Hello dearies! I am Natsu, the second part of this author duo! You'll notice I have a very different writing style to my darling Sky. So I hope you enjoy it….I hope the difference isn't too jarring.
Sorry this is such a late post too, but I have been in a bit of a slump.
All Aboard!
Summary: Vongola Family Rail is the safest mode of Sky-Rail transportation, and has been for the past ten generations. With connection to the Shimon Earth-Rails, Cavallone trail stations, and Mare Sea-Sky-Ports, the VFR is the best mode of transportation for both the daily commute, and long haul holiday. So welcome aboard, we will be departing soon.
Tsuna sat back with a sigh heavy on his breath. It was always so jarring to be faced with the sky pirates that cruised on old sky rails and new ones they created themselves. He wouldn't say that it was necessarily a 'common' occurrence, but it was one that he and his other conductor-aides had been trained to deal with.
In fact, as a loud, happy voice reached him, here was one of his conductor aides now.
"Juudaime!" Hayato Gokudera was the storm conductor, and one of Tsuna's closest friends. The man was exuberant, and feisty. But he led the storm fighters, so it was his duty to update Tsuna on the status of their cargo, and their fighting regiment.
"Hayat, good evening. I trust that the squads had no issues?"
Hayato was shaking his head already, taking his seat in the 'co-pilot's' seat so often abandoned when Tsuna was conducting. "No, it was a small crew, loners really no real bite behind their attack." Hayato snorted. "Even the lightning division could have taken them out alone, and you know they aren't the most suited to battle exactly."
Tsuna nodded. Lambo was a darling, the youngest of their crew, and his lightning flames were amazing during storms, but his section of the protective force wasn't as strong as others. "I'm sure Kyouya was disappointed."
Hayato snorted. "If he wasn't his boys were. But yes we're all fine. None of the cargo was toughed, our own settled the passengers in their cars quickly, though Kanga did spend much time in each car with the children. They were all rather frightened."
Tsuna frowned, he didn't like when his passengers were not enjoying their trip. He hummed as Hayato left to finish his rounds before calling Natsu into the cabin. The great beast appeared in a hail of sky flames. The affectionate monster smothered Tsuna immediately, rubbing his great face all over his master and licking Tsuna's face without care for the roughness of his tongue.
Tsuna had long since given up reprimanding his box animal. In fact, he found it amusing that Natsu demanded that Tsuna be properly 'groomed' every time they were together.
Tsuna ran a hand over Natsu's head, frowning a little. "Natsu I want you to do a round. Some of the children were unsettled by our brief…disturbance."
The great lion growled, but was quick to nuzzle Tsuna and bound off. Normally, one would think that sending a lion off to settle scared children was a bit counterproductive. However, even new riders of Vongola rails knew the safety that came with Sky Lions, and old travellers knew Natsu by the shade of his flames at this point.
Besides, what better way to settle people fears than to show them the strength of the animals guarding them? How could anyone fear knowing they had such a massive sky lion protecting them out there?
Tsuna sat back, watching the rails. He was sure that there'd be no other issues now.
Tsuna groaned. Rolled over. Watched his clock tick over to his time to wake up. Sat up.
He did not meander in the early daze in his mind, and instead stood, showered quickly, dressed and went to relieve his friend, Basil who had taken over the evening shift. The train was slowing down now, and would stop at the Cielo transition station before continuing on the journey to the end of the line. Basil would be getting off at the next station.
"I'll see you later, get some sleep Basil." Tsuna smiled at the blond boy and sighed when the reverent babble greeted him. Basil was nothing if not enthusiastic. He worked for a sister company of Vongola, and so didn't technically work as a conductor; though his presence on this long haul was much appreciated.
So Tsuna curled up on his chair, their flight sequence was already in progress, so he didn't need to touch anything until the final push into the sky.
He held his coffee in both hands, and watched instead. Enjoying this morning on their final leg of the trip while he had the time alone.
It was mornings like this that assured Tsuna that taking over as conductor for the express train was the correct decision. The train was just rising, he could feel the rushing coolness of mist flames masking their ascent like smooth silk. He could almost hear the birds flapping in his ears; Mukuro and Chrome always did favour the cover of crow flight in early mornings like this to hide them from the flameless people who would never be their passengers.
The sun was directly before him, through the windows and nestled between the two mountains that divided the Shimon lands and the Mare oceans, though of course Mare owned a fair bit of the skies too. Their cruises were always so sought after, dipping between land and air so readily and easily in a way that Tsuna's trains never would.
But the sun was just rising from its bed between the mountains, and again, its days like this that assured Tsuna he was made to conduct the sky.
On the left, over the oceans a storm was brewing; clouds were dark and violent thrashing over the ocean as cyclones touched the water. Tsuna could see lightning lancing through the clouds and lighting the red skies of dawn up like firecrackers. Rain sheets down, dappling the oceans and making the surfaces even angrier.
On the right however, the sky was blank and blue, with only a few fluttering clouds to frame the scene. Mist danced on the ground, scuttling and soft in the hazy morning. The land was just warming up with the bright colours of the sun peeking out in the middle of the two weathers.
The colliding weathers, representative of everything that Vongola trains believed in and personified in their various cars, lined the track of glowing sky flames that Tsuna had laid out upon departure. It was beautiful. Seeing the glittering tack, lined on either side by warring weathers, and directed by as rising sun, Tsuna felt his chest fill with awe.
Because that track was his, built of his flame, and drawn out by his direction. And behind him were sleepy travelers, and seven loyal, amazing car conductors helping him with his daily trips. There really wasn't anything else that he'd rather be doing, and also that he would not be able to truly take over the Vongola rails having not done this job.