A/N: Hey, everyone. Sorry it's taken so long...I had a really hard time figuring out what to do with the ring battles and then life just generally has been crazy and uninspiring for this series. I do have some idea for what should happen in the next chapter, so it shouldn't take...um, over a full year...(yeah...sorry about that)...for the next chapter to go up.

For all of those following Moon and Shield, that chapter is next on my priority list, since I'm not making the Halloween update...but it should be later this week, if things go well!

On that note, Happy Halloween everyone! For those that celebrate - I hope you get a whole bunch of candy that you like and/or have (had?) fun at a Halloween party!

Key:

Harry is Italian

Harry is English

Warnings: Hibiki is a troll. Just a bit. Non-graphic depiction of injuries on a teen, and attempted murder (which. It's the Ring Battles, I'm not sure what you all were expecting if you didn't expect that) in general, child endangerment and all the rest that comes with dealing with either shounen manga or Harry Potter.

Thank you all with bearing with me, and now, on with the fic!

Chapter 11: Is Making Questionable Decisions a Genetic Trait for Those with Naturally Pink Hair?

So the first night is insanity.

No, seriously, why the hell do they decide to use floodlights? Yes, these are Suns but, and this is coming from a wizard, what the hell?

"Why are they being so literal?" Hibiki groans under his breath.

"Hmm. Well the green hen of DOOM seems to be enjoying it," Luna says.

"He's got sunglasses. How obvious are they trying to be about rigging the matches?"

"They could be worse," Zabini cuts in. "You haven't seen them after a hit – some start screaming about how artistically they mutilated a corpse five feet away from the body when there are so many witnesses I need to use Obliviates and not just Mist and Storm flames."

"That's not rigging matches, that'd just be obvious."

"Says the Gryffindor."

Hibiki raises an eyebrow at Zabini. Luna hums, making music to the beat of bodies slamming into each other and the ring.

Zabini shrugs gracefully. "They're having the fight in a boxing ring."

"Says the Slytherin," Hibiki replies with an eye roll.

"Oh, double knock out! Minor chord! Doom's down and boxer's out!" Luna belts out, before ending, as she'd said, in the minor key.

Hibiki and Zabini stare at the ring.

Then Hibiki is gone, and back with two extra bodies as the ring finishes exploding from an attack by the robot.

"Do they always do this? I thought the Varia was better than this."

"Oh, the Farissake isn't wrong. They're usually much worse. It's proof of them being Quality, after all."

Hibiki stares at Luna. Then he looks at Zabini.

"These are assassins? I think Ron is quieter."

Luna takes this comment under consideration, but further discussion is interrupted by the presence of Sasagawa Kyoko, Kurokawa Hana, Reborn and Tsuna…and their entourage.

"ONII-SAN! Why are you fighting again? Why did you get hurt…."

"Kyoko, Kyoko…" The other teen wraps an awkward arm around her friend and pulls her to the side.

"O-onii-san…we should get you to a hospital!"

"It's alright, Tsuna. He'll be walking around by tomorrow – and from what I've seen, probably insist on going to school and training, too, though he should take it easy, based on the head injury."

"Really?"

"Yup. I'll take him home, if it's alright with Chrome, Ken, and Chikusa?"

The three teens in question circle around from the back of group of teens to stand by his left side, exchanging looks all the while. Ken is suspiciously quiet.

Based on the head tilting and starting, the decision comes down to Chrome.

"Chrome?"

"Um…I know that. That he is a friend to Boss, and a guardian, but…"

Hibiki nods. Sasagawa Ryohei is still an unknown, and loud to boot.

"Then I'll take him to his house and treat him there."

Hibiki turns his attention to the injured teen's sister. "Kyoko-chan? Can you give me directions to your house?"

"Y-y-yes." The girl hiccups, then says more steadily, "Yes, yes I can." Her friend steps back to let her stand.

Hibiki lowers the Varia officer to the ground.

"Alright, Zabini, this one's yours."

Zabini scoffs. "I don't own anyone in the Varia," but he takes the Sun officer anyways.

Hibiki rolls his eyes again.

"Alright, Kyoko-chan. Please lead the way."

The girl nods, and moves quickly from the remains of the hastily erected boxing ring. Hibiki doubts she'll want to return to school anytime in the near future.

To their backs, the Cervello call "The next battle will be for the Lightening Ring."

~IiI~

Luna waves at Hibiki's back, and at Blaise's, before twitching her fingers at the boy named Basil.

He frowns, looking for the one who's taught him to call him "Master," and sees the man nowhere. Perhaps he was tied up? Or maybe he is still enjoying being reunited with his wife. Basil would allow that as a reason (not necessarily a good one, to be sure) for why the CEDEF leader was not present at the Sun Ring Battle.

Regardless, Basil won't look this gift horse in the mouth.

He wanders over to the blonde.

"Hello, Auntie."

She grins and whisks him away.

(He still hates Appariting.)

~IiI~

Blaise is not quite sure what is going on with the Varia – certainly they don't tolerate mistakes, but there's something else that's not quite right because the Boss's inner circle doesn't do things like try and kill the healer when they're down. They're not that stupid.

(Most days.)

Well, his nickname is The Informant. He'd best start gathering information.

~IiI~

Sasagawa Kyoko is treated to the sight of the man carrying her brother…mothering the three teens that have recently enrolled in Namimori Middle School.

Two of the three never talk to anyone, save to give an answer, and the third yells more than Gokudera-san, based on what she can hear from the classroom two doors down from his.

"There's a snack in the freezer, and the refrigerator is stocked. Chrome-chan, if you'd like to make breakfast, go ahead, but make sure that Chikusa doesn't get his hands on Ken's tea or your coffee. Also, don't forget to take the medicine on the shelf labeled "Morning" if I'm not back before you leave. Take it by 9, if you don't go to school and want to sleep in and practice a bit. Don't go into the basement room to practice, though, if I'm not there. The settings are a bit tricky.

"Ken-kun, make sure you wake up in time for school. I should be back before then, but I might not be depending on if I get a call or something comes up. Again, feel free to practice if you don't go to school, but please use the backyard and not the basement. You could work on both your flexibility and strength.

"Chikusa-kun, please make sure everyone is packed for school and gets there on time. If not, let me know and I'll call you all in sick. I'd rather you all be well rested and ready to fight than getting good grades with the Varia in town. Same to you about where to practice. Please try not to hit Ken-kun too many times."

The three nod, although Joshima-san seems to insist on glaring at…oh, dear, she doesn't even know the man's name.

"Ah, pardon me, I forgot my manners. I'm Sasagawa Kyoko. It's nice to meet you."

"Not a problem, Kyoko-chan. Injured family causes stress even to the best of us, and manners are always secondary to healing," the man says, smile warm.

"Anyways, my name is Yuuto Hibiki, nice to meet you. I've seen your brother running for his boxing training regime. Tsuna talks about him sometimes. Less now that he doesn't bother to come by and say hi, but I'm sure Gokudera and Yamamoto keep him entertained."

Dokuro-san starts to snicker, while Kakimoto-san and Joshima-san edge away from her.

"Bye, you lot! Sleep well!"

(Kyoko is certain this causes the boys to move even further away from Dokuro-san, but Yuuto-san doesn't seem concerned.)

"Now, your brother boxes. Do you do any martial arts?"

"Ah. No, Yuuto-san, I don't. I have some self-defense training, but that's about it."

Yuuto-san hums.

"Well, if you're interested, I do run a dojo, and Chrome-chan might eventually get tired of the boys being her only company, since Lal isn't going to be here for much longer and I have no idea what Luna's schedule is like.

"Your friend could, of course, come too."

"What?"

"Your friend. Kurokawa Hana, I think that's her name. She could certainly attend as well. Improve her shadowing skills."

Kyoko's face loses all emotion as Hana moves back from where she'd been ahead of them, having left before they had.

"Who are you." They ask.

"Eh, I'm a lot of things. Mostly I don't mean any harm, although causing chaos is fun. I definitely don't hurt kids. Unless you're planning on splitting your soul and terrorizing a country in an effort to erase your genealogy, increase your power, escape death, and just generally be a menace?"

"No," Kyoko replies.

Hana glares instead. "That doesn't tell us anything."

"No," Hibiki smiles, "but you didn't answer the question, and it should be enough for you at the moment so I can heal Ryohei-kun."

"Swear."

Hibiki's gaze sharpens. "To?"

"To do us no harm for the next twenty-four hours and heal Kyoko's brother to the best of your ability. Swear on those weird flames all of Sawada's group has."

Hibiki ponders for a moment, then agrees. "I swear on my Flames that I shall harm neither of you, Sasagawa Kyoko or Kurokawa Hana, for the next twenty-four hours and during that time frame do my utmost to heal Sasagawa Ryohei."

There's a flicker of multi-colored light, and the oath is made. Hana notes that there's a faint smirk in the corner of the man's mouth, but holds her silence, as the man says, "Now, can we get my patient to a bed now?"

Priorities, of course, are to the patient.

~IiI~

True to Hibiki-san's word, Kyoko's brother is running around the next day, right as rain and ready to train even more, since the match ended in a double knock-out.

Kyoko is not surprised, but that doesn't mean she wants to cry and make her brother rest because she could have lost him yesterday.

Hana is a wonderful friend a puts up with her rants for the rest of the day month.

~IiI~

Luna makes sure that Hibiki does not go to the Lightening Battle. It's a struggle, especially with the teens he's taking care of, who feel the need to be there to continue evaluating the person their futures rest upon, but Luna suitably distracts him by allowing him to catch up with Ginny, and he trusts her, trusts Loony Luna, to prevent him from doing something he'll regret.

She also needs the time to sort out the information her nephew gave her, considering it pertains to the movements of the entire criminal underworld in Italy and that's where all the interesting things will be happening in the future.

It's best to be prepared for magical zoology, after all. There are so many different hues to collect.

(It will take years for him to fully forgive her after hearing that Lambo, the five-year-old, is the one who fought for Tsuna. It takes Hibiki only a few years less to forgive Tsuna, since he was unwilling to let Lambo fight. Luna isn't sure he ever forgives Reborn.)

~IiI~

The young girl tells him "Tomorrow is the Storm Battle" when Luna lets Hibiki return to his house, where he locks himself in the potion room, wards the room for one-way noise cancelation, and screams until another figure appears.

"When will it end? When will the greater good no longer be a reason to sacrifice children?"

Soōn hums, and slowly approaches Hibiki, waiting for a sign that he won't lash out if hugged.

"I don't know, but my guess is not soon…."

They both know he means, never instead of "not soon."

Thank you for reading! Please leave a review.

For those whom I have yet to respond to - it will happen, I promise. I'm slowly catching up on all the backlog I've accumulated from those months I just basically ignored the world. If I miss responding to you, it's not meant as a slight. I might have just completely forgotten, or I'm still working my way through.

Also, for those interested in just keeping a general tab on me and my interests (as well as fic updates), I'm now on tumblr as .com. There's a link at the bottom of my profile.

~Fini~