Hey! I'm back! I'm sorry it took so long! I was kind of going through all of my stories in a circle, or something like that. Hope you enjoy this! It's going to be kind of like an omake. Something fluffy to give you tooth decay and give you a break from all the depressing heavy stuff
Chapter 5: My Princess
In a far away land lived a princess. Long hair, big eyes, fair skin… All the perks of being the princess of this land. She was the only daughter of the king and queen. But instead of being loved by all those in the land she was hated. Her parents paid her no heed, finding their daughter a low priority. The villagers hated for reasons unseen. Perhaps it was her presence, her aura, the air she wore around her. Shy by nature but caring and sweet, everyone avoided her with a vengeance.
Her parents arranged for her to get married to the prince of a land even further away. The countries had not been feuding nor were they particularly close. So the reason of the marriage could not have been to stop any dispute or to strengthen close brotherly bonds between them. It was merely to get rid of her, to get rid of the eye sore constantly near them.
The princess agreed, numbly and silently. She had grown tired of her life. There was no purpose to the life she had here but she had little hope it would change in any other country of the world. Her only friend was a cat, a small black cat with a incomplete body. She snuck the kitty along with her, not wanting to be separated from her close companion.
On the long journey to the country on the opposite side of the continent, she slept sweetly and soundly. The cat slept, curled in a small ball on her lap. The journey was mostly smooth, except for one part which was particularly bumpy. A significantly rougher and sharper rock caught in the wheel of the carriage, causing both the princess and her cat to jolt awake. Startled her only friend jumped out of the window, running away as fast as possible.
The princess threw her head outside the window, trying to get a better view. The cat was running alongside with the trotting horses. She wasn't really thinking when she jumped out of the window. The cat had tripped on a rock and lay helpless to be trodden on by the horses. She ran, huddling the cat's body in her arms.
Never before had she felt so much pain as to when the horses simply ran over her delicate body. The man holding the reins of the horses had tried to stop them as he saw her body but it only served to make the horses panic, running over her even more vigorously.
When she awoke next she could barely feel anything in her body. Broken bones, ruptured organs, punctured eye… they were the words swirling around her. Through a half lidded eye she could see her mother's straight lips and her father's furrowed brow. Not sad, not happy… just angry. Their daughter had caused them one more problem. But it would be her last.
She slipped into her dreams, wondering if this would be the last time she would see this world. She was thankful. It was all over. But a powerful mage came to her in her sleep. With sweet words and care, he stole her heart and recovered her body. His gentle smile etched into her mind, his name burned into her ears.
With a new name, a new resolve and a new face created by the magician, she ran away. He took her through things slowly, telling her everything about himself, teaching her about the world. She could remember crying when she found out about his past. How he had been tortured his entire childhood but when he was finally free he exacted revenge and was locked away in a magical prison.
But he always whispered in her ear as she slept, lulling her to a dream. He caressed her face as she fell, healing all the injuries on her body. He held her hand as she walked, the ghostly fingers making everything more bearable.
He gave her a sweet illusion.
Chrome flipped through the English novel composed of short stories, the pages licking at her fingers. She stopped only at one of the stories, the shortest of them all. Only 600-700 words. The name of the tale and the picture presented at the top of the page was what attracted her. "Sweet Illusion". A picture of a girl with short hair walking along a dirt path barefoot with a short white dress with an almost invisible figure touching her hand was sketched.
As she read through the story she smiled, an unusual tale which struck a sense of familiarity. Claude Lock. The author had an interesting name. Perhaps it was written by a foreigner. An interesting imagination he had.
Perhaps the rest of the stories in the small book would be just as interesting? She took it to the counter of the bookstore, looking just outside the shop. Leaning against the entrance, long dark blue hair set in a "pineapple" hairstyle, of the bookstore was her very own mage.
"Sorry, Mukuro." She apologised as she stepped out, holding the light plastic bag in her right hand.
"It's alright, Chrome." He reached down to her hand, grasping the bag and snatching it away from her fingers.
"Ah! You don't have to carry it!" Chrome panicked, trying to reach for the bag but he lifted above her head.
"What kind of man would I be if I let my Chrome carry a bag on our date?" Mukuro smiled at her futile attempts to reach far higher than she was capable of.
"Mukuro! Please don't say it like that… it almost seems like we're a couple." Chrome stopped, turning her head away to hide the blush on her cheeks.
"Is there anything wrong with being seen like a couple, Chrome?" Mukuro grasped her shoulder, pulling her to face him, red and all.
"It's not like there's anything wrong with Mukuro but we're not a couple…" She tried to shy away only to have him grasp her chin.
"Today, we are." He slipped an arm around her hip, guiding her along, "Today, Chrome is my princess." He could've laughed at her expression, "After everything that's been happening… I just want a day to have you enjoy yourself and where I can spend the whole day with you." He pulled her closer, his grip tightening ever so slightly, "Kufufu, today is a day just for you and me."
"Tenth, is it really okay to that man run around like he is?" Gokudera Hayato leaned over to face Tsuna, bustling students walked around them.
"I trust Chrome." Tsuna said surely, but Hayato caught the slightly worried look in his eye, "If I know anything about Mukuro, he cares about Chrome. He'll look after her."
"Tenth, that's not the point…!" Hayato tried to protest. How uncharacteristic.
"Sorry, Gokudera-kun. Can we talk about this later? I don't want Haru and Kyoko-chan to worry about Chrome." Tsuna looked down at his school shoes, wondering how Chrome and Mukuro were now, "Please don't mention it to either of them."
"Don't worry, Tenth! I wouldn't make you needlessly worry." Hayato said triumphantly, reminding Tsuna of the time three years ago, "I won't utter a word to Sasagawa and that stupid woman!"
Tsuna caught the tinge of colour on his companion's face, "Thank you, Gokudera-kun."
"Tsuna-san!"
"Tsuna-kun!"
Second year high school, Sasagawa Kyoko and Miura Haru came running to the pair. Now that they were in high school, they all went to the same school. Haru had left the true train school of Midori to go to Namimori High. She was part of Tsuna-san and Gokudera-san's world now.
The bright smiles on their faces reminded Tsuna of all the secrets he still kept from them. He wondered what their reactions to Chrome's current predicament would be.
His illusions were always beautiful. Beautiful lies set to images. Perfection to every corner. Every leaf, every petal, every blade of grass… it was all placed in front of her eyes, not even the slightest fault. It could fool any to believe that such perfection existed in such a corrupted world. Even the breeze was swaying like a euphoric bliss in her hair.
His hand on her knee, a materialised tree creating an intricate pattern with the shadow of its leaves, she could almost believe it was the paradise he had created just for them. The paradise that he had first met her in. The same paradise he continued to meet her in for all the lonely years he was locked away. The tree filled with green leaves, short grass prickling at them and a never ending landscape out before them.
"Mukuro…"Her whisper seemed to echo in the world that was theirs, "Your illusions are so captivating." She directed her hand to the bark of the tree they were resting against, her hand touching the impossibly smooth surface, "I wish I could create something so amazing."
"You could, Chrome." He slipped his arm around her waist, feeling the soft fabric of her dress, "Your illusions are so imperfectly enchanting." He took her smaller hand within his gloved one, feeling her long fingers, "Such illusions are within your grasp."
Like a cake mixing their illusions twirled together, forming between the bonds between their palms. Fragment by fragment, piece by piece, the world around changed colour, shape and form. The tree was no longer a lush green with leaves adorning it but a light feathery pink, blossoms floating in the air. The grass grew longer, looking more like a field for farming. The land was not endless, cutting off, as if sitting on a hill, the sunset in the horizon, a perfect view.
"Chrome… This is our world. This is a world we have both created. It is not the world that I created for you." He was referring back to place they often met until recently.
"The world you created for me is still our world because it is the place I met Mukuro." Chrome said without thinking, only to realise what she said a moment too late. Her cheeks blossomed in red as she tried to shy away her reddening face.
"Kufufu, I wonder what my Chrome bought today." Mukuro's hand that was clasped around her waist dived into her bag, fishing out the book. He brought the book in front of them, his arms looping entirely over her body. "Bitter Chocolate". Curiously, he flipped the book to the back, reading the blurb. Enjoying how Chrome sat frozen, an almost frost bitten state, not wanting to unravel his arms from around her. His playful smile slipped onto his face before opening his lips to speak, "It says, 'Love is not sweet like sugar nor sour like lemons. It is somewhere between breathtakingly disgusting and sickeningly perfect. Not the middle but more skewed to one side, neither here nor there but not exactly in the centre. Bitter chocolate. A chocolate that is closer to the truth than any other sweet. A chocolate closer to love than any other symbol. Read these many novellas of less than 1000 words of true love. Real love. Of Bitter Chocolate.'. What an interesting book to purchase, Chrome." Mukuro read the blurb in perfect English, the words written in a messy cursive.
"I used to love romance novels but I never really liked the ones that were very sweet." Chrome's eyes had softened as she spoke, at some point of his perfect English reading she had melted into his embrace, successfully thawing out of her frozen state, "I thought this book would be interesting."
Mukuro's smile could not look more true, content with the response she had given him. He flicked through the pages, just as she had earlier that day, before stopping at the exact same page, "Claude Lock, huh?" Mukuro's smile returned back to its playful state, "I'm sure you will enjoy this book very much, Chrome."
The scene around them changed once again. This time full greenery surrounded them, an array of colourful flowers surrounded them and the tree disappeared, replaced by nothing but soft grass. The sun was high in the sky, the only shade coming from the multiple bushes surrounding them.
"Mukuro…?" Chrome questioned, looking inquisitively at her companion.
"There was a need for a change in scenery." Mukuro stated simply before lying down on his back, bringing her down with him.
Her small gasp only served as material for him to laugh as he caught her face turning a shade redder than any he had seen before, "Mukuro…!"
His arm that was wrapped around puller her closer, book still in hand, and the hand that was still grasping her's tightened around her palm and fingers. Despite her state of shock he noticed the struggle her eye lids were having to stay at full height, "Are you tired, Chrome?"
"Eh?" Chrome was taken aback, she was sure she used concealer to cover her eye bags, "I'm not tired at all, Mukuro."
"Are you tired," Mukuro paused. A dangerous pause. "Nagi?"
He only used her real name at serious situations. She might as well tell him. She could never lie to him. She sighed before mumbling a small "yes".
"Then rest." Mukuro ordered more than said.
"But I can't fall asleep! Mukuro arranged this whole day… I can't sleep whilst Mukuro is…" Chrome began, not really knowing how to phrase her sentence.
"Its fine, Chrome. I told you earlier today. Today you are my princess. And if you are worried about me being bored then," Mukuro smiled reassuringly at her, holding her body even closer but letting go of her hand. He switched the book to lay in his other hand, "I have perfect entertainment." Like magic a pair of slim round glasses appeared, perched perfectly balanced on his nose, "So rest."
"Mukuro is so…"Chrome tried to think of the word, slipping her eyes close, "Kind."
"Tsuna-kun, how is Chrome-chan? I haven't seen her so long?" Kyoko asked curiously. Tsuna was in the seat right beside her's. When they entered high school they were all separated but Tsuna was glad he was able to stay in the same class with the girl he still had a crush on.
"Oh, I'm not sure. I haven't really seen her much lately either." Tsuna tried to avoid her gaze, knowing he was a terrible liar.
"Is that so?" Kyoko sighed, looking slightly down, "Haru-chan and I haven't seen her in a month."
"Maybe she went to Italy?" Tsuna offered. It wouldn't hurt just to suggest she was travelling, right?
"I don't know. But before she disappeared she seemed to be getting more tired and getting hurt a lot." Kyoko looked worriedly into Tsuna's eyes, trying to find something in them.
She was training to get Mukuro out of prison… is what he wanted to say but instead, "Maybe she wanted to go on a holiday and she was saving up money? She was probably getting from falling and crashing into things because of her lack of sleep."
"That could be it!" Kyoko smiled brightly at Tsuna, the possibility being believable to her ears, "And her two friends aren't at Kokuyo Land anymore! Haru-chan and I checked to see if she was there." She sighed in relief, placing a hand on her chest, "I guess she probably did go on vacation."
Gokudera-kun, please make up a story like mine!
In another class down the hall Gokudera noticed a slightly like chirpy Haru was dully looking down at the notes she had just taken from the previous lecture. Haru never looked over notes right after she took them. She wasn't that stupid.
"Stupid woman, why are you so upset?" Gokudera scowled at her less than satisfactory response. A simple look at him. No argument. No protest. No yell.
"Where's Chrome-chan, Gokudera-san?" Haru said getting straight to the point, "Haru hasn't seen her in so long. It's something to do with the Mafia, right?"
"Shut up, are you stupid? Don't say something like that so plainly!" Gokudera yelled, probably dragging more attention than she did.
"Then she is!" Haru jumped up, poking a finger at his chest, nail meeting pressed white fabric, "You and Tsuna-san are keeping something from Kyoko-chan and Haru!"
"No! No! It's got nothing to do with it! She's probably just got some work to do that's why she can't meet up with you!" Gokudera stubbornly persisted, sure his story would match the one Tsuna would put together.
"But a month ago Chrome-chan disappeared! And even before that she was looking very tired and was getting lots of injuries!" Haru jabbed his chest a few times just for good measure but it long led to him prying the offending finger away from him.
"Maybe it's her exam period! She probably was studying late at night and falling down from lack of sleep!" Gokudera said confidently, Haru's hand still in his hold.
Haru recalled that even though Chrome was quite nimble there were moments when she had Chrome be very clumsy, "I suppose so…" She sighed not quite convinced, "Gokudera-san, do you get clumsy in exam period as well?"
"N-" No. he wanted to say but he couldn't. He had to persuade her. It was for the Tenth. It was for the Tenth. He gulped, reluctantly saying, "Yes."
"Well, if Gokudera-san gets like that maybe Chrome-chan does too. I wonder when her exams finish…" Haru looked at their connected hands, "Uh, Gokudera-san can you please let go of Haru's hand?"
Dream to reality was almost like staying in her dream. Her mind had fed her sweet illusions as she slept and as she woke, an even more unreal scene was with her. Mukuro's arm still holding her body close, her head leaning on his chest. Her book lay to the side, one of his fingers keeping the page, glasses slightly askew on his face, eye lids shut in a seeming harmony. The Mukuro now was the Mukuro only Chrome Dokuro had the privilege to see.
"I see you're awake, Chrome." She was startled as he spoke. His blue eye was open; he had noticed just the tiniest movement she made. She hadn't made a noise.
"I'm sorry if I woke you up." She apologised, scarlet embarrassment heating up her cheeks at their current position.
"You didn't. I was merely resting my eyes. Nothing to fret over." He could definitely imagine her worrying about every little aspect of him, it was just who she was.
"If that's what Mukuro says…" Chrome smiled, her cheeks still quite red, "Thank you."
"Are you all rested up now? There is still one more thing I want to show you." Mukuro slipped his hand out of the book, using his now free hand to help her stand.
"I'm fine now." Chrome didn't resist as he aided her. She had accepted that for today, he was going to spoil her no matter what, "Thank you for everything, Mukuro."
"Then, shall we begin?" Mukuro snapped his fingers.
The sun of the particular illusion dissipated into a starry night sky. Day turned to night as the bushes of flowers sunk into the ground, only a single tree sprouting from the grass. Her summer dress changed to an elaborate Yukata, with entwining lotuses printed on the lilac fabric. Mukuro's simple dress shirt and pants had changed to a dark blue Yukata, an indigo Yukata with a geometric white pattern.
"Mukuro…?" Chrome wondered out loud, looking up to the taller man. His arm was still around her waist and he showed no signs of letting go. Or telling her what was going to happen.
"Shh." He shushed, placing a single finger on her lips before pointing to the sky.
Colour spread through the night sky. Light. Sparkles. The loud boom present from the fireworks exploding in the air. Interesting shapes were made from the illusion of fireworks Mukuro was creating. First a star. Then a flower. Then a moon. It continued on and on. She swore she saw a pineapple somewhere within them all. The last firework was the biggest and it had a most peculiar shape. The fact the shape was not really an enclosed shape was the most peculiar. Like an airy fog of a shape. Something not quite formed. It took the form of mist.
"Kufufu, you've never seen fireworks before, have you Chrome?" Mukuro asked, still holding her as close as ever.
"No, I haven't. I parents didn't believe fireworks were at our standard. They thought they were just noise." Chrome's voice sounded so airy, like she was still lost in bright colours of the fireworks, "But Mukuro showed me they are amazing."
"Chrome." Mukuro changed his position, turning to face her, both hands lightly touching her neck, "I'm sorry I lied. That was not the last thing I wanted to show you. There is one more. Please close your eyes."
And she did. Her eyes shut almost automatically. She didn't protest. Didn't say a word. Because despite her naivety she had grown in the past 3 years. She knew what was coming. She had read enough romance novels.
Her hands clenched together in her chest, ready to take what he was going to give her. One of his hands entangled in her hair, the other placed lightly on her shoulder. He leaned forward, closer to her face than any other human had ever gone to her. She could feel his breath on her cheek, the warm breath tickling all the nerves near the vicinity. Her heart was beating so loud and fast she wondered if he could hear it. She wished she could hear his. He grew nearer, his fingers curling around her shoulder, making sure she didn't run away. Not that she would. Not from Mukuro.
Then as if a second stretched for an eternity their lips met. Like a seal. Their worlds connected once again. Their existences merging just for that one second that their lips were touching. It wasn't a second. It wasn't such a short moment. It felt like an instance in how quickly it passed but it felt like a never-ending touch in how long it lasted. It lasted so long but it ended so quickly.
Two opposing time forces merged together to create that very moment.
The bark of a tree from reality hurt Chrome's back. She snapped her eye open, snapping back to the world she had left for a while. Her head had leaned against Mukuro's shoulder and true enough the man was also resting.
The tree was not nearly as lush as the one in her dream, the grass not nearly as green and the flowers not nearly as colourful. Her dress was the sun dress she had departed her apartment in, not the beautiful kimono he had created. The sun was setting, not yet gone to reveal a starry night.
Was it all a dream? Was it all something her mind had created to satisfy the worry and insecurity she had been feeling? She could not differentiate. Was it an illusion Mukuro created? Or a dream she had convinced herself to believe was a reality created by her precious one?
A red eye opened to her purple one. She looked for assurance. Wondering if the hours that had just passed by, the scenes that had played… if they had been real.
"How was your rest, Chrome?"
Dream.
It was all a dream.
Not being able to take it she stood up. Tears filling her eyes. She had gotten so close to her master. She had romantic feelings for him when she should only have strong feelings of loyalty and gratitude. She wanted a relationship with him. She had dreamt he had wanted the same thing as her. She had made up that he felt the same way.
"Chrome."
He grasped her upper arm, halting any running.
"It wasn't a dream."
Her head snapped up to his, tears flying through the air.
"I'll show you once more."
Once again, their timeless instance came to life.
His lips moved against her's. Only a second though. Like she was too precious to touch. Too pure for someone as corrupt as himself to taint. Someone too innocent and fragile for him. Loving her would hurt her.
"Mukuro. I am not the girl you first met me as. Please look at me. Look at me as woman. Not as a girl."
She had matured.
She had matured so much. She was naïve but she wasn't at the same time. Not the cute little Chrome he had thought she would always be but the strong and beautiful Chrome.
"Chrome really is my princess today."
His lips stayed a second longer on her's.
No, it's not over. So don't anyone panic! I just decided to end it there. Was this chapter weird? I was kind of writing it as I running out of creative juices. I'm kind of dying here so I'm going to try my best!
Who liked the kiss! That's the main question. Haha. :)
All the reviewers and favouriters and alerters are amazing! You keep me going! I constantly think, I will make this story amazing for you guys! So thank you!
By the way! Here is a way to help me get some sort of un-writer's block cure! It's just a random idea… but! In your review (if you review, which I highly recommend!) write a quote. Any quote you want. It can be anything! Make something up! And I will put it into the next chapter. So write a random quote that you want to be in the next chapter and I will add it in. It'll help me get myself thinking, you know?
But I will warn you, I am allowed to butcher these quotes. So like I won't change them but I can take bits and pieces of the quote and put them in different sections, so it can be split up. But! I will number them so you know where your quote has gone! Get reviewing!
Next chapter: Precious Jealousy (may change)