Aya-chan's Alice:Thank you very much *pats you on the head*. Bianchi has always been in love with Reborn. Although it was after Reborn became an Arcobaleno so I'm not sure whether to call her a pedophile or not. And yes, Gokudera's reaction to his sister is always hilarious. My favorite was probably the one about Tsuna and Reborn's birthdays.
Unknown Variable: Bianchi? Rapunzel? Did I give that impression? 0_o Tsuna is supposed to be plain (though we all know that he's actually a super moe bishie-in-the-making) in the KHR world so it's hard to be nice to him (it's kind of funny because he inherited his mom's face and Nana is supposed to be beautiful). He's one of those people that you would not say hello to unless you needed to. I don't think 8088 is crack actually, I kinda like the pairing. But only because of their humorous interactions during the Possession Arc.
animepie: S'okay. I haven't actually let Mukuro appear for a while so I guess it's a natural reaction. I love the flower language so~ And Bianchi... I'm not sure how much help Bianchi will be. Cause she's actually pretty weak compared to the rest...
Frost190: Thank you~ And it's okay. Mukuro hasn't shown up for a while. Bianchi is indeed another ally, but like animepie pointed out, she is a double-edged sword. On Gokudera's part anyway, haha.
cael05: I can't really see Adelheid or Chrome paired up with him but I'll take your word for it, LOL. I can see Mami paired up with him though. Byakuran and Mukuro... we'll get there. Some day (hopefully before the manga ends).
forgottentears6: TSUNA, WHY YOU NO RECOGNIZE REBORN? Isn't it obvious from the fedora alone...? Cheers for subtle 10069 hints, LOL. That being said, it's not going to be an actual pairing. I just threw that in there for humor.
Chocolate and caramel: I'm glad that you liked those bits. I had hoped that it wouldn't be so... I don't know, uninteresting. I love the flower language so much~ But it's hard to memorize. I just looked it up online. Just type in 'flower language dictionary' and something should pop up.
PuroCieloFiamme: Yep, there will be a lot of CozaGio vibes for many reasons that I cannot tell you. Ha. Ha. Ha.
SIIRImperia: LOL, whether they actually went out or it's only an old lady's speculation remains to be seen.
Ducks R Evil: TSUNA, U R STOOPID. Not that I can talk, my intelligence is barely average, LOL. Never taken an IQ test before but if I did, the number would be VERY CLOSE to 100. Yes, 6927 will be implied, along with many others. Sorry about not updating for so long ==' I've been having writer's block.
Luving Randomness: Hohoho, I'm glad that you've finally read~ LOL, I've been procrastinating with writing and such myself so I totally understand where you're coming from. That and knitting... (my rekindled passion for homemade scarves). Byakuran is awesome, just so awesome. I still cry over the fact that he sacrificed himself for both Tsuna and Uni's sake. T_T
Raining Silver: Tsuna's ALWAYS been kept in the dark. It's almost like... natural now, LOL. There are a lot of pairings that I can support... 6927 among them, but Hibari is actually my favorite character (LOL, way to go with the masses, right?). So once Hibari shows up it's going to be like... I don't know, chaos. LOL. Speaking of chaos, REBORN, IS ONE OF THE MOST AWESOME CATCHPHRASES OF ALL TIME REALLY JUST A FLUKE?
Selene: Your English is pretty good for not being your first language. :) Compared to some who speak it as their mother tongue and yet cannot write to save their life...
Taira-keimei: DUDE, you gave me a heart attack. I thought I had lost you somewhere in between chapters 18-20. I was like NOOOOOO! Not her! And hey... with this chapter I got 17 reviews. :P Not too bad.
starsinjars: LOL, this may end up like a CLAMP shounen-ai, where the pairings have so obviously gotten together and yet it isn't ever officially stated by actual signs of affection (Kinomoto Touya and Tsukishiro Yukito from Cardcaptor Sakura, and Fai D. Flourite and Kurogane Youou from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles come to mind). We'll see.
Polar Pig: Thank you very much for your praises. I dislike OOCs and try to avoid them as much as possible, but, well, with fanfiction it's kind of difficult (drifts off mumbling).
whereami2012: Well, like I stated above, I dislike OOCs so yes, the Varia will retain their antihero image, LOL. The real enemy... The real enemy is out there somewhere... though whether they are actually the enemy or whether they can be converted to good is up to the reader... Can't be helped, really. Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is a series where all enemies become frenemies or decent allies that don't show up when needed, kinda like Naruto.
SeleneT: Thanks so much! I'm happy that you like my fics. Write some yourself and I'll comment too~
Wow, I've been away for about three months and I've gotten approximately 18 reviews on the last chapter, not counting one which requested me to update faster. Thank you very much. :)
"Belphegor-sama," a Varia grunt knelt in front of a shadowy throne. A knife, sharp and dangerous, flew straight past his ear, making him start in surprise. "Belphegor-sama...?"
"Out with it, peasant," said a sneering voice from the shadows. Another knife flew past the grunt's other ear and this time it drew drops of blood. "Hurry, before I run out of patience."
"S-Sir," the grunt stammered. "It seems that Squalo-sama's apprentice has betrayed us. He has teamed up with Smokin' Bomb Gokudera Hayato as well as two unknown persons. Currently we are unaware of his whereabouts."
"Hm? That Yama-whatever guy?" the voice sounded somewhat amused. "Ushishishi... I told our Vice-Commander that that brat is bad news. That's what he gets for not listening to a prince," a third knife whizzed out from the shadows and the man gave a muffled shriek as it struck him squarely in the throat. The grunt collapsed backwards and stained the red carpet underfoot a deeper crimson. "That's what you get for letting that Yama-whatever get away. Hey! Clean this up!"
Two servants hurried into the room and dragged the body out, leaving a trail of blood smeared on the floor. "Y-Yes sir!"
"And replace that carpet!"
"Yes sir!"
"Ushishishishi..." the voice sighed in content. "It's good to be the prince."
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~~~~~~XXChild-Of-The-Earth-Angel-Of-The-SkyXX~~~~~~
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Gokudera sighed. He had sufficiently recovered from his 'sister-shock' to sit up in bed. Bianchi was next to him, fussing as usual. He mentally groaned. She was a good, caring kind of sister, he would admit, but he did wish that she was a little more quick on the uptake on realizing that she was the cause for his illness.
"Do you want a cold cloth, Hayato?" Bianchi asked him. Gokudera nodded mutely and Bianchi tenderly wiped his brow with a small water-soaked towel. Tsuna sighed, a bit wistfully. Enma used to do the same thing for him when he was sick, which was often as a child. He wondered how Enma was doing. How many days had passed in Terra? It only felt like two or three up here.
"So what's our next course of action?" Yamamoto asked. He sat at the foot of the bed, near Gokudera's legs, with his own legs crossed. "Do we keep going to G.-san's study? Or do we go find Belphegor?"
"G.'s study?" Bianchi looked up. "Why do you want to go there?"
"We think that Gokudera's box may be held there," Yamamoto explained. "Come to think of it, you would know, right? Are all the box weapons stored there?"
"They are," the Poison Scorpion confirmed. "Mine were taken as well. Luckily I have one ring left but it's only D-rank."
Gokudera shakily sat up. "Hey... what happened to Dad? And your mother?"
"She's your mother too, even if she is only a stepmother," Bianchi reprimanded him gently. "To tell the truth, I don't know. I think they were taken to the underground dungeons to be interrogated for the whereabouts of Storm Ring's other half."
"We have underground dungeons?"
"Father had them built. He said, 'The moment we get Hayato back, I'm throwing him in a prison cell and making sure he will never escape again!'"
"..."
Go-Gokudera-kun's parents seem to be rather scary people... "Oh yeah! Giotto-ojiisama mentioned that to me before... The Vongola Rings' other halves were given by the Guardians to someone they could trust..." out of the corner of his eye he thought he noticed Bianchi shift uneasily. Huh...? Was that my imagination?
"What is your relation to the Vongola?" Bianchi asked with a frown. At this, her brother literally sprang up from the bed.
"He is the Vongola's next boss, Juudaime Sawada Tsunayoshi-san! He is descendant of Vongola Primo Giotto, our Emperor, and possesses amazing skills which will awe you! He rescued me from a bunch of Varia goons by slamming a meteor on them! He's that amazing I tell you!"
EHHH? What meteor! That was Reborn!
"Hmmm, a meteor huh..."
Don't believe him!
"Well, thank you for saving my little brother anyway," Bianchi coolly flicked a strand of hair away from her face. Her posture, however, spoke otherwise.
"She's kind of... overprotective of Gokudera," Yamamoto whispered to him. "She thinks that she can be the only one to protect him, even though she's locked up here. She's always been like that."
"... Okay..." A brother complex... "It's funny how he excerpted Reborn from the story altogeth - "
"DID YOU JUST SAY REBORN?"
"HIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Tsuna shrieked in surprise as Bianchi suddenly thrust her face close to his, nearly smashing their foreheads together. Bianchi's eyes, showing clearly even through her goggles, were wide and fervent with desperation.
"Where is he? Where is my Reborn?"
"M-My?" Tsuna squeaked, slowly backing away, now half in Yamamoto's lap out of fear. Yamamoto couldn't help but snicker quietly and glanced at Gokudera, who was positively fuming. Was he jealous of Tsuna? The tall teen hoped so.
(Of course it was the other way around, but Yamamoto didn't know that.)
"My Reborn! My darling, sweet love! Tell me where he is or I will poison you to death!"
"HIIIIIII!"
"Don't threaten Juudaime, Aneki!" Gokudera weakly protested. "Reborn-san was with us up until we got into the castle. We don't know where he is now!" he glared at Yamamoto; in his fear, Tsuna had crawled in to the young samurai's lap and was clinging to the front of his shirt. Yamamoto, this time not noticing Gokudera's fuming expression, wrapped a comforting arm around Tsuna and gave him a light pat on the back for moral support.
"Calm down, Bianchi! I'm sure that we'll see the kid once we get out of this castle!" Yamamoto said cheerfully, unknowingly adding fuel to the flames.
"THEN I'M COMING WITH YOU!"
"Eh?"
"NOOO!" screeched Gokudera. "I'LL NEVER HAVE A MOMENT OF PEACE AGAIN!"
Bianchi dramatically ripped away her goggles and stared passionately at her brother. "What are you saying, Hayato! You're so weak and sickly, it's my job to take care off you!"
"BLEARGH!" Gokudera choked out, collapsing backwards onto the pillows again. Tsuna sweat-dropped.
"Hey, Yamamoto, could it be...?"
"Haha, yeah. Bianchi doesn't seem to realize that she's the one making him sick..."
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~~~~~XXChild-Of-The-Earth-Angel-Of-The-SkyXX~~~~~~
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"Atchoo!"
"Bless you, Reborn," Fon said. He sat cross-legged next to the Sun Arcobaleno.
"Thanks," Reborn replied. "It's getting chilly out here, isn't it?"
"I believe that a storm is soon coming," Fon said, looking around them. Dark gray clouds floated about them, and a gust of wind blew. "Seems like Arashi wishes to give the Battle of Storm an appropriate setting..."
"Hmph," Reborn smirked. "Looks like things are going to get even more entertaining for us spectators, eh?"
Fon sighed. "You really don't change, do you..."
"Did you say something?"
"Nothing."
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~~~~~~XXChild-Of-The-Earth-Angel-Of-The-SkyXX~~~~~~
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"What do you mean you're pushing back the coronation again?"
Cozart sat calmly in his throne, ignoring the hateful vibes from his grandson. "This is a surprise. You took the last delay courteously, what makes this time so different?"
Enma sat in his own throne, seething with anger. Three weeks had quickly flown by since Tsuna's departure for Cielo. Now Enma's crowning as King was only a week away... until Cozart had mentioned pushing the date back another couple months.
"I hate to say it, but I agree with the Council of Elders this time around. You're still too young. You're only seventeen. Even your father, Makoto, did not become King until he was twenty."
"I'm not my father!" Enma said furiously. "I need to become King as soon as possible!"
Cozart raised an eyebrow. This was strange; Enma usually did not care about becoming King. "The responsibilities of a King are still too difficult for you - "
"I don't care about my responsibilities! I just want to see Tsuna!"
Cozart's eyes flashed and Enma realized that he had gone too far. Raising from the throne, the First King of Terra cut an imposing figure on the young Prince. He had drawn himself up to his full height, and his anger made him seem even taller. "You don't care about your responsibilities?" Cozart asked, both quiet and terrible. "Do you realize what you are implying?"
"I..."
"Being a King means that all the lives within Terra lie on your shoulders," Cozart said, his voice slowly growing in intensity though not in volume. "You are the one our people look up to. You are the one who they trust with their lives. They have the utmost faith in you... and you say you do not care?"
"I didn't mean..."
"No, you probably didn't. But your thoughts are too wild and impulsive. You let your emotions command your thoughts. Such things can put those close to you in peril!" Cozart's ruby eyes glared. "As you are now, you are unfit to become King. The suspension will continue as planned. Go and cool your head!"
The King of the Terra Kingdom swept out of the room and left behind the young Prince, tears of bitterness and shame flowing down his downcast face.
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~~~~~~XXChild-Of-The-Earth-Angel-Of-The-SkyXX~~~~~~
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"I told you he was too young," a voice said quietly. Cozart, standing right outside the doors to the Throne Room, glanced at the direction which the voice came from.
"Elder..." he said, recognizing the oldest man on the Council of Elders, as well as the most amiable. "... Yes, you were right. Enma isn't ready to become King. I should have believed you."
The Elder stroked his silver beard. He was an ancient man who stooped constantly and had to use a cane to walk. He had hair on his chin and none of his head. He wore a simple blue tunic and cloak, a common outfit for the old. "You would do better to listen to us from time to time," a glimmer of humor shone in his brown eyes, "even if we are a bunch of old fogeys, we are still much younger than you."
Cozart couldn't help but laugh. "I suppose," he admitted. "I'll let you whippersnappers give me more advice from now on."
"Hohoho!" the old man chuckled, his round belly jiggling. "Run along, old one. Time for the elderly to go to bed."
"Yes yes," Cozart waved good-bye and set off, not towards his bedroom but the kitchen, where he hoped a nip of gin could lift his spirits a bit more. The Elder watched his leave and then laughed lowly. His right eye changed from hazelnut brown to crimson red, the Japanese numeral 'six' where the pupil should have been.
"Kufufu, yes, listen to my advice, Cozart Shimon... I shall direct your Kingdom to Heaven or Hell after I judge you and your grandson as well..."
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~~~~~~XXChild-Of-The-Earth-Angel-Of-The-SkyXX~~~~~~
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As soon as Mukuro-Elder left, another person stepped out of the shadows in where he had been hiding his presence. "My oh my~" he sang, a smile tugging on the corners of his lips. "What a dilemma! Mukuro-kun has invaded the Council and made his way into His Majesty's heart. As expected of Mukuro-kun!"
Byakuran chuckled and pulled out a half-finished bag of marshmallows from his back pocket and munched on them. "Well, I've always been fond of chess," he said aloud, grasping one of the handles of the door to the Throne Room. He had heard Cozart and Enma's entire conversation; it was amazing how much one could hear if they only opened the door a crack. Luckily he had dodged backwards fast enough to hide himself after Cozart had come storming out. The Scholar thought that Enma could use some comfort right about now.
"I wonder Mukuro-kun..." Byakuran stuffed the last of his marshmallows in his mouth and dropped the empty bag on the floor. "Who will win? My King or yours?"
... Wow, it's been a while. I've just been having constant writer's block and I just can't get the chapters out as fast as I used to. I have to go to college placement tests and start my internship and a whole bunch of other troubling things tooooo. T_T
At any rate, I'm still open to ideas to give me some brain blasts. Heaven knows (though I am Atheist) that I need them right now.