Chapter 1: Inexplicable Fortuity
"In the magical universe there are no coincidences and there are no accidents. Nothing happens unless someone wills it to happen." -William S. Burroughs
Chrome Dokuro decided to visit Kokuyo Land, her former residence. It had been six months since the last time she ever did, and that was exactly before Rokudo Mukuro himself sent her away from the said place. The unpleasant occurrence pained her deeply. Chrome had always been devoted to Mukuro since the time she agreed to become one of his vessels. After all, he was the first person who claimed that he needed and accepted her, something that no one else did. The letter that Mukuro wrote, ordering her to depart from Kokuyo Land, made Chrome realize that there is nothing left for her to do than to bite the bullet and move on.
At first, getting accustomed in becoming a member of the Vongola Family gave Chrome a hard time. She still could not make herself believe that the person she trusted the most abandoned her completely. Although that is the situation, Sawada Tsunayoshi, successor of the "10th Vongola boss" position, never gave up on making her feel welcomed in his Family. Soon enough, all of his friends began to treat Chrome similarly. However, their efforts were not able to reach her entirely. A few days later, they discovered that Chrome's condition is in a bad shape.
Then came the night when Tsuna is finally able to meet Mukuro again. He took this opportunity to confront him about his reason for leaving Chrome in Namimori, the town where Tsuna and his friends reside. After constant persuasion, Mukuro eventually revealed the truth. He told them that he saw a great potential in Chrome and he wanted her to become an independent soldier. On the other hand, she refused to accept everything and began to reject Mukuro's offer of providing her illusory organs, for she wanted him to acknowledge her. Mukuro knew that Chrome's heart had been struggling, so that left him no other choice but to keep a distance between them.
As she overheard the reason behind Mukuro's action, Chrome was able to find her resolve-to protect him and the people whom he held dear. Afterwards, she decided not to return to Kokuyo Land anymore for she opted to dedicate her time in becoming a worthy Vongola 10th Generation Guardian of the Mist. Mukuro accepted her decision and stated that she will always be a part of his gang.
Subsequent to that, changes rapidly took place in her life. Pleasingly wearing her Namimori Middle School uniform is Chrome's most distinguishable alteration. Next to it would be becoming the Vongola 10th's Guardian of the Mist (in-training). Other than that, she retained the rest-from the purple-colored, pineapple-inspired hairstyle she scores, the skull eye-patch covering her right eye, to the shy and innocent personality she possessed. Although Chrome places the Vongola Family in her top priority now, she had not forgotten to look back to where she begun.
Today's visit is important to Chrome that is why she made sure to bring a box of chocolate cake roll along with her. "I know that Mukuro-sama loves chocolates. This will really make him happy." The rectangular box rested atop her both hands. Judging from the school uniform she is currently wearing and the blue handbag hanging on her right shoulder, it looks like she just had been to school. Trudging through the ragged path leading towards Kokuyo Land felt nostalgic for her. It had always been so peaceful in this part of the town. Wide-open space and green meadows flanking the road appeared to be endless. The cold breeze sweeping amidst the fields reminded her of the same noontime she encountered months ago.
In a little while, the old building came into view. Chrome felt exhilarated when she realized she was almost getting closer to her destination. She longed to see Rokudo Mukuro, along with his companions, Kakimoto Chikusa and Joushima Ken, the people whom she used to share the same roof with. Chrome also heard that MM and Flan decided to join them as well. These are the members of Kokuyo Junior High Gang, Chrome's former Family.
"You will always be a part of this gang." Chrome remembered the last words Mukuro told her before she became a member of the Vongola Family. The statement never failed to make her day. Knowing that he still sees her as one of them, Chrome decided to invite the Kokuyo Gang to an event, arranged by the Vongola Family, which she will be participating in. According to Sawada Tsunayoshi, his tutor, Reborn, told him that this occasion will serve as an opportunity for his guardians to know the reason as to why they were chosen. Unbeknownst to Tsuna, its true purpose is to convince him to accept his position as the 10th Vongola boss. Whatever the motive may be, Chrome deemed this event important.
She pushed past the iron gates, barricading the area. They were made to be left open today. Chrome carefully entered and walked further inside. The remains of the amusement park that once stood there welcomed her again. Piles of rubble stretched halfway throughout the place. After a few more steps, Chrome was able to see the Kokuyo Health Land Building up close. From its broken windows and shattered glass doors, it looked the same as the old, run-down building she inhabited a few months ago. In fact, it is the same.
Just as she started to pick her pace, Chrome noted the presence of two people approaching her from behind. One of them is walking in a normal stride, while the other is somewhat moving towards her rapidly, occasionally hiding from one thicket to another. She can tell because the rustling sound is loud enough for her to hear. "Huh! An enemy!?" Without hesitating, she brought her weapon out and induced indigo-colored flames in it.
Due to being trained as the Vongola 10th's Guardian of the Mist, Chrome was able to improve her illusory prowess and the perception of her five senses with the surroundings. As she felt the person only a few inches away, Chrome shifted her body abruptly and afterwards, threw a spear towards the target. It landed in front of the stranger. The impact caused by the fall created an explosion, knocking him down to his feet.
"Ouch! Why did you do that-byon?" As the smoke cleared-up, Chrome realized that she just had hit Joushima Ken with her previous attack.
Ken laid a stone's throw away from her, covered with dirt all over his school uniform. His hair was in a mess and he gained small patches of black marks on some parts of his face.
"Ah Ken! I'm so sorry. I did not know that it was you all along." Chrome tried her best to apologize. She ran towards the spot where Ken is currently lying down. She noticed a pile of individually-wrapped chocolate balls scattered around him. After placing some of the things she held on the ground, Chrome started to pick it all up. Ken managed to help himself to his feet.
"Sorry? Ever since you joined the Vongolas, you had been too paranoid, even here at Kokuyo Land." Ken said in an irritating tone as he began to wipe the dirt that he got from the recent outburst.
"This is entirely your fault, Ken." His companion, Kakimoto Chikusa, finally caught up with them.
Just like Ken, he showed up clad in his Kokuyo Middle School uniform, only that he also wore a pair of glasses and a white beanie.
He turned to Chrome. "It was his idea to startle you before you could go inside the building. How troublesome."
"Shut up, four-eyed kappa!" Ken blurted.
"Ken you are pissing me off." Chikusa said accompanied with his lazy-like demeanor.
Chrome knew where their conversation is obviously leading to; an argument. So before it becomes worse, she tried to intervene. "Umm...guys!"
"I'm just telling the truth-byon. You really looked like a four-eyed kappa!"
"You should consider your own appearance first, Ken."
The two of them did not hear what Chrome had said a while ago. She guessed that maybe her voice was not loud enough. So after mustering all the air from her lungs, she finally let the words out. "Stop it, guys!"
Ken and Chikusa's childish dispute finally came to an end. Chrome wanted to feel triumphant over that little victory-(for someone like her, it always takes a lot of verve to say what she has in mind), but on the contrary, she was mortified. The reason would be the fact that she uttered the words stridently, leaving her companions, currently facing towards her, wide-eyed and speechless. In a split second, Chrome got back to her accustomed disposition. "I-I mean...I think we should go inside now. I don't want to keep Mukuro-sama waiting for me."
"I see. You have an important matter to discuss with him, right?" Chikusa queried. With the tip of his fingers, he pushed the bridge solders of his eyeglasses upward.
"Actually, I want to share this information with all of you." Chrome smiled as she answered.
Ken's eyes trailed towards the rectangular box placed on the ground, beside Chrome's handbag. "Hey Chrome, is that a cake?"
"Ah yes! I almost forgot." Chrome took a few steps to reach the spot where she placed her things. She went to get her handbag first. Afterwards, she reached out for the box, only to be stopped by Ken. He was so fast. She only felt his presence in a split second. Chrome came to a conclusion that he used his own special ability.
"Let me carry this one for you-byon." Ken volunteered.
His reason for doing so is because he wanted to be the first to grab a bite out of that mouth-watering chocolate cake roll. On the contrary, Chrome thought it was an act of genuine kindness, so she gratefully expressed her gratitude. "Thank you, Ken!" She showed him the best smile she could make.
Ken couldn't help but notice how beautiful Chrome looked when she smiled like that. He felt his heart fluttering and his cheeks flushing in deep crimson. Ken could only hope that it was not too obvious.
He tried to cover for it. "W-well then, what are we waiting for-byon? Let's get going!" Holding the box, he turned his back against them and began to tread toward the building's entrance.
"H-hey!"
"Wait for us, Ken!"
As soon as Chikusa was able to catch-up to Ken, he continued to walk beside him. On the other hand, Chrome remained to fall into step behind them.
It did not take long before they reach the entrance.
Everyone in Kokuyo Land seemed preoccupied. They have been anticipating an old friend and comrade's arrival. Given that, they decided to grant her a warm welcome by tidying things a bit. Considering the building's condition, this is the least that they could do, since most of the members were former criminals who escaped from Vendicare Prison, a supposedly impenetrable confinement, except for Chrome and Flan. Life had been too hard on them, so they must live only on what they can acquire.
A few days ago, Mukuro recalled a room on the first floor that had been left untouched for a long time. It looked plain and simple. A shade of faded-white paint covered the walls. Three glass windows were mounted on the left side, allowing sunlight to penetrate further into the room. They were about 10 feet high. A couch was placed facing two smaller chairs. Another one stood vertically on the right side. Lastly, a wooden table can be found in the middle. Mukuro considered this discovery on a perfect timing with Chrome's arrival. Thus, he decided to receive their guest here.
However, there is a problem-the room looked disheveled. Big boxes, used to accommodate the rest of their things, were scattered around the said area. They have to get rid of these to make the room appear more presentable. Realizing this, he decided to divide the work among his companions.
Due to insufficient amount of time left, Mukuro was subjected to agree with Flan's idea of moving the packages to the nearest room in the left wing-his very own. He got Ken and Chikusa to work on that particular job. Afterwards, he sent them off to the store to buy chocolate balls. Muscle-memory probably told Mukuro to do so. Next, he ordered MM to sweep the floor and to get rid of all the dust as fast as possible. Although she is currently suffering from colds, MM accepted the job, for she knew that she will be the one to receive the credit from Mukuro. Lastly, he gave the easiest task for his student, Flan, to carry out.
Inside his master's room, Flan busied himself by arranging the boxes and piling them accordingly. Due to his immense curiosity, he dug deep inside of the remaining ones to see what he could find. His doing caught Mukuro's attention. From the nearby chair, he decided to watch his student's actions carefully.
"Master, where did you get this stuff?" Flan asked while he examined an old notebook with a few torn pages.
"That one had been here ever since the day we first moved into this building." His master, Mukuro, answered.
Once again, he rummaged through the contents of the same box. This time, Flan found a planner with a picture of a pineapple drawn on the cover.
He pounded a fist into his palm as if he just figured something out. "I think I know where you got your weird hairstyle, Master!" Flan merrily showed him the item.
Mukuro's hairstyle had long been mistaken for having the same shape as that of a pineapple. This is something that he could not bring himself to accept, although it is evidently the truth.
The smile on Flan's face vanished when he noticed his master's heterochromatic eyes glaring at him. "What did you say?!"
"I said I-" Before Flan was able to continue, Mukuro thrust his trident towards the same direction as to where his student is currently standing. The three prongs pierced through the huge apple-shaped hat he is wearing. This action caused Flan to lose his balance. He unintentionally toppled a pile of boxes behind him. Luckily, only the one at the top fell to the ground, revealing a variety of items scattered on the floor.
"Ouch! That hurt." Flan complained.
Mukuro retracted the poles of his trident and its handle. Afterwards, he kept it away.
"Next time, make sure to watch what you are saying." He leaned further into his chair. Mukuro fixed his arms atop the armrest while letting both of his hands bend along its shape. Simultaneously, he crossed both of his legs. A sneaky smile flashed across his face. "Oh and don't forget to clean up this mess." He added.
"Yes, master." Flan turned his back against Mukuro and started to work. As soon as he flipped the box upright, he began to fill it up.
Later on, Mukuro saw something familiar, lying next to the chair he presently occupies. He guessed that it flew from the box his student accidentally tumbled a while ago. Although somehow reluctant, Mukuro decided to pick it up. After studying the object, his eyes widened. Atop his palm, there laid a doll. It has the exact features with the one he found along the street in the past-short and curly brown hair made entirely of yarn, black buttons stitched into its face to serve as eyes, and lastly, clothed in a blue dress with laces and trimmings.
"How did it get here?" Mukuro tried to remember.
"Huh?" Just then, he was able to recall a memory. It happened exactly five years ago-his and this doll's meeting.
Tokyo, Japan
(Five years prior to the main story line)
It started with a single drop, followed by two, three, and so on. In a short while, the rain fell hard.
A certain ten-year old boy occupied a bench situated next to a bus stop. While holding an umbrella, he contemplated the scenery across-a view of civilians walking along the sidewalk. The traffic light that stood nearby now bore the "go" signal. It prompted the vehicles to advance along a two-lane highway. The speeding automobiles temporarily obscured the view. Once again, he felt bored.
Mukuro hated waiting more than anything else. He knew that he should not have presumed Lancia to be telling the truth. "Lancia-senpai probably went to do another mission. He is taking so long if he only excused himself to go to the bathroom." In fact, the boy did not know that the reason for their sudden visit to Japan was exactly the same as what he thought.
Rain continued to fall. In a short while, the traffic disappeared. It enabled him to gaze upon the surroundings beyond once more. His vision fixated on a group of young girls.
There were three of them; two blonde-haired girls stood facing another girl with a long mane highlighted in the shade of purple. She seemed to be clutching an object using her right arm. Each of them held umbrellas, concealing most of their faces. From his location, Mukuro could only make out of their side-view. Judging from the apparel they wore, he speculated that they came from rich families.
Initially, they appeared to be having a simple conversation. Without warning, the purple-haired girl was shoved by one of her companions, rendering the former to lose her balance. As she fell to the ground, the girl unintentionally let go of her umbrella, including the other one she held close-which turned out to be a doll. Still unsatisfied, the blonde-haired girls kicked it farther away. The doll flew to the other side of the street. Afterwards, they left the purple-haired girl behind.
"Huh?" Mukuro found her doll on the ground, beside his feet. He picked it up and held it gently using both hands. Next, he looked towards the girl. Somehow, she managed to help herself to sit on the floor. Before he knew it, the girl was also looking back at him. Seeing her lovely face made Mukuro's heartbeat go faster, but he ignored it. "Wait there. I'll take it to you." Mukuro assured her, although he doubted that she would be able to hear him over the sound of the rain.
He stood from the bench and headed for the pedestrian lane. As soon as his right foot descended from the pavement, a green light, coming from the nearby traffic light, caught his attention. "Shoot!" It urged Mukuro to return to his former position. Waiting for the light to turn into red is all that he could do at the moment. Just then, busses halted in front of him and began unloading passengers. Thus, a crowd was suddenly formed.
The boy was caught in a throng of people moving towards different directions. Weaving past the crowd is not easy for a ten-year old child. Although he managed to get through, he was already too late. He saw the girl going along with a man to a car parked nearby. Mukuro tried to get her attention. "Hey, wait! Don't forget about this." He held the doll higher for the girl to see.
Mukuro was relieved when he saw the girl smiling at him. It meant that she heard his voice. Afterwards, the girl ran en route for the pedestrian lane but was stopped by the man, who caught her on the arm with a tight grip. He was so infuriated with the girl's actions that he began to yell at her in public. Even from afar, Mukuro was able to see tears falling from her eyes. He felt pity for her.
To avoid becoming further humiliated, the girl decided to walk towards the car and opened a door in the passenger's seat. Before she entered, the girl glanced at Mukuro and mouthed some words that he failed to comprehend.
"I'm leaving her in your care. Goodbye."
"Huh?!" At this moment, Mukuro can finally understand what the girl had said.
"Mukuro-san! Mukuro-san!" His thoughts were hindered by someone who just mentioned his name.
Mukuro came back to reality. The instant he was able to open his eyes, he saw Ken standing in front of him. The latter looked worried. "W-what is it?" Mukuro managed to ask.
"Are you okay? I heard you talking in your sleep." Ken asked.
"I actually fell asleep?!" Mukuro was astonished because he could not recall falling into a slumber.
It took a while before he answered the question. "Yes, I'm perfectly fine."
Ken was relieved.
Mukuro scanned the entire area. He seemed to be looking for someone. "Where is Flan?"
"He probably went to the kitchen. The kid told me that he needed to fetch himself a glass of water."
"Hm.." Mukuro carefully assessed the work that Flan had done. He was convinced the moment he saw all of the boxes properly aligned on the corner. "At last, I can finally say that he had accomplished something."
"Mukuro-san, Chrome had finally arrived." Ken informed him.
Mukuro nodded. "I'll be over there in a minute. You should go on ahead."
After Ken exited, Mukuro hastily prepared himself.
The dream still remained in his head. He opened his right hand and once again, envisioned the doll lying on top of it. After enabling himself to remember that incident, Mukuro suddenly felt responsible for returning the doll to its owner.
"Its owner?" Just then, the image of the purple-haired girl he had seen before flashed across his mind. That is when he realized that she looked a lot like Nagi.
"No, it can't be. Nagi and the girl may look alike, but they felt so different."
At last, Mukuro finally got ready. He began to walk towards their living room, trying to abandon his crazy thoughts behind, though he knew that he could never will.
"It is all just a mere coincidence."
Or so he thought.
-End of Chapter 1-
Author's Note:
-Hi guys! First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to read my first fanfiction. :D Please don't forget to leave a review (If you want to point out any of my mistakes, I'll be glad to accept it). I really need to know whether my story could somehow be considered, and if it fits perfectly with its genre (I'm not so sure if I chose the right one...gomenasai!).
-The flashback is based only on Mukuro's POV so I cannot expand it. (It will all make sense sooner or later. I promise! XD)
-The reason as to why the ten-year old Mukuro failed to understand what the girl had said because she spoke using the Japanese language, which I assumed that Mukuro was only able to learn recently. (In the story, that is. XD)
Anyway, I'll take a short break for now.
Ja ne!
-MonoKuromu-chan96
Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn [c] Akira Amano, Shueisha, Viz Media