T.T I apologize, yet again, for another ridiculously long break. I will definitely do this faster :3

In the meantime…please review! Tell me what you want for the future of the story. I have a vague idea, but hey…nothing is really set in stone yet.

This is officially the longest chapter EVER. I was going to break it in two, but…I didn't really want to. :3

Remember to review!

Another huge thanks to my beta, Akai-chan! :D

~Summer


-Chrome-

The battle, if you could call it that, lasts for the entire duration of two minutes. The one they called Kyoya Hibari runs forward with tonfas, and after a blinding flash of speed, power and accuracy, the huge, lumbering machine is nothing more than a pile of smoking rubble.

He doesn't even look remotely excited about it. He's bored. He throws the ring at one of the Cervello then turns to look at the boss of the Varia, Xanxus.

"You, sitting there. Come on down. I need to bite the boss of Monkey Mountain to death before I can go home." He says.

"What?!" Boss's silver haired guardian of the storm shouts.

"Not 'What', octopus. We've lost this conflict. What are we going to do, Boss?" Belphegor asks Xanxus. From what I can see, he's very smart. I'm glad I didn't have to face him.

I'm glad I don't have to face any of them anymore. I'm so glad everything is over for me, and that there is no more Ring Battles for me to contend with. Though I wished more than anything that Mukuro-sama didn't have to step in, if someone gave me a chance to fight Mammon again I don't know what I'd do. I don't want to fight again.

Xanxus remains staring at Hibari with his red eyes that burned with fire.

Hibari just smirks in return.

Xanxus jumps off his chair at Hibari, but the latter parries the blow with a tonfa easily.

"My foot slipped." Xanxus smiles. But it was unkind; could he be planning something…?

"I'm sure." Hibari scowls.

"I'm not lying. I just wanted to go over to retrieve that piece of junk. We've lost." Xanxus says smoothly.

"Your face doesn't look it." Hibari runs at Xanxus, eyes set to kill. He slashes over and over again with tonfas, but Xanxus just dodges each blow. He's not striking back.

"What is Hibari doing?!" Ryohei yells. "He just won against that machine!"

A gattling gun goes off at Hibari and Xanxus frighteningly close to where I'm concealed and the smoke billows to the point where I can't see at all. My eyes water and I cough lightly, but I don't think anyone's noticed me.

Mukuro-sama stirs weakly in his sleep. Chrome, be careful…When there's smoke, there's fire.

My head snaps up. What does he mean? Then I see it. Under the huge plume of smoke, a fierce fire roars and I grab my trident and run. I try my hardest to keep up my spell that keeps me concealed, but it's hard. I don't think anyone noticed me though. Everybody's attention is still focused toward Hibari, and the smoke is keeping me somewhat concealed.

"Hibari!" Gattling guns shoot, mines go off, but their battle rages on.

"How long do you plan to keep this up?" Hibari growls.

"Relax. I won't lay a hand on you." Xanxus smirks.

"As you wish. Either way, you will be bitten to death."

"Damn him, he's mocking the boss!" Levi yells.

"Hold on, Mr. Sullen." Belphegor says, ignoring the resulting exclamation from Levi. "If we, the losers, make a move, it'll be seen as a rebellion against the soon-to-be Vongola Tenth. All of us, along with the boss, will be executed."

"So you're telling me to leave that insolent brat alone?!"

"Our boss is scheming something."

"What is it?!"

"I don't know. I bet Mammon or Squalo would have known."

I don't think any of the Vongola heard this exchange. Running from the small fire that started up where I was concealed has led me to overhear this conversation, as I am now frighteningly close to where the Varia are. I don't know what they mean. I try to figure it out, what Xanxus might be doing but I can't. What is there left for Xanxus to do? Since he already lost, what else could he be planning?

None of us notice the small light going on in the eye of Gola Mosca.


The battle rages on. Xanxus must be extremely strong, to hold his ground against Hibari for so long. He does resort to parrying with his hands, belying what he said before.

"He can see the boss' movement's coming?!"

"Unbelievable."

"Cervello."

"Yes, Xanxus-sama?"

"Just watch how this is going to end. I am not attacking."

Right as those words escape his mouth, Hibari lunges forward again. I can see that this blow is going to hit.

Right then, a green beam of light shoots through the air, close to where Hibari and Xanxus are. F-from the Gola Mosca?!

Hibari stops his attack and jumps back to identify the new, unknown threat. He crouches down.

Another huge noise happens close to the Vongola and I swivel my head around quickly to look. Missiles are in the air, zooming down at a breakneck pace to the Vongola Famiglia. I scream out a warning but my throat is stuck.

More missiles zoom down at the Varia. What is going on? I try to see who shot them, but everything is indiscernible through the thick, heavy smoke.

I crane my head forward. Gola Mosca is flying through the air, still smoking slightly. He is the one that undoubtedly sent the missiles. But…how is he even functioning?

"I told you. I tried to retrieve it, but their Guardian of Cloud stopped me." Xanxus says, the tone of his voice laden with victory. Bullets and missiles fly out of Gola Mosca in a way that I can't even keep track of, and I do my best to avoid them. I'm so scared though.

"Because of him, I lost control of Mosca."

"So it's on a rampage?!"


"Damn it! This is crazy!" Bullets fly through windows, green lasers break fences. It's only a matter of time before the people here are eliminated as well. And that includes me.

"We're all done for!"

Xanxus releases a huge torrent of laughter. "This is such a disaster!"

"You used me?" Hibari growls as he stands up again. A cold glint of fury is in his eyes and I involuntarily shiver.

I decide that it's too dangerous and run from my hiding place. I know that both the Vongola and Varia are able to see me now, but there's no stopping that. This is too dangerous and I can't afford to keep worrying about my solitude.

As missiles crash into the ground I was standing on seconds before, I run even faster. Ken would be so proud of me, I think wryly.

"Hey! The field is extremely dangerous!" Ryohei yells. I know that. But I can't afford to acknowledge him right now. I just have to keep running.

I stop, and a piercing, high-pitched blast runs through my ear. What is happening?

An explosion. Huh. That must have been a bomb. Two forces seem to collide with my shoulders and push me toward the ground, and I turn to look seconds before I fall. Ken and Chikusa.

My head snaps up and I look at them, turning my head from side to side.

"Chikusa! Ken!" I say.

"This girl's quite a hassle," Ken growls.

A gattling gun aims at us. Through the plumes of black smoke and red fire, I see Mosca lumbering toward us.

I'm going to die. But this time…Ken and Chikusa are also forced to die with me. The strong survive and the weak die. I'm weak, but why are all these other people saving me? And now…Now Ken and Chikusa have to go with me. I feel so regretful.

I close my eyes and put my arms around my head. I'm so scared. I-I…don't want to die.

A condensed particle cannon rings toward us.

I brace myself for impact.

An orange flame surrounds us. Wait…orange?!

That means…

Boss!

"Bossu…" I say in a tone of absolute wonder.

He saved me again. But for some reason, this time, I am filled with unbelievable joy and lightness.

The fighting rages on. I stay enclosed in the arms of Ken and Chikusa, hoping, wishing that it would stop.

My eyes start to become blurry with tears and sweat. I look up and vaguely see Bossu flying, but I'm pretty sure that can't be true. More missiles fly at Bossu, and he jumps inhumanly high. I don't know how this can be happening.

"JUUDAIME!" Gokudera screams. A-ah…something big must be happening.

Fire in different colors, dust, smoke, machine parts explode in the sky. I can't see too clearly though.

Cries of congratulations ring from the Vongola and I raise my head, along with Ken and Chikusa.

"Is it over…?"

"That was pretty rough."

I try to say something, but I can't. I'm almost paralyzed with shock and fear. I can't really understand what's going on.

"Xanxus. What is this?" Bossu asks.

Mosca flies at him, and he blocks it with one hand. He yells a battle cry as he splits the machine open.


"That's…the…Ninth…"

An old man lies on the ground.

"We're finally able to meet, Tsunayoshi-kun. I'm sorry. All this happened because of my weakness." I lean forward to hear more. What…What is going on?

"My weakness woke Xanxus from his long slumber."

"Slumber? What do you mean? After Xanxus left the 'crib', he left the Family and should have been placed under heavy surveillance by Vongola." Reborn says.

"Crib?"

"The greatest coup d'etat attempt in Vongola history occurred eight years ago."

I…have absolutely no idea what's going on. Who is Xanxus, really? What is this crib?

I look at Ken and Chikusa, but their faces are as blank as I'm assuming mine are.

"The dreadful fact that the Ninth's son was responsible was kept secret. Only a handful of Vongola and the elite who fought in that battle knew of it."

They talk some more, but my concentration slips apart and I fly into a daze. I'm so…tired.

I can't breathe.

The Ninth pushes a dying will flame on Tsuna's forehead.

"Wait! No! Please wait! Ninth!"

"How dare you kill the Ninth!" Xanxus growls. "I take your cruel treatment of the Ninth as a challenge to his true son, Xanxus, and the honorable spirit of Vongola."

W-what is he talking about?

"Don't feign ignorance. The burns on the Ninth's chest are more than enough proof. The Ring Conflict is nothing compared to what you've done. This is for the sake of my father, who was the boss, and for the future of the Vongola. I will defeat you and avenge him."

So this is what happened.

"Everyone, please refrain for conjecture. We are officially recording all statements."

"Do as you wish." Reborn says. "I've already snapped. I will keep my promise to the Ninth and won't raise a hand. Not in my student's fight. However, even as I say that, I don't know what my student, who doesn't like fighting will do."

"Xanxus. I'll be taking that ring back. I won't…I won't let you succeed the Ninth."

"Well said, Tsuna."

"I'll carve you into the history of the Vongola, shouting that there was a pathetic wimp who revolted against Xanxus."

"He's not alone!" Gokudera yells. "Juudaime's will is…our will!" I heft my trident as all the other Guardians pull out their weapons.

"Personally."

"You brats want a fight?"

"Eradicate the traitors!"

"The fight to avenge the Ninth…Will be controlled by us." A Cervello says, stepping forward.

"We have a duty to watch over the Vongola rings. We cannot allow the Rings to change hands without our approval."

"This battle, which will determine the next Vongola boss, will be called the Sky Match."

"In other words, it will be the final battle of the Ring Conflict that we've held."

"How does this suit you, Xanxus-sama?"

"It's not bad."

"Then, tomorrow night…Would everyone please gather at Namimori Middle."

"So, you've given them a stay of execution." Belphegor smirks.

"Tomorrow is going to be this comedy's last act. Struggle with all your might." Xanxus smirked at us. A huge blast rings through, and Xanxus is gone.

I…have to…fight again…

I can't fight. I don't want to fight again…I don't think Mukuro-sama will be able to save me, nor would I want to. I don't…I can't…I won't…

You're…strong, my Chrome. You can…fight. Mukuro-sama mutters.

And I wish, with all my heart, that what he said was true.

Reviewing time! :3 Right down there. Boom. :D