“This is the part where you reach to shake my hand.” Rylen’s hand angled towards him nonchalantly. “Anytime you’re ready.”

Tsuna played along, accepting his hand with a firm grasp and shaking it. Across from him, he recognized Zio, who appeared to be asleep. Above was the sea, the same as below.

“Unfamiliar with introductions? Great, I’ll instruct you as I am very proficient at introducing myself even in the most dangerous of circumstances. First, we start with a name.”

He provoked Tsuna’s glare. “Don’t lecture to me like I’m stupid.”

“That wasn’t my aim at all! I had just assumed since you’ve been asleep as much as I have on this journey, that we might need to touch base before we figure out a plan forward.”

“That’s a therapist’s rhetoric, preached to troublemaking idiots. For starters, I don’t even know who you are or why would I need to find a way forward with you?”

Rylen blankly stared at him. “I just introduced myself, but we’ll go your way about it. A discussion would be more apt for this case than finding a way forward for now.”

His eccentricities were noticeably cool, smooth, and willful. Rylen was obviously comfortable being the way he was, yet his pretty boy looks gave Tsuna another impression. This is the type of guy you’d expect is a player, but has a closet full of action figures. Tsuna’s eyes averted, reasoning about the number of manga in his closet. Can’t claim I’m any better, though. “The name’s Tsuna Tachibana and I have questions if you don’t mind answering.”

Rylen’s eyes widened, shifting in his chair to show his full consideration. “Happy to meet you. Sure, I will answer as best I can. Surprising that you’ve been here for less than a day and already have two questions. Hopefully, one of them’s not ‘Where am I’.”

The air around Rylen calmed Tsuna. Enough that he felt comfortable enough to lean closer to the Elf. “Wow, you’re a lot more cooperative than the guy over there.” Tsuna smirked and nodded towards Zio.

“Zio’s our own protagonist, so don’t mind him. He can be less irritable when he wishes to be, and it takes very specific things for him not to be.”

He just… called him a protagonist. Tsuna pursed his lips. “Well, first question then. How hard is it to find someone here? Once I get my bearings, I have people to find.”

“Are there any factors involved in that? Networks? Connections? Of course not. That would depend on who you know and how significant their reach is. Finding a particular individual can be anywhere between easy to impossible, especially if they’ve never caused a stir here or there.”

I wished to hear something different, but that was to be expected.

Rylen nodded, then placed a hand on his shoulder. “Positivity and ambition are all you need. Keep pushing on and I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for. Now, what’s the other question?”

“Second question.” Tsuna looked ahead. “This thing we’re sitting in. Is it flying itself?”

“Nope.”

“Then why are you looking at me and not steering?”

“Well, I didn’t want to be impolite to a unique visitor. Besides, the skies are clear right now.”

A flock of birds swooped through the sky, one of them straying too far. Suddenly, it crashed into the front of the pod, causing it to jerk about. Tsuna slid down to the bottom of his seat while Zio’s eyes popped wide.

“Rylen!” Zio yelled, reaching towards the steering wheel just as Rylen grabbed it.

Rylen laughing at their attitudes, settling the pod. “Nothing flipped. We’re going to be alright.”

Zio released a frustrated sigh, his irritable stare falling onto Tsuna, who was adjusting his seatbelt. “Remind me to fly next time. I can trust myself to not try to kill us while everyone else is asleep.”

“The wheel’s all yours right now if you want it. But given your condition, you’d kill us before I would. So, I’ll keep flying.”

For several minutes, no one spoke as the pod glided through the sky. The moon’s rays broke through the sea above them, mirroring on the sea below, and the uncanny light faded away. Shiny bodied creatures splashed out of the waters above, dancing from side to side along the trail of the pod. Rylen lifted his palm, a creature shooting a squirt of water towards him, landing on his head and giving him a hearty laugh.

“Hey.” Tsuna said, lifting his head. “If we’re here, what happened to everybody else on that island?”

“Now, I’d hate to sound like a judge.” Rylen spoke, this time keeping his attention straight ahead. “But I’ll ask you a question. Hypothetically, what would you do in a scenario where you’re trapped on all sides by characters who’ve jeopardized your life more than once?”

“But is leaving them to die the answer to that? Threats without action wouldn’t make me leave people stranded.”

“Quite the heart of gold you have, lad. That’ll merely get you killed in most parts. Ambitious goals and good willed speeches meant nothing to that group. To them, we’re paid mercenaries with a common cause. Our goals is where all similarities ended.”

“And just what were those goals?”

“Shut up.” Zio interrupted. “Going on like you know shit with this holier than thou attitude. Countless times, the two of us have stuck our necks out for you in the brief time you’ve been here and suddenly we’re bad guys? Get real, kid.”

Tsuna’s pulse sped up, his teeth grinding before he spoke up. “Don’t call me kid.”

“It’s very fitting, so I think I will. It’s kids who assume we can solve everything without fighting, with everyone surviving, and living out their dreams like a fairy tale. Pampered ass children have no place in the thick of things, where their coddled lives remain unchanged thanks to folk like us.”

“Just who the hell do you think you are! There’s not a damned thing about me that you know. Where I came from, how I grew up!”

“Different story, ending in the same spoiled kid.”

“Quiet down, Zio.” Rylen said. “You’re getting worked up over nothing.”

“No. The kid’s challenging us like he has some authority here and I’m telling him the truth. We don’t need him. Who does he think he is?”

Tsuna furiously pulled at his seatbelt, unbuckling it, and stood over the composed Zio. “You don’t need me?!” Tsuna lifted a foot on the edge of the pod. The wind nearly blew him off its side. “Then what the hell am I doing here? I’ll figure things out on my own.”

Zio’s eyes locked onto Tsuna’s as he folded his arms.

“Do it. We’re hundreds of miles in the middle of nowhere. You dying out here will change nothing.”

Tsuna stared at him with resentment as Zio stared back, their tension growing.

“Wait!” said Rylen as he twisted back to grab hold of Tsuna. However, it was too late.

A powerful wind struck Tsuna’s chest, blowing him over the threshold of the pod. His blood went cold, a nervous smile appearing on his face. The echo of metal unsheathing rang in his ears as his body slumped into something hot that encompassed his entire body.

“You’re nothing but trouble!” Zio shouted, his scaled wing extending from his back and wrapping around the rear end of the pod.

It was then Tsuna laughed, so loud that he couldn’t hear the air in his ears. I knew it! It felt like he hadn’t laughed in years as his body felt relieved the more he inhaled.

Zio’s stare remained as he set Tsuna back inside of the pod.

Rylen’s shock turned into interest, as Tsuna’s laughing fit infected him as well. The both of them sharing a moment. “I understand now. He called your bluff, Zio. The lad’s sharper than you give him credit for.”

“You little bastard!” Zio said, clutching Tsuna by the collar and shoving him back into his chair.

“Not so smart now, are you, asshole? Tricked by a ‘kid’. Now that’s pathetic.”

An eyebrow on Rylen’s face lifted, and a sigh ended his laughter. “Quick-witted, and has the balls to back up what he says. Color me intrigued. You ever use a weapon before, lad?”

His question made Zio perk up. “You can’t be serious? Asking him that means you have a mind to involve him with us. We know nothing about him and he’s still volatile. Anything could happen even while we’re in this pod.”

“I’ve taken all that into consideration, but I’d like to see if he possesses the potential. You mentioned he killed The Captain, so maybe he can be of some use to us.”

“But that doesn’t mean…” Zio bit his tongue. “There’s no use arguing with you! Leora won’t comply with this plan of yours. Watch.” He swung to his body straight. “I’m going back to sleep.”

Tsuna scanned over the two of them. Sheesh, they’re like a married couple. He smirked, his thoughts running back to what took place at the tower and what went on in Yanagawa. I have to find them. “Hey, Rylen right? I have a few other questions.”

Rylen raised a finger, his attention still concentrated on the sky ahead. “There’s a lot going through my head right now. I have to request that you preserve the questions for when we land. It’ll be awhile, so you can figure out what you really want to ask me. After that, we can get you a formal welcome into Zenith.”

“Zenith?”

Rylen waved his finger at him. “No questions, remember!”

“Fine, fine.”

What I really want to ask him? Perplexed, Tsuna listened to what he said and relaxed in his chair. Rylen seems to have answers to everything I’d need to know, but there’s something about him I can’t get a read on. Eyes traveling to the other side of the pod, he studied Zio. Zio’s still pissed off for whatever reason. He can keep that bullshit attitude to himself.. And what does he mean that I’m volatile? Tsuna took a deep breath, perking up almost instantly after in bewilderment and putting his palm on his chest. I just realized I can breathe just fine again, but my body is still hot. Am I adapting? It’s possible, I suppose. A glint from his left hand reflected in his eye as the gem on the backside of it had a distinct change. It’s crimson now? Could that be why I’m hot? If I take this at face value for what it is, then it has to have something to do with that dragon. Wonder why he’s been so quiet since the last time? Whatever the reason, I know he’s the one who changed me. He peeked down at his exposed feet as he wiggled his toes. I’ll need to discover why I feel like this and can control fire. Tsuna peered off to the distance between the Twin Sea, his eyes growing heavier with each passing moment. Then, abruptly, the dragon’s voice reverberated in his ears.

“Rest. He moves closer and you must be prepared.”