Rebirth

Ring 8: The End of the Beginning, Beginning of the End

This is it.

Mmm.

Kufufu. I'm glad I got to hear your name.

Better not get it wrong like Chrome.

Of course not Kufufu.

I don't trust you for some reason.

I don't like you for some reason.

Could it be because I kissed Chrome before you?

You dare to bring that up?

Umm...

Oh, sorry Chrome.

Kufufu. This is momentous so I'll let you go for today.

Well, let's let the one who started it, end it. Go on Chrome.

Um...Please enjoy the Final Chapter of Rebirth!

Chrome touched the ring that she wore as a necklace and hid underneath her shirt. A time traveler who was both her friend and classmate had claimed that the ring would save someone, but she wasn't so sure. She was walking to school, alone. She didn't want to speak to either of her 2 friends at the moment. They had both told her that they were transferring only recently and Chrome didn't have any remaining friends. But it was Friday and Chrome wasn't sure if she would see them again. She shook her head, clearing her head of her problems.

"CHROME!"

Chrome turned around and to her surprise, Kyoko and Haru were rushing towards her, waving,

"Why didn't you wait for us?"

"I-I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Haru sighed, "But it you want we can leave..."

"No! It's okay, really."

"Oh."

Even though they were together again now, they didn't speak to each other at all throughout the trip, all of them feeling ashamed of themselves.

"...Chrome..."

Chrome looked at Kyoko, "What?"

"We're having a sleepover, would you like to come?"

"We are?" Haru asked.

"..."

"Oh! Uh, yes, we are."

"...Thank you. I'll come."

Kyoko smiled, "That's great! We'll bring you a good bye gift!"

"Huh?"

"But, Kyoko, we got school."

"Ah, Chrome, can you handle that for us?"

"EH?"

"Let's go Haru!"

"OKAY!"

Chrome could only watch as her 2 friends left her.

"Haru?"

"Sick."

"Kyoko?"

"Sick."

Chrome sighed as the teacher moved on with the attendance.

"At least they are dedicated." Mukuro said.

"Yes, but they're worrying too much."

"Perhaps. But they only want to make you happy."

"But I am."

"Perhaps you've never noticed this, but for the whole time you were with each other, you never smiled genuinely."

"Eh?"

"Think about it."

Chrome did try to think of the times she smiled. But her life was a dream for the most part. Only tragedies were clear in her mind. She soon realized that she had smiled so many time. So many times she had smiled so falsely. Slowly she fell asleep.

"I'm Kyoko!"

Chrome looked up. A 5 year old girl smiled at her, "What's your name?"

"N-Nagi."

"Nagi, it suits you!"

"Eh?"

"Hey, Kyoko, who are you talking to?" Another girl came up and looked at Chrome.

"Ah, Haru! This is Nagi, my friend."

"Eh?"

"Friend huh? Any friend of Kyoko is my friend too! My name is Haru!"

"O-Oh. N-Nice to meet you."

"What kind of things do you like Nagi?"

"Eh? W-Well I like...um...p-pineapples?"

"Pineapples huh?" Kyoko laughed.

Chrome shrunk back, the laughter stung.

"Ah, sorry, Nagi. I didn't mean to laugh at you."

"Heh heh, does Nagi not know the 2 types of laughter?" Haru herself laughed.

"What?"

"Mmm." Kyoko nodded, "I guess you know a lot about this one, it's laughing AT someone."

"Laughing...at..."

"Yes. It's mean laughter, used by mean people t make themselves feel better!"

"O-Oh."

"Well then, Nagi, do you want to know the other one?" Haru smiled.

"O-okay..."

"It's laughing WITH someone!"

"With?"

"YES! Even if something bad happens to you and everyone is laughing AT you, we, your friends, will laugh WITH you. This type of laughter is sure to bring smiles even if you are depressed!"

"R-Really?"

"Now, let's quiz you!" Haru declared.

"E-EH?"

"What kind of laughter was I using before?" Kyoko smiled.

"Um...uh...W-With?"

"YEP!"

Chrome woke up as the bell rang.

"A dream." She murmured, "When I first met Kyoko and Haru..." Chrome smiled sadly, "I did smiled for real then."

Comforted, she left for the next class.

Chrome went over to Haru's house first because it was closest. But on the door was a note saying that their sleepover was at Kyoko's house. And when Chrome got there, Ryohei's cart was parked outside.

"Chrome."

Chrome turned to the doorway where Ryohei stood. He smiled and gave her a thumbs up, "Stay Strong to the Extreme."

Chrome smiled and walked past him inside.

"Chrome!" Haru and Kyoko pounced on her as soon as she walked in, "Yay, you came!"

"Ah, H-Haru...Kyoko...you're heavy."

"Are you saying that we're fat?" Haru demanded, but got off, smiling.

Kyoko retreated too and Chrome sat back up. They all wore smiles and as soon as they noticed, they all burst into laughter. Laughing With each other...together.

"It was hard at first!" Haru laughed.

"Yeah." Kyoko agreed.

"I-I'm sorry."

"It's okay...Nagi."

Chrome looked down as Kyoko and Haru laughed again. Ryohei's ramen laid off to the side, empty. They talked the day away and Chrome herself had just returned from a bath. Ryohei had gone off after setting up dinner, to reopen his business. It was night already.

"Seriously, you should open up more." Haru said.

"E-Eh?"

"Yeah, you shouldn't be so shy, you'll never make more friends!"

"A-Am I really that shy?"

Kyoko and Haru both burst into laughter again, "It's okay. Stay as the shy cute Chrome that we know and love."

"O-Okay..."

"Is it time, Haru?"

"Yep! Let's go! Chrome's Farewell Gift Corner is now underway!"

"E-Eh?"

Kyoko got up and rummaged in her drawer, pulling out a small box and giving it to Chrome. Inside was an eye patch, but with a heart instead of the skull that she always wore,

"I'm sure many others will become your friends if you wore that. Then again, it doesn't really fit you huh?"

"N-No, it's great!" Chrome shut her right eye tightly and took off her old eye patch, replacing it with her new heart one. Mukuro laughed in her head.

"H-How do I look?"

Haru sniggered, "It really doesn't suit you. But it's cute."

"Oh, Haru."

"All right! It's my turn! Haha, I say that, but I couldn't find anything."

"That's okay."

"No it's not! Ah, I know, I'll find you a boyfriend!"

"E-EH?"

"Yeah, that's what I'll do!"

"N-No, i-it's okay, you don't need to..."

"Hmm, but how will Chrome find a boyfriend without my help?"

"Chrome already has one."

"K-Kyoko!"

"Oh, come on Chrome, isn't it time?"

Slowly, Chrome nodded.

"What? What is it?"

"Chrome's been going out with Mukuro."

"Eh? AHAHAHAHAHA! That's good Kyoko!"

"It's the truth."

"Ahahahaha...wait seriously?"

"Yep."

"B-But that means her boyfriend's in..."

"It's okay, I hear he's doing well." Chrome hastily added before the sleepover became a pity party.

"Are you sure?"

"Y-yeah."

Haru pounced on Chrome and began to give her a nuggie, "How dare you keep such a juicy secret from me!"

"Wah, I'm sorry!"

"Ah, forget it."

"Then why don't you stop giving her a nuggie?"

Chrome didn't sleep. The time ticked on. Kyoko and Haru were asleep. Both Kyoko and Haru had argued against her when she offered to find a farewell gift for them. But still Chrome felt compelled to find one. The clock on the wall ticked, a few minutes until midnight. Something landed on her backyard. Chrome got up and went into the bathroom. She came out wearing her school uniform. Silently, she crept out of the house.

Behind Kyoko's house, Chrome held tightly her trident. Tsuna stood in front of her, his orange flame burning brightly.

"You've unsealed the ring."

Chrome nodded, taking out the ring from her shirt and ripping it from her neck.

"Hmph. And how do you think you'll get that on me?"

Chrome herself had no idea and was silently panicking.

"Do you not believe in yourself anymore?"

"M-Mukruo-Sama."

"Listen. All things in this world is tied to Fate. If that ring is fated to bring back Tsunayoshi Sawada, then fate will guide you to him. It will guide the ring to him."

"Y-You're not going to fight?"

"...Personally, I had hoped to stop you from entering this world, but it seems that this battle is yours."

"...Thank you...Mukuro-Sama."

"Hey."

Chrome turned her attention back to Tsuna.

"What's with that eye patch? That heart doesn't suit you."

"...You're right." Chrome grasped her eye patch and took it off. She tossed it up and it landed on Kyoko's desk, flying through the window. Her right eye glowed red, a single black line running through it.

"Six Paths of Reincarnation. First Realm: Realm of Hell."

"Anti-Illusion Filter."

Tsuna charged at her. His flaming fist slammed into Chrome's trident, knocking her back.

"NOT YET!" Tsuna grabbed the trident and crushed it, urging his fist forward. His fist punching into Chrome, who became mist and floated away.

"Tsk. High speed Illusions?"

Chrome spun her trident and tried to slice Tsuna, who flew up. He raised one hand and shot his flames at her. Chrome spun her trident like a fan, dissipating the fireball right over her, but was still slammed into the ground. Tsuna rushed downward and tried to punch her head, Chrome rolled over just in time, his fist smashing into the ground. Tsuna burned the earth off and fired another fireball at her. Chrome spun her trident around and knocked the fireball away, With her free hand, she aimed at Tsuna,

"Second Realm: Realm of Hungry Ghosts." She launched her own purple fireball.

Tsuna brought his hands, making a sign, "Zero Point Breakthrough Custom."

The fireball was absorbed. Behind it, a snake hissed and bit his glove.

"Third Realm: Realm of Beasts."

Tsuna burned the snake off, "What's this? You're going up the realms so slowly. If you intend to beat me, go right up to the 5th realm."

Chrome flinched.

"Heh, I knew it. To activate the fifth path, you must stab your own eye. You could never do that."

Chrome drew a shuttering breath.

"Don't worry, I'll switch now." Mukuro said.

"No, it's okay." Chrome said aloud. She spun the trident around and grabbed the front of the trident.

"H-Hey...don't tell me..."

And with the right prong, she stabbed her own eye.

No cry escaped her lips. But she stumbled and fell to her knees. She slowly drew her trident out, unintentionally letting out a single sob, "F-Fifth...Realm: R-Realm of H-Humans..."

Tsuna was shocked for a moment, but he burst into laughter afterward, "Is that really all the fighting spirit you have?"

Sure enough, Chrome's body only gave off small wisps of purple flame as she staggered up, "Tsuna...I'm not fighting you, I'll save you."

"...Try it. Operation X."

As Tsuna primed up his X burner, Chrome felt her legs give way again. She fell, her head laid on the soft grass. A single tear fell from her normal eye. Mukuro was desperately trying to take over, but Chrome held him back.

"X Burner."

"Do you no longer believe?"

Chrome snapped back to life as that familiar voice rang through her ears. 3...

"If all things are tied by fate then even if you die, the ring shall return Tsuna to your friends! If you are to live then Fate will save you! Do not lie there! If you stay you'll age. If you hesitate, you'll die!"

Chrome got up just as Tsuna fired his X burner. Crying out like a berserker, she rushed into the X Burner.

She plowed right through the huge blast of flames. Her aura, still as weak looking as before, spun around in front of her, blocking the majority of the flames. She gripped the ring and reached out with it, past the protection of her aura. She gritted her teeth and ran right pass her aura. She reached out for something...anything! Finally, she collapsed, her hand falling.

Tsuna's X burner disappeared. On his glove was the ring. Chrome had managed to slip in on his hand. Tsuna looked utterly shocked. Then he cried out in pain and lost consciousness. Chrome was weary. She wanted to sleep. But she felt that if she let Tsuna out of her sight now, he'll disappear. She struggled up and dragged herself over to Tsuna. She reached out and touched his face,

"Ts...Tsu...Kun?"

Tsuna didn't move. Horror and fear gripped her heart.

"Tsk. We failed. I knew it was the best ifTsuna never met Chrome ever again."

Chrome looked around. On the wall was a small baby dressed in a tux, "Who are you?"

"I'm Tsuna's Home Tutor Hitman, Reborn."

"Re...born?"

"Yep. Pleasure to meet you, Chrome Dokuro...Mukuro Rokudo."

Chrome glared at him.

"You 2 were quite the annoyance. But I never imagined that Tsuna would have to go through the test of the Sky Vongola Ring."

"Sky...Vongola Ring?"

"Yes. All who intend to possess the ring worn by the next Vongola ring has to pass the test of the ring itself. The test of Harmony. The host's body must be in a completely harmonious state. If it is, the ring will accept them. Anything less and the host shall turn to stone."

Chrome stared at the baby, showing no fear, chock, or horror.

"You seem fine. I would think that you'll be horrified. Your friend could die you know."

"Tsuna will win. I believe he will."

"...I see. Well, even if he does return we can easily take him over again. With the Sky Vongola ring, he'll be the most powerful mafioso we have. The only problem is you."

Chrome gripped Tsuna's hand.

"If you stay alive, no doubt you and Tsuna will meet again and Tsuna will again be ripped from our grasp. I will not allow that to happen. For the glory of Vongola, You must die." The chameleon on his hat jumped and turned into a gun that the baby snatched and aimed at Chrome, "Die."

The gun was fired. She heard the shot. She knew she had turned away. But why wasn't there any pain? Why wasn't there only darkness? Slowly she opened her eyes. She was completely surrounded by what looked like a dome. A small entrance was at the front. Moonlight filtered in, allowing enough light.

"Phew, that was close."

Chrome flinched and spun around. In front of her was the same boy that had saved her from Tsuna days ago. He smiled, "Nice to see you again Chrome."

"E-Eh?"

"Ah, you're hurt. That's okay."

Another boy, around the boy's age appeared from behind. He held up a strange gun and fired. This time the bullet hit, but it glowed yellow and sunk into her body. Instantly, energy filled her body, her wound healed and she was no longer tired.

"W-What was..."

"Don't worry about it. Although...you do deserve a explanation."

"P-Please. These flames that both Tsuna and I shot out...what is that?"

"No time to explain it all, but all I will say is that Tsuna has a Sky flame and you...you have a Mist flame."

"Sky...Mist?"

"Yep. I would tell you more, but time running out. Hold up." The boy took out 2 pills and gave them to Tsuna.

"That should help."

"U-Um...who are you?"

"Me? Well it's about time I tell you my name. It's Tendou."

"...Ten...don?"

"Geh, no! I'm not some sort of food! It's Tendou. Tendou!"

"S-Sorry!"

Below them, Tsuna coughed.

~The Enveloping Sky~

Tsuna was in a dark room. A single point of light illuminated from above. Although he said room, there seemed to be no end to the darkness.

"Tsk. So it happened."

"Hieeee!" Tsuna spun around...and watched as he stepped forward,

"Curse that Mukuro. I never expected that they'll cut through my X burner."

"U-Um...who are you?"

He looked surprised, "Haven't you figured out? I'm you."

"E-EH?"

"More accurately, I'm the part of you who was trained and homed for battle. You created me. Come to think of it, you were also a pain. Throwing off the balance of the X burner."

"S-Sorry, but...who exactly are you?"

He looked angry.

"I-I mean, can I call you something? If I call you Tsuna, it'll be awkward."

He sighed, "Call me Hyper Dying Will."

"Hyper Dying Will?"

"HDW for short."

"O-Okay..."

"Hmph. I bet we're already stone already. But if they keep the ring on, we should be able to break free."

"U-Um..."

"No choice. Tsuna! Let us battle right now!"

"E-Eh?"

"Unless we achieved Harmony, we won't return to the living!"

"B-But this seems like a bad idea."

"Tsk. What do you mean?"

"I mean, like...if one of us wins, then we can certainly figure out who's stronger and the weaker can serve under him...but that doesn't seem like Harmony. I mean, one of us will be hating the other despite the result right?"

"THEN WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?"

"...Give me back my body."

"...What?"

"I was here first, it's my body..."

"THEN WHAT DO YO"U WANT ME TO DO? RETURN TO NOTHING..."

"It's my body...as much as it is yours..."

"...Huh?"

"HDW, I know that I'll have to protect many things in my life. But I'm No-Good Tsuna. I can't do anything right. But if we work together, you can protect everything for me! It's not pretty, but I need you."

"...Tsuna...Sigh...You're so weak."

"..."

"Fine. I'll go through with this. Whenever you need to protect, I'll come out."

"Thank you. Hyper Dying...no...Tsuna."

HDW smiled and his body began to burn up. He disappeared and in it's place was the Vongola Sky Ring. Tsuna grasped it.

Tsuna woke up with a start. His dying will burning merrily. Around him was Chrome and Tendou, "T-Tendou! What are you doing here?"

"Glad to see you up. And to answer your question, I just saved your girl from your boss."

Tsuna frowned, "Reborn is no longer my boss."

"He's glad to hear that." Tendou jerked his thumb at the other boy with him, "But now, it's time to tell your boss you're quiting."

The dome flew up and spun upward in the sky. It grew smaller and smaller as it went up...but as it fell they realized that it wasn't the height that changed it's size, but it had shrunk. The silent boy grabbed it and Tsuna was shocked to see a turtle shell. The boy seemed untroubled as he attached it to his arm.

"What are you doing here?"

Tsuna turned to Reborn, ready to tell him that he was done...but Reborn wasn't looking at him. He was regarding the silent boy with surprise, "Rebirth."

"Rebirth?" Tsuna turned to Tendou.

Tendou smiled, "Yep. This kid here is Rebirth...your boss's son."

"Rebirth, I ask you again, what are you doing?" Reborn asked.

"He doesn't like you." Tendou said, "You 2 clash like oil and water.

"What?"

"He joined me because he wanted to fight against you. Or at least put himself in an unfavorable position."

"Rebirth." Then Reborn noticed something else, "Those guns..."

"Yep. These are the weapons meant for you, Leon Magnum."

The guns, which was easily visible in the moon was shown to have the same green chameleon that Reborn had, but it had winded it's arm and legs around the barrel. It's forehead burned a yellow flame and the tail had a ring that was burning with the same yellow flame.

"And I bet you know what this is?" Tendou tapped the brown turtle shell shield.

"Enzo Shield."

"Yep. You know your stuff."

"Those 2 weapons were under development by Verde, Lightning Arcobaleno and one of the few working on Box Weapons."

"Box Weapons?" Tsuna asked.

He was ignored, "...Enough, I will dispose of all of you."

"Really? 3 on 1 isn't fair."

"W-What about me?" Chrome pointed to herself.

"You stay out of harm's way. I wouldn't want Tsuna's girl getting hurt."

"E-Eh?"

"T-Tendou! Stop putting weird thoughts in her head!"

"But don't you..." Tendou was muffled as Tsuna hastily cover his mouth. As he did he noticed the Sky Vongola Ring on his hand,

"That's right, I was about to say...I'm quitting."

"..."

Tsuna turned to Reborn, "I will not fight for you. Not now not eve..."

"That's a bad idea."

Tsuna turned to Tendou, "What?"

"You're wearing the Sky Vongola ring. You've been selected as the next boss of the Vongola family."

"W-WHAT?"

"Isn't it better to change something than just leave it there?"

"B-But..."

"I will not accept Tsuna as the next boss." Reborn stated, "The Ninth is a great man. Tsuna will never become the boss."

"We'll see."

~The Illusion Mist~

Tsuna and Reborn fought each other, but Tsuna, back to normal now, hesitated whenever he approached Kyoko's home, not wanting to destroy it. And Reborn was agile, dodging everything and with a gun, he was deadly. Tsuna was losing.

"Tsu-Kun." Chrome muttered.

"Worried?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I can see why. I'm tempted to send Rebirth up there to help."

Rebirth cocked his gun.

"No, not yet." Tendou held Rebirth back with an arm.

"EXTREME! WHAT THE EXTREME HELL IS THIS?"

"O-Ow...who's that?"

Chrome smiled, " Chrome smiled, "Kyoko's brother, Ryohei."

"Ryohei?"

Tendou watched as Ryohei ran into the backyard and watch the fight, "THAT'S EXTREME! FIGHTING IN MID-"

"Ryohei."

"Eh?"

"Kyoko and Haru are sleeping."

"O-Oh. Who are you?"

"Nevermind that, take this." And with that, Tendou threw something at Ryohei.

Ryohei caught it and found that it was, "What's this ring to the extreme?"

"Put it on."

Ryohei obeyed, putting it on. Chrome could see it on his hand, a silver ring with a sun design on it.

"Now think about how much you want to join that fight."

"None!"

"E-Eh? Why?"

"A man's fight is one on one! No meddling to the extreme!"

"...Tsuna is Chrome's boyfriend. If you don't do something, Tsuna will die."

"Is that so? Roaaaaarrrrrrr!" The ring burst into yellow flames, "Just wait Chrome's boyfriend, I'll help you out real soon to the Extreme!" And with that, he jumped from the floor onto the roof.

"T-Tendon-Kun..."

"Tendou!"

"S-Sorry. Bu-but why did you have to tell him that I'm Tsuna's..."

"Well it's true right?"

"N-No!"

"Oh. By the way, you left your eye patch on the desk right?"

"Huh? Y-yes."

"You just don't look good without one, hold on." Tendous said.

He walked up to the wall and jumped. A small burst of flames lifted him onto the still open window and her reached in and grabbed the eye ptach. He returned to Chrome smiling,

"Kyoko and Haru are still sleeping, what a miracle. Here."

Chrome took the eye patch and put it on. Then she realized that it was still the heart designed one that Kyoko brought her. She caught Tendou staring and looked away, emabarassed.

"Hm. It looks good on you."

Chrome turned around again and looked at Tendou's smiling face. But then he grew serious as he turned back to the battle, "Really, are they hopeless without me?"

Rebirth stepped forward, ready to fight his father.

"No, now's not the time to fight him. In fact, it's better of you never fight him. I'll do it."

Rebirth looked upset, but obliged. Tendou reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a box. On one side was a hole, "HEY! TSU-KUN!"

"Geh, don't call me that!"

"But Chrome and the others can?"

"Th-That's..."

"Haha, so Tsuna's a ladies man!"

"E-Enough! What do you want?"

"Can you shoot a full power X Burner at me?"

"...Are you serious?"

"Yep."

"...I'm low on flames. At the moment, I can only shoot one more at full power...and you want me to shoot it at you?"

"Yep."

"...Hmph. I don't really care if you die."

"Nice to know HDW."

"Shut it. Operation X."

As Tsuna prepared his X burner, Tendou turned to Chrome, "You might want to move far away now."

"B-But..."

"I'll be fine. Really."

"...Okay...but I-I..."

"Hahaha, you can't move can you?"

Chrome nodded.

"Rebirth, please."

Rebirth lifted Chrome by the underarms and dragged her away.

"Hey hey, don't carry her as if she's dead."

"X burner." Tsuna announced and while Tendou was still looking back at Chrome, he fired it.

Without looking, Tendou lifted to box to the X burner. With a crash, the flames hit the box and flew around it. Then, slowly, the flames began to grow smaller near the box. Slowly Chrome realized that the flames were getting absorbed by the box. When the X burner was finished, Tsuna's flame disappeared and began to fall. Tendou jumped up, flying up and past Tsuna,

"Rebirth!"

Rebirth seemed very disappointed that he was left with the clean up as he caught Tsuna. Tendou himself landed on the roof. Reborn shot Ryohei and Ryohei was blasted back. Tendou caught him,

"Nice job. Tag out." Tendou then pitched him off the roof for Rebirth to catch disdainfully.

"...Tendou."

"Yo, Reborn-San."

"What was that? What happened to the X Burner?"

"Oh, it got absorbed by this." Tendou held up his orange box.

"Absorbed? No Box Weapon can do that sealed."

"Oh, I got it from my benefactor."

"There are only 3 people who are working on the Box Weapons. 2 of them are employed by the Vongola."

"Small world."

"Then that means that you got those box weapons from..."

"Innocenti, that's right."

"So it was him who finished the Leon Magnum and Enzo Shield. But a box weapon that absorbs others flames are unheard of."

"I asked Innocenti to customize it this way. It's a parasitic Box Weapon. I say parasitic, but it does nothing to me. All it does it absorb flames."

"That must be one powerful weapon. It didn't open even with the X burner's flames."

"That's because it's half done."

"Huh?"

Tendou pulled out a ring and slipped it on. An orange flame sprang to life, "A large amount of flames is needed just to create it's form. More flames are needed to give it life and purpose. I used Tsuna's flames to give it shape. I'm using my own to give it life and purpose."

"Such a demanding box weapon. Why would you carry around such a weapon?"

"This box weapon...it's contents are based on the owner's soul and wishes."

"A box weapon that grants wishes?"

"Yep." And with that, Tendou inserted his own flames. He held the box out. The doors slowly opened.

~The Wild Insane Sky~

Orange flames spew out like wild fire. The flames shifted and formed a shape. A handle manifested in front of Tendou's hands. He grabbed it and spun it around.

"So this is my soul? How interesting."

In Tendou's hands was a larger scythe. On the blade was a face, eyes sharp and mad, it's teeth sharp and smiling madly, "Scythe of the Sky."

Reborn stared in shock. Then he pulled his hat down, "My mistake. I should've stopped you from opening the box at all."

"Aw, but then I would never be able to see my own weapon."

"Hmph. I cannot allow such a box weapon to be wielded aganist Vongola. Di..."

Tendou disappeared and reappeared behind Reborn. Reborn's hat was sliced into two. Reborn looked on in utter shock.

"...Alright. I'll let you go for today. Dawn is breaking. If you don't want to get into trouble, I suggest you disappear."

~The Illusion Mist~

Tendou returned to the ground. Rebirth bowed and gestured to the ones he carried. Tsuna was awake, no longer in Hyper Dying Will, but himself again. Chrome was awake, her black rings darkening. Ryohei was the only one out.

"Did you knock him out?" Tendou asked, "Was that really necessary?"

Rebirth shrugged.

"Oh well." Tendou's scythe was resealed and the box was hidden again. He turned to Chrome, "Can you stand now?"

Chrome staggered up, but fell.

"Still weak? It's okay." Tendou picked up Ryohei and swung him over his shoulder, "I'll take him and tell him everything."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Tsuna asked.

"Yep. He'll make a great Sun guardian for you. He's already got the ring."

And with that, Tendou ran off with Rebirth. As if his disappearance was a trigger, time seemed to restart and Chrome heard sounds from Kyoko's bedroom,

"CHROME!"

"HERE!" She called back.

Kyoko and Haru both stuck their head out the window. But before they could say anything, Chrome gestured to Tsuna, "I got you a farewell gift!"

Chrome walked together with Tsuna, Haru, and Kyoko to her school. They stopped at the entrance. The 4 stared at each other, unsure of what to do next. Finally, Kyoko smiled and said, "I'm off to class!"

She turned away and began to walk to Naminori. Haru was next. She tried to say something, but gave up, smiled and walked off to Midori.

As Chrome watched her friend's backs, Tsuna coughed, trying to say something.

"Go."

Tsuna looked at Chrome, puzzled. Chrome turned to him and smiled, "I may have been the reason you returned, but I'm not the reason you stayed. Am I right?"

Tsuna looked at her shocked. Then he blushed and looked away, "Thank you."

And with that, Tsuna ran off, after Kyoko.

Chrome sighed. She was now all alone. She felt tears, but she didn't feel like crying. She turned around to Kokuyo and sighed, "Alone again..."

"What are you doing? We're going to be late for class."

Chrome felt someone lay their arm on her shoulder. She looked around in shock, "Tendon!"

"TenDOU! Get it right already!"

"S-Sorry."

Someone else came up beside her. She looked, "Rebirth-Kun!"

"How come you can say his name correctly?"

"Ah, I-I'm s-sor..."

"Nevermind. Come on, we're going to be late."

Chrome stared at the 2 new students. Then she smiled and nodded, following them inside.

It was her Second Genuine Smile