Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

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We walked together in silence, not a word issuing from any of our mouths. It was so cold. I remember shivering under my light, school uniform jacket. But we had to keep going. We had to get there in time.

I remember how Chikusa and I would have to keep stopping and hurry her on. I slightly regret, now, the harsh words I used to keep her moving.

"Come on, you stupid girl! Mukuro-sama made us promise to get you there on time.

"Are you an idiot? Or deaf? I said move it!

"Useless! That's what you are! Useless! You can't even take this calm weather!" I thrust my ice-cold hands discreetly into my pant pockets.

"It's... it's not the cold, Ken." She said, so quietly as if in a whisper.

"Then what is it?" I had snapped back.

"It's the thought of meeting these new people. Mukuro-sama said that I may be forced to see them often after today. What if..."

"What?"

"... What if they don't l-like m-me? What if I fail in the battle today and loss the ring? What if they all lose because I couldn't win? Wh-what would happen then?"

"You wouldn't have to worry about they're not liking you, byon, as you'd all be killed after the Varia became boss-ow!" I glared at Chikusa for elbowing me in the side. "What did ya do that for, byon!?"

"Chrome." Chikusa began, ignoring my question and adjusting his glasses. "Does it really matter if they like you?"

Chrome was silent, staring at the mist spread far over the river we walked beside. "No... i-it doesn't."

I had looked back to call her some name, but then shut my mouth when I noticed how sad she suddenly looked. Before I knew why I was doing it, I had said to her, "You want people to like you?"

She looked up quickly. "Yes."

"Then show them what you can do. Don't let the enemy easily defeat you. If you're going down, don't go down without a fight. Remember, you're not doing this to make some friends. You're doing this because Mukuro-sama - for some reason - decided to save your sorry life. He believes you can do this. You have to put away your pitiful, shy ways and live up to his expectations. You have to be brave and show those Vongola who their new Mist Guardian is. Show them you're not a weak, half-dead girl. Show them you're apart of the Kyouyo Gang, you're Mukuro Rokudo's apprentice, you're the Vongola Tenth Generation Mist Guardian - Chrome Dokuro."

Chrome made no reply. I turned to Chikusa, but he only shrugged his shoulders. I sighed, figuring that the girl would most likely be dead in less than an hour.

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"No way!" The timid brunette screamed. "The Mist Guardian is-is... MUKURO ROKUDO!?"

I was about to make a sharp reply when a strange voice beat me to it.

"No." Was what she said. She spoke so calmly, without a single stutter or quake to her voice. "My name is Chrome."

All of us turned to look at the twelve year old girl, who seemed to have completely transformed from the wimp who was afraid of not being liked but half an hour before. Now, she stood tall, her long, slender body slightly leaning in an almost bored way against her much too large trident. Her lips were curled into a sort of impish grin, her single eye staring straight into the face of her new boss.

I soon found myself grinning. 'Maybe she will live through this battle...'

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Ending Note: About Chrome being twelve: She is a year younger than Tsuna, who is fourteen in the Varia Arc. Tsuna's birthday is in October, the seemingly month of the Arc (does anyone else think it looks to be fall?) while Chrome's is in December, thus making her twelve, only turning thirteen after the Arc has ended.

(: Thank you for reading! Please review! :)