First came the storm.

The silver hair, the sharp green eyes, and the scowl that was decorated with a lit cigarette. It was hard keeping the smile on his face, but he had to try so as to not let them see his discomfort. The newly arrived storm would glare at him and then asked -more like demanded- for some burn ointments and something to help with stomach pains. And he would hurriedly move around to get what was requested, handed it over while giving instructions on proper usage and warnings to not go against the instructions, then calmly waved as they left the small shop. When the door closed behind the silver haired young man, he moved to drink some tea to calm himself down.

Second came the sun.

The short white hair, the grey eyes, the scar, the loud voice, the bandages on his nose and hands. He accidentally spitted out his drink in a magnificent mist, then apologized as some of the dink had gotten on the sun's sister. It was actually the sister that had asked for something to help with aching muscles and bruises, as her brother wouldn't buy it himself. He would give a small chuckle as the two talked among themselves as he looked for the ointment, glad he made a new batch recently, and handed it over with the obligatory instructions on how to use it properly and waved goodbye. When they were gone, he closed his eyes and took deep breaths while counting to ten.

Third was cloud.

The black hair, the sharp grey eyes, the overall intimidating aura that surrounded him. He had to keep himself from squeaking, not wanting to show any kind of weakness. He was asked for something that would help their little bird feel better after a tragic encounter with some fruits it shouldn't have ate. It took a bit longer to find the right thing, considering it was a type of bird he hasn't seen for a few years and the wrong thing might hurt it even more, but it was in a jar right by another jar with the fruits that caused the problem. It did look very similar, now that he looked carefully at it. He handed a few over to the cloud, telling him the correct way to feed to his bird. When the man was out the door, he had to lean against the counter to steady himself. He was shaking.

Fourth was the mists.

The pineapple-like hairstyle, the eyepatch, the mismatched eyes, an annoying smirk, the ever present blush. It was harder to stay calm, when internally he was screaming. They asked for something that would help them keep calm when stuck in an unfavorable situation, as well as something to help one's health as the girl of the duo was not in the best of health. He handed them some leaves they could chew on to calm themselves and tips on how to find them if they somehow got lost in the wilderness, and some mixed herbs they could mixed in their drinks or food. Only a pinch of it a day, no more than recommended amount and no skipping if they could manage. The female mist thanked him, the male mist just gave an eerie chuckle as they gave a vague thanks. When the duo left, he fell to his knees with a shaky sigh. The stress was getting too much.

Fifth was the lightning.

The curly hair, the bright green eyes, the laid-back attitude, the cow print. He nearly choked on the candy he got from a kid that visited earlier with his mother. They asked for something to deal with scratches and sore muscles, as their best friend didn't have enough spare time to come and buy some herself. He gave a small smile and looked for the right ones, and even offered some grapes to the young teen who was eyeing it from the time they got into the store. The boy happily accepted and ate almost all of them, much to his amusement. He handed the medicines over to the lightning, gave him some instructions, and gave the best smile he could must at the moment as they boy thanked him. When he didn't see any cow prints, he moved to lay on the floor as he lost all energy, he curled up into a ball and fell asleep.

The last was the rain.

Spikey black hair, kind brown eyes, scar on the chin, and the ever present smile. He had to hold down a sob with much difficulty. They told him that their father had accidentally cut himself with a knife while working at the restaurant, and also have been complaining about back pain and asked if there was anything they could have. He nodded and told them to wait a second so he could look for them. The rain was very friendly and they shared a short conversation, and once the correct things were found they went through the usual routine of instructions and warnings. He always get nervous when he doesn't tell people those things after hearing so much horror stories from doctors and other herbalists. After exchanging farewells and the rain was out of sight, was when he finally broke. He fell on his knees and curled in on himself as he began crying uncontrollably. Each sob violently shaking his body, tears falling one after another, his lungs having difficulty taking in air. It was torture.

"I can't do this anymore Reborn! I-I have to go!"

Reborn let out a tired sigh as he watched his friend pace around the clearing they were in. It was how they usually met, as they both enjoyed nature to a fault. But it was unusual for them to meet with the brunette bursting out crying and saying that he couldn't take it anymore.

"Calm down, Tsuna. You're over reacting."

"I'm not over reacting! And I can't calm down! Do you know how long it's been, Reborn? Since the last time I saw them? It's been 500 years. 500 years and I'm still having a hard time stopping myself from crying!"

"I know. We had this same conversation 500 years ago, remember?" And they have. Same reason, same situation, just different location. And if Reborn had to think on the differences between the two times, he would say that Tsuna was handling this much better than the first time this has happened. "Besides, you knew this was going to happen. Luce even warned you this would happen."

"That doesn't mean it gets easier. I…I wanted to see them again, you know? And when I do…when I do, I have to remember that they're not the same people that I knew before. They're not the family I bonded with, or fought the war with. They're different people. And I…I wish they weren't…"

Reborn walked over to the now crying brunette and gently pulled him into a hug, rubbing soothing circles on the shorter male's back. He didn't mind if his suit was getting wet with tears, or that it was getting dark, or how the brunette always came to him when troubled. Actually, he was rather flattered that the male trusted him so much. Of course, Reborn trusted him the most out of all the people he know minus Luce.

"Look, Tsuna… Reincarnation is a hard thing to get used to, I understand. I had to deal with it a few times myself, and it still pains me each time it happens. But you can't beat yourself up because you still feel guilty about what happened a thousand years ago. People die in wars. It's unavoidable, and you know this. Just please…try to find some peace in the past." He made sure he spoke in a gentle matter, knowing the smaller male he would regret if he ever came out as threatening or mocking.

There was a moment of silence, filled with quieting sobs, which they spent before Tsuna gently pushed Reborn away with a pained smile. After taking a deep breath, the smile became less pained, and the previously chocolate brown eyes were now a beautiful orange that burned in determination.

"You're right. Of course you are. They died as heroes, and I should be proud of their accomplishments. Not mourn over their deaths after all these years to such degrees."

Reborn gave a small smile. Feeling proud of his friend.

"Good." He ruffled the soft brown locks of the others and began walking deeper into the woods. "Hurry up, Tsuna. The anniversary is tomorrow, and I know how much you like the wine that the elves made. I heard the dwarfs were going to bring some of their whiskeys too."

"Really?! They make the best whiskey in the world!"

"So I've heard."

The End

"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life."

–Richard Bach

A/N: I tried. I really did. Apologies if this isn't that good. But please leave some reviews! And please give me some ideas on what kind of AUs I should write for the KHR gang! Thank you!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

-Invalid Op.