jumped up and sat on his behind. It wasn't the weirdest thing that "baby" has done and nor would it be the last.

"For being such a twig you have a soft butt, Tsumi-chan."

Tsuna blushed and shifted to sit up as he muttered all the curses he knew in other languages, then sat on his hands to keep from waving his middle finger.

Being told about the Vongola's origin was eye-opening. In the end Reborn even had Leon morph into a small version of a large portrait in one of the Vongola HQ's treasure rooms (multiple!?), and seeing how some of Tsuna's friends resemble past Guardian's was surprising and a bit amusing. Amusing, that is, until he noticed that the Primo, Giotto, looked like an older, blond and golden-orange eyed version of himself.

"... Wow. This is weird."

"The resemblance is uncanny, I know. The room this painting is in is actually locked but not forbidden from entering. I got in through the small vents."

Tsuna stared at his tutor. "You're a species all your own, aren't you?"

"Did you ever doubt?"

"Ehe... Nope. So, what does this mean for me and my friends?"

"You keep working hard to become the strongest in order to change the Vongola."

"Ah..." Tsuna curled up on his side under the covers. "Okay, well... I'm going to sleep now. G'night."

Reborn hopped onto the windowsill to look outside. Several minutes later Tsuna sat up with a frown. "I never did ask, how did the... informing the Nono that you're resigning from his mafia thing go?"

"Better than expected. The old man is smart as he is foolish, he must have had an idea of what sacrifices would be needed in order for me to train you up properly. He sent me here knowing that it was unavoidable that I would choose training you over being a part of the Vongola."

"Hm... what if... what if the Vongola decide that I'm not fit for their Famiglia, and it's better to just kill me off? Or... or worse, break me so I become what they want." In the weak moonlight Tsuna appeared to be shaking and seconds from bolting, probably to one of his kids or his mother to check on them. "As the b-bloodiest, darkest group that has to be an option for them, they wouldn't want a bleeding heart on the throne."

Reborn frowned. His student wasn't overly paranoid but he did tend to overthink things at times. The boy knew he was chosen because he was the last remaining viable candidate for the Vongola line; that he still thought he was perfectly disposable was cause for some mild concern. The hitman had thought he was helping his student to be more confident, to trust more. There had to be dozens of other worries bouncing around the massive nest of hair, it's a wonder how the boy even managed to sleep at night without more than his tonfa well within reach.

With a sigh Reborn left his perch and jumped onto his students shoulder. "Let me say this once more, and if you keep questioning it you'll wish you were dead after the training I put you through." Tsuna nodded nervously. "As the last possible candidate by blood you are the last hope for keeping the Vongola alive and in power. None but traitors or the insane would think to spill your blood, and if anyone came here thinking to break you in the way you're thinking you should realize that I don't like anyone messing with my toys. I'll slaughter anyone who tries it. What's more, the Vongola has been protecting you from threats outside of Japan for months now."

Being called Reborn's toy wasn't surprising, but Tsuna's Intuition pinged a soft flare of warmth at that declaration and he figured it was Reborn's way of saying he cares.

The Decimo relaxed a bit. "R-right. Sorry, it's just..."

"Mamma, Fuuta, and the cow-monster."

"Yeah... I can take getting hurt, I'm used to pain, but I won't have them hurt anyone I care for."

"Now that your pointless fear has been put to rest it's time to to sleep." Reborn waved hammer-Leon. "Unless you need help?"

"Ah! N-no! Good night!"

. . .

Days later Tsuna awoke to some strange rummaging sounds and found a strange man going through his stuff. Tsuna first yelped before lurching up and swinging what he first thought was his tonfa because he was only half awake, and when the weapon swung toward the man there came a bang and Tsuna screamed before backing up as the man toppled face down on the floor. He wasn't moving and there was a puddle of red spreading from him. It was a long ten minutes before Tsuna broke free of his horrified stupor.

"F-f-f-fuck!" Tsuna flailed and ran around for a minute before literally slapping himself, locking his door, and turning over the body. The patch of red was directly over his heart and Tsuna's own began speeding up to a dizzying degree. Multiple dirty words in multiple languages filled his bedroom for several minutes before he dove for his desk to snatch the phone from its charger. His fingers shook and it took another long minute for him to dial up properly.

"H-H-Hibari? I-I'm s-sorry for calling so early, it's j-just I've g-got a s-s-situation... I c-can't stop st-st-stuttering! I killed a m-man!" ... "Yes, I'm sure he's dead!" ... "F-fine, let me check again... Not breathing. P-pale. Eyes b-blank and open..." Tsuna whimpered when he heard no thump-thump. "N-n-no heartb-beat..."

"I will dispose of the body, Anaguma."

Tsuna slumped from relief. "Th-thank you, Hibari. I owe you!"

"Hn." Click.

Four minutes later Haru somehow opened his locked bedroom door with a big bento in her arms and found Tsuna crying quietly on his bed. Worried, she quickly shut the door and only then noticed the bloody body on the floor. "Hahi!? Tsuna-san, what did you do!? Why? How?"

"Um... woke up... t-to this guy looming over m-me and... I always sleep with my tonfa nearby! Rebo-s-someone! Someone put a gun in my hand! I... it was an accident, Haru-san!"

The pale and shaking girl glanced from her friend and the body before calling up some courage from deep inside and rushing over the body to sit with him on his bed. "It's accidental, and it was self-defence, Tsuna-san. You can't be convicted, I'm sure! You're also a minor!"

Tsuna relaxed a bit and nodded, feeling sick to his stomach. This only worsened when he heard this come from the window:

"Sword freak! Juudaime needs to eat more than your damn sushi for breakfast!"

"Maa, Gokudera that's just mean. I bought an orange and milk for him before I met up with you."

"Cheh, fine. I'm blowing you up if he doesn't like the food!"

"Ahaha! Tsuna always loves the sushi and onigiri I make!"

"Tch..."

Both girl and Decimo were freaking out to varying degrees, with Haru hugging a pillow and rocking herself, and Tsuna twisting (and tearing) the fabric of his big sleep shirt with the look of a condemned soul. Both middle schoolers jumped and the girl reflexively tossed the pillow at the first person who entered- which was Gokudera- and shrieked in surprise.

"Gah! Who the fuck- you crazy broad! What are you doing in..." Both bomber and swordsman stared at the bloody body on the floor with a blank face. "Juudaime, why is there a corpse on your floor?"

Tsuna's mouth wouldn't work this time and he ducked his head with a strangled noise of distess. Takeshi immediately hurried to his side as Gokudera, who had the most experience investgating corpses, went to check the body and grudgingly trusted the dumbass swordsman to care for the Sky.

"Tsuna, what happened?" Takeshi had his arm wrapped around Tsuna's shoulder in a firm side hug. "You're okay, right?"

"Yeah, I'm ph-physically fine. I-I woke up a-and he was there, l-looming over me! I tried to hit him with my tonfa but... someone placed a gun where my weapons usually are a-and I..." Tsuna shuddered and rubbed his temples. "K-killed a man. I d-don't know what to do..."

Gokudera frowned. "How long has he been dead?"

"Around twenty minutes... I th-think."

Crouching by the corpe's head and eyeing the body over, something gave Gokudera a niggling feeling so he stuck his cigarette close to the man's face. "You, if you're alive ya better move. If not I have no problem shoving this lit cigarette into a dead-man's eye."

There! A big twitch! "Juudaime! He's-!"

A dark figure sailed through the open window and there stood Hibari. He cast a look of disgust at how crowded his Anaguma's room was, but when he saw the supposed corpse slap away the cigarette centimeters away from his eye, the prefect narrowed his own. Anyone knowing him knew this was a look to run from, so Tsuna asked Gokudera and Takeshi to escort Haru out of his room and to wait downstairs for him. Both reluctantly did quickly enough, and Tsuna stood to the side with his golden tonfa in hand as something of a security blanket.

"Who are you?" Hibari's voice was low and cold. "You invade territory not yours and terrorize my naive and stupid Anaguma. Who sent you?"

Behind him Tsuna face-palmed and groaned softly. In his hidey-hole the Arcobaleno would have cackled up a storm if he'd had less self-control.

"This is Moretti, he's a pro at being assassinated." Tsuna and Hibari turned to look up at where the hitman left a section of wall above his bookshelf, then the wall reformed and looked totally normal. Tsuna grumbled in Italian and hid his face and Hibari simple leveled a deadpan look on the baby as he continued speaking. "Moretti can use a technique called Addio to stop his heart at will to achieve a state of apparent death."

"Let me guess... he's a tricky Vongola member?"

"That's right. The Nono has allowed me to use some of the Famiglia's resources to train you but I still have the say in how you're trained. Don't get huffy, Baka-Tsuna. The old man knows that if you are to succeed the Vongola he has to step back and stay out of your life as much as possible."

Hibari had a look of interest at the tone of sheer loathing- and was that rage?- that Tsuna had used. Honestly hating someone was a new side to his little carnivore.

"So... you orchestrated all this just to test how I would react if I killed someone?"

"Obviously. You also did well enough, Baka-Tsuna. You eventually called the most influential person you know and trust, and trust is something you still have to work on. I actually expected more panic and floundering."

Tsuna hung his head. "I miss Nobu-sensei... At least he was straight-forward with his crazy training schemes."

Hibari tugged on Tsuna's hair. "Anaguma, you fight me later today."

It was a Thursday but Tsuna felt he needed to let off some steam so he nodded at the Cloud user. "Gladly."

. . .

For the 31 days that Shamal taught Nana to use her Mist with skill and imagination, Tsuna came home from training and group-bond strengthening trials under Reborn to find reports on his desk written in crayon and colored pencil. No doubt it was Fuuta who suggested it, and Lambo probably thought it would get him more candy if he started emulating Fuuta. To reinforce that Tsuna told Lambo he was proud of him for helping Fuuta and listening to him, and gave him three pieces more candy than usual. Reborn said it was like training a dog, you reward for new tricks, and privately Tsuna was of the same mind.

Coincidentally the 31st day of his madre's training landed on a Tuesday and it was one of those days where Hibari ordered Tsuna's pack to come later because he didn't want to deal with their crowding, and so the prefect lead a quietly amused Tsuna home. Tsuna went ahead of Hibari only as they made it to the front step, and while the drawn curtains were peculiar the Sky trusted his Intuition saying nothing was wrong, and he opened the front door only to squeak in alarm at what he saw and register the cool, soothing presence of his mother's Mist Flames.

Before Tsuna could take a step forward Hibari had shoved him to the side and into a lilac bush before stalking through the door. Thinking on it, Tsuna decided that Hibari thought that Anaguma territory was also his to protect. That or the strange prefect decided Tsuna was his property-slash-territory to protect (at certain times, perhaps?). The former was far more likely as there was only one place to get his madre's out-of-this-world food.

What Tsuna opened the door to see was his home transformed into a tropical looking paradise, one he found filled with bird song and the sweet smells of mango, pineapple and the green, wild smell of nature as he entered the illusion. Following after Hibari brought him directly into warm air that caressed his cheeks and brushed through his hair, and as he took off his shoes and socks just to check, he found that the fine white sand making up the floor really was soft and felt warmed by sunlight. Right as he made to walk further in he heard a burst of children's laughter and his mother's soft giggling.

A quiet Hibari-grunt answered and the prefect appeared through an obscured doorway where he had to push aside heavy, waxy green leaves, and promptly yanked Tsuna in by the wrist. His mother was sitting there on a couch made of soft looking moss and smiling in delight as Fuuta, Lambo and even Piero splashed in what looked like a large stone pool in the middle of the living room. Tsuna's jaw dropped as he actually felt cool water hit him when Lambo splashed in his direction.

Hibari glanced around and settled his gaze on Tsuna's gobsmacked face and softly mirked. Privately he found the Mazakuma's illusion to be beautiful and a work of art. He kept his 'Wao' inside and promptly shoved Tsuna into the stone pool. His Anaguma face planted in the shallow water and popped back up, looking soaked and once more surprised.

"Madre, this is amazing! You learned to do this in a month, that's... beyond amazing, that's incredible."

Nana blushed and looked toward Hibari with glowing indigo eyes warm with happiness and to the prefect's surprise a gorgeous black and blue bird with generous, shimmering tail plummage appeared and flew to sit on his shoulder. Hibari's eyes widened slightly when he felt the bird's warm head nuzzle his cheek and trill sweetly. It was remarkably detailed and though he knew it wasn't real it was still enjoyable.

Tsuna couldn't be prouder of his mother, not unless she went and decked Iemitsu for abandoning them for so many years. A guy could dream.

OMAKE

Morning Tea and Hysterical Sky's

Every early morning Kyoya would leave his quarters and find the living room smelling delcious due to matcha tea, wagashi, and a simple but tasty breakfast. One of the few meals his mother could make without obsessing over the ingredients and messing up anyway.

Kyoya grew up being able to tell his mother everything and trust in that she never judged him unfairly, and always gave sound and unbiased advice. When he told her of the Momonga-turned-Anaguma that he had claimed as his own she had asked about him, smiled when he described Tsuna as a small and fluffy creature with the beginnings of formidable fangs, and simply said that he has to look after what he claims as his. Years later when he said that he enjoyed touching Tsuna, something he would only ever admit to her, she had brightened like the sun and said gender did not matter as long as there is a connection between him and his Anaguma, and then she went on to say that he should be careful and wait for his chance to physically show the boy his interest.

When Kyoya, trusting his intelligent mother to not breathe a word about it to anyone, told her about his Anaguma and the violent future he had as the boss of a brutal mafia, she had gone quiet and thoughtful before speaking ten minutes later.

"My Mozu-kun, Tsuna is your Sky and you are his Cloud. This is a connection that does not mean control over one or the other, it means that your Cloud Flames have Harmonized with your Anaguma's Sky." Hibari Mitsuko had a sad and broken smile on her face as she picked apart a wagashi cake. "If you die he will feel the loss like his heart being shredded, and if he dies you will feel a backlash of similar pain that varies according to your own feelings for him."

Kyoya was patient as he sipped his tea and nibbled on sweet cakes.

"Being a part of a Mafia is a very challenging life choice, and from what you have told me of Tsuna, he won't stand for being the boss of a Vongola that continues to climb in power while crushing the competition into bloody matter."

"He would choose the trickier path," said Hibari, thinking back on how Tsuna looked broken often times after his brutal training with the powerful man named Nobu. "And out of his pack he is the only true carnivore. He will need a monster." Kyoya watched wind chimes clink and twist in the wind outside the open tea room window. "If I'm feeling generous I will protect him when his pack fails him."

Mitsuko grinned and sweetly said she was proud of him for being a man of his word and following logical rules to "claiming" someone, as she pointed him to years earlier.

One morning tea time with his mother was interrupted by a call. His own pack of subordinates knew it was a tonfa to the shoulder if they interrupted this for anything less than some fool trying to destroy a part of his family's territory (see: entire town). His surprise came out as a narrowing of his eyes when he saw it was his Anaguma calling. He was further surprised to hear that fluffy little Tsuna had shot a man dead and was absolutely hysterical, voice cracked and seconds from full out sobbing. Kyoya exercised patience and pointed out things for him to check on and when the death was confirmed Hibari stated he would dispose of the body.

Mitsuko looked strangely sad and wistful when he glanced at his mother. "Ah, the first kill. It can really mess someone up, you may want to take the time to calm him down and reassure him that he could slaughter a building full of criminals and you would not turn your back on him."

Kyoya thought for a moment. How would he feel if his Anaguma became a vigilante killing criminals? Hm... No different, the fanged bunny would still be his and nothing will change that.

x-X-x-X-x

* Tsuna's inability to be perfectly on part with prefixes is partly my fault and partly because emotions get the better of him and he forgets that he should use them. :D

This chapter feels slow and kind of awkward to me and I can't put my finger on it. Despite that I included what I wanted and I know I'm going to have to start changing things more (like, passed the latest chapters where I have kicked canon in the nuts and then some).

I really don't say this often enough, but I appreciate that people take the time to read my silly little fic and when some of those who enjoyed it take the time to leave me a comment or a review, that makes me feel like I've been spinning on my spinny chair for half an hour and some of you will know what that feels like! Especially when I tilt my head and get this tickle-y vertigo feeling.

Um, anyway. Being a dork aside, thank you very much for reading.