Tsuna's Magical Friend

June 2007 - 6 years old

Tsuna listened with a fond smile while Ayame spoke a mile a second. He watched as she jumped in place, her eye's bright with excitement, a crumpled flyer in hand, as she shared her excitement with him. From what he could make out in her jumble of words, there was a young illusionist contest in November for Magus' ages 7 till 10. The Preliminaries are somewhere in Chiba, then the Secondaries are in Kanazawa, followed by the Nationals in Tokyo. The top five get the chance to go to Spain for the International Preliminaries. He smiled, because he knew how hard Ayame had been working on her illusions, and he knew she would have fun both in writing her own song and in the contest.

"...And I asked Xander-sensei if I could go and he said only if you go with me, so Please Tsuna-kun? Pretty, please?"

Tsuna blinked, then sighed, because he should of seen that coming.

"Of course I'd join you Ayame-chan, but we have to ask my Mama first."

Tsuna smiled, even as he imagined the training Ayame will push herself through. He'd have to make sure she remembers to eat and sleep.

Nana listened as the kids explained the dance contest Ayame wanted to enter, and was so happy her son wanted to support his friend. She asked about the adults going, Brown-sensei, who had helped her find her Tsunayoshi-kun, was a good man. Then there was Ayame-chan's Kachan, who her Tsu-kun had said made good western styled food. Nana approved, and the two kids cheered. During lunch she told the kids about the debates she entered with her debate club when she was young, and tricks her mother taught her for when she got nervous. Both kids paid attention as she shared, and Nana wished, if only for a moment, that her husband was here. I never told him these stories, would he be as interested as the kids? Nana smiled even as the seed of worry nestled in her doubts.

Tsuna sat next to Ayame as she played the piano. Her small hands played the simplest of tunes as her magic tried to connect with the melody. Ayame's Staff, her second staff, was on the floor at their feet with their school bags. Everyday Ayame-chan would pick an instrument and try getting her magic to connect to it's melody. By July, Ayame had decided the piano, guitar, and flute worked best. She had gotten her own flute, and kept it in her school bag to practice with. Even if she didn't plan on using it for the contest, it was good to have options for if she made to the next level.

When Ayame wasn't working on her magic practice, she was writing melodies, and lyrics. Tsuna learned that Ayame was great at multitasking, when she came over to help him with his homework, she was able to write out lyric ideas as well. Tsuna was really happy when her coughing episodes reduced from once a day, to one a week, while she used her magic more often. He only worried that her less frequent coughing fits were harsher than before.

Ayame's seventh birthday was met with celebration as Xander-sensei took both kids to the Magus Ministry. Everyone they passed bowed respectfully to Ayame, and she bowed her head politely back as they walked by. Tsuna wanted to ask why everyone seemed to know Ayame-chan, but knew he could ask later. They went to the Sports and Games division, where Ayame registered for the Young Illusionists Contest. She got her entrance and plus one pass, while the secretary handed Xander-sensei the two family passes.

Ayame turned to face Tsuna with solemn seriousness in her eyes. Tsuna watched her, trying not to worry about what she was about to say.

"Tsuna-kun, this is very, very important." She started as she dropped the lanyard of the plus one pass over his head.

"If you lose it, it will burn itself to ash and you will never find it again." She explained as she used an inkless pen to fill in the id cards.

"I've used my magic to connect the cards to us. Yours has your name written in my magic on it while mine has my name. So don't lose it."

"I promise not to lose my ID pass."

Ayame's cheerful smile was back as they left the Magus Ministry a few minutes later.

As August came Ayame made a breakthrough in her song writing. Tsuna watched as Ayame hid her song works from him, and changed her schedule just enough, that he would never find her practicing her songs. He knew she was practicing, and knew she was happy with her progress in her illusions, but he had no idea what she planned to show the judges come November.

"It's a surprise Tsuna!" Ayame would laugh and Tsuna gave up on finding out. His curiosity was no where near as persistent as Ayame's, and he could wait for November. August became September and Ayame was writing her second song and finishing her first. September became October and Ayame took a break from songwriting and practice to spend his birthday with him. October ended with Ayame having finished three songs, and the two kids preparing for a long road trip to Chiba.

Tsuna stared at the Kuro family's mode of transportation with horror and a bone deep fear. He had his suitcase packed with a nice suit his Mama said would be proper for a dance contest, and five casual outfits for the day's before and after the three preliminary rounds. Ayame had her suitcase mini-sized in her pocket, as did Xander-sensei and Yoko-san. Tsuna felt he really should start expecting the unrealistic things magic can do. His best friend and her guardians sat on a carpet. A Magic carpet, but a carpet nonetheless. They planned to take a carpet to Chiba. Granted it was the magical half of Chiba, but it was a carpet and Tsuna, for all he trusted his best friend, was terrified.

Tsuna stiffly handed Xander-sensei his suitcase, which was mini-sized and passed back, before stepping onto the carpet and sitting down next to Ayame-chan. He shoved his tiny suitcase into his pocket and ended up screaming, and hugging onto Ayame-chan as the carpet rose into the air. His mumbled chant for the ride was a mix between 'I don't wanna die' and 'I trust Ayame-chan' with a few shrieks of 'Blaming magic' thrown in whenever he saw a bird in flight from above.

Ayame kept her arm wrapped around Tsuna as they flew, finding his fear amusing, even as she remembered her own fear on her first magic carpet ride. She hummed a lullaby she remembered her birth mother singing to her so long ago. Tsuna calmed down eventually, but if he didn't let go of her, she didn't mind. If she smiled and hugged him back, well the adults found it adorable.