"Kiyo-chan, what happened to you?!" said Giotto in alarm.

Her eyes were almost dead, and she looked like an almost walking bruise.

"Hibari-sempai busted me coming out of the well. He took the fact I've been learning kick boxing from Knuckle as an excuse to 'play' with me twice a week," she said flatly. "On an unrelated note, quite a few of my teachers had a rather unhappy run in with him after I gave him a recording of half the comments they made about me or my mother during class."

Nezu-sensei had been outright fired for his behavior and the fact that he couldn't bribe his way through an unexpected assessment from teachers outside of Namimori. Then the parents learned he had lied about graduating from a top college and that he had barely known enough about his subject to properly teach it on top of the comments... he was lucky Hibari had merely beaten the crap out of him.

So far the entire teaching staff was being quietly investigated by people who knew what they were doing. It wasn't looking good for the school, but there was high hopes that they would have competent teachers next year.

That didn't stop Hibari from playing with her, though he at least pulled back his strength enough that he merely left her a walking bruise as opposed to breaking bones.

He acknowledged she was only now starting to move away from the skittish small animal into a proper omnivore, in his words.

Tsukiyo was just glad Knuckle was so good at healing... at least he was able to heal over most of the bruising when she visited. She was still sore as hell though.

Giotto fussed over her for an hour before she snapped. To be fair, it was that time of the month and she was already crabby from the bruising.

Seeing his wide-eyed expression, G couldn't help the laughter in his voice as his boss proceeded to whine about his little sister didn't love him anymore.

"Ieyasu, shut up. Clearly the kitten is tired and dealing with the same issue that made Elena nearly bite Daemon's head off at least once a month," said Alaude when his patience ran thin.

Tsukiyo snorted.

"At this point I'm glad I already had that particular 'talk' because I really don't want to see how you lot would stumble through it," she snarked. Her mood improved at the collective wince from every man in the room at that.

Giotto still fussed over her, though at least he gave her some space...in between helping her learn how to control and use her Sky flames correctly. It seemed that like him, the focus that suited her best were a pair of gauntlets.

Considering he rarely needed to fight using his Flames anymore (and the rare times he did he used a minor Sky ring), he fully planned to give her his pair once she could consistently use her Flames for longer than an hour without passing out. Fortunately the Vongola Sky Ring happened to like her enough that she could use his gloves.

She was still having trouble with Hyper Dying Will mode, but at least using her Flames came somewhat naturally to her.

Tsukiyo returned home and just wanted to sleep for a week.

It was hard to tell what caused it to happen, but the second it did she had known exactly what to do. They were sparring as usual on the rooftop when something in Kyouya...after the first time she was able to hold her own for five minutes without him holding his strength entirely back to 'herbivore' levels he had permitted her to call him Kyouya in private... clicked into place and his tonfas became positively covered in violet with thick indigo colored flames. More to the point his eyes, which were normally a steel-colored gray shifted to a deep violet color.

He stared at his weapons with some confusion and for some reason, disgust.

"Kyouya, calm down," she said soothingly. "The flames won't hurt you."

Kyouya's eyes swiftly went right to her own, realization dawning.

"You know what these are."

She nodded.

"You're a Cloud...and if I remember the explanation I was given you have a strong Mist secondary. The purple flame allows you to multiply things... such as your natural strength or links of a chain for instance, while the dark blue one allows you to create things so long as you believe that they are real."

Kyouya looked at the Flames with new interest.

"What about red?"

"Storm, I think. It acts like acid and disintegrates things."

"Where did you learn all this?"

"Ieyasu-nii and his friends have been teaching me," said Tsukiyo, and her hand became wreathed in pure orange fire. "I have what's called a 'Sky' Flame, which is basically a sort of glue for the others. They call it Harmony."

Something in Kyouya began to purr when she brought out the orange flame. That same feeling also began to sing MINE it only got stronger the closer he walked to her.

That feeling didn't quite go away when she let it drop, but it wasn't as strong.

An odd sense of exhaustion filled him when his own fires disappeared.

"It's normal for those who just went Active to feel tired once the flames disappear. If you want I can see if Alaude can give me some control exercises for you to play around with."

Kyouya looked pleased at that, especially since it meant having less contact with someone he would rather not admit being related to. Strong or not, that man was very annoying and he disliked the fact that the midget allowed fake carnivores far weaker than he was to control him.

Tsukiyo came back two days later armed with a notebook filled with slightly archaic but still legible kanji that explained Cloud Flames and what could be done with it. It also gave some 'basic Flame exercises' in a way that appealed to him and how to recognize a harmony bond and what it meant.

There was quite a bit of detail about how Guardians acted which included a list of 'habits' that generally occurred with new Guardians, such as needing to stick close to one another until the bond properly settled and being very overprotective to the 'Sky'.

When Kyouya realized he showed several of the 'habits' that the notebook warned him about, he immediately went to find the omnivore.

Tsukiyo smiled at him, and allowed her Flames to come out...and after a moment he brought out his own with minimal difficulty. Seeing the two mesh and a feeling of 'home' and belonging fill him allowed some of the tension he hadn't known existed until that point to relax.

"Mine," declared Kyouya, not even caring that the kitten was threading her hands through his hair. He would deny leaning into her touch and they sat back against the wall.

He was a lone wolf... but he could acknowledge the need for a 'pack' to help protect the territory. And at least the omnivore wasn't afraid to get hurt so long as it was done in the name of getting stronger.

Tsukiyo not only acknowledged his strength, but she never bothered him over the little things. She only got him involved when she was in over her head and couldn't find a way to deal with it herself. More importantly any fear she had of him died a quick death when she started cussing him out in multiple languages no less after a training session.

It was nice to be appreciated, even if he drudged up his knowledge of Chinese to give as good as she got.

There was a reason why the first thing anyone ever learned of a foreign language was how to swear.

The first visit Fon had made to Namimori in two years did not go at all like how he planned.

He had come to see Kyouya, only to find the boy not only Flame Active, but practicing with his Cloud and to a lesser extent his Mist flames with an ease that only came of regular use. This would be interesting enough...had it not been for the fact that he could also clearly sense a Guardian bond among those Flames, naturally formed.

Naturally this was both alarming and a relief. Alarming because now that he was Active Kyouya made an even bigger target... Clouds were notoriously rare for a reason, and relieved because it meant that the boy might actually live to see past his teenage years depending on what sort of Sky he had bonded to.

Rather than announce his presence as he usually did, Fon chose to watch from afar and find out who Kyouya's Sky was.

What he expected to find and what he got were so different that it was laughable.

The girl was tiny, more like a kitten really, and was clearly only just starting to develop a competence in hand to hand fighting. She was just barely above intermediate level in skill, and was openly cursing Kyouya out in different languages during their sparring practice. Kyouya, he noted with some interest, was only just holding back his full strength to avoid breaking anything. However there were more than a few bruises on the girl who took it all with minimal complaint.

Fon only just dodged the tonfa thrown at him, which he easily caught.

"Annoying carnivore."

"Kyouya," said Fon evenly. "Do you mind if I talk with your...playmate... for a moment?"

He noted the immediate reaction to that request. Kyouya's instincts as a Guardian were strong and he moved to a more defensive position against a potential threat. However it was very clear that he also believed his Sky strong enough to at least hold her own without him having to do all the heavy lifting.

"Kyouya, it's fine. Perhaps it would be better if we talked here in the open."

Kyouya's aura wavered slightly before settling immediately when she lightly put her hand on his arm...without even the hint of Flames. He was still dealing with the side effects of a recent Guardian bond then. Which meant he would be extra protective of the girl if he even thought she was being threatened. By having this chat in Kyouya's territory, she was allowing him to drift while still keeping her within range of his protection.

"To start with, what do you know of Flames?" asked Fon bluntly.

"The seven most 'common' types are know as the Flames of the Sky. They are Storm, Sky, Sun, Lightning, Rain, Mist and Cloud. Their properties are Disintegration, Harmony, Activation, Hardening, Tranquility, Creation, and Propagation. Kyouya is a Cloud with a strong Mist secondary so he can multiply things such as his own strength or a chain's links, and with some practice create illusions purely with his own imagination...considering his habits he's more likely to have success sending carnivores like panthers and tigers at his enemies or turning the place into a jungle or something," said Tsukiyo immediately. "Or possibly create a wolf pack."

Fon didn't bother trying to fight the grin he had at that comment. It was so true. And she had more or less hit the gist of what Kyouya could do, while leaving it wide open to interpretation.

"I'm guessing from the fact you have a preference for red that you're a Storm, right?" she continued. He nodded. "That means you can turn things to ash or melt them like acid."

Fon was rather pleased he didn't have to explain about Flames, though she had barely made a dip in a very extensive subject.

"So if I were to say Omerta..." started Fon.

"Vindice," said Tsukiyo with a moment's hesitation. "Though I still don't get why Ieyasu-nii was so freaked out by them."

"Most sensible people are. So I take it you also know about Skies and Guardians."

"Ieyasu-nii explained it to me after they finally figured out how to break a seal that had been put on me as a kid. He was not happy about that, and neither were his Rain's clan since they were the ones who finally figured out how to do it. Not only was I left completely undefended, but it felt like all my potential was cut off leaving me a complete mess."

Not only that, but if it had stayed in place then Kyouya might never have found his Sky.

"I'm surprised you were able to harmonize with Kyouya so soon after he went Active," commented Fon. "Most girls your age would be afraid of him after all."

"Why would I be afraid of him?" asked Tsukiyo baffled. "Sure he's grumpy and he doesn't like being around others, but he's the only reason I felt safe enough to come to school at all even before the seal was removed. I know he's a bit violent, but he only goes after people who might be able to give him a good fight and he protects the weaker students rather than bully them. At least I know that Kyouya understands how to exercise proper restraint, rather than take advantage of others."

Whatever doubts Fon might have had about Kyouya's Sky disappeared in an instant. Hearing her sincere admiration and respect for Kyouya's strength without an ounce of fear and the fact she felt safe while around him said all he needed to know about this particular Guardian bond.

The girl cared about Kyouya and understood him on a level most generally didn't bother to because they were afraid of his violent tendencies.

His smile was rather warm and pleased knowing Kyouya was in good hands.

Provided the girl's family didn't muck it up.

"Which Family are you with?"

"I have no idea," said Tsukiyo. "The only ones in my immediate family are my mother and younger brother, and unless I see a paternity test I refuse to acknowledge that bum my mother claims is my father."

Fon blinked. So he tried another tactic.

"What's your surname then?"

He could at least start tracking down who Kyouya would be dealing with once news got out that the girl was an Active Sky collecting Guardians.

"Sawada."

Fon started to develop a headache and prayed he was wrong. Because he only knew of one Sawada that was a recognized Sky that for some reason had no Guardians.

"This 'bum' you speak of...does he have blond hair, a scruffy almost beard, act like a complete idiot and go by the name Iemitsu?" asked Fon slowly, with a distinctly pained look on his face.

"You know him?"

"I know of him. A colleague of mine is unfortunate enough to work for him, and she complains about his behavior regularly," admitted Fon.

He would need a DNA test to prove his suspicions, but from the looks of things Kyouya had ended up bonded to a Vongola Sky. Rather ironic, considering they were indirectly descended from Vongola Primo's Cloud Guardian Alaude.

Tsukiyo had opted to make an unexpected visit to Ieyasu and the others (today had been a half day) because she wanted some advice on how to deal with a particularly tricky situation involving a classmate of hers that looked like he could use something to ground him in reality.

Only to stumble into a particularly awkward situation involving Alaude and Ieyasu making out.

"Kiyo-chan!" yelped Ieyasu, before he quickly tried to explain things.

She held up a hand.

"Don't bother. I really don't care if you and Alaude are a couple or something else," she said flatly.

Ieyasu looked at her carefully, as if trying to check for any signs of disgust. All he saw was calm acceptance, nothing else. Like it really didn't bother her in the least that she had caught them going at it.

"You're really okay about this?"

"So long as I get nieces and nephews out of both of you, I could really care less. It's not like it's uncommon where I'm from and I'm fine with it so long as you're both happy. If I might make a suggestion though?"

The two men listened with rapt attention. Tsukiyo had a large store of wisdom and common sense that belied her age, and her suggestions often had long term benefits.

"I would look for a wife that is already in the family way and doesn't have a husband. One who will agree to have your heirs and keep silent about your relationship in exchange for the security of having a husband," she said bluntly.

"Why?" asked Alaude curiously.

"You of all people know how Catholics view bastards," said Tsukiyo flatly. Ieyasu winced. "Now imagine how a Japanese family would feel about their daughter not protecting her virtue as stringently as she should have and the dishonor of having a child without a father."

Ieyasu winced at that. He could only imagine the public ramifications of that, even in Asari's clan.

"Even having a 'gaijin' for a husband is preferable than having a child without a 'father' to claim. I'm sure that the girl would be happy to keep quiet since it means they can partially salvage their honor. And adopting a child not your own is still considered publicly acceptable, even if they can't be your heir. If nothing else the 'eldest' can be a steward of the family or something," said Tsukiyo.

Alaude and Giotto looked at each other. It was a simple solution to the secret they had kept for years. Their 'wives' would be more inclined to keep their silence on their preferences while still being able to sire 'legitimate' heirs. As a noble, the concept of marrying someone you weren't actually in love with was a familiar one to Alaude.

Daemon had been lucky in that regard, for as long as it had lasted. He had genuinely loved Elena.

"We'll take it under consideration," said Giotto after a moment. "So what are you doing here so early?"

"Half-day and Kyouya is currently 'playing' with someone he denies being related to even though they look far too much alike to be otherwise. A Storm, no less, with a weird pacifier around his neck and a pet monkey."

Giotto and Alaude took a moment to digest the revelation that her new Cloud was apparently related to the Storm Arcobaleno.

"So why come here?"

"Well I was going to ask Asari for advice but he's not in the village at the moment, so I came here instead."

"Boy advice?" grinned Giotto.

"In a fashion, though not what you're thinking of," she said glaring at him.

Giotto snickered.

"Keep it up Ieyasu-nii and I'll be asking who tops in your relationship," said Tsukiyo.

"Tops?" said Giotto.

Tsukiyo's grin was positively wicked. Giotto had a bad feeling about it already.

"You know, who is the dominant and who is the submissive? Because I really don't see Alaude laying there and taking it without a fight. He seems to be the one to take control, not the other way around."

Giotto sputtered at that. Alaude couldn't help but be amused by the way the kitten was embarrassing the hell out of Giotto with absolutely no effort or shame in the least.

"I am not talking about that with my little sister!"

Tsukiyo looked at Alaude with an evil grin. This was too funny.

"I can get some books if you're interested to give you ideas in the bedroom. Like I said before the idea of two guys dating isn't that uncommon where I'm from and they have quite a bit of literature on the subject. In fact it's a fantasy for some girls to imagine two hot males going at it in the bedroom," she informed him.

Alaude was smirking at the look on Giotto's face. It was a mixture of horrified and complete embarrassment at the way his "innocent little sister" was so casually talking about two men having relations in the bedroom.

This was positively hilarious.