'Thoughts'

"Talking"

Spells/Other's thoughts/Skills

[Captions]

{Korin's Voice}

Inner Voice

Chapter 14 The Return of the Mist

Sweat slowly falls down the side of Korin's cheek, his brows frowned and his eyes deep in concentration of the golden flame between his hands. 'If I remember correctly… the method was…' He felt the flames surround his right arm, before settling down into a coat of flames surrounding it, 'There! The technique of the Eighth: Guanto D'oro (Golden Gauntlet)!'

But the flame dispels after a few seconds, 'I can't maintain it for too long, and it costs too much to use…' He clenched his fist, the faint flame coming back out, 'Plus, I can't really summon out as much flame as Tsunahime did during the fight against Mukuro…'

Normally, he would just try this for days until he can summon more, but he didn't have time for that. He need advice, and knows exactly who to look for.

Xxx With Tsuna xxx

Right now, the brunette is currently walking down in the mountain to buy some drinks ordered by Reborn, her shirt and skirt now ruffled and a bit dirty from the bushes she has to pass on the way down, "That Reborn! Why does the one busy training have to go and buy the drink?-!" She grumbled, "And making a girl go down a mountain all by herself, and he claims to be a gentleman to ladies, but all he has been doing is bossing me around!"

Her thoughts goes to all her friends that have taken part in the battles so far, win or lose, they have taken a lot of injuries from fighting. She knew that it is impossible to fight without getting injuries, and she knew that the Mist Battle isn't going to be easy either, but she can't stop worrying, 'That's why I want to know who will be fighting alongside us. But that Reborn…'

"Crap, move!-!"

"Eh?"

A blur tackled into her gut hard, nearly causing her to gag out her saliva as the two figures dropped onto the ground hard, Tsuna clutching her gut in pain while the attacker fall face-first on the ground, "Ah! Sorry, are you okay?-!"

"I-I'm fine…" Tsuna groaned in pain, before getting a good look of her so-called attacker, "Eh, Motoyama-san?"

"Tsunahime?" Korin blinked, "What are you doing all the way here? I mean, don't you have training to do with Reborn?"

"A-Ah, yeah but Reborn told me buy some drinks for him…" She stuttered, before realizing, "Wait, how do you know I was training here?"

"Fon-shifu told me."

"Oh…"

"I was planning on asking that infant for advice, but…" He got back on his feet with a hand invitation for her, "Maybe I should accompany you down the mountain?"

"E-EH?"

"Well, it is not safe for a girl to go down the forest trail on her own."

"I-I guess…" She muttered as she accepted his hand and he pulls her up on her feet.

The two make their way down the mountain, the brunette unable to stand walking next to him so close since the trail isn't that wide with her face blushing, 'Come to think of it, this is the second time I'm walking alone with Motoyama-san…' She looked over to him, he making sure some of the bushes are out of the way for her to move more freely, 'He always help me with things, but never seem to be close with anyone else… he always been very formal to the others, even me. The one he is informal to is Fon, his teacher…'

"Oh yeah, since Reborn is not here…"

"Hm?"

"Tsunahime, I want to ask you something." Korin said, "It's about the Dying Will Flame…"

"Dying Will Flame…?" Tsuna blinked, a bit startled that Korin asked her of all people, "What about it?"

"Well, I have been learning skills that seems to rely on it, similar to yours." Korin explained, "But I have trouble using it to its full potential. When you enter the Dying Will Mode with the bullet from that infant, how did it felt like?"

"Hm? How did it felt like…?" Tsuna thought for a while, "I never really thought about it before… but if I were to put it… it's like a huge push on the back."

"Huh?"

"W-Well, i-it's like I can do anything if I get up…" Tsuna explained, "I don't know how to say it… but it's as if I can do anything I could as long I have my Dying Will!"

"Huh…"

"I-Is it not good enough of an explanation…?" Tsuna muttered.

"No… I think I kind of understand it a little…" Korin said, 'Well normally, it sounds rather illogical even in the magic world, breaking logic with willpower (Gurren Lagann Reference…?). But considering the powers that Tsuna displayed before, it is not that impossible… if the flames really depends of the will of the user… then maybe there is a way to release the flame easier…'

"H-HIIIEEE!-!"

Korin was brought back from his endless thoughts when he heard the scream from the brunette, noticing why.

Claw marks that gouged out of a tree trunk next to them, but those seems awfully familiar, like he has seen that somewhere before.

Like a couple of months ago… in an amusement park…

'It can't be that coincidental… right…?' Korin thought.

"T-That's really creepy!-!" Tsuna cried as she hugged on Korin's arm tightly, "W-We better hurry…!"

"Got it, got it…" He said as the two quickly make down the mountain path as fast as they can, the male trying not to think about the two developing lumps of flesh closely enveloping his arm.

Xxx Mountain Foot xxx

The two finally reached to their destination, a small shop by the side of the highway, "F-Finally…" Tsuna finally calmed down now they are away from the mountain forest.

"Um… you can let go now…"

She then realised what she had did. She just hugged her crush's right arm in fright and still is. Her face exploded into a bright red as she stumbled back while letting go of the arm, Korin finally getting back the feeling in his arm. 'D-Did I really just did that all the way to here…?-!' She mentally cried.

'Thank god, my arm is back…' Korin sighed in relief. He then notices two students by the shop, wearing a familiar green Kokuyo school uniform, "Kokuyo students… here?" He wonders, 'Isn't their school a bit further from here?'

"Whoa~ this gum looks good~!"

"You already brought some gum earlier."

"Cuz bubble gum is so fruity, I swallow it all!"

'Don't swallow gum when you're already in middle school!' Tsuna mentally cried.

'Okay, this can't be real right…?' Korin thought, 'Maybe someone with the same voice…?'

"Then let's buy a box of gum."

"An entire box?-!" Tsuna cried. It was then she finally noticed who that student was, the same white beanie with the black frame specs with the same skinny and pale physique, "W-Wha?-! EHH?-! T-This can't be happening! It can't possibly!-! I-It's because I'm too tired… yeah, that's it!"

"You stupid face always pisses me off." She then realised it's not an hallucination, "AHH?-!" The blonde face of the ex-criminal, Ken growled at her face.

"GYAAHHH!-! It's him!-!" Tsuna cried, "No…way…" Unable to handle the shock, she faints right on the spot and onto Korin's chest. He quickly hold her firmly before glaring at them in hostility, "Why are you here?-!" He questioned, "Aren't you supposed to be inside that Vindice prison with that pineapple?"

"Tch, like we will tell you, byon!" Ken shouted, "I still can't believe we lost to a pathetic bitch as her!"

"I dare you to say that again…!" Korin growled, the killer intent make obvious and leaking out of him, his spare hand inching towards his gun hidden in his jacket, 'If it's them, I can take them…'

"Ciaossu." The squeaky voice of the familiar Arcobaleno home tutor greeted them, Reborn standing just behind them, "Long time no see, Kakimoto Chikusa, Joshima Ken"

"There you are, Arcobaleno home tutor!" Ken said.

"What happened to the other one?" Reborn asked, "The Guardian of the Mist for Tsuna?"

"Off to see… Hibari Kyouya…" Chikusa said while shifting his glasses.

Korin immediately remembers the list of the guardians that was shown to him by that letter from Iemitsu, 'So the fact that Mukuro is now Tsuna's guardian is real…' He thought, "Reborn, so the Mist Guardian is really…"

"Yes, and no." Reborn said, "You have to see it for yourself to understand."

"Even so, is it truly a good idea to put Mukuro in?" Korin asked, "That man once tried to kill Tsunahime and probably still trying to."

"Then it'll be your duty to stop him."

"Don't push it all to me!" Korin said angrily.

"You know, when you guys are quiet, you guys look like regular middle schoolers punks." Reborn added, ignoring Korin all together.

"UH?-! You didn't have to say punk!" Ken said angrily, "If you underestimate us," He puts on a fake tooth cartridge, his nose becoming pointed and sharp, "I'll shove you!"

"Oh, there it is, Hippo Channel."

"No, it's not! It's a rhino! This is a horn!" Ken said angrily.

"Stop it, Ken." Chikusa said, "We have other things to do."

"Shut up! I'll kill them!" Ken said angrily.

"But Tsuna sure is woeful." Reborn said, "I thought she would be happier. After the fight at Kokuyo, Tsuna was very concerned about you. She thought that I knew something and every time she remembered that incident, she kept asking me. It seems that she is pretty worried about you."

The two make not much of a reaction, except for Ken who just gritted his teeth even harder in annoyance, "Geh! What's with this bitch?-! So annoying!-!" He shouted in anger as walked away, "If I touch her, I might catch her stupidity. Let's go, Kakipi."

"Hey!" Korin shouted angrily.

"Tell the Vongola that the Guardian of the Mist is too good for her." Ken said, "Well, see you tonight."

The two walked off down the long highway, their figures soon become blurry as they soon disappeared. "Is this, really a good idea…?" Korin asked again, "Mukuro is…"

"He is the only one most suitable for the role than anyone else." Reborn explained, "And Iemitsu did include you in the mix." Korin blinked in confusion, "He stated that you are the most suitable candidate for the Knight in the current generation, and you are more than capable of controlling and maintaining Mukuro if he ever goes out of control."

"Is that it…?" Korin muttered, "Even so, to put such trust on me, is he really sane?"

"He has made many ridiculous decisions throughout his career, but they all came out well." Reborn said, "I wouldn't question or doubt his choices."

Korin looked back at the unconscious brunette in his arms, still unable to believe that her father would put so much trust in him to protect his daughter, "The more I see, the more I feel like if I carry on like this it will surface to something that will pull me in whether I want to or not."

Xxx Namimori Middle xxx

The brunette groaned as she return to the waking world, her eyes slowly open and getting the image of a roof, "You're finally up, Tsunahime." She then was caught by surprise as Korin's face appears above her, causing her to panic and hits him square in the chin with a scream, "Ah! Sorry, Motoyama-san!"

"Your instincts are top notch as always, Tsuna." Reborn said.

"R-Reborn…? W-Where am I…?"

"The next battle field for the mist…" Korin groaned as he rubbed his chin, "You were unconscious so I brought you here."

"In a princess carry." Reborn added, getting out a picture that shows her in Korin's arms like how a prince would carry a princess in a fairy tale.

"E-EHH?-!" She cried blushing before swiping the picture away, before bending down to whisper to his ear, "C-Can I keep this…?"

"But still, I never thought that the gym will be the next battlefield…" Korin stated.

"Hime-sama, are you alright?-!" Gokudera asked worriedly, the rest of the gang all here, "Did that asshole did something to you?-!"

"N-No!-! Motoyama-san didn't…" Tsuna cried, then notices the medical patch on Yamamoto's eye, "Y-Yamamoto… I-Is your eye…?"

"Yeah." Yamamoto smiled, "Romario said it'll be fine."

"O-Oh, t-that's good…" She sighed in relief, before thinking on why she is unconscious in the first place.

"Looks like the mist hasn't come yet…" Korin muttered.

"EHH?-!"

"Does that person really exist…?" Ryohei asked.

"And the enemy is already here…" Gokudera muttered, the Varia indeed there, most of the members that are alive and still able to move with the infant and their Guardian of the Mist up front and ready, yet theirs is not here yet…

'Ah! That's right, I wanted to ask about the Guardian from our team and Reborn made me buy juice and then…' Her mind draws a blank after that, 'Hm…? I feel like I forgotten something really important…'

At that moment, she felt a familiar chill goes down her spine, 'Eh?-!'

"Our Guardian of Mist is here." Reborn stated.

By the entrance, two familiar students walked in, with the all too familiar green Kokuyo uniforms, "AH!-! T-That's right!-!" She cried.

"H-Huh?-! T-Those guys are…" Yamamoto muttered.

"N-No way!-!" Gokudera growled as he pulls out his dynamites, "At a time like this?-!"

"Calm down." Reborn tells them, "They brought the Guardian of Mist over."

"What are you saying, Reborn-san?-! These guys are…" Gokudera then realized, "N-No way…! Then the Guardian of Mist is…"

"The person they would bring…" Yamamoto muttered.

"N-No way…" Tsuna stuttered in shock, "The Guardian of the Mist is… R-Rokudo Mukuro?-!"

"Lo nego (No in Italian)." A female voice said, all of the sudden, "Il mio nome e' Chrome (My name is Chrome)." Out from behind the two boys, out stood a young girl with violet hair done in the same pineapple style as Mukuro with his trident in her hands with a skull eye patch on her right eye, "Chrome Dokuro."

"Not… Rokudo Mukuro…?-!" Tsuna cried.

"Chrome Dokuro…?" Basil asked.

"Hm? Who is that girl?" Ryohei asked.

"Someone you know, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked.

"Ah… Eh…?" The brunette blinked in confusion, as of her Knight, who knows who was supposed to come, "The Guardian of the Mist… but this girl… she's not Rokudo Mukuro…"

"Don't be fooled! That's definitely him!-!" Gokudera shouted angrily, "Mukuro is possessing her! If it's for his own goal, he will do anything! That's the kind of guy he is!"

"You don't… believe me?" The girl named Chrome asked.

"Obviously!-! Hime-sama, look at that weapon!" Gokudera cried, "And she is hiding that suspicious eye with that eye patch! She is, without a doubt-"

"Not Rokudo Mukuro."

He was shut silent with Korin declaration, the teen staring at the girl with calculative eyes, observing her, "I can't put it in words, but she is not Rokudo Mukuro."

"W-What are you saying, Motoyama?-!" Gokudera shouted angrily.

"Even if she is, we just have to stop him again." Korin added, "We did it before, and we can do it again, especially when we know every trick he has." He turned to Tsuna, "Also, among all of us, she is most suitable for the Mist role, don't you think, boss?"

"Motoyama-san…" She muttered, "Y-Yeah, I think so as well-"

"You defended me." Chrome said as she walked up to him, "Thank you, Knight-san." She then placed her lips on his cheek in a shy kiss, stunning everyone who witnessed it, Korin most affected with his face now turned beet red in embarrassment and shock.

"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?-!-?-!" Tsuna shouted angrily.

"A greeting." Chrome answered innocently.

"Y-You can't just do that so suddenly!-!" She cried, "I-I mean, it is a k-k-kiss!"

"Knight-san, did I do something wrong?" Chrome asked him tugging on his jacket's sleeve, "Boss seems really angry." Korin still in a bit of a shock of getting kissed on the cheek by a girl, one that seems to be younger than him as well, leaving quite an impression, "Knight-san, are you alright?" She asked again as she touched his forehead, "Do you have a fever?"

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!-!" Tsuna shouted.

"Oh… so that's her…" Bel said, "I thought it'll be some old hermit or something, but a girl of all things."

"B-Bewitching…" Levi muttered. It's official; he is both a loyal dog and a pedophile.

"Phantasma is getting excited as well." Mammon said, the black frog on his head stomping around, "Looks like their Guardian of Mist is a special type of human. If we sell her off to a circus, we can make some good money."

"So what are we going to do? Let her join our team?" Ryohei asked.

"What?-!" Gokudera shouted angrily, "No way we're letting her in! We don't even know where in hell she came from!-!"

"What was that?-!" Ken said angrily, "We can't let that slide, pyon!" Chikusa is already getting his yoyo ready.

"Bring it." Gokudera said.

"Gokudera Hayato, keep those dynamites." Korin tells him.

"Ken, Chikusa, calm down. It's not something you decide." Chrome tells her comrades before turning to the brunette, "Boss, am I not qualified to be the Guardian of the Mist?"

"E-Eh?-!"

"I want to battle as the Guardian of the Mist, but… if you don't approve, then I'll do as you say."

"Eh? Wait, what?-!" Tsuna cried, "Even if you say that suddenly, i-it's… an important thing…!"

"But the only one who can battle as the Guardian of the Mist is Chrome." Reborn explained.

"E-Even Reborn-san too is saying such things?-!" Gokudera cried.

"Even though, it is true." Korin added.

'Motoyama-san is right…' Tsuna thought, 'Even if the guys are from Kokuyo, that girl was chosen by Dad like Yamamoto and Gokudera-kun… And she…'

"T-Then… please do…" She said.

"W-Wha- are you sure, Hime-sama?-!" Gokudera cried.

"Like Motoyama-san, I can't really say it clearly…" Tsuna stated, "But I think that it… has to be her."

"Thank you." Chrome sighed.

"Take that!" Ken smirked, the bomber growled angrily.

Reborn's pacifier then starts to glow, signaling another Arcobaleno is around, "Looks like they are here too." He said.

The window to the gym slides open, revealing to be the Rain army Arcobaleno descending down from the window with his seagull partner holding him in the air. He was followed by the Storm Arcobaleno, who jumped in through the window with his monkey partner still on his head, "Colonello! Fon!" Tsuna cried.

"Master! Shouldn't you be sleeping with Kyoko?" Ryohei asked.

"That's why I'm sleepy, kora!" He said as he burst the little snooze bubble on his nose, "But that shorty with the frog, I have to come to see if he is really an Arcobaleno."

"Same here." Fon said, "I myself is quite curious of his true identity."

"Figured you both be curious." Reborn said.

"Hmph, more dumb faced ones came along." Mammon sighed, "During the battle, I'll sure you'll be making even dumber faces."

"By the way, where's Dino-nii?" Tsuna asked, "He's not coming today…?"

"He suddenly got an emergency call last night and went to visit his old friend." Reborn explained.

"This is a really bad timing…" Korin said.

"Well then, let's do the group call!" Ryohei shouted.

"Look, I'm not doing that again." Korin said, "I swear it with everyone ounce of pride I have left."

"C-Come on, Motoyama-san…" Tsuna said.

"No." Chrome suddenly said, "I don't need to do something like that."

"Ah…"

"What's up with her?" Ryohei asked angrily.

"Not too friendly, is she…" Yamamoto muttered.

The two Mist combatants are now standing in the middle of the gym in preparation of the battle; Tsuna now thinks back to the chills she felt when she appeared, 'That girl… I don't think she's Mukuro… but, what is this feeling…?'

"Today's battle is the entire gym." The Cervello said, "You are allowed to use anything in the gym. In addition to that, we have no other special machines prepared for this battle."

"Eh? There's none?" Tsuna asked.

"For the battle between the Guardians of the Mist, those things aren't necessary." Reborn stated, "Confusing the enemy by making nothing into something, and something into nothing, not allowing them to see the Family – the illusion of deception: that is the duty of the Guardian of the Mist."

"The seats for viewing are only within the limited space." The Cervello tells them as a black metal box frame descends around them, just as red lasers shoot out from between the black rods, "Like the Storm Battle, there are infrared sensors, so please be careful."

"Without further ado, the Battle of the Mist; Mammon VS Chrome Dokuro, Battle Start!"

Chrome starts off with the spinning of her trident before slamming it onto the wooden floor, ground starts crumbling and breaking into the void around them. "Whoa! The ground!-!" Gokudera cried.

"Stupid Tsuna, you know this ability already." Reborn tells her.

"An illusionist…" Korin muttered, 'But this level is just like Mukuro… even if it is just a tier lower…'

"So she's also a master of illusions." Mammon said as he leaped from falling debris to another, "But if you perform such obvious tricks, you cannot earn any money from me!" He leaped towards Chrome, and tentacles shoots out of his hood and wrapping around her, stopping the illusions she created and reverting the gym back to its formal state.

"Huh? It went back." Yamamoto said.

"This is not good!" Korin cried, they finally saw what he is worried about; the girl now getting choked to certain death by the tentacles from Mammon's hood. "Too weak. She can't even be put on display." Mammon said.

"Who are you talking to? I'm over here."

At that moment, the girl was changed to a cage of basketballs as Chrome stood behind him unharmed. "EH?-!" Basil cried.

"The girl… turned into basketballs!" Ryohei cried.

"What?-!" Gokudera cried rubbing his eyes to check.

"W-What's going on?-!" Tsuna cried.

"It was all illusions." Korin explained, "To change the opponent's perception of reality and getting their own reality wrapped before wrapping the opponent's reality again. Tricking and being tricked, this is a battle of perception, not seen often."

"Illusion… I think I've seen it before…" Tsuna then realized, "Mukuro's Path of Hell!"

"Ah! Then, Hime-sama, she really is Mukuro!" Gokudera cried.

"No, it's the same but only in similarity of technique." Korin stated, "It is not as powerful as Mukuro's." 'Even so, why would someone like her knows this technique…? Such illusionary skills require an extremely strong sense of self and mind. She doesn't looks and feel like someone of that level. Who are you, Chrome Dokuro…?'

The tentacles dropped the cage, and slowly changed into toilet paper that retracted into a roll of it inside Mammon's cloak, "I'm glad, you're somewhat of an opponent." He said, "I can then use that thing as much as I want to then, in front of the three dumb shorty's." Chains dropped off from under the cloak, Korin getting a unnatural sense from the hooded infant that is similar to one of an amateur mage, "Let's go, Phantasma."

The black frog's skin break as a golden scaled snake like creature, which squealed and flew up into the air forming a halo above the infant by biting onto its own tail like an ouroboros, causing the infant to float up into the air, a violet pacifier glowed under the cloak along with the other pacifiers in the gym.

"The tied frog and indigo pacifier…" Fon said.

"He really is alive, kora!" Colonello said.

"I thought so…" Reborn said, "He is one of the Arcobaleno, Viper."

To be continued…

Done! Finally done! I've been putting this
off for a while, but now I'm just worried that
I might never finish the Varia Arc by the
few months to come…

Okay, here's a little question to all!

[Should I put the Knight Battle the last or keep to the Canon and let the Cloud Battle be the last?]

There will be no poll for this, so I want to
hear your thoughts on this. No PM on this
pls.

With that, I thank you for reading this!