Chapter 56

Phone Calls


A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice. -Bill Cosby


Reviewer Quote

WHO R U CALLING SHORT THAT HE CANT REACH HIS DREAMS! - Yuni-FMA


Things were going precisely according to canon. Well, other than the fact that I, as Yuni, was actually present at school on the first day and met Ugetsu Asari already, and stuff. I am so very specific. 'And stuff'.

Yamamoto seemed to recognize the Asian man standing before us, despite never having seen him in his life. Maybe it's his mafia intuition... or the fact that they're pretty much identical twins, with the whole creepily happy smile and stuff. And the same weapons. Cambio Forma is like the copycat weapon.

"Finally making an appearance, huh?" Reborn muttered, looking up at the first-generation Guardian of Rain, Ugetsu Asari, in all of his awesomeness.

The man smiled, politely, at us, a light of expectation and childish excitement clear in his blue eyes. He probably couldn't wait to issue his test, and that's why he was already doing it. Despite being the 'calm, cooling rain', the Vongola Rain Guardians were rather childish, deep inside. Or at least, Vongola Primo's Rain and Decimo's Rain are. Secondo's was probably freaking scary. I dunno. If Daemon assigned him to be a Guardian, then the Vongola Second Rain is probably some kind of serial killer or something. "The inheritance test for the Guardian of Rain will take place tonight. In the hour of the dog, at Namimori Shrine-"

"Wait!" I protested, getting a look of slight disapproval from Asari. Then again, he expected us to be perfect angels, the perfect idea of what the Vongola would be. And if there was something I was not, it was a perfect angel. Not to mention, I wasn't even Vongola. Proud member of Giglio Nero, right here. "What is the hour of the dog?"

"8 PM." Reborn informed me, effectively shutting me up. Then again, Reborn has a certain skill with shutting people up. With guns or with threats. He nodded at Asari. "Please, continue." How come a dead guy gets more respect than I do?

Asari smiled again, forgetting that I had ever said anything wrong. "I will be seeing you shortly." he changed back into Rain Flames, disappearing into the air, leaving us standing alone, as the sun was setting. That guy has a knack for dramatic exits.


Gokudera clicked his tongue, obviously upset. "Yamamoto's test is first?" Oh, the jealousy guard. Someone is playing Envy.

"Well, we shouldn't need to worry about Yamamoto." Ryohei pointed out, a grin of victory apparent on his features. "Work extremely hard!" He's probably just EXTREMELY eager for his match or something.

Tsuna seemed to agree, turning to the baseball player with a smile. "We're counting on you, Yamamoto." Wow, Tsuna. That's pretty much telling him that 'We know you can do it. So if you fail, you let us all down, bitch.'. You are a magnificent leader.

Gokudera sneered at Yamamoto, his disgust obvious. All Gokudera is is obvious. Obviously upset, obviously disgusted. He has no secrecy abilities whatsoever. "You got a thing or two coming to you if you fail!"

"You guys are all so cliche and negative~" I sang, jumping onto Gokudera's back ("W-What the hell? Get off, you ugly bitch!"). "Yamamoto'll be fine. You don't have to pressure him, or rely on him, or threaten him. Just know he's got the ninja skills to do it."

"Yeah." Yamamoto nodded, in response to his fellow Guardians' encouragement. "I know." You're too kind, Yamamoto.

The others gave slight smiles (well, other than Gokudera, who was still cursing me out), and turned away. I looked over my shoulder, back at the Rain Guardian. His eyes were narrowed and dark, an expression of regret and anger on his face. The regret is probably towards not killing Daisy, back in the Choice and screwing up their chances at winning and the anger is probably towards himself, for being too easygoing. Poor guy...

Colonello noticed Yamamoto's remorse as well, and the Arcobaleno's brow furrowed, slightly. Colonello knew something was going on between us, and not knowing what that something was was killing him, and he knew it.

"Let's go home!" I suggested, trying to kill Yamamoto's tense aura. "Yamamoto can eat a good helping of Nana's cooking (not mine.) before taking the test. He'll ace it, fo sho."

Yamamoto gave a hesitant laugh. Something is definitely wrong with him. "I think I'll head home and just train for a while. Need to prepare, you know?"

Tsuna paused for a moment, examining Yamamoto. "...alright. But if you want, you can always come over."

"I know." the baseball player nodded, again. "Thanks, Tsuna."


All throughout dinner (cheesy chicken with broccoli and a side of steaming white rice), I felt like something was grating on my nerves, calling out to me, calling me to them. Maybe it was like a secret meeting of some sort with like Jesus or Buddha or Aria or something. Reborn was over at Kyoko's house still, so I couldn't consult with him and ask him 'Hey, what the fuck is wrong with my mind, today?'

I felt like I was being summoned, by someone else, but with all these people around, they couldn't connect with me. Too many witnesses is never a good thing, after all. "I have to go to the bathroom." I announced, excusing myself from dinner. "You know how it is."

"Do what you gotta do." Bianchi acknowledged, glancing at me.

The kids weren't paying attention, they were shoving their faces full of Nana's kickass cooking. Tsuna stood up from the table. "Do you want me to show you where it is...?"

"I know where it is." I flashed a smile, stepping out into the hallway and going into the bathroom.

I closed the bathroom door and locked it behind me, making sure that no one was around or could hear me. "You can come out now."

Sky Flames burst into existence, lighting up the entirety of the bathroom. The room glowed a dim orange, from the light. "You have impressive observational skills, Sky Arcobaleno." deep orange Hyper Dying Will eyes burned brightly at my own. "But then again, you must be an Arcobaleno for a reason, yes?"

I swallowed, managing a thin smile. "Hi, Giotto."

"You are the Sky Arcobaleno, correct?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. A dead sexy eyebrow. Agh! Bad, Yuni! Focus.

"Umm, yeah." I nodded, awkwardly. You can't really blame me for that. "I'm Yuni. You can call me that. No - I mean, uhh, you can call me 'Yuni' not 'that' - you know, I'm going to shut up now before I embarrass myself further."

Giotto smiled, kindly. Ever the Sky. "You are the oldest Arcobaleno I have interacted with or seen in over four hundred years." I feel so flattered, Giotto, you have a way with the ladies.

"I get that a lot." I replied, dryly, becoming accustomed with the Boss. "You're, umm, the only dead guy I've ever met. Well, first dead guy I've ever met. I saw Asari today. And Mukuro all the time, because he has that whole Hell/Reincarnation shit going on? Yeah, I'm not really sure about him - shutting up now."

Yes, I was rambling. But I was in the presence of (one of) the most amazing person (people) ever. Not to mention, he had the strength to PWN my ass. And Tsuna's. And Byakuran's. And Reborn's. Maybe.

"So, uhh, why was I like summoned or called or whatever?" I asked, trying to be nonchalant about it. In reality? My thoughts were something along the lines of 'HOLY SHIT, GIOTTO, I COULD SING YOUR PRAYERS OR PRAISES OR WHATEVER, I DON'T CARE, YOU ARE ONE HOT MAN.'.

I have what some may consider a 'one-track mind'.

Giotto's face became serious, his casual demeanor gone. GREAT. Now I'm stuck in a bathroom with a seriously serious mafia boss that is apparently related to Tsuna. "Currently, I am watching Decimo, to test him."

"I know." Honestly, I wasn't really paying attention. I was thinking about some things... If Giotto is Sawada Ieyasu, so his great-great-great grandson is Sawada Iemitsu, and Giotto and Tsuna pretty much identical, then why does Tsuna's mom look like Tsuna and therefore Giotto in relation? Anime physics? Or in this case... anime heredity?

"So during the Trials, you must not speak with Decimo or Decimo's Guardians." he explained further, listing off things I couldn't do. "You mustn't interfere with any of the Trials, using your Arcobaleno powers."

"I sound like a superhero." I joked, managing a smile in the serious situation. "About the Arcobaleno power thing, I think Daemon Spade might try something, so I'll have to, you know, try and protect the innocent civilians. I'll use my 'Arcobaleno powers' then and then only."

Giotto didn't even have to consider it. "A true Vongola must always protect those in need, and Daemon...has forgotten what it means to be a true Vongola."

"I'm not Vongola," I informed him, slightly ashamed to be playing such a big/minor role without even being a part of who he was giving a speech about. "but I won't totally ditch the innocent and all. Right now, I'm trying to save the world. Again."

"You may not be an official Vongola," Giotto allowed, but smiled again, one of those fatherly smiles of awesome that real fathers can't even try to do because they aren't awesome enough. "but you have the heart of one."

"Thanks." I curtsied. "And I don't always look like a slut, with this pink tank top and skirt and all. This is the Sun Arcobaleno's doing. He's a downright bastard, that man-baby-hitman."

"A...'slut'?" he repeated, giving me a strange look of uncomprehension. "I have not heard that word-"

"It's an English word." I tried to explain, because I wasn't sure if he knew English or not. If he does, then I will feel stupid for even saying that. "It means a prostitute."

Giotto made an 'O' with his mouth, getting it now. Awkward. "I understand. Thank you, for expanding my vocabulary." I sense the sarcasm. I sense it.

"Anytime." I nodded, feeling stiff again. "So...you're leaving?"

He nodded, already changing into the orange Flames, a smile tugging on his lips as he did. What can I say? I have a gift. For creeping people out to the point of combusting into fire and running away.

"Bye!" I waved, as he began disappearing.

"Do not go to the Rain Trial, Yuni of the Sky." his voice commanded, as the Flames faded. "You would be interfering, with your personality."

What's that supposed to mean? An insult, I think.

I pouted. "That's one dream killed."


Tsuna was pulling on his green coat, standing in the entrance thing (why do people even have those?!) as Gokudera was zipping up his own black one. "Huh? Yuni? Aren't you coming?"

I shook my head, leaning into the couch in the living room, watching them (like the creep we all know I am) through the open door. "I can't."

Tsuna frowned, slightly. "Why not?"

Something in the back of my mind started to speak to me. At first I suspected Mao (but she was busy with other things, apparently, and hadn't contacted me in a while), but the voice was deeper and more cultured. Lie to him. Lie to Decimo. Do not tell him the truth. Do not tell him of your meeting.

If you're Daemon Spade, I'll kick your ass. One pineapple pervert was enough. So get the fuck out of my head.

The feeling disappeared, and a flicker of Sky Flames lit up on my finger. I hadn't done anything. These weren't my flames- OH.

So you're Giotto. Okay, you? I trust. Daemon? You've heard my threats. I'll lie to Tsuna, but that's only because I'm in it to win it. And save the world. And Tsuna. And the future. Yeah.

"I have to make phone calls." I made something up, crossing my legs, as I stared up at the ceiling, pretending to be thinking about calling people. In reality, I was thinking about baby chickens. "To people. To make plans. About stuff. Yeah."

Tsuna looked slightly disappointed, shrinking slightly. Apparently, as his tutor, I'm supposed to follow him around. Oops. "You can't reschedule or something?"

I felt awful for ditching Tsuna and Yamamoto, but I was a support character. I knew my place. And canon. And not to mention I was kind of ordered to do this by like the awesome Vongola Primo and all. "Sorry." I apologized, honestly. That's a feat for me. "I can't go."

"T-That's okay." Tsuna lied, trying not to look downcast, opening the door, letting Gokudera out first to 'scan for potential threats'. "Yamamoto'll do fine, anyways. Bye!"

I raised my hand in farewell, but said nothing. I had nothing to say. Well, I actually had a whole lot of shit to say, but none of it was necessarily 'age-appropriate'.

You did the right thing. Giotto's voice said, growing fainter and fainter with each word. He was probably off to follow Tsuna around. Tsuna's list of stalkers is just growing and growing. I mean, first Reborn and Gokudera, then Haru and the other support characters, the Varia, Byakuran and now dead people. Daemon Spade is probably stalking him too.

You're awesome and all, but please get out of my head. I ordered, as politely and respectfully as I could. After all, you don't want to piss off a mafia boss. Not even the ghost of a mafia boss. If anything, that's worse.

I heard a deep chuckle - a very sexy deep chuckle, that is - and his aura was gone.


"1-800-MAFIABITCH..." I muttered, punching in the numbers into an iPhone that I had bought in the Future, gotten an untrackable number and totally screwed with all the settings and programming.

Now, instead of those bitchy default ringtones, it could sing 'O Canada' in a British accent. I know. Amazing.

Ring...

Ring...

Ring...

Ri-

"Ciao ciao, Yuni speaking." a voice so similar to mine greeted, cheerfully. A girl. Young. "Permission to speak back is granted- unless you're another one of those salesmen selling the New York Times. I mean, for the last freaking time, I live in Italy!" Have I always sounded like that...?

"VOIIIIIIII!" a voice roared in the background, and the sounds of what might have been a sword slashing about resounded in the background. A man. About twenty. "Brat, get off the fucking phone! We were talking about the fucking recruit and when you'll take the jackass back!" Talk about nostalgic...

"I resent that statement." a deadpan voice drawled, clearly uninterested in whatever was going on. A boy. Young. "You can't describe me as 'fucking' when I'm a virgin, you stupid long-haired shark captain."

I caught my breath after hearing the deadpanning snarker. I had missed him, so much more than I thought I would.

The first speaker laughed, brightly, her laughter unusually upbeat. It almost sounded false. "Frannie, just hush up, I'm on the phone."

"Don't call me Frannie."

"Sorry about that." the girl apologized to me. "Frannie and Squ-chan are such jackasses."

"It's fine." I dismissed, trying to change my voice, so the girl wouldn't recognize me. "I just wanted to warn you."

The girl snorted, her tone arrogant and slightly egotistical. She either thought highly of herself or was an incredibly impressive actor. Or maybe she was just a flat-out bitch. "There's nothing you know that I don't."

"I just...wanted to warn you that if you didn't-" shape up your attitude, you'll lose everything you've ever loved. "-order a subscription to the New York Times today, then you won't get the 70% discount."

"I DON'T LIVE IN NEW YORK. OR AMERICA. OR THAT SIDE OF THE WORLD. NOW STOP CALLING ME."

"Sorry, we'll take your number off of our list." I told her, me, Yuni, Riza, whoever that was. "It's just...my job, you know?

The girl suddenly sounded ashamed. "Sorry for yelling."

"It's fine," I assured her. I hesitated for a moment, before speaking again. "We're having a sort of a Chinese fortune thing as a promotion."

"Okay...?" the girl sounded like she was raising an eyebrow.

"Yours says 'You are not who you think they are'." I lied, pretending like I was some sort of sagelike ninja. Which I am. Kind of. "Does that mean anything to you?"

The girl was shocked into silence or at least, unable to form intellectual words. "I-I, uhh..."

"Thanks for listening." I muttered, hitting the 'END CALL' button, and pocketing my cell phone again.


The only thing that you and I looked at
Was this ever-changing world
The only thing that you and I knew
Was the world that always looked the same

When I cry thinking of you, I'm cradling a red guitar
Merely singing
That our future would sparkle

It's still reflected in my heart, ONE NIGHT STAR, ONE NIGHT STAR
Although its still not the love song, ONE NIGHT STAR, ONE NIGHT STAR

And the twinkling stars in the sky that
I looked up to on a sleepess night
I think of it as a hole of light that breaks opens the dark
Open the hands that hugs your trembling shoulders
oh! and embrace it the shining ONE NIGHT ONE NIGHT STAR

Chase away the clouds that brought the tears of rain
I wait knowing that you will come
The tears of my heart will never dry
But they will lead me higher up one day

Shining in my heart at this moment ONE NIGHT STAR ONE NIGHT STAR
My voice dries up singing the love song ONE NIGHT STAR ONE NIGHT STAR

Our unbreakable bond will burn
We want, we reject, only to cover up our fears
I was attracted by the tune of your flute
But I am tired, ONE NIGHT ONE NIGHT STAR

Eventurally i wait for dawn to break,
and there you will break something new
Say goodbye to the things left behind
A star upon a night has already shined upon you
Grab it with your own hand, the shining ONE NIGHT ONE NIGHT STAR

-The Arrows


"Oh no..." Nana mumbled, staring out the window, completely ignoring the fact that I was moping in the corner. "It's raining..."

It was, in fact, raining, pouring buckets, actually. Water showered down in sheets, the sound of raindrops beating against the roof of the house resounded loud through the relatively quiet home.

Fuuta was sleeping upstairs, a towel on his head. He wasn't feeling good... I suspected it was due to the downpour that was going on outside. Remember? He can't rank things when its raining, because it screws up his planetary connection or something? Lambo was sleeping too, probably exhausted from bothering Nana all day, while I-Pin was sitting in the living room, playing quietly with her Fon doll, which had been brought with her to the past.

"It is raining a lot..." I agreed, before returning to my brooding. "I can't believe I'm missing out on the Vongola cheer thing... It's not life without it."

By Vongola cheer thing, I mean the thing where the Guardians have a huddle and go 'Fight, Yamamoto! YEAH!'. It was every Reborn fan's dream.

"What do you want to do now?" she asked, stretching out her legs from beside me. "I've already taken care of all the housework. Do you have any more mafia stories?"

"There was a sequel to the Katekyo Hitman Verde story," I admitted, poking my fingers together. "But I don't know the plot very well." By sequel, I mean the manga, and I only skimmed through that and spent the rest of the time reading the plot on the wikia page. And stalking the characters in the manga. I know all the manga characters and the general plot, but I don't know every single conversation and detail. Just when fights will happen, who will fight and big ideas. I should have read it, damn it!

"That's okay." she assured me, kindly. Then again, I don't think there was ever a time where Nana wasn't kind. I could understand why Iemitsu married her. ...I did not intend it to sound like I am homosexual, I am STRAIGHT. Just saying.

I sat down on the floor, beside I-Pin. "Do you have any other dolls?" I feel like an idiot, please, stab out my eyeballs.

The girl looked up at me, thinking for a moment, probably trying to translate what I had said in Japanese to Chinese (one of the only languages I didn't know), before nodding and running off to wherever it is that children run off to. She returned, three short minutes later, clutching a doll with blonde curls to her chest. "I-Pin has Barbie." she carefully sounded out the words, her voice heavily accented.

"Barbie dolls are awesome." I said, awkwardly holding out the doll, genuinely unsure what to do with it. In my past life, I had focused mostly on academics, wanting to go to college and be successful. That's how I had taken the phrase 'You Only Live Once'. You have to live it perfectly, so that's why I was trying to be the perfect daughter, with success. Only, Alice had been the perfect daughter, achieving success effortlessly.

And in this life, I was mostly running around trying to save the world, preparing to save the world, taking planes, catching trains, working for the mafia and never really had a chance for childhood.

I had grown up too early in both lives. Sounds a little cliche and stupid, but it's the truth.

I mean, by the time I was two in this world, I had already been kidnapped twice. And by the time I was four, I was taking flights alone across continents and secretly corresponding with the Varia and Vindice.

Life had gone by too quickly.

I-Pin held the Fon doll up. "Fon and Barbie friend."

"Barbie thinks that Fon has nice hair." I said, trying to play along, holding Barbie up in front of Fon.

I-Pin smiled. "Fon thank Barbie."

"Barbie says that Fon is most certainly welcome." I replied, with a laugh. In this little five-year-old kid, I could see the girl who would grow up to be one of my best friends.


After an hour of playing with I-Pin and Fon and Barbie, I realized that Tsuna wasn't home yet.

I pulled out my iPhone again and dialed Giglio Nero Headquarters. "Hello?" I greeted, hesitantly, not knowing if it was like Nosaru or someone good on the phone or Genkishi (someone bad.).

"Who is this and how did you get this number?" surprisingly, it was Gamma, of all people. He was using what I liked to call his 'interrogation' tone.

I ran through my mind, trying to get a name. "It's me, Yuni. Connect me to Mama." Might as well not lie. If I do it too much, I might end up in Hell, or worse. Not to mention, I could easily get past Gamma if I was being 'Yuni'. Which I am.

DAMMIT, I'M CONFUSING MYSELF.

"Oh, good. I thought you were the New York Times calling again. I don't even want to know how they got a hold of a mafia's number. Whose phone are you on, Yuni?" he wondered. Oh god, Gamma is actually interrogating me... and what the fuck is wrong with the New York Times?

I quickly thought up an answer. "I stole it. From, uhh, Nokia. It's not a good phone, so don't call it ever again. I'm going to throw it away and go back to my old phone. It's a lot more, umm, efficient? This one is like...very slow and takes a long time to load. So don't steal from Nokia. Lesson learned."

"Is there something wrong with your voice?" he continued his ruthless onslaught of questions. What. A. Jerkface. "It sounds weird..."

IT'S CALLED PUBERTY, BRO.

I managed a weak, strangled cough. "I'm getting over a cold. COUGH COUGH COUGH."

Gamma seemed skeptical, but finally put me through to Aria. God, I didn't think he would ever get around to actually connecting me with her.

"Hi." I said, feeling a little awkward and kind of happy. I mean, in the future, she's dead. And Aria probably knows that she's going to die in nine-ish years, so she's not going to be all 'why the fuck are you being a weird, you sad excuse of a child?'.

But it's just that... she's my mother in this world. I'm obligated to love her, and after knowing that she was legitimately dead, and then having her alive? It's kind of an emotional rollercoaster, if you know what I mean.

"Hello, Yuni-chan." she was smiling. When wasn't she smiling, honestly? "You've received the Pacifier, I would hope?"

I nodded. "Thanks for that, it'll probably save my life..." you know, it'll save my life and Haru's and Kyoko's and Chrome's, when Daemon kidnaps some pubescent girls and shoves us in a barrier.

"No problem!" Aria laughed, brightly. "Anything for my little Yuni-chan. So, hows the future?" I was surprised at how casual she was being. I mean, if my daughter came from ten years in the future, took my most prized possesion (in this case, the Sky Pacifier) and then calls me up, I'd be having a mental breakdown. I guess it's a mother thing.

I swallowed, before answering honestly. It's like you can't lie to your mom. I'm fairly certain it's a rule of like, the universe or something. "Kind of bleak. But right now, we're working to make it...brighter, I guess. It's kind of hard to describe."

"That's okay," she assured me. "I'm sure that time-travel is very difficult for you."

"The world in the future...is in the middle of what might develop into the apocalypse. It's dystopian, you know? The opposite of Heaven." I tried to explain it. "It feels like we're living in Hell. Except an incredibly marshmallow-y Hell. The dictator of the mafia has a marshmallow fetish. Oh, and he wants my body, too. A little creepy and pedophilia-ish, but with that kind of world, you really get used to it."

"Wow." Aria muttered, mulling it over. "It's a sad day when you become accustomed to marshmallow pedophiles that take over the mafia."

I laughed, a smile etching itself into my features. It's the kind of thing that a mother can do, whether its your first or second one. She can always manage to make you smile. "I had infiltrated their forces - they actually forcibly combined our families - and I've ended up having to live with him for like a year. I'm fairly scarred, for life."

"I'd imagine." she agreed, like the mom she was. All moms agree with their children. Or at least, all anime moms agree with their children.

More anime physics.

I heard the door slam shut, and I realized Tsuna was home. "I have to go." Even though I really don't want to... you were never really there for me, but you were really there all along.

"That's okay..." she said, comfortingly.

I bit my lip, considering saying something for a minute. Oh, shit, just say it, already! YOLO, right? "I love you." I blurted out, suddenly, before mentally berating myself for sounding like some kind of idiot.

I had never told my mother that in my entire life. This one, or the last.

In the last, I was trying to be the cool kid, the golden child, and could never manage to say it without embarrassing myself. And in this life, I rarely saw her and spoke with her even less.

Of course, I told her in passing, like 'Love ya!' or 'are you feeling the love, home skillet?', but never like this. Never with this much emotion.

I wanted to punch myself in the face.

She seemed to catch her breath for a moment, and I wanted to stab myself for saying something like that. I'm an idiot. Please, you might as well slap a label on me that reads 'this girl is a fucking dipshit'. "I love you too, Yuni. I always have and always will."

I heard the dial-tone thing, and just stood there for a second, a stupid grin spreading across my face.


Tsuna, bless his heart, didn't ask about why my eyes were red (not from crying. NOT from crying.) and why I was smiling like I was high. He described the night's events to me.

"And then Yamamoto was like YAAAH! and then totally beat out the other guy!" Tsuna was not very good at story telling. I understand why he got D's in Japanese.

"Cool." I replied, scooping ice cream into my mouth.

That's right. Tsuna and I were bingeing out on food. For those of you who don't know what that means, we were drowning ourselves in comfort food. It may have been the best thing that had ever happened to me. I mean, unlimited ice cream? I felt like the queen of England.

"But then Asari told him he failed." Tsuna took another scoop of ice cream, melting it, bitterly. "But he gets another chance tomorrow night."

"That's good." I nodded, drizzling chocolate syrup all over the French Vanilla ice cream. "Want some?"

"Yes, please."

.

.

.

.

.

We're going to be there to lift anyone up, so they don't have to worry.


Time for that epic 'thank-you' speech that I told you was coming. So please, mentally prepare yourself for many smiley face emoticons and possibly tears of joy.

Dearest readers,

What the fuck is wrong with you? (You know that a letter will never end well when it starts like that) I mean, this story is pure insanity! Why would you ever want to read it?

Thanks for reading it, of course, but really? There are so many more awesome stories better than mine and you read...this?

Don't make me cry, guys, don't make me cry.

Everyday, I wake up and wonder 'Did I get any more reviews for that story?' and then I check it on my iPod over some coffee. Then my day is perfect, because all 1000 and more reviews are pure kindness from each of you.

Of course, I've had some constructive criticism, but never a single flame (of course, Tsuna would have totally like Zero Point Breakthrough-ed it for me though.).

Can you guys only see the good in a person, because that's what I'm thinking.

I'm only a teenage girl, who doesn't really have that many friends (like five best friends and a whole bunch of posers who like being assholes) and you choose me? I mean, I have a perfect older sister, just like Riza/Yuni did. And I've always been overshadowed by her. My family likes making fun of me, and I am, admittedly, obnoxious and annoying.

But you guys actually care.

You people take the time out to smile back at me, and listen to me, and read what I have to say.

No one has ever done that for me before.

So thank you.

Thank you very much.

I know my issues are petty, but to a girl like me, who only has a small view of the world, it means everything.

So thank you.

-LeoInuyuka