;~; Sorry, this is short. I promise the next chapter will be longer! ajskdljal. I'll only be replying to reviews that I feel should be replied to... Don't worry! I read all your reviews and I love you guys so much for them! ;A;.

Dream36: P-perfect? Pfft, I'm not perfect! ); . The perfect one is you, obviously! AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CUTIE. -heart-
MangaFreak3: Er... I wish I could give you more 8027, but it really won't come until a bit later. D: I'M SO SORRY. Please forgive this authoress!
permasmile: I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU. ;_; Reborn shall be getting an act of his own, hurhurhur! 8D. AND DON'T DENY IT. THIS GIRL CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT YOU. D: ! -heartheart-
linda31: Thank you for your thoughts! xD. Uh, I really like writing down feelings for the characters, haha. I'm so sorry they were dreary ;;. But I'm so glad you continued. The plot will start developing, I promise! x3. I'll try to add more of them, though. I can't guarantee right now though LOL. They'll come later on, I promise! (:
XxPockyXx: ohmygosh. After I saw your review, I spazzed. ;; You gave me one of the nicest reviews ever! Thank you so much! And I'm not beautiful LOL. You're the beautiful one! :D

THANK YOU, permasmile, FOR BEING THE COOLEST PROOFREADER EVER! I seriously love you to the EXTREME! C: .
AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO Dream36! This is for you! 8D.

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Pairing Hints: 9627, 5927, 9527, 8027, 8627.
Please enjoy Chrome's act~! (:


IV. Misty Fairytale (1)


Ever since the place was abandoned, there had been no improvements made to return it to its original state. The whole area was filled with cobwebs, dead small animals lying around, ruined and battered up furniture, and mucky walls. The stench that filled the air did not help to ameliorate the forgotten location; it was horrible. And to add to the dismal condition, the mist that surrounded the rotting building made it ominous looking.

However, this territory belonged to a group of middle school students from the town next to Namimori; specifically, students from Kokuyo Middle. These teens formed the Kokuyo Gang. Well, not all of them were teens, but that didn't necessarily matter. They had been there for a while now and the place has become a home to them, despite the disgusting characteristics.

It was ironic, really. The caliginous building held a hidden bond amongst these gang members. Though it wasn't exactly a clear bond, it was strong. Why else would they stick with each other when insults were thrown every hour?

Even if the blond, spiky-haired boy said that he was not worried for the purple-haired girl, it was obvious that he actually was. Any idiot would be able to see through the horrible lie. Well, the boy was an idiot for not being able to conceal his lie. He said that she was only a vessel, only needed for communicating with the leader of their gang...who was currently away.

"Stop worrying, Ken," a male teen besides the canine-looking one said. He let out a sigh, pushing up his glasses to the bridge of his nose. "You say she's just a tool, but even anyone who's stupid could see that you care for her. You're bad at hiding it."

Ken blushed a bit, briskly turning the other direction with a frown. "She is! Ugh... Anyway, don't you get my point, Kakipi? She's acting more different than usual, byon! That stupid girl doesn't smile or even acknowledge us anymore! You know how irritating that is? It's like if she's ignoring us completely, byon! That dumb girl..."

Chikusa let out another sigh. He took a seat on a ripped up couch nearby. "You're such a worrywart, Ken."

"I'm being serious, byon!" Ken sat down next to the yo-yo user, letting out an annoyed grunt when landing on the seat. "She's more quiet than usual and you could see that she's more...sad, compared to usual, byon!"

"You're blushing right now."

"Augh, Kakipi!"

The subject of their topic, also known as Chrome, was hearing the whole conversation. She was in the next room and because of the thin walls of the open door; she was able to listen to every word spat out from her companions' mouths. Hey, it was not her fault they weren't aware of their volume. Actually it was only Ken who was yelling his words. Still...

It was also not her fault she was feeling devastated.

Sweat piled up in her hands because of the hard grip she was giving to her trident. Her unusual colored hair fell loose; strands popped up all over the place and hid most of her upper body. Her bangs covered most of her face, hiding her velvet colored eye along with her eye patch. One would have said her eyes held such beauty of they saw her, but not right now...

She was crying. Nonstop, actually. The news of her boss' lost memories made such a big impact on her. Chrome's heart sank low to the point where she couldn't breathe correctly. Her heart ached and quivers constantly shook her body. Her one exposed eye was red and puffy from continual tears that fell to the ground. The withered floor was even more worn from the drops of water made every minute, every day.

He was the one that accepted her into the family right away, despite being a follower of Rokudo Mukuro. During her turn in the Ring Battles, he was the only one that cheered for her while everyone else looked at her with doubt and scorn. He took her in even if she seemed suspicious. Even though Rokudo Mukuro was previously their enemy, he still accepted her.

...Chrome missed him. She wanted that feeling back, the feeling of recognition and love as a family member. But she couldn't. Not anymore. Maybe from the girls and the kids, but not from him. Who could she turn to when her boss wasn't there anymore? ...He would never accept her now. They weren't fated to have a long fitting friendship. He lost his memories, after all.

She treasured everyone in the Family, but she treasured him the most out of everyone.

Everyday, ever since that heartbreaking day, it had been tough for her. Chrome didn't want to die from her broken heart. She desperately pleaded for him to remember anything. Anything about her. She wanted to hide from the world, hide from the pain... Hide from everything. Maybe that's why she was the Mist Guardian. Mist Guardians were always good at shrouding themselves in secrecy.

Being in mist made her feel like being in a new found, deep darkness. She was so happy about escaping from loneliness, but she was alone...again. Even though there were Ken and Chikusa who took care of her, despite their reasons, she still felt like a lost child, standing in a cloud of mist. Alone, alone... Alone.

Where can I go back to, if you're not here with me, boss...?

. 9627 .

"This place had a karaoke bar, a movie theater, a bowling alley, and a small exhibit of flora and fauna."

He was in a place full of life with a small number of people around. Because he was small, his feet were dangling in the air while his petite body was carried by his loving mother and father. This was sheer bliss, the young boy knew. There was nothing better than spending a fun day at a fun place with the best parents in the whole world.

Kokuyo Land was full of vibrant smiles and vivacious lives. He could hear voices coming from the karaoke bar. Sure, not all the voices sounded that great, but he couldn't help but grin at the loving atmosphere coming from the bar. The movie theater overflowed with the laughter of the audience. He could hear pins being pushed down by rolling bowling balls. Flora and fauna expressed the joy of spirit and vigor. If anything, this was young Tsuna's favorite place to visit.

According to him, there was no way anyone can put on a sad face... So why was that little girl crying?

He was sitting on a table by himself, licking his ice-cream while waiting for his parents to come back with their lunch. Not far away from him, however, was a small girl sobbing her heart out. The cruel thing was that no one was paying attention to her. People passed on, as if nothing else around them mattered. The only things taken to consideration were bliss and happiness, not the opposite.

She's alone, the brunet thought sadly. No one is bothering to be with her... She looks like those lonely princesses in the middle of rings made up of mist... Maybe I could be her prince for today! He smiled to himself at the thought and ran towards her with determination.

The girl felt a presence right in front of her and stopped crying for a bit. She looked up to see a glowing young boy in front of her. A hiccup escaped from her mouth as she continued staring at him with curious, violet eyes.

"Hi!" the cheerful lad greeted. "I'm Tsuna! What's your name?"

She didn't answer him. Apprehension was building up in her body and her breathing stopped from the sudden surprise filling up her throat. She was confused by the "Tsuna" in front of her. What was his motive? Why was he here? She was lost...

But the mist around me stopped moving, she noted to herself.

Tsuna could tell the girl was growing nervous. He smiled, shaking his head. "You don't have to tell me your name if you don't want to. I came here because you looked lonely and you were crying... Why were you crying?"

Trust was something foreign to her. So was kindness. Loneliness has been her intangible companion since the day she saw her...parents for the very first time with her own eyes. She never felt these weird emotions bubbling inside of her right now... His smile was...warm. So warm... Oh, she was crying again.

"Wah! Don't cry! Um... I'll go buy you ice-cream! My mommy and daddy gave me a little money for being a good boy so I'll buy you ice-cream! Ch-cheer up, okay?"

Ah... She had always begged her parents for ice-cream. On television, all the good kids were given ice-cream as treats for being good girls and boys. She had always tried her best for her parents to acknowledge her and see that she was a well behaved child. But no matter how hard she tried, she was never given sweets or anything like that...

And this one boy was treating her, even though she was crying by herself. Didn't he even think she was weird? Not even her own parents accepted her...

Tsuna saw that the girl's sobs were softening to little sniffles. That was a good sign, right? He looked back to the food stand where his parents were at. His papa was currently fighting with the cashier about the mistakes of food...or was he bragging saying that he could make so much better food? Tsuna giggled at the silliness and noted that his parents were still preoccupied to notice anything.

He placed his hand on the girl's hand with a gentle touch. Her violet eyes sparkled at him with curiosity. The brunet tugged on her and lifted her up to a standing position. Tsuna began leading her to the ice-cream that wasn't too far from where they currently were.

His touch is warm, she thought with a new smile brightening her face, and the mist is disappearing...

"Sawa – "

The brunet was smiling contently in his sleep. His classmates turned to him with puzzled faces. Some of them snickered to each other, seeing the usual dame-student taking a nap. Others were shaking their hands, knowing that things never changed even after a long while. Gokudera and Kyoko both looked at the brunet with sad faces, but small smiles on their faces. On the other hand, Yamamoto had his head leaning against one supporting hand with a stoic expression.

"SAWADA!"

"Huh? What?"

Laughter roared throughout the classroom. The face the once sleeping boy had on was priceless! Drool was lingering on the corner of his lip and his hair was dishevelled, sticking up in random places. It looked like he had just awoken from bed.

A hand slap on a desk was just enough to silence the loud class. Eyes turned to Gokudera, who was now standing up with dangerous eyes piercing everyone, besides Yamamoto who didn't look too much affected by the slicing glint.

Gokudera took a glance at Tsuna. The boy seemed calm, surprisingly, unlike everyone else. The once self-proclaimed right hand man grew immensely hurt inwardly all of a sudden. Melancholy was filling him up at a speed unthinkable. If this continued on, tears would be pouring out from him soon enough. That was why Gokudera was walking coolly towards the door, opening it and then slamming it shut.

There was now a total absence of sound, speech, and just about anything. Not even the man standing in front of the classroom bothered to let out a grumble.

Tsuna was confused. Was he going to get in trouble for sleeping or not? Well, whatever. Argh, this whole thing made him forget about his dream. What was he even dreaming about? ...It was important, wasn't it? No matter how hard he thought about the dream, nothing was coming up. Ugh...

He turned his head to look outside the wall of windows on the side of the room. The change of weather seemed too...familiar to him. It was as if the boy himself could relate to the weather.

First was the sun. Following up the sunshine was bright lightning and roaring thunder. And right now was...mist. He was aware that it was going to be misty today, but there was that annoying intuition of his nagging at him again. (Since when did I even acquire such insight?) ...There was more to this mist. It was not just weather that was present there. The sentiment of sadness was mixing with the...shrouding and dark haze. Tsuna could feel the grief slithering towards his heart.

I...need to go to the other side of town. Something...or rather, someone is there waiting for me... I can feel it. No... I could hear the crying...the sobbing...the wailing. Really, the mist is alluring me to go into it. The depth is scary, but someone is in the middle of it.

He smiled. Maybe I should go play prince.

. 9627 5927 .

Finally...school's over!

The brunet rose from his chair and began stretching his tired muscles. Of course he hadn't been paying attention or anything since there was nothing written in his notebook. No, doodles of the teacher being a prick did not count. All he did was stare at the ground, clouds and the whiteness of everything. Yeah, that was something boring, but for Tsuna it was...captivating.

"Please, Yamamoto-kun... Won't you come to Kokuyo Land with Haru and me?"

Kokuyo Land...? That sounds so familiar...

The brunet turned to the source of the voice. It was loving and kind Kyoko-chan, pleading the baseball star to come with her to wherever the hell that place was. He could careless about the "date" she was asking him. It was the place that was bothering him.

Yamamoto saw Tsuna paying close attention to their conversation. He flashed a sad smile to Tsuna, who stiffened at the smile. The boy didn't expect to be caught eavesdropping at the talk. However, it didn't seem like the athlete minded much.

"Why don't you go with Tsuna instead?" Yamamoto asked the girl, still with the sad smile on his face.

The school idol whirled around, surprised to see Tsuna still there. Yamamoto took this time to grab his belongings and head out of the classroom, leaving the two alone. Kyoko never even noticed his leaving; her attention was only on Tsuna at the moment.

She slowly approached the boy. Kyoko stopped in front of him, playing with her fingers. It was getting a too bit uncomfortable, but at the same time there was a soothing atmosphere between the two. It was an odd feeling that she really couldn't explain.

"Will you accompany Haru and me to Koku – "

"Yes," he answered, cutting her off.

Tsuna wasn't attentive enough to know that he had given no thought. He just answered right away, thinking that it was best for him to tag along. He felt a connection to that...Kokuyo Land? ...Was it the other side of Namimori? If it was...then good. That was where his heart was telling him to go right now. That person who was calling out to him... Whoever that person was...he was going to save her. Her, because the boy had a strong feeling that person was a girl.

Kyoko put on a soft smile. "Thank you, Tsuna-kun."

. 9527 8027 .

"Hey, Kyoko-chan! Over here! Haru is with Lambo-chan and I-Pin-chan, desu!"

The orange-haired girl smiled brightly and waved back enthusiastically. Tsuna was right behind her, watching the females and the young kids with a tender smile. These four were on his most trusted list... Ha, when did that happen?

"Hahi, Tsuna-san is coming with us, too?" Haru inquired. "That's great! We're happy you're coming to accompany us, Tsuna-san! We have more than enough food to go by, so please don't leave, desu!"

Tsuna blinked. Haru had on a huge pack on...much too big for a delicate girl to carry. Haha, but something was telling him that this sort of thing was what Haru did frequently. The brunette seemed like a person to carry many things with her...like costumes, especially peculiar ones. She even seemed fit for costumes like those! He wouldn't be surprised to see her with a really weird outfit on in broad daylight in public.

Anyway, did that ginormous backpack contain only food? That looked way too much for three teens and two small kids to eat! Not even Lambo could finish all that! Besides, this was only going to be a one day trip to Kokuyo Land. Not even a day; just a few hours!

"Oh, don't worry about the big pack," Haru said, winking. "This is just enough for everyone to enjoy! Don't worry, Tsuna-san! We're going to meet a close friend of ours. Haru thinks you'll like the person very much, as well."

"Okay, Haru." The brunet turned to the two kids, who were both holding dolls. "...By the way, I-Pin, what kind of doll are you holding?"

The Chinese girl's face lit up. "This is a doll of I-Pin's master!"

"...What about you, Lambo?"

"Nyehaha! Lambo-san is holding Dame-Tsuna in his arms!"

"...Oh. I don't know if I should feel special or insulted..."

. 8627 L27 .

"One chocolate cone please!"

"Coming right up, kids!"

Tsuna turned back to the violet eyed girl with a toothy grin. She smiled back hesitantly, looking back at him and the hands they were holding. A small blush began to form on her face. This was the first time she had interacted so closely with anyone. She was never this close to her parents. In the course of her life so far, loving touches were practically forbidden...

It couldn't hurt to know how warm things in this world were for once, right?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the chocolate ice-cream in front of her. She looked up to the boy besides her and lifted an index finger. Curiously, the girl tilted her head and pointed to herself questionably. Tsuna nodded back enthusiastically and cautiously placed the ice-cream cone in her free hand.

"You have to eat it now before it melts!"

...She just received her first ice-cream cone. Nervousness and anxiety were both piling up inside of her at the same time. This feeling was...exhilarating. H-how was this going to taste? Did this mean that she was a good girl for once in her life? ...Was she getting what she deserved?

The brunet was smiling brightly to her. His smile was starting to get contagious. She put on a small, wavering smile of her own.

A chilling feeling filled up her whole mouth, but it wasn't bad at all. The cream was melting and... Her eyes lit up with happiness. This was good! This was the best thing she's ever eaten! This chocolate flavor tasted so good... This felt like paradise! Joy was the only emotion she felt at that moment. The small smile of hers grew bigger and sunnier.

"This is good, Tsuna!"

"Hehe, that's good to hear!" He paused for a moment, observing her expression. "You know, you should keep that smile on your face. It suits you better than tears. So don't cry anymore, okay? The next time we meet, I don't want to see waterworks coming from your eyes!"

She nodded. "Mm, I promise!"

For once in her life, she was accepted...

Kyoko and Haru looked at the sleeping trio in front of them with gentleness. I-Pin and Lambo were both holding onto their respective dolls tightly in their grasps while sleeping beside the teenage boy between them. They were all on the train right now, making their way to Kokuyo Land. Walking didn't take that long, but the girls were eager to visit a certain person.

"They look so peaceful right now," Kyoko said, letting out a soft sigh. "It's like nothing even happened to us...and everyone else the past few days. It's as if this grief, regret, and sorrow weren't even a part of our lives. Just watching Tsuna-kun like that really soothes things down."

"You're right, Kyoko-chan," Haru agreed. "But sometimes it's peaceful times like this when one feels sad the most... It's the smile on his face that reminds us of that horrible event in the future. It's weird... How can something so serene remind us both of painful and cherished memories?"

A calm silence had fallen between the two. The train riding on the rails made a noise that didn't make the silence so tense. Tenderness was making the girls feel so warm, sad, and broken inside. Both of their breathing rates increased slightly. Just watching the boy in front of them created a twister of emotions of inside of them.

...And it seemed as if mist was surrounding him. Outwardly and inwardly.

"Hey, Haru-chan, do you still like Tsuna-kun?"

It was sort of a random topic, but also a topic that the two talked about a lot. "Hahi, of course! Tsuna-san will always be the one for Haru, desu! ...No matter how melancholic he makes Haru feel at times, but that's because Tsuna-san is a caring person."

"Yeah... I believe Tsuna-kun makes the perfect person for anyone out there. I guess that's why all of us are so much in love with him."

The brunette couldn't help but frown a little at that. She noticed, too. There were many people who cared so much for the boy, but didn't he ever see that she cared him so much more? Still, the girl's lips curved into a smile. "If only Tsuna-san remembered and knew, right?"

Kyoko giggled and nodded. "Yeah. I don't think I deserve such a person like Tsuna-kun, though. I knew he had that crush on me for a while, but I didn't know his real self at that time, so I didn't do anything about it. I...kind of regret not realizing anything until his feelings for me started to disappear gradually. He...deserves a better person for him. Someone like you, Haru-chan."

"Hahi...!" Scarlet scattered across her cheeks. "E-eh! Haru is f-flattered and all, but Kyoko-chan is too kind! That's why you deserve a great person, too!"

"Chrome..."

Both girls stopped all that they were doing to take a look at the sleeping boy. The name that left his mouth made them curious about what he was dreaming about. And...this was the first time Tsuna had spoken a name without anyone else saying anything to him. Surely there was no way the brunet would have heard Chrome's name coming from anyone. They never mentioned her to him before. So...how?

It was Haru who was feeling jealous most of all. Chrome was always the one who Tsuna looked out for the most out of everyone else. It was Chrome who Tsuna made sure stayed healthy, not lonely, and comfortable. She never understood how Chrome was placed as his top priority. Haru was always there for Tsuna, so why was it he always looked to Chrome first?

Of course Haru loved Chrome. But right now...she wasn't sure how to feel. Wasn't this her fairytale, too?

. 9627 9527 8627 .

Deja vu... Have I been here before?

Tsuna looked up at the abandoned place in front of him. Was there seriously someone they all needed to visit in this...stench filled place? The mist was covering much of the outside, but Tsuna could tell everything was in ruins. It was a surprise that Kyoko and Haru knew about such a secluded place like this. Kokuyo Land was so...lonely.

He clutched a little more tightly on the cow-clad boy he was holding. Just entering this land from the start gave shivers to his spine. ...This place was important to him. He knew that from the constant shivers he was getting. What exactly was this place to him?

...A place full of memories? But in this lonely place? That's weird.

"Hiieee!" Tsuna shrieked, seeing two silhouettes emerging from the mist inside of the building.

"Shut up, byon!" one of the two snarled.

B-both of them are scary looking! Tsuna shouted in his mind, observing the two...Kokuyo Middle School students. A-are they from a g-gang or something? What's with the scars on their faces? That blond guy has really scary looking teeth while the other one with the beanie looks more normal, but scarier if that's even possible!

The beanie wearing boy pushed up his glasses. "Ah, Sasagawa-san and Miura-san. What a pleasure. The girl you're looking for is inside the building. She's probably in some corner or just staring into space. Just look on the second floor."

"U-um!" Tsuna stammered. He received two nonchalant, yet analytical looks from the two. "I-I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi... It's nice to meet – "

"We know who you are!" the blond one snapped, cutting off the poor brunet. "Hmph, whatever. We're already acquainted, byon. Anyway, the stupid girl is inside, like Kakipi said." He motioned for Chikusa to follow him. "Come on, byon. We have to go get some more snacks."

Chikusa gave a slight bow before sauntering after his annoyed companion. He continued following Ken until they were out of hearing range of the visitors.

"Wait, Ken..."

"What, byon?"

"You probably made a mistake by telling that Vongola we knew him."

Ken turned around, giving the glasses wearing boy an incredulous look. "What the hell are you talking about? He should know us, already! We're always with that stupid girl and Mukuro-sama, after all, byon!"

Chikusa let out a sigh. "Why else would he introduce himself to us, then? ...I'm saying he probably lost his memories or something. That boy was hit in the head pretty hard by the Millefiore boss, anyway. And he had no clue who we were. The girls must have not said anything to them, so probably no one wants the Vongola to know about the whole mafia thing."

"Che. You're stupid, Kakipi."

"Maybe..." He paused for a while, before saying, "No one enjoys a life of a mafioso... If anything, most people try to hide from it... That's probably why Chrome is fit as the Mist Guardian."

. 14 49 .

Those words said by that canine-looking guy... They hurt him so much. Despondency was the only thing he could feel right now. ...They were acquainted. That meant everyone he knew...was already acquainted to each other. If they knew each other, why was everyone hiding things from him? He was sure of it now. Secrets were being kept from him. It hurt. God.

He turned to the others. He could even feel Lambo's anxiety from his hold. What exactly happened before? Why were they looking back with depressed faces?

"Everything surely had broken to invisible gems," Kyoko whispered so softly to herself.

Tsuna heard the words she said. They reminded him of the words Yamamoto had told him the day he came back to school.

"Because...all the bonds and memories...are invisible gems."

What did he mean? What did she mean? ...What were these so called "invisible gems"? Nothing made sense anymore. Then again, nothing ever made sense to begin with. So many questions swirled in his mind and none of them were being answered. They were never going to be answered...

He hadn't even realized that he was following the others to the second floor. He was so deep into his thoughts that he wasn't aware of being a few steps away from a crying girl. ...Wait, a crying girl. Was this the person...that was calling to his heart?

She's the one in the middle of the bewitching mist...

She's the princess I need to save in this fairytale.

"Ch-Chrome..."

. 9627 .


djklajklj... Whut was this I don't even... :l.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this weird chapter. ;; ! AND I PROMISE THE SHOUNEN-AI WILL COME AFTER CHROME! She's the only main girl having an act, so no worries! ;~;. The guys are on their way~.

Review and let me know what you all think? ;x ...! (AND WISH Dream36 A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY WHILE YOU'RE AT IT! 8D)