Call Her Queen

Flames burned in her eyes, and it was as if the sky itself was on fire.

"I don't appreciate others harming what I consider mine."

Chapter One: His Name is Reborn

Tsunami took a moment to observe the newest addition to her journal. The man's silhouette was shaded, preventing her from seeing his face. Next to him on the page she'd drawn a gun, and above both pictures she'd written in flowing calligraphy the word yellow. Something told her this would be important in the very near future.

Closing her journal, Tsunami went to return it to the drawer, but paused. Today, it needed to go somewhere else a quiet voice in her mind told her. Removing a few books from the shelf, she placed her journal behind them before returning the books to their spot.

Satisfied, Tsunami got ready for school, donning the uniform of Nanimori High. Brushing the nearly nonexistent wrinkles out of her skirt, she straightened her blouse and jacket. Carefully brushing through her thick brown hair, Tsunami pulled it back into a ponytail, making sure every strand was in place. Curling the ends slightly, she fixed her bangs and placed a simple clip in its usual place.

A pair of earrings follow, a gift from Hana for her last birthday. The meaning had not been lost of Tsunami - alstroemeria, or peruvian lily, represented friendship. She truly was blessed to have such a thoughtful friend.

Checking her appearance in the mirror, Tsunami stared into her blue eyes, searching for answers she knew wouldn't be there. Today, something important was going to happen, she just didn't know what.

"Tsunami, breakfast is ready!" her mother called from down the stairs. Smiling, Tsunami grabbed her bag and went down to eat. She loved the quiet mornings spent with her mother in the kitchen. The two of them had a nice routine, and after rinsing her dishes in the sink and brushing her teeth, Tsunami bid her mother goodbye.

Shutting the door behind her, she felt it instantly. Someone was watching her. Turning her head towards the tree in the yard, Tsunami frowned, the newest page in her journal coming to mind. Sensing that everything would be alright, she walked out the front gate and closed it gently behind her. She would know if she or her mother were in danger, but this may be something to tell Hana about once she knows a bit more, and maybe Hibari depending on the circumstances.

[Call Her Queen]

It was interesting, Reborn thought as he watched Tsunami close the gate behind her and head to school. She had sensed him the moment she walked outside, and had even pinpointed his location. The infamous Vongola Intuition must be strong within her already for her to find him. He'd have to follow at a greater distance than he'd planned, but it wouldn't hamper his plans for reconnaissance. Verifying and collecting information was an important part of being a hitman after all.

Following after Tsunami, Reborn noted to the route she took to school, meeting up with another girl on the way there. The two seemed close. Her best friend possibly? The two girls chatted amicably all the way to Namimori High. Reborn was too far away to hear their voices, but his lip reading revealed nothing of importance. They talked about mundane things like school and home.

Nothing of note had happened by the time class started, so Reborn took the opportunity to familiarize himself with the school grounds and review what he knew of Tsunami.

Iemitsu had given him a file on his daughter before he left Italy. The file was rather sparse, but Reborn had learned that Iemitsu limited his contact with his family to try and keep the women in his life out of the mafia. So far, the man had succeeded. It's a shame Nono's sons had died, forcing what Iemitsu had been avoiding all along. Tsunami would not only enter the mafia, she would become the leader of the Vongola.

Relaxing in a quiet corner of the library, Reborn opened the file Iemitsu had given him alongside the file the school had on Tsunami that he'd swiped as he surveyed the teacher's lounge. Going between the two, Reborn began to put together the story of his newest student.

Sawada Tsunami, a seventeen year old junior at Nanimori High. According to her father, her grades were decent, nothing fancy, but his little girl always tried her best. The school file told a slightly different story of a girl who maintained a B+ average with high scores on tests, but if her assignments became repetitive, she only turned in the first one.

Smart, but perhaps lazy. Not a good trait for a boss, but if she could ace the tests, she obviously knew the material. All the assignments she did turn in also had high scores. He'd have to refrain judgement on that until he met her in person.

Noted as shy by her father, and a quiet child, it looked like Tsunami got along well with her classmates in the notes left by teachers. She didn't go out of her way to seek company, but was friendly enough to anyone that approached her.

The file from Iemitsu was soon depleted, short as it was, and Reborn found it to be about as accurate as it could be for what little involvement Iemitsu had had in his daughter's life. Most of his observations and comments came as an outsider looking in, with the notes from teachers making clear the truer parts of whom Tsunami was from Iemitsu's broad and sometimes vague descriptions.

She wasn't necessarily shy, she simply allowed others to seek her out. Her grades would say that she's average, but her actual scores and teacher notes denote a smart student that chooses not to spend time doing redundant things. Being quiet often resulted in her thinking things through and giving thoughtful comments in class.

Overall, Reborn approved. Tsunami was looking to be a very promising student. His only concern was the physical side of being a mafia boss. As a girl, Tsunami would always be at a natural disadvantage. Not that there weren't ways around that, but it was something to take into consideration. Her school file noted that she's part of the archery club, something Iemitsu had either omitted or not known. He'd just have to see how good of a shot she was.

[Call Her Queen]

The feeling of being watched had come and gone throughout the day. Tsunami wasn't sure how to feel about it. Nothing told her it was a threat, but it was disconcerting that the man, she was sure now it was the man she'd sketched this morning, could spy on her at school. Hibari was usually excellent at noticing and removing intruders from the school grounds. Whoever he was, he was skilled.

"Ready for club?" Hana asked. Picking up her things, Tsunami gave her friend a smile. Archery club was one of her favorite times of day.

"Yeah, let's go. I've had enough sitting for a while." Leaving the classroom, the girls talked about the day's classes and the homework they had on their way to the archery club. Halfway there, Tsunami spotted Hibari making one of his patrols. "I'll meet you at the club, Hana. I need to tell Hibari something."

Hana glanced over at the head of the disciplinary committee with a knowing look. "Trouble, hmm?"

"I'm not sure, but it's better to be safe."

"Alright, just don't take too long."

"It's Hibari, Hana. He doesn't do long conversations."

"True, unlike the rest of the monkeys." Rolling her eyes, Hana bumped shoulders with Tsunami before heading off. Smiling after her friend, Tsunami made her way through the students leaving the school grounds to Hibari. She stopped a few feet from him, making sure to respect his personal space.

"Hibari."

"Not herbivore." Tsunami's lips quirked up at his odd address for her. Even after all these years, it still made her happy.

"I don't know details, but keep an eye out. Some sort of change is coming. I've had a strange shadow today."

"Dangerous?" Hibari turned to fully face her, his narrowed eyes sweeping over her head, trying to find who she was talking about.

"No, not to me, but definitely strong. You probably won't find him easily unless he lets you."

Without another word, Hibari breezed past Tsunami. She could feel the excitement bubbling under his skin as the sleeve of his coat brushed against her skin - his own quiet way of thanking her.

With her message delivered, and the silent assurance that Hibari would keep an eye out, Tsunami made her way to the archery club, walking faster than normal to avoid being late.

By the time she had changed into the traditional uniform and strung her bow, the feeling of being watched had returned. Tsunami kept it in the back of her mind as she and Hana went through their regular routine with the other club members. The archery club didn't have any official competitions to attend, so it was simply a group of people who enjoyed the art and had fun together.

Watching as Hana's arrow landed in the third circle, Tsunami stepped up to take her own turn. Taking an arrow from the quiver at her hip, she set it, lifting her bow and finding her target. After a breath or two, feeling her watcher's interest spike, Tsunami pulled the string taut, letting the arrow fly as she breathed out. It landed on the very edge of the bullseye.

"Nice shot!" Giving Hana a smile, Tsunami stepped back to let her shoot again. By the time both their quivers were empty, the feeling of being watched had dimmed, but was still faintly there. Club eventually ended, and after changing back into their school uniforms, the girls started walking home, the man and the feeling that came with him was gone.

"You shot really well today, Tsunami. What's with the extra focus?" Looking up at the sky, Tsunami chose her words carefully, Hana waiting patiently for her to speak.

"Something big is happening. That's all I can really say right now."

Hana's eyes narrowed. "You had another dream, didn't you. What was it about this time?"

"All I remember is a man, a gun, and the most amazing shade of yellow I've ever seen."

"Sounds like monkey trouble to me," Hana huffed.

"I don't think even you would label this guy as a monkey, Hana. He was… charismatic and strong. His presence spoke for itself."

"Well, if he turns up, and he's not trouble, introduce me. I'd love to meet a man like that."

"What, Ryohei isn't good enough for you?" Tsunami teased, laughing as Hana turned red.

"He's a monkey and you know it! In fact, he's the loudest monkey of them all!"

"I know, but you appreciate his honesty and straightforwardness, right? He's pretty good looking in his own way too, that rugged sporty look. I believe that's what you called it."

"Shut it," Hana groused, shooting looks around to make sure no one had somehow over heard. "You promised to keep that a secret."

"And no one is here to overhear us, so I've kept my promise."

"Sometimes I really hate you, Tsunami."

"What are best friends for, Hana?"

The two girls stared at each other for a moment before they broke out in laughter together. They'd reached the point in their walk where they had to part ways. Waving bye to her friend, Tsunami walked the rest of the way home alone. Her cellphone buzzed a block from her house. Stopping, Tsunami pulled it out to check the message.

I have something to talk to you about when you get home. -Mom

Be there in a minute. Tsunami texted back, curious what her mom needed to talk about that had her texting about it. Maybe dad had called again? He didn't call often, but Mom always changed her routine a bit when he did.

Tsunami didn't have to wait long as she got home and took her shoes off. "I'm home, Mom."

"Oh, perfect," poking her head out from the kitchen, Nana beckoned her over. "Come help me set the table and we can talk over dinner."

"Sure thing, what's up? Did Dad call?" Tsunami asked as she pulled plates out of the cupboard. Normally, she'd only get two, but something told her to grab three.

"I still don't know how you always guess when he calls, but yeah, he did, and I have lots to tell you." Smiling, Nana turned around, and raised an eyebrow at the extra plate on the table. "Expecting company, Tsunami?"

"Something like that." Her mother had long since gotten used to her gut instinct, and Tsunami was glad she just accepted it.

"Well, let's talk before they get here then." Taking the pot off the burner, Nana added in the last of the spices. "Your Dad called just a little bit ago. He's doing well, but I can tell you about that later. The big news is that his company wants to give back to their employees, and they decided to do that by helping their employee's kids with college.

"Dad said that because their work takes them all over the place, the company decided to do this by sending tutors to help prepare the kids in their last two years of high school, so since you qualify under those conditions, a tutor will be coming here to work with you. Their goal is to help prepare the future leaders of the world. Isn't that great, Tsunami? This is such an amazing opportunity. All we have to do is provide them a place to stay."

Dishing up dinner, Tsunami wasn't sure what to say. Depending on who her tutor was, this could be really good or really bad. Was the man from her dream connected to this? Her new tutor, perhaps?

"It's definitely interesting. I wonder what my tutor will be like? Do you think they can help me with studies not available at school?"

"Hmm...I don't know. I guess we'll just have to ask when they get here. Your Dad said they should be arriving soon." As if her words had triggered it, a knock sounded at the door.

"I'll get it," Tsunami said, rising from the table.

Walking down the hall, Tsunami paused for a moment when her hand touched the doorknob, feeling a quickly becoming familiar presence on the other side. The man was finally showing his face.

Opening the door, Tsunami felt a strange sensation as she saw the ghost of the man from her dream. Taller than her with his face hidden by a fedora and wearing a striking suit. A moment later, the sight was gone, leaving Tsunami blinking.

"Ciaossu!"

Following the voice down, Tsunami was greeted with the sight of a miniature version of the ghost she'd just seen. Instinctively, she knew the child in front of her was a child in body only. How or why were still a mystery though.

"Good evening. How can I help you?" If her gut told her he wasn't a child, then she'd make sure not to treat him like one.

[Call Her Queen]

"My name is Reborn, and I'm your new home tutor." Looking up at Tsunami who'd answered the door, Reborn was pleasantly surprised that her only reaction to his appearance was a quick blink.

"What a coincidence, we were just talking about you. Please, come on in Mr. Reborn. Would you like to join us for dinner?" If Reborn was easily surprised, he might have been surprised once or twice today, but the only thing that truly surprised him was walking into the kitchen to see a third place already set. He knew no one had moved in the kitchen since he'd arrived.

"Ciaossu!" he said again, introducing himself to Nana Sawada. She received him as easily as her daughter. Perhaps, Tsunami took more after her mother? "Were you expecting someone?" He nodded his head towards the extra plate.

"Tsunami set the table. Ask her." Turning to his new student, Reborn raised an eyebrow although he already had a guess.

Tsunami gave a light smile and a shrug. "Call it a hunch. It's yours now, Mr. Reborn." His guess was probably right, Vongola Intuition strikes again. He'd have to see just how developed it is, but that's for later.

"Just Reborn is fine, Tsunami. We'll get to know each other quite well until you graduate."

"Of course." Waiting until Tsunami sat down, like the gentleman he was, Reborn took the third seat at the table. Giving a quick thanks to Nana for the food, he started eating. It wasn't italian food, but it was excellent nonetheless.

"Iemitsu called a little earlier to inform us a tutor would be arriving. Are you alright with staying in our guest room, Reborn?" Tilting his head in Nana's direction, Reborn tugged on his fedora.

"Of Course, Maman. I'm sure any room you have prepared will be fine for me." If Tsunami was a boy, he would have stayed in the same room to save Nana trouble and keep a closer eye on his student, but he would keep boundaries appropriate with his student.

"Wonderful! After dinner I'll give it a quick clean up while you and Tsunami get to know each other better."

[Call Her Queen]

Washing the dishes while her mom cleaned up the guest room to her standards before letting Reborn see it, Tsunami glanced over at her new tutor who was sitting on the counter next to her.

She had a question for him. "Reborn?" She took the tilting of his head in her direction as an invitation to continue. He kind of reminded her of Hibari in that way, so she would be straight to the point.

"Your accent. You're not from here. Dad has a similar accent when I talk to him on the phone, but it's less pronounced than yours. Where are you from?"

"Italy. Do you talk to your Dad often?" Tsunami shook her head lightly, rinsing off the plate she was washing. Italy. Is that where her dad was?

"Dad doesn't have a number we can call, so we only get to talk when he has a chance to call. I wish he'd call more often - Mom misses him."

"Do you?" Tsunami shrugged, pulling one hand out of the water to wave back and forth.

"I can count the number of days Dad's visited and called in my head - could give you the exact dates too. I know he's my dad, and it's nice talking, but I guess I just haven't built much of a relationship with him. I'll miss him a bit more when he does call, like the rekindling of a fire, but it fades away pretty quick."

"Do you hate him for it?" Drying the last dish off, Tsunami released the drain in the bottom of the sink, watching the bubbles and water swirl away. Hate is a strong word. Wiping her hands off on the towel, Tsunami looked at Reborn.

"No. I don't know what Dad does - he and Mom have never told me. Honestly, I'm not sure Mom really knows either; which makes me think it's something dangerous. He's almost never around, but he has provided a home for us to live in, and does well enough that Mom doesn't have to work. Mom used to tell me when I was younger that I was the best thing Dad ever gave her because now she doesn't have to be alone.

"I'm not always happy with his choice, but I know there's a reason behind it I simply don't understand. I can't hate him for my own ignorance, but if I chose, I could hate him for leaving me in the dark."

Reborn seemed to smirk at her answer, tugging on the brim of his fedora to hide his face before hopping down from the counter. "Spoken like a true boss. Follow me, Tsunami. Maman should be about done, and there are things I need to tell you."

After Reborn settled his few things in the guest room and assured Nana that it was perfect, Tsunami felt a shiver run down her spine as the atmosphere changed. Looking at Reborn, it seemed as if the ghost overlaid him for a brief moment.

"It's time I introduced myself to you properly," Reborn said as he shut the door to keep Nana from overhearing. "My name is Reborn, your new home tutor, and the world's greatest hitman."

"World's greatest…" Tsunami trailed off, mind whirling with possibilities, but Reborn's next words made everything click.

"I'm here to train you up into the next leader of the Vongola, Italy's most influential mafia family."

You'll never be just anything.

A tsunami can never be just a wave...

Waves are banal.

Tsunamis reshape the world.

- Karen Marie Moning