New A/N (25/10/2013): In the reviews, Eiida-chan kindly pointed out my mistakes. So I decided to re-correct my mistakes in this chapter and soon, the other chapters as well. That's all for now!

Chapter #14: Friends

The first thing Hibari's sharp onyx eyes found in Chrome's messy room were the blood stained letters scattering around the floor. The skylark did not hesitate to walk over and squatted down as he slowly picked the letters up from the floor. A deep frown tugged on the thin line of his lips when he managed to get a small peek over the letters' contents.

'… He surely knows how to express his feelings.' The ex-prefect thought as he stacked the stack of letters before he placed them on Chrome's untidy table.

He never wanted to admit it.

But in truth, he knew that he had always envied Mukuro Rokudo for having a thing that he could never get no matter how hard he worked to get it.

Chrome's love.

"Where do you think they would take her to?" Hibari asked as he turned his attention towards the blue haired illusionist who was leaning against the wall. The man was in silent as he continues staring at the crumpled letter in his hand.

"… I don't know. I don't know what he wanted from me or her." Mukuro's face did not hold a trace of smile. His eyes were emotionless as he slowly turned his attention towards the sky. "However, for whatever reasons, I'm not going to forgive that man for hurting her and taking her away."

The illusionist turned his head around, gazing at his rival with a serious look. He knew the skylark was furious at him as he had hurt the woman both of them loved them and knowing the man's temper, he would surely hit him with his tonfas sooner or later.

"I know what you are planning in your mind, Hibari Kyoya." Mukuro stated without a tinged of emotions. It was obvious that the disappearance of Chrome had made him lose his usual smiles and smirks. "You can hit me as hard as you want once everything is over. I hate to ask for help, but if you want to save Chrome as much as I do, then we need to work together."

"What… are these for…?"

Chrome tilted her head to aside as she slowly asked in curiosity. The older illusionist lightly chuckled at her question before he handed the copious amount of dandelion puffs to her. His mix-matched eyes gazed at her lovingly as he pushed a few strands of her purple locks away and placed a large dandelion puff behind her right ear.

"Make a wish, Nagi."

"… A wish?" The purple haired girl raised her brown in question at her master. The Vindice prisoner slowly looked away as he tried to hide his embarrassment. He was never good at expressing his feelings to someone. However, he just felt that he should make his gift into something very meaningful and memorable for the birthday girl.

Mukuro knew that someday, they were going to be separated from each other. He wanted her to at least remember how much he truly cared for her if the time ever came. He didn't want himself to regret for never giving the girl a proper gift during her birthday.

"… I don't know who. But I remember that during my childhood before I was being used as an experiment rat by the Estraneo family, someone had once told me that if the birthday boy or girl could blow all of the seeds of a dandelion, then their dream will come true." The blue haired illusionist picked a handful of dandelions from the illusion flower field he had created. A sad smile grazing his feature as a fragment of his shattered memory struck her. "I guess… the 'someone' who told me so is my parents."

His parents weren't rich enough to give him a glorious birthday party. However, every year when his birthday came by, they would pick many dandelions so that he could make as many wishes as he wanted to. That was how he had spent his five years of life before he was being pulled into the darkness of the mafia world.

A pair of arms suddenly pulled the illusionist into a tight, warm embrace. Mukuro slightly widened his eyes in surprise as he looked over his shoulders, only to find Chrome who had her eyes closed before she slowly grabbed his hand and gently intertwine their fingers together. A deep shade of red painted her pale cheeks as the younger girl's lips slightly quivered to hold back the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"… Thank you, Mukuro-sama." The blue haired illusionist fell into a deep silence as he felt his shirt grew moist from the girl's silent tears. "I-I'm sorry for crying. B-But I just felt… glad and happy that Mukuro-sama had finally opened your heart."

'What… does she mean…?' the prisoner silently wondered to himself before he slowly pulled away from the warm embrace and pressed his palms on the other's teary face. His thumbs gently wiped the tears forming at the edges of the pair of beautiful violet hues away before he gave out a soft chuckle to fight back the hard lump that was trying to escape from his throat.

"You're really silly, Nagi." Mukuro softly said as he looked down at the grassy land. His bangs covered his mix-matched orbs from the girl he called as his 'vessel'.

He is a man who has his own pride, so he would never ever want to let Chrome to see this fragile side of his. Tears were slowly forming in his eyes and they were threatening to fell out.

"I-I'm sorry, Mukuro-sama! I didn't know why these tears kept escaping from my eyes! B-But I promise that I would never cry again! Ever!" Chrome managed to stutter out between her hiccupping as she furiously wiped her tears away with her hands. "I promise… I promise I would be stronger…"

While the purple haired illusionist was busy wiping her tears with her palms, Mukuro managed to wipe the threatening tears at the edges of his eyes away. He let out a soft sigh as he looked at the younger girl before he used the right sleeve of his white shirt to help her gently wiped those tears away.

"… A birthday girl should never cry during her birthday." He gave her a soft, loving smile before he picked a dandelion puff from the flower land and placed it in Chrome's palms. "Happy 14th birthday, my most beloved Nagi."

The girl silently stared at the dandelion seed head with a distant expression. She had thought of many dreams she had always wanted to be granted, but there was this one dream that she wished to come true as soon as possible.

Taking a deep breath, Chrome blew at the dandelion as strongly as she could. Mukuro watched as those tiny white seeds were being plucked from their homes and were slowly being carried by the younger illusionist's breath.

He watched as the seeds left one by one, carrying away the silent wish of Chrome's on their back as they flew across the two illusionists, over the grass and up to the bright blue sky to ride a stronger breeze.

…

"What are you doing here alone?"

The birthday girl turned her head around and a happy smile adorned on her face when she saw her most favorite skylark walking towards her. "I just feel like having a drink alone while enjoying the warm night breeze." She said to the older man before she resumed staring at the peaceful night sky while swirling the icy cold red alcoholic drink in her glass.

"Do you still miss him?"

The twenty-one year old Chrome Dokuro slightly flinched at Hibari's question and her grip on the glass in her hand unconsciously tightened. "… What makes you think so, Kyoya?" she bitterly asked, bringing the tip of her glass towards her lips before she took a small sip of her drink in silent.

"I don't really mind if you admit that you miss him even after those horrible things he had done to you. It will only hurt yourself more if you decided to keep it deep inside, right? A heavy weight would lift up from your shoulders if you admit the truth." A large, calloused hand lightly patted her head before the skylark ruffled her purple locks.

Chrome gave out a sigh before she placed her glass down. "I prefer not to admit how I felt. I don't really felt like going back to the past and reopen my own wounds." A frown tugged on her lips as she stared down at her chest, in where there was an almost invisible scar. "No matter what, I would never show my true feelings for him anymore. My weakness had caused too many troubles for everyone." She lowered her head and stared down at her Vongola mist ring. "I don't want to trouble anyone ever again… especially not boss and you, Kyoya. He might be once the most important man in my life. But…. I had moved on. I had changed. I realized that I can live my life just by my own and I don't need him like I used to before."

A smile slowly formed on the skylark's stoic face. "… I see." Hibari said as he stared at her in amusement from the edges of his eyes. "You really have changed a lot, herbivore. You should be proud of yourself."

"Well, why do you think so?" the mist guardian asked back as she raised her brow in question. To her surprise, the other pulled her hand and placed a soft kiss on her palm. His lips moved downwards and he placed kisses on each of her fingers.

"Because you have grows up." He whispered as his pair of sharp gray orbs slowly fluttered open, showing off the pure proud he had for her. "Unlike the weak girl you once were, you have changed into a strong-willed and fearless woman who would no longer need Mukuro Rokudo in your life. This is something that deserved a celebration."

Different shades of red painted on the illusionist's face. She stood frozen in her place as the ex-prefect continued gently caressing her hand as if she was the most precious thing in his life. After a while, the skylark let go her hand and gave her light smile.

"Happy 21st birthday, Chrome."

The illusionist's eyes doubled in size as she stared at the cloud guardian in disbelief. He had never once called her by her name unless it was under serious situations. She couldn't stutter out a single word as Hibari let go of her hand and turned around, running his hand through his spiky hair as he tried to hide his own embarrassment.

"You're no longer a weak herbivore." The skylark stated, trying to act as cold as he was used to. "So I think you deserved to get addressed by your own name. Be glad."

Light purple hues slowly fluttered open. A few droplets of tears formed at the edges of the pair of beautiful eyes before they dripped out, wetting the pale cheeks.

After a few blinks to clear up the blurry vision, Chrome sat up and lightly massaged her head which was painfully throbbing. Something tugged her right wrist down when she tried to lift her hand higher. Upon inspection, the illusionist found a rusty metal shack clinging around her wrist.

"What the…?" it was all Chrome managed to say on the matter as she stared at her cuffed hand in shock.

"Well, well… it seems like the sleeping princess if finally awake."

The mist guardian tilted her head upwards when she sensed an unfamiliar presence across her. There was a mystery man sitting at the corner of the couch and she could see a faint smirk grazing on the man's feature as he stared at her.

"… Who are you…?" Chrome asked daringly at her kidnapper. She didn't felt scared when she gazed into the pair of golden yellow eyes.

"Well, aren't you scared of me?" her kidnapper asked in amusement. Chrome gently shook her head before she rolled her shoulders from the stiffness she felt. Afterwards, she wrapped her arms around her knees and hugged them tightly to her chest before she let her chin rested on them.

"… No… not really." The purple haired illusionist murmured softly under her breath as she clenched her fists, remembering her fight with the other illusionist and how she had rejected the skylark on the previous night.

She just didn't understand why she was feeling this way. Instead of worrying her own safety, she just wanted to see both of them again and tell them how much they meant for her and how most of those rejecting and heartless words she had said to them were nothing comparing to how she truly feels for them.

"You are weird." Her kidnapper raised one of his eyebrows as he looked at the purple haired illusionist. He expected the girl to cry for help and begged him to spare her life just like any victims of kidnappers would do. "Shouldn't you at least cry for your heroes to come and rescue you?"

"They would never come." Chrome softly interrupted her kidnapper. She shifted in her place as she gently bite her lips, her eyes reflected the sorrow and sadness she felt as her mind drifted towards her favorite skylark and adored man.

Why would they want to save her when she had just broken both of their hearts at the same night?

"And what makes you say so, Chrome Dokuro?" the mystery man asked with an edge of curiosity. Chrome hung her head low, giving out a wince before she let a few silent tears to escape from her eyes. She was desperately trying not to make a sound out, but the overwhelming sadness and guiltiness were slowly eating her.

"I—" she opened her mouth, but only to have it shut tightly once again afterwards, leaving the words hanging as her gaze fall on the red carpeted floor.

'I hurt Mukuro-sama and Kyoya… I had become a burden for everyone again… I just… I just don't know how I should feel now…'

The feeling was too strange, yet somewhat familiar for Chrome herself. The feeling was…

The feeling was lonely.

The illusionist pressed her palm against her forehead as she frowned lightly at her miserable thought and the strange feeling that was starting to mess around with her mind. She remembered having this kind of feeling during her past. It was just the same during her past when she was once Mukuro's 'substitute'. She had always lived in fear and darkness back then. She despised this sort of feeling that reminded her of the weak girl she used to be. If she can, she wish that she could just rip this feeling down, scrunch it into a ball and throw it out as if it's just a mere useless paper.

"Poor girl…" The man suddenly stood up and sat beside her, pulling her into his embrace. "It must be tough for you, but rest assure. I will never let anyone to hurt your wounded heart ever again, my one and only princess." He stated with an unsettling smile. Chrome shuddered upon hearing the way he called her. She wanted to push him away, but she can't as the man hold her firmly in his embrace.

"From now on, I will protect you from those who dare to hurt you. I will eliminate them for you if they are the very cause of your pain and sorrow. I will protect you and your fragile heart… as you are mine now." She flinched at the man's words. Hearing the albino saying those made her aware about how dangerous and mad this man could be. She struggled to get away from the man's grip. But in her condition, her strength did not allow her to do so.

"Why, don't struggle, my princess. As you can see, I'm not ugly." He slowly used his finger to lift her chin up, letting the illusionist to get a better look of him. Just like how the man had described about himself. He isn't ugly, but rather charming. The man seemed older than Chrome herself, somewhere in his late twenties or maybe his early thirties and his long silver white locks being tied into a side-braid.

"I would never abuse you like those filthy beasts had done." The man smiled in a strangely loving way that sent shiver running through the illusionist's spine. His arms that encircled around the smaller figure tightened, making Chrome to struggle even harder.

"Besides, for anyone who wants to take you away from me…" A glint of evilness flashed past the man's eyes. "They will have to end up facing their greatest fear. Just like Mukuro Rokudo who nearly drowned in the water for trying to save you."

The loving smile changed into a twisted smirk as the man continued to gaze at the illusionist. Chrome stopped her struggling. Her eyes widened in deep surprise and disbelief as she slowly tilted her head up to look up at her kidnapper. Her lips trembled as she tried to find her voice.

"H-How did you-?"

The white haired man gently caressed her face as he admired her shocked face. "Don't be so surprised, my dear. Perhaps you didn't realize this, but I would like to remind you that Vindice will never break any of their oaths, no matter what."

"… Y-You must be lying… If the Vindice would never break any of their promises, t-then why did Jager would attack me and want to drag Mukuro-sama back to the prison …?"

The man stared at the illusionist's perplexed and anxious face, a playful smirk danced on his face. "I won't gain any advantages by lying, will I? Besides, ignorance is bliss so let's just keep it as a mystery, my princess."

"I'm not yours!" she exclaimed as she slapped his hand away and struggled to stand up. "You have something to do with the incident, right?! Answer me!" Violet hues glared at the possessive albino in anger as purple mist formed in the mist guardian's palm and a metallic trident appeared in her hand.

The illusionist gripped tightly around her trident before she swung it at her kidnapper, but the man easily dodged her attack and backed away, looking at her with his golden eyes widened in surprise.

"That man, even if he had once hurt me badly, even if he had once abandoned me, but he is the man who had introduced me to a whole new world! He gave me a place where I could find real friends! I'm not forgiving anyone who hurt him!" Her memories flashed before her like a slide show. Those precious memories had long forgotten and buried deep inside her mind. However, it still felt fresh for her as if everything had just happened yesterday.

The albino pulled his dagger out from his back pocket and started to attack Chrome back. The illusionist managed to block the sudden attack with her trident, but to her surprise, the other kicked her legs and she fall onto the rough ground hardly.

"Are you that lonely?" the man asked as he pressed the back of his dagger against the mist guardian's throat. Chrome made out a choked sound as she grabbed her kidnapper's hand.

"W-What do you mean?" the illusionist asked back through her gritted teeth as she stared at the white haired man hatefully. Her kidnapper merely smirked back at her confused look before he said.

"You said that he had once abandoned you. For any normal peoples, they would surely detest the said person. However, you are now talking about how much he mean in your life and how you are desperately trying to protect him." The man let out a soft chuckle as he stared deep into her rage filled purple hues. "You're seriously a weird woman… but this is what that makes you even more interesting for me."

"… Shut up…" Chrome managed to use the little bit of strength left in her body to push the albino away before she slowly stood up and pointed her trident at him. "All these… are my own business! You have no right to know about them-"

She collapsed onto the hard ground once again when pain suddenly attacked her whole body, especially her organs. Chrome tried to gasp for air when she felt her heart started to beat faster than normality. Her hand gripped on the fabric of her dress shirt firmly as she tried to hold back her screams of pain.

"You are not going anywhere, my Chrome." The man squatted down before her as he caressed her pale cheek. "I never wanted to hurt you. But I know you will fight back just like now, which is the reason why I had injected a syringe filled with a lethal dosage of sodium thiopental into your body." Her purple hues widened at the albino's statement, her fingers quivered in pain as she could felt her vision growing blurrier and darker.

"At this rate, you'll be suffering headache, agitated emergence, prolonged somnolence, and nausea for the next 24 hours before you die." She could hear the man said as a pair of arms pulled her up from the ground. A finger tilted her chin up, letting her light purple orbs to lock with the other's rich golden eyes. "Just say that you'll be mine for the rest of your life and I'll give you the antidote."

His lips gently brushed on her forehead, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Chrome weakly gripped on his shirt's collar and harshly pulled the man so their eyes could make contact with each other's once again.

"Over my dead body."

With a weak scowl, the mist guardian slowly parted her dried lips and she whispered her last sentence to her kidnapper before she falls back to unconsciousness once again.

The albino watched as the other's pair of purple hues fluttered close and her head dropped gently on his chest. The man gave out a sigh of disappointment as he laid Chrome down on the leathered couch and covered her body with his coat.

"You really are a wild and stubborn woman." He said as a dark smirk slowly quirked on the thin line of his lips. "You have just given up your last chance of saving your own life. Well, I can't force you to be with me. But…" the man pulled his dagger out from his pocket and lightly grazed the blade through the unconscious illusionist's cheek. "If I can't own you, no one can either. You will just have to die beautifully and be engraved in my heart forever, Chrome Dokuro."

"My answer will remain as NO!" the loud, furious yell echoed through the room. The ex-prefect and illusionist stopped on their track in surprise at the brown haired Mafioso's sudden outburst. It was probably the first time they had ever seen Tsuna had the gut to raise his voice at them.

Due to many reasons, most people tended to think that Sawada Tsunayoshi will always be a polite and soft-voiced man in all kind of situations.

The Vongola Decimo gave out an exhausted sigh after his outburst before he slumped back on his chair. "Just calm down and listen to me for a moment." His sharp orange hues glared strictly at the mist and cloud guardian. "Both of you aren't in the condition of going. As the boss of this family, I'm not going to let any of you to do such reckless things."

Before any of the two men could say a single word, Tsuna pointed his finger at Mukuro. "You just wake up from your coma not more than a week and you aren't fully recovered yet. Don't make me remind you about your heart failure. With your current situation, you will most likely fall down from the stairs or collapse at the middle of the street from exhaustion not sooner. Or if the worst happen, you heart might burst out and you will die."

Afterwards, the brunet turned his attention towards the skylark and jabbed his finger at him this time. "And you. You just injured your right arm. Even if some sort of miracles do happened and you eventually do make it to where the kidnapper is, there is no way you could attack them. Don't make me remind you about the high possibility of you aggravating your arm further if the injury reopened again. Even if it's just a mere bite from Mukuro's illusion snake, but it is a real illusion and poisonous snake. The doctors took two hours to pick all the venom out and stich your wound. So, both of you stop acting like some brainless idiots and leave all the works for the others."

Silence stretched in the office room for a few minutes before Mukuro, far calmer than before, break the silence and spoke.

"… Tsunayoshi." Mukuro called out coldly as his mix-matched hues locked with the Mafioso's calm orange eyes. "What I'm going to do would have nothing to do with this family and would never have any business with you and your precious family."

Tsuna's eyes bulged in surprise as he flinched at the harsh tone used by his mist guardian. He couldn't utter out a single word as he watched the illusionist pulled out his A-class Vongola mist ring from his finger and placed it on his desk.

"… I was ready, you know?" Mukuro murmured softly. His tone was filled with disappointment. "I was ready to give this world a chance. I was ready to do my best for this family. Even if my reason of returning to this family is to get Nagi back, but I'm also starting to accept everything that was given by this family to me." A bitter chuckle escaped through the illusionist's lips before he gave the brunet a cold stare. "But you just have to crash the chance I've given for this world, this family and you."

Tsune watched as Mukuro slowly dissipated into thin purple mist. His lips trembled. He wanted to yell at the older man to stop doing reckless things that would risk his life. But he didn't have the time to open his mouth when he saw his other guardian placed his cloud right on his desk as well.

"Hibari-san." The Mafioso called out as he gazed at the mist and cloud ring placed on his desk. "… Not you too, Hibari-san."

The skylark stared straight into the brunet's hurtful eyes. "All of these would mean nothing for me if she isn't a part of this. I only become a part of this family because this place is her pride and happiness." On the ex-prefect's stoic face, Tsuna cold see the other's determination of rescuing the woman he loves. "Without Chrome, this place and this family would mean nothing for me."

As he watched the skylark turned around and walked away, Tsuna ran his hands through his brown mane in frustration as he cursed at himself for failing to stop the duo from doing reckless things.

Where is his voice when he needed it?

Why didn't he stop them from walking out of this room?

If he really tried, he could stop them.

But he didn't.

He slowly opened his eyes, unaware that he had clenched them close before he started to think calmly.

Perhaps, the reason is simple. Maybe it's because he could feel the pain and despair of losing Chrome from his mist and cloud guardians. Maybe it's because he could relate their pain. He knew both of them would rather die than losing the young illusionist forever in their life and that's why, he didn't stop them.

After the brunet hesitated silently for a full ten seconds, he pulled his hands away from his shaggy mane and turned his attention towards his right hand, in where his Vongola sky ring was at. He stared at the ring in hesitation, before he finally made up his decision and pulled the ring from his finger.

"Dame-Tsuna, don't tell me you are quitting as well." Reborn finally spoke for the first time since the whole incident happened in front of him. He raised his brow in question and slight surprise at his student's sudden action. The brunet could only nod his head in silent as he stood up from his seat and stared down at the red velvet carpet.

"Reborn, I'm sorry. I can't just sit here and watch both of them risking their life to rescue Chrome. She is important for me and everyone too." Tsuna turned his attention towards the three Vongola rings laid on his desk. "This family would never be complete without Chrome, Hibari-san and Mukuro. My position as the Vongola Decimo would be meaningless if I can't protect anyone that is precious to me."

He didn't want his ex-tutor to remind him about his responsible as a mafia boss. So, he quickly ran out from his office room.

The determination and resolve he once had when he took up his position as the mafia boss is now fuel by the guilt and pain he felt for not able to protect his one and only precious sister figure from danger. Now… whatever he had once promised to Reborn about being a successful mafia boss doesn't mean anything for him again. He just wanted everything to go back to the way it once is when everyone is able to smile happily together again.

To be continued.

Ending Note: I'm so sorry that this chapter isn't as long as the previous chapters. As I've told you guys, I have a major WRITER-BLOCK on this chapter and it's giving me such a massive headache to finish up this chapter. Really. Sometimes, I'm so touched by you guys who supported this story. Honestly, I will say that this story is a failure 'cause it's so cliche, cheesy and dramatic. =="

Oh, and I've a question here for all the 6996 and 1896 readers here:

"What kind of good ending do you you like in a 699618 story?" (- Don't worry, it won't affect this story's ending, I'm just curious. And please. Don't insult one of the pairings even if you don't like it. ._. I don't want a pairing war here, vice versa.)

And here's a little hints for you readers so you all can be well-prepared for what that is coming up next:

Personally, I think that I can be a sadistic writer if I want (Some of the readers: Well, you are.) So, please be prepared for some very twisted plot in the upcoming chapters. ^^ I had a bunch of torturing Hibari, Mukuro and Chrome ideas inside my brain... kufufufufu... ;)