{Namimori, Japan}

Xanxus froze, Tsunayoshi had frozen him with the Zero Point Breakthrough. The same way the Ninth had done before during the Cradle Affair eight years ago.

But, this was without counting on Mammon's genius. Vongola rings in hand, they, lit a strong dying will flame. Stronger even than the one they had used to free Xanxus before with the Gola Mosca as a medium.

In the blink of an eye, Tsunayoshi's hard work melted. Xanxus was free. The rings weren't in their hands anymore all their fighting power had been, drained out of them.

"I'm sorry, Tsunayoshi," Yucca whispered, crouching next to the brown-haired teen. "But I think this doesn't belong to you," he said, gently taking the sky ring and handing it to Bel. "No hard feelings yeah?"

With half-lidded eyes, Tsunayoshi glared at Yucca. "Now, now, don't be like that. I kept my promise. I didn't kill any of them."

"Boss!"

"Tsuna!"

"See? I told you so?" Yucca stated voice mellow as he stood up. His eyes trailed along the teens' figure, momentarily stopping on those he fought and softening at the sight of those who reminded him of his students before he turned around. Ignoring, their presence.

"Looks like everybody's here to witness the birth of a new boss," Belphegor said chuckling as he slowly put the sky ring on his boss' finger.

At the sight, Yucca couldn't help the small smile from adorning his face. Ah, at last, our hard work has paid off. I'll finally be able to go on a vacation.

But before Yucca could get lost in his daydreams, the Varia's shout brought him back to reality. Yucca's eyes snapped in Xanxus' direction. His boss laid on the ground, unmoving and covered in blood. That was not part of the plan.

Purple eyes narrowed, Yucca listened to what everyone was saying. Collecting every information about his boss' predicament, he walked up to him, crouched down and tried to procure him basic first aid. He didn't think he would regret not looking for Leviathan, Lussuria maybe, but not Levi. Having more hands to help would have been a good thing.

"Don't touch me, trash," Xanxus snarled, shoving Yucca aside. "This is nothing," he growled.

Yucca stood to the side, a pensive look on his face. With the way things are going the Varia is bound to get into trouble, he mused, eyes narrowed as he casually took a stance more appropriate to fighting. His eyes scanned all the people present. Notting who were and weren't threats. Who to eliminate first and who to keep alive.

Yucca completely blocked out all of the shoutings his boss was doing. Only sparing him a side glance when he heard him cough a mouthful of blood. At the view, Yucca's face contorted in disgust although a tinge of worry was present in his purple orbs as he looked at his boss' unusually weak figure.

"Kill them, kill them all!"

Yucca's eyes snapped in Tsunayoshi's and Reborn's direction at the order. The memory of their encounter at the hospital going back to their mind, as purple successively met brown and black. Yucca gave them, a smile. With a flicker of his wrists, two daggers found their way to his palms.

"Whatever you say, boss," Yucca muttered as he, Bel and Mammon took fighting stances. Squalo whose injuries had reopened remained near the boss.

::

That was, definitely not part of the plan. Standing before the Varia were three of their underlines on the ground motionless with another man, on top of them: Lancia.

The Strongest Man in Northern Italy Yucca recognized. Things aren't looking good at all. "I'll take care of him," Yucca muttered, turning to face Bel and Mammon. "Take care of the kids."

With these words, Yucca ran into Lancia's direction, swiftly dodging Hibari's tonfa he jumped back.

"We aren't finished yet, carnivore."

Yucca gazed at him, his eyes unreadable before putting his daggers back into its sheaths and sighing. Taking his gun out, he aimed at Kyoya's face. "Step aside," he threatened.

Hibari charged at him.

Yucca clicked his tongue, not hesitating anymore he fired. Unexpectedly, his bullets ricocheted. Yucca frowned, barely evading Hibari. His eyes darted from right to left in search of an answer before settling on Reborn's figure whose gun was fuming.

Yucca's eyes widened slightly before narrowing and finally softening in realization. Of course, the tutor would protect his pupil. Even he could understand that. He had been in this situation once too.

As he evaded Hibari's next attack, Yucca's eyes darted to Bel and Mammon. They were, cornered. Yucca sighed, stopping Hibari's tonfa. "I suppose we forfeit," he muttered seeing his teammates' situation.

Maybe they had bitten off more than they could chew? Or perhaps they should have killed them all while they had the chance. Before the ring battle. Sparing them surely was their biggest mistake.

::

{Varia's private jet}

The atmosphere was awkward. The usually noisy Varia was quiet.

Bel was silently looking out the window, his typical creepy grin nowhere, to be, seen. Even his trademark knives had disappeared.

Lussuria and Squalo were still recuperating in another room. The injuries they received from the sky battle added to their own had considerably tired them out. As soon as they hit the mattress, they were out like a light.

Mammon was sleeping. Or so it appeared from others' point of view. To tell, the truth, Mammon was, so unmoving it seemed they were, either thinking or napping.

Levi was acting even more clumsily than usual, tripping over thin air every time he stood up. But he was also even more attentive to his boss' every moves and gesture. Jumping, at his every groans and grunt.

Xanxus who was "taking a nap" had yet to call someone trash or scum. Very unusual.

Yucca was staring into space his thoughts occupied by the Varia's soon to be trial. He didn't want to talk to any of the other members. Like all of them, the sky battle and every other remained on his conscience.

Speaking to the others while all of them were bitter about how the fight ended would only create more tension, worst-case scenario end in an all-out brawl between them.

This flight was going to be a long one. Even the guards charged to escort them didn't utter a single word under the tense atmosphere.

Even under arrest, the Varia was the Vongola's most prominent independent assassination unit. Underestimating them because they had, been defeated would have been a grave mistake.

Tired, Yucca closed his eyes. Letting himself fall into darkness.

::

{???, ???}

"Do you regret it?" a white-haired male asked his companion. The teen sat on the white couch, comfortably eating sweets.

Looking up, from his spot on the floor, black meets purple. The two pairs of eyes stared at each other in silence.

Asked, such a question, the male tilts his head, his black bangs, swaying to the left. "Why?" he answered blankly. His tone a mixture of irritation and tiredness.

The purple-eyed boy blinks his eyes owlishly at his half's answer, before smiling brightly. "No reasons." he beamed a childish grin on his face.

Sitting down on the floor, next to the raven head, he nudged the others side to gain his attention.

"It's been a long time since we spoke together like this." he murmured, pensively looking up at the boundless sky. "Calmly I mean," he added.

The black-haired man hums in agreement. "It sure has."

The two males didn't utter another word, staring at the endless sky, a peaceful silence enveloped them.

::

{Vongola headquarter, Italy}

In the hall, the Varia waited. The previous tension had faded, at least it wasn't as apparent as before, and they were now communicating with each other.

All of them sat in a small living room, reserved for those who required an audience with the ninth or in their cases had one. Their former escort had been, changed to a stronger one composed of one of the current Don's guardians and some of his men.

Although it didn't seem to faze the Varia's leading members who were calmly chatting with each other, sipping tea and eating treats the Vongola chef had cooked.

Being prisoners didn't mean being treated rashly, especially when the Ninth had given precise orders about how to deal with them.

From his seat, on the far end of the couch, Yucca listened to Lussuria's endless chatter. His eyes observed the room silently, trailing on every guards' figure, analyzing their posture, potential weapons, and faces. 

When his eyes met Visconti's ones, he gave him a small nod and a smile. Visconti, the Ninth's cloud guardian merely nodded in acknowledgment eyes narrowed.

Yucca had met the Ninth's guardians a few times during his reports. Although they didn't talk much together, he and Visconti had come to a silent understanding. So long as they didn't bother the other, they wouldn't disturb them.

As he sipped his earl grey, Yucca's thought drifted to his first time in the mansion. That was a bit less than three years ago, how time flies he mused with a sigh.

"Are you even listening to me, Yucca-chan?" Lussuria interrupted his thoughts in a fake whiny voice. Yucca's previously semi-dazed eyes snapped open making his purple orbs meet Lussuria's shaded ones.

"Of course I am," he said, a perfect smile plastered on his face.

Lussuria looked at him doubtfully. It was evident to anyone who knew the raven head that he was lying. Nonetheless, Lussuria didn't push the issue further. Sure it would be better if Yucca listened, but at the moment, Lussuria only needed to rant. He would get back to Yucca later when this whole ordeal was over.

"Anyway, as I was saying..."

Keeping his perfect smile in place, Yucca listened to his older colleague's rant. Silently sipping, his tea.

Minutes later, which felt like hours to Yucca who was still stuck listening to Lussuria's rant, one of the mansion's butler came to get them. Yucca stood up immediately, feeling his salvation coming.

"Lord Timoteo and the Vongola Consigliere will receive each one of you alone," he announced, voice a bit hesitant as he looked at the floor like it was the most captivating thing in the world.

Or not, Yucca thought with a sigh as he sat down again. Although he couldn't see Lussuria's look clearly behind the shades, he was positive the older male was planning a way to annoy him further. Yucca mentally scolded himself for not paying attention at the beginning of their conversation.

"S-so," the butler stuttered, unnerved by the lack of attention he was receiving and the glare from some members he was perceiving. "M-mister Lussuria, if you could follow me?" he asked, almost squeaked out.

Hearing his sun counterpart being called out, Yucca felt like maybe God hadn't forsaken him.

::

Lussuria, Leviathan, Belphegor, Superbi Squalo, all of them were called to the Ninth's office and sent back to the Varia mansion to be left under house arrest once done.

Right now, Mammon's audience was taking place. Yucca remained alone in the leaving room with Xanxus who throughout the whole trip had remained unusually silent. Yucca didn't question it, he knew better than to anger his boss.

Sipping his newest cup of tea, he waited for his name to be, called. As things were going, he would be the next one. The Ninth seemed to call them in the order in which they had fought.

At last, he was escorted out of the waiting room, giving a small nod to his boss who was observing him go, Yucca made his way down the hall followed closely by a group of armed guards.

::

"It has been a while, Yucca," the Ninth called out from his seat, standing behind him was  Iemitsu whose sharp gaze never left Yucca.

Yucca smiled, "It sure has, Nono-sama, Iemitsu," he greeted. "How have you been fairing?"

"I have known better days, thank you for worrying."

"But of course," Yucca beamed, his smile never leaving his face as the two men exchanged casual pleasantries.

"Anyway," Timoteo said, clearing his throat before changing their conversation's subject. "I presume you know why you were called here?"

Yucca's smile dropped, getting replaced by an unnerving poker face. The aura around the raven head changed, making the previous harmonious atmosphere shatter as if it was never there.

"Of course I do," he answered, almost mockingly. Leaning into his seat, he let himself relax, waiting for his soon to be, interrogation.

You probably guessed it already, but the Varia lost... Well, I'll say it was necessary to the plotline. Anyway, Yucca/Koro's interrogation will be the next chapter. THEN will the future arc officially begin (I am honestly pumped about it)!

Anyways, you guys may have noticed, but all of the names since chapter 2 (I think?) are in italics, it's to differentiate the way people call each other and their catchphrase I suppose. It isn't so important now but it will be in the future arc, just so you know.

Also, the next chapter will be an Alternate Ending, a "what if" of the sort, you could say.

Welp, that's all, thanks for reading. Until next time^^