Kei-Kei Yuki: Welcome to the new chapter of Sky Reborn~!

Tsunami: Have and Enjoy~!

Reborn: Ciaossu!

Beta by: Ana-DaughterofHades

Chapter Thirty-Six

Battle of the Sun!

Groggily, Tsuna's eyes began to open, remarking how the ground beneath her felt odd before sitting up and opening her eyes, only to stare wide-eyed and confused at the scene which greeted her. She rubbed her eyes to make certain that what she was seeing was indeed real and not just an illusion. Natsu slowly came to, rubbing sand from out of her eyes, only to copy her master's same reaction. "M-Master... Umm..."

"It's official, Natsu. We are definitely not in Japan anymore." True to that particular statement, Tsuna saw that they were transported to a hot desert. The heat from the sun perched in the sky was almost unbearable, and pyramids could be seen in the far, far distance. Yet the most bizarre thing that caught everyone's attention was the large boxing ring which stood in the middle of nowhere.

"Hime/Tsuna!" Tsuna heard the worried voices of both Gokudera and Yamamoto calling out to her. She spotted the two not that far from where she sat on the dry land. When they caught sight of her, both teens rushed over to her side and started helping her off the ground.

"Hime/Tsuna are you okay?!" both worriedly asked before checking her for any signs of injuries. Uri seemed to have been doing the same thing to Natsu but more drastically, ignoring when Jirou and Kojirou tried to point this out to her. Slowly, everyone was starting to come to their senses, realizing the strange and bizarre place they were brought to. Tsunami was all of a sudden knocked back down to the ground with a flying kick from Reborn.

"Ow! Reborn!" exclaimed Tsunami, nursing the large bump which now sat on her head. Picking herself back up off the ground, she felt something land in her hair, hearing wings flapping.

"Reborn tells me what's going on, kora!" demanded the blonde baby standing on top of Tsuna's head.

"Colonello-kun, what are you doing here?" asked Kyoko, who became acquainted with the blonde baby during his stay at their home, making her way over to Tsunami and the others with the rest of the girls. It didn't take long before the whole group was reunited once again. Though, both Mukuro and Hibari kept their distance from both groups and each other this time around.

"I flew in at the last minute when a huge sandstorm swallowed me up and carried me away! What's the big idea with that anyway? I'm here to watch Ryohei battle, kora!" Colonello informed the group when a loud exclamation from a certain swordsman had everyone covering their ears.

"Voii! You, damn blonde, tell us what's going on here!" Squalo yelled, shaking the sand from his long silver locks. The Vaira stood a distance away from them, some trying to get rid of the sand they were covered in. Though, what caught some of their attention was how XanXus somehow still remained sitting in his chair, legs crossed, without even the tiniest grain of sand on him.

"Just how is that even possible?" uttered about the majority of the group, except for a few, including those in back.

"Tsuna/Hime-sama!" Tsunami heard the voice of her father and Basil called out to her before they caught sight of her and joined the group.

"Where the hell is that shitty blonde and that priest?!" demanded the swordsman, standing at the Varia's side, waving his left sword hand around when everyone's attention was stolen by the small sandstorm that appeared in the middle of the boxing ring. Once it quickly vanished, they saw Giotto and the same gentleman from earlier standing in that exact location.

"Oi, you bastards, mind explaining what the hell we're doing here?!" demanded the silver-haired swordsman; everyone wanted to know the same thing.

"When Knuckles gave his permission for the battle of the Sun Ring to begin, it sent you to a battle ring appropriate for those of the sun element," Giotto stood there and calmly explained.

"It is here in this ring where the ownership of the Vongola Sun Ring shall do battle, though I must say if I see any underhanded moves or someone's life is at stake... I will step in to stop the battle and the ring will go to the opposing team." The priest, Knuckle, stared firmly at the Vaira as he issued this warning.

"Hmm, underhanded, but then them having those fairies, isn't tha-"

"I'm a spirit, you jackass!" Uri snappishly corrected the tiara-wearing blonde. "Shishishi, feisty. But you mean, by them having those 'things', the situation is already at an unfair advantage?" he inquired with a sly grin on his face.

"Even by combining with their respective spirits, only ten percent of their true potential is unlocked, evening the playing field, if that pleases you." Giotto's eyes narrowed, making things clearer for the blonde, who appeared not to mind his response.

"Shishishi, interesting..."

"If that is all, can we have Lussuria from the Vaira and Ryohei from Vongola step into the ring?" announced Knuckle; each respective competitor soon stepped into the ring.

"Oi, hurry up and win this, so I can get out of this get-up!" called out Hana.

"Onii-chan! Do your best!" cheered Kyoko.

"Go! Go! Fight!" Haru pumped her pom-poms in the air energetically.

"This is starting to feel more like a school tournament than what it actually is," commented Tsunami; Gokudera found himself agreeing with this statement.

"Maa, how adorable~! And those outfits are so cute! Tell me, who designed them?" The opponent from the Vaira side seemed more interested in the cute cheerleading outfits that Haru made than his actual fight with Ryohei.

"Haru, desu! I stayed up for two nights in a row, in order to make these wonderful and cute get-ups. Haru also made them, so that they would fit the theme of tonight, sunny and bright, desu!" Lussuria nodded his head along to each of Haru's words, who then started describing the type fabric she used, sewing technique, and she probably would've gone on longer if a certain silver-haired swordsman didn't call out to the other.

"Lussuria, stop yapping! We haven't got all day here, dammit!" he exclaimed; Lussuria pouted.

"Mou, Squa-chan, I was learning something really interesting. I can't help myself when it comes to fashion!" Lussuria squealed with glee. Tsuna felt Hana whisper over in her ear.

"Oi, I think he plays for the other team," she said.

"Other team? Master, what is this 'other team'?" Natsu innocently asked. Tsuna scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Maa, I'll explain it to you later, Natsu," Tsunami shyly answered. Finally, it seemed the battle was about to start, each opponent sliding into a fighting stance. Making his way over to her, Tsunami saw Giotto, whose charmingly prince smile made Hana blush up a storm, first-time seeing the A-list actor up close and personal.

"Tsuna, it's been a few short days since I've last seen you. How has your training come along?" he asked, standing next to her, ignoring the glaring infant in her arms, who seemed to hold a sense of distrust and dislike towards him. The same could go for some of her guardians and an overprotective father who all were glaring at the handsome blonde.

"It's been progressing well. Basil-kun is a really good fighter and teacher," said Tsuna. Basil blushed at the compliment.

"Hmm, so she is the reincarnation of Azzurra. I sense pureness, similar to Azzura, coming from this child. She'll become an excellent Sky Goddess in the future." Tsunami for some reason felt a sense of pride hearing that from the man, who even smiled, reminding her a lot of Ryohei. Though the name he said confused her.

"Azzura?"

"You didn't know her name? The First Sky Goddess's name was Azzurra, perfect name for her, seeing how it mean-"

" "Azure, Sky blue" in Italian," the other was cut-off by the voice of Giotto, whose eyes held a deep sense of sadness shown in them.

...

"Kan, let's do this!"

"Alright, Ryohei!" Kan eagerly called out before transforming into a ball of sun flames and becoming one with Ryohei. Bright sun flames consumed him momentarily as the Varia watched with interest. Never before had they seen such a transformation take place; the luminosity of the flames was blinding. Within a matter of seconds, the flames disappeared, showing Ryohei in his Guardian of the Sun form.

"Hmph. He still seems pretty weak. Nothing but flashiness," came the blunt and mocking response from the cloak-wearing baby, standing alongside the laughing blonde's shoulder.

"Maa, you're definitely cute! My type with a capital T~! So that's a merging with spirits! How very interesting." Lussuria began checking out Ryohei while at the same time being amazed by his transformation.

"That guy definitely plays for the other team," remarked Hana with an deadpan expression.

"Knuckle, how do you think this battle will go?" Giotto asked the priest standing next to him, who put a hand to his chin, a look of deep thought plastered onto his face.

"Lussuria is known for his elegant footwork, so the kid will have to be careful. From the looks of things here, Lussuria seems to be the strongest, but... that child is the reincarnation of the Sun Guardian, the same man who taught me everything I know in my first life. I believed in him back then, and I'll trust in him now." Knuckle placed his full trust in Ryohei, despite not in knowing him on a personal level.

Seeing such trust displayed in the man's eyes, Tsuna sucked in a big breath and yelled out. "Onii-chan! I extremely believe in you and Kan! Burning!" she yelled with all her might, surprising those on her team and on the opposite one, before blushing up a storm.

"Adorable," uttered the majority of those on her side, even those who stood silently in the back, while Tsuna began covering her blushing face with her hands.

"I can't believe I just said that," Tsuna muttered embarrassingly into her hands.

"With Tsuna showing such an extreme spirit, how can I possibly lose now!" yelled Ryohei, Kan feeling just as pumped and fired up as her partner.

"That pose is that of a boxer. Hmm, how lame and unstylish," Lussuria said in cold disregard, throwing away his jacket, revealing a slick and lean muscle figure, lifting his left knee in the air. His fighting position resembled that of a kickboxer, but not quite. "The style of my fighting is Muay Thai, which delivers the strongest throws in martial arts," bragged Lussuria.

"Ryohei, don't let him underestimate your burning and extreme pride as a boxer!" Kan told Ryohei, who agreed wholeheartedly with her.

"Gotcha. No one disrespects the burning and the extreme sport of boxing!" Ryohei charged in with a punch, Kan cheering him on. Meanwhile, those standing outside the ring began to watch the match, when Reborn spoke up.

"So the Battle of the Sun will be a hand-to-hand combat. This could go either way," stated Reborn. Lussuria managed to block Ryohei's punch with his left knee, which was clad in steel-knee pads.

"Oi, you managed to land a punch and not feel any pain from the steel implants in my knee-pads. Hmm, you got some strength to you," remarked Lussuria.

"We can't let someone like you disrespect the extreme sport of boxing!" yelled Ryohei, aiming another punch at Lussuria, only for the other to backflip elegantly in the air, landing perfectly on his feet.

"Mou, so passionate. How adorable~! ...But it won't be enough to defeat me." The bright glare of the sun glinted ominously off of Lussuria's sunglasses as the luminosity of the sun momentarily blinded Ryohei. Unable to see when Lussuria disappeared, he felt the pain as the steel-knee pads implanted on his face, knocking Ryohei off his feet.

"This is bad. That baka is at a slight disadvantage. His eyes are unprotected from the glare of the sun, while his opponent, on the other hand, has shades to shield his vision," reported Hana, who was putting on a pair of sunglasses that were being handed out by Reborn, who was sporting a pair on his face.

"Isn't that a bit unfair?!" exclaimed a worried Tsunami.

"No," came the direct response from not only Giotto and Knuckles, but also from Reborn, Colonello, and her own father.

"If he cannot even overcome the sun than he is not fit to be Guardian of the Sun. The Sun possesses the blazing flames to incinerate all who stands in the Sky's way. To become the Guardian of the Sun, you must become the sun itself," Knuckles went into detail as the others listened closely to what he had to say.

"...Onii-chan, hang in there," whispered Kyoko, clutching her yellow and white pom-poms tightly. Ryohei was still swinging his fist in the open air when he felt a swift punch to his face, followed up by a knee thrusting harshly into his gut. The double blow made him cough up saliva and a blood, dropping down to his knees and clutching his stomach.

"Maa, you're cute, but a child should stay in a child's place. Even if for a second I considered such a fairy tale prophecy true, you're definitely not fit to become the Guardian of the Sun. Just like how that girl is not suited to lead the Vongola Family." Lussuria pointed directly over at Tsunami who flinch. "We are not fighting for the sake of some make-believe rings, but to show that you are nothing but outsiders who people believe are connected to some false and ancient prophecy. That there is only one person to rightfully lead the Vongola Family."

Lussuria remembered a time when he was a top competitor who excelled in Muay Thai; though after winning competition after competition, he became bored of such a life. Even though he would always love Muay Thai, he had other dreams he now wished to attain. Recollecting on how since he was little, he always loved the stylish things such as clothes, shoes, the latest trends, bringing him into the world of fashion. So he decided to become a fashion designer and found it enthralling. In less than two years, he already had a name for himself in Italy and was a rising star.

Though similar to Muay Thai, the fame, the glory, the glamour, and attention became boring and dull. He was craving for something else. He needed something else in his life. Then that night happened. Some punks thought they could scare him and tried to challenge him into a fight. Needless to say, it ended in a world of pain which consisted of fractured bones, and blood spilled onto the ground for them.

"Not bad, trash." Lussuria didn't even know he was being watched, until he saw, standing at the entrance of the alley, two people. One was a younger Squalo, whose silver hair was much shorter back then than it was now. Though, his main attention was stolen by the man whose aura spoke of power, dominance, and authority.

"Please tell me you're not seriously thinking of letting him join-" The younger Squalo's eyes held a look of uncertainty, yet was silenced by the cold and authoritative voice of the one who had Lussuria's full attention.

"Shut-up, trash."

"Voooiiii! You shitty, arrogant, bastard-" A glass of wine was suddenly thrown at the young Squalo's face. Lussuria bemusedly watched the two argue, wondering just where and when did the other even have the time to bring a glass of red-wine. Though he was abruptly snapped out of his thoughts when those sharp predator eyes pointed at him.

"Oi, fruity trash. Join me." That was certainly not a question, but more of a demand and with an added jab at his sexuality.

"Maa, and why should I, per say, join you? I was taught to never listen to strangers, even if you are somewhat my type." Lussuria blew the dark-haired man a kiss, who face remained neutral, glaring eyes and a frown, while Squalo blanched, pointing his frantic eyes back onto the ravenette standing at his side.

"Please, for the love god, pick someone other than him!" he shouted. The other felt a twitch in his left temple; Squalo screaming directly into his ear was painful and due to that annoyance, yet again, threw another glass of red wine in his face. Seriously, exactly where was he storing those glasses of wine, pondered Lussuria.

"Shut-up, trash, and stop yelling into my ear. I'm not changing my opinion. He is the one." From another point of view, it was like a child bluntly demanding for a toy that refused to be given to him

"Voii! And what says he is the one?!" exclaimed young Squalo, just about fed up with the other.

"...My gut," was the blunt response given to young Squalo.

"...You gotta be fucking with me." Squalo facepalmed, groaning in defeat as Lussuria couldn't help but laugh as he watched the two, catching their attention once again.

"You two are interesting. Hmm, I was bored anyway. Okay, I'll join you." Lussuria's fate was sealed with those words. It was moments later he found that the man who recruited him was named XanXus. For years, Lussuria watched and loyal obeyed that man. A man who allowed nothing to stand in his way and got what he wanted. It was really fascinating to watch and he knew he would never be bored ever again. Pledging his loyalty to that man, who even if he wished for the world to burn, well... he'd burn it in a stylish fashion.

"Even if he may have a few unsavory ways, no one is more permitted to lead the Vongola Family than him." Hearing Lussuria talk, Tsunami felt a mysterious sense of loyalty coming from him. A loyalty that was not measly bought, but earned. 'Such loyalty... Certainly, there's more to XanXus, to be spoken so highly of, but what...?' Tsunami found herself pondering for the answers to this question.

"Not good. Due to the exposure to the sun, the heat is getting to Ryohei. He might not be able to hold out for long," Reborn pointed out; Tsunami and Kyoko and even Gokudera and Yamamoto became worried for the boxer. Hana felt Kyoko reach for her hand and squeeze it, in an attempt for comfort.

"Everything will be okay, Kyoko," Hana reassured her best-friend.

"Tch, turf-top, hang in there," Gokudera said through gritted teeth; a serious expression was shown on Uri's face as she floated next to his head. 'Kan, you gotta get him to get up now before it's all over,' Uri silently advised, eyes on the match, face concerned.

"You put up a lame fight and will end in a stylish defeat," vowed Lussuria, energy in his body began storing into his left, and after a few more second, he leaped high into the air.

"Here it comes, Lussuria finishing move," said the cloak wearing infant, hearing Lussuria called out the name of his finishing move.

"Brillante impatto Solar Flash!" While in midair, he unleashed the stored up energy from his knee, causing a shiny flash of light to fill the entire ring; even with the shades on Tsuna and the others, they were having a hard time dealing with the bright burst of light.

"What the heck, I can't see anything!" hissed Gokudera.

"Fufufu... I wonder if he will survive through this?" muttered Mukuro, talking about Ryohei, whose vision turned white, no longer able to see anything in sight.

"What the...! I cannot see anything!" The light which once engulfed the ring was now consumed into Lussuria's leg, giving off a radiant gold-like shine.

"It's over." He smirked. And like a comet soaring down for impact, he planted his knee against Ryohei's face who flew back to the net of the ring, before dropping down to the ground.

"My win~!" Lussuria winked as Kyoko and Tsuna screamed out to Ryohei, who was in an unconscious-like-state, unable to hear their voices.

"He has thirty-seconds to get up. If he does not get up in that amount of time. The Varia wins this match," announced Knuckles, the bible in his hand was clenched tightly as he stared at Ryohei with concern. Meanwhile, within the haze of Ryohei's mind, he felt himself floating and a voice calling out to him.

"...hei! ...rohei! ...Ryohei! Ryohei get up! Get up Ryohei, your friends need you!" the urgent voice yelled at him, slowly waking him from his stupor, but yet, he still couldn't find the strength to move his body.

"Ryohei, we can't stay lying down like this!"

"...But I wasn't strong enough, Kan."

"You are strong, Ryohei. Do not fight the sun, but become the sun. I believe in you. Kyoko believes in you. We all have faith in you. So... Become the burning sun that protects not just the sky, but those who is precious to him!" Hearing those encouraging words from Kan, Ryohei's eyes to striked open; slowly the strength in arms and legs was returning. "Remember your motto, Ryohei! The reason for why you fight!" Images of Kyoko and Tsuna flashed through his head; as slowly like the dawn of a new day, Ryohei began to rise up to his feet.

"Onii-chan, you can do it!"

"Come on, Turp-top, get up!"

"Sasagawa-sempai!"

"Don't give up, kora!"

"Kyoko extreme, Onii-chan!"

"Listen to the voices of the people who are counting on you. Don't lose focus now. Rise like the sun, Ryohei. Get-up!" Ryohei heard Kan's voice loud and clear, along with the voices of Kyoko and others, when all of a sudden, Tsuna's voice broke through to him.

"We believe in you, Onii-chan! So... Get up to the extreme!" It was that firm declaration that made him stand proudly on his feet thrusting his fist high into the air as the glares of the sun beamed down on him. Knuckles couldn't help but chuckle and grin. "He rises like the sun." No longer was the sun an obstacle that stood in Ryohei's way.

"My motto... Is do everything to the... EXTREME!" yelled the extreme boxer, stunning the Vaira's who thought he was down for the reckoning, seeing how no individual had ever survived Lussuria's finishing attack before.

"No... This can't be possible," Lussuria muttered in pure disbelief, taking a staggering step backward.

"No way... This is not good," muttered a certain infant on the Varia side.

"That's the burning spirit Ryohei. Now remember your training with Colonello and win!" exclaimed Kan's voice through the mind-link as the pose Ryohei got into next was noticed by Colonello who smirked.

"It's time for Ryohei to show off his new finishing attack move," he declared.

"When Kan's and my spirit become one. Together we are unstoppable," exclaimed Ryohei, focusing all of his energy in his right punch, ready to deliver a blow to Lussuria.

"As if I'll allow you to hit me~!" Lussuria once again, leaped high into the air, soaring down with his knee thrust out, but Ryohei did not falter. If anything, everyone's attention was stolen by the yellow surge of energy his body was giving off. They were in shock once they saw he was able to dodge Lussuria's attack. Though not only did he easily dodge Lussuria's attack, but it was done with a speed he did not possess before. He rushed in with a series of punches that left Lussuria unable to block or counter.

"Here it is... the final blow... Maximum Cannon!" The brilliant burst of yellow light that was emitted from Ryohei's fist was blinding; the blow was powerful enough to knock Lussuria way out of the ring, lying on the sandy ground unconscious. Ryohei was left panting, energy devastatingly low, but was still able to let out a yell of victory.

"He did it!" cried Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Haru.

"That's the way, kora!" cheered Colonello

"Thank goodness he is okay." Kyoko placed a hand over her beating heart and smiled softly.

"That's the burning spirit, Ryohei!" exclaimed Kan, once the transformation with Ryohei came undone, flying by his side.

"It was thanks to your extreme advice, Kan! Thank-you!" The two suns grinned proudly and fist bumped with one another. Seeing such a sight, Tsunami felt a deep sense of nostalgia settle in her heart as if this was unfamiliar to her.

"Seeing those two bring back memories of the first Guardian of the Sun who was partnered up with Kan. Their bond was the strongest amongst the Guardians." Tsunami heard Knuckles say, before making his way inside the ring, handing over the complete Guardian of the Sun ring to Ryohei.

"You have shown yourself worthy of inheriting the Guardian of the Sun mantle. If you need help or guidance, don't be afraid to reach out to me," Knuckle offered his assistance to Ryohei, the two shaking hands before Ryohei placed the ring on his finger. Though when he exercised, both Kan and his own body and eyes emitted a bright glow of sunny yellow, in the depth of both his memories and Kan's, for a brief second they saw the image of a man with short black spiky hair, a grin on his face, holding out his fist to the sun. The image was only shown to them briefly, feeling a longing sense as if they both knew that figure, especially Kan, tears obliviously gathering in her eyes, as just then the image of the man vanished.

"...What the heck just happened?" questioned Gokudera, the others wondering the same thing, who just saw what took place with the boxer. Suddenly, they were taken back once they saw the boxing ring transform into a huge sandstorm that sucked them up once again, precisely like when they were brought here. Opening their eyes again, they discovered they were dropped back off at the school.

"Oya. It looks like our guests have taken their leave." The one who made the comment was Mukuro. Standing back on her feet, Tsuna and the others realized that the Varia had indeed, silently and unnoticeably, taken their leave.

"It seems they left before hearing you announce tomorrow's battle, Giotto," said Knuckle. Giotto just silently stared at the empty spot the Varia had once stood in, before turning his attention to Tsunami and her large group of friends and one family member.

"Tomorrow's battle will be for the Guardian of the Lightning ring," announced Giotto, before a look of shock entered most of their eyes, remembering just who would be participating, minus the two in the back who turned their eyes to the sleeping Lambo in Chrome's arms.

"Gahaha!... Tsuna loves Lambo-san the most..." Lambo muttered in his sleep, peacefully unaware of the battle he'd have to face tomorrow.

End of Chapter Thirty-Six

Thanks for taking the time and reading my story!