Hey guys! FFM is back after a half year hiatus. Heheh. I'm really sorry for making you wait that long. But it's a 11.5 page chapter! So... it kinda makes up for it? Maybe? Don't hurt me!

Disclaimer: Same as always, none of us own KHR. And most likely, never will. Enjoy!

Chapter 18: Let's Bring You Up to Speed

Recap:

"It's good news! Miss Bianchi and Master Fuuta have returned!" Giannini announced from the doorway.

"Didn't I say so? Good things always come after a crisis." Reborn smirked.

Now back to the story.

Immediately after Reborn said that, the doors opened, revealing Bianchi running in and Fuuta following.

"Reborn!" Bianchi cried out. "Aah... I'm not letting go of you ever again! My beloved!"

The future Bianchi hasn't changed much in appearance, but she's somehow gotten more passionate?

"You can't really blame us, Tsuna-nii. In this era, both Reborn and Tsuna-nii had died." Fuuta answered, reading Tsuna's thoughts.

"Is- Is that Fuuta?!" Tsuna exclaimed.

"Whoa...tall." Sakurako gawked at Fuuta's height.

"Heheh. Cool! I'm taller than you guys now!" Fuuta noted, comparing his height to the rest of the group.

There was a sudden *Crash*, and everyone turned to look at the noise.

"Ahh! When Gokudera saw Bianchi...!"

"I think this'll be well worth the wait, Tsuna. They seem to have brought back new information with them." Reborn admitted to Tsuna from his perch in Bianchi's arms.

"Oh yeah. Hibari-san, you said you had something to share too..." Tsuna trailed off in seeing Hibari's face.

"If you bring anymore herbivores in, I'll bite you to death." Hibari replied with a deathly aura as he lifted his tonfa.

~Time Skip of 13 Days~

"So me and Tsuna will be heading down to the basement, let's go together." Sakurako said as she finished her breakfast.

"Yeah. I guess I have to get back to training too." Tsuna sheepishly laughed.

"Have a good day, Tsuna-san~ 3. Should I prepare a beloved wife's lunchbox for you?" Haru asked, tiny hearts floating around her.

"I'm only going down the elevator!" Tsuna exclaimed.

Just ignore this, it's just Haru. It's just Har-okay I'm jealous! Bah! I want to give Tsuna my cooking also! Sakurako reminded to herself.

In the Elevator... Cue Elevator Musics.

"Lal Mirch mentioned a new training menu today didn't she? Does that mean I'm done practicing how to strengthen the Hyper Dying flame?" Tsuna asked Sakurako.

"I think she did." Sakurako replied, still fuming from earlier.

"Either way, I hope it involves less beating up involved." Tsuna wished as they stepped out.

"Yo!" Yamamoto greeted the duo.

"Good morning, boss! And the awkward one as well." Gokudera followed.

"You two!" Tsuna stared at them, surprised. "Have your injuries healed already?!"

"Yeah. We're getting back to the training program starting today." Yamamoto reassured Tsuna.

"Totally!" Gokudera responded enthusiastically, "I was starting to worry about getting out of touch!"

"Really... That's great." Tsuna sighed in relief.

"All three are present, then. As I've mentioned, you'll be starting a new training course today. It's called the 'Individual Assault Training Program'." Lal Mirch announced, crossing her arms.

"Individual... training...?" Tsuna repeated.

Reborn smiled. "Just like Tsuna has been receiving one-on-one training with Lal Mirch these past ten days, you'll each get your own home tutor to train you, same as during the ring battle. For example, the one I'm training is... Yamamoto" He explained, cocking his Leon-gun.

"I have a feeling that Yuki is going to spy on him soon..." Sakurako mumbled to herself as the group kept talking.

*whoosh**thunk* "Heya. Just thought I'd drop in to say 'hi'." Aoyuki greeted Sakurako.

"Now how'd you get here?" Sakurako stared at Aoyuki wondering how in the world did he do that.

"From the ventilation shaft. Duh. Like a ninja~." Aoyuki chuckled, pointing to the opened grate.

"You could've used the elevator like a normal person." She pointed out.

"And miss the opportunity to jump in a room from the ventilation shaft? Hell no." He stated proudly.

"Figures." Sakurako sighed to herself.

*BANG*

A blast of sky flames radiated around Tsuna as he changed into his HDWM.

"That's the tenth!" Gokudera's eyes grew in admiration.

"You're almost like a completely different person. You've improved so much more than us already." Yamamoto noted.

"Shall we begin Lal Mirch?" Tsuna faced Lal Mirch.

Sakurako was blushing, this was Tsuna in HDWM yet again. Not everyday you get to see that side of Tsuna.

Aoyuki nudged Sakurako, knowingly. Snickering, he whispered, "I betcha you don't see that very much do you? Got a good view from here?"

"W-WHAT?!" Sakurako kept her shout to a minimum yet her face still seemed startled, "This is a serious scene, Yuki!"

"Yeah, so? It's all right. It's just us two talking. Everyone else is paying attention to the trio. Unless you're going to change that by yelling. Heheh." Aoyuki replied, nodding in the group's general direction.

"Obviously you know I don't want to do that because 'he' needs a suspenseful entrance right?" Sakurako quoted, reminding Aoyuki just who would be heading here soon.

"I'm no longer training you." Lal Mirch answered, "I've realized you weren't able to improve as much as I've expected for in a short time."

"But this is really all I have!" Tsuna argued back.

"Your power is far greater than this!" Lal Mirch noted.

Suddenly, a hurricane of Cloud flames charged directly at Tsuna. Immediately, Tsuna took action thus leading him to the point of blocking whatever was chasing after him. It was none other than a hedgehog. The box weapon of Hibari Kyoya.

Another figure stepped in, but you all know who it was anyway.

"Oh look. Everyone's faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaavorite character. Cool, 'charming', mysterious, and silent. What more could you ask for from a guy like that?" Aoyuki muttered sarcastically, waving his arms about mockingly.

"If you don't pay attention you'll die." Yes all you fans out there know who said this.

"It's you!" Tsuna's eyes widened.

"I'm going to pry open all of your abilities." Hibari stated.

"Exactly as the baby said. Your strength is far from the strength of your future self." Hibari remarked.

"Guh!" Tsuna proceeded to use his Zero Point Breakthrough: First Edition on the box weapon. Unfortunately he didn't notice what's happening next.

"No its not over yet!" Lal Mirch shouted out,"The purple clouds are multiplying!"

The entire room watched as Tsuna was surrounded by the clouds, sealing him inside. As Yamamoto and Gokudera went with their respective tutors, Aoyuki turned to Sakurako. "So. Whatcha going to do now?"

"I'm going to wait for Tsuna." Sakurako's face showed determination.

"Heheh. Alright. But after he finishes, we need to talk." Aoyuki's gaze hardened for a split second, before returning to normal. "So you do your thing whenever you're ready and we'll wait and watch."

"Okay." Sakurako turned her focus over to the needle sphere.

I don't want Tsuna to feel pain. I wish there was something I can do than just wait for Tsuna.

Suddenly a voice appeared in her head, "Then use me!"

"Eh?" Sakurako muttered glancing around to see if someone was talking to her.

"Use me! Sakurako!" From her pocket a card gleamed a bit.

Sliding the card out she remembered as Sakurako stared at the card bearing the image of a heart with wings.

The lovers card? I was wondering what this card was for since it didn't do anything at all during my training.

"The reason you couldn't use me was because I can only be used for someone with a strong heart. Your wish had a strong desire for my power!"

Then! I can use you!

~Inside the sphere~

"I...I never wanted this..." Tsuna gripped his head as tears streamed down his face. Images of his peaceful life in Present day Namimori popped up until Kyoko's painful sad face appeared.

Tsuna! Tsuna-kun!

"Eh?" A familiar voice popped into his head. "Sakura-chan..."

Remember...remember what you said! What you answered to Reborn! You said that!

"... You're right!"

"No..." Tsuna spoke.

"What..." The spirits of the other Vongola bosses were flabbergasted upon hearing his answer.

"I thought that I can protect everyone with this power, but..." Tsuna began to speak up, "If this is what it means then I don't want this power!"

"What did you say?!"

"If it means by inheriting the sins then...I'll destroy the Vongola!" Tsuna announced.

-Back outside the sphere-

Did my message go?

"Shhhh. Don't doubt yourself. Just watch the result." Aoyuki shushed Sakurako.

Sakurako simply nodded back to her friend.

The sphere started glowing as cracks began appearing on its' surface. Everyone watched as the sphere burst open in an explosion of smoke to reveal Tsuna wearing the X Gloves Version Vongola Ring.

"Well well. Lookie lookie. It seems he turned out alright after all." Aoyuki observed, stretching. "Well then, shall we go?"

"Yup, " Sakurako followed Aoyuki into the elevator leaving the fight.

"Let's see... where's the best place to talk undisturbed..." Aoyuki muttered, glancing around. "Oh! I know! Here, grab me and hold on tight."

"Please tell me it's safe." Sakurako deadpanned.

"Hahahah! Of course it's safe! I've done this soo many times you can't even imagine. It's perfectly safe. Side effects may include: nausea, hurling, drying of eyes and mouth, popped ears, nose bleeds, panic if you're afraid of heights, and wind swept hair upon arrival." Aoyuki rambled, as if he were a salesperson.

"Yuki..." Sakurako sweat dropped, a worried expression adorned her face.

"Nah. Just kidding. Don't sweat it. I know what I'm doing." He reassured. "Let's go!"

"O-Okay..." Sakurako hesitantly held onto Yuki's arm.

*Whoosh*

"Aaand, we're here. See? Wasn't as bad as you thought it would be." Aoyuki winked.

"Whoa...you're right!"

"So. Feast yer eyes on me secret lair. Why, it was only 2 years ago I had to defend me cave from a horde of angry birds. Arrrrg. Those birds can be nasty at times." Aoyuki growled, shaking his fist at the sky.

"Ahaha!" Sakurako laughed, "Good old Yuki as usual!"

"Heh. I could give you the grand ol' tour if you'd like? Actually, nah. Probably shouldn't. I don't want my past self to get any ideas." Aoyuki grinned at Sakurako, leading her to the living room.

"I'll keep it to myself if you want." Sakurako suggested.

"That'd be great. Make yourself comfortable. Do you want anything?" He asked, opening the fridge.

"Milk Tea, please."

"Alright I gotchu." Aoyuki grabbed a can and a 2 Liter bottle of milk tea out of the fridge, and snatched two coasters. "Here's your can of tea."

"Yeah!" Sakurako's happily drank the tea, "Delicious as always."

"Ahhh. Definitely. Anyways. Serious time, go!" Aoyuki cheered before capping his drink and setting it back onto its coaster. Returning to look at Sakurako, he continued, "So. You remember about how we got here, right? Not here, as in right now, but here as in this world."

Sakurako nodded in reply.

"Well, for you, it's not really all that long ago. What was it? A few months at most?" He asked.

"Yes." Sakurako remembered how it went.

"This entire time, we've been looking into it. We as in me, and the Kimiko and you of this timeline. And we haven't found a way back. Almost like there's no connection between our world and this one."

"I see."

"We got here through a miracle. And it'd probably take just as big of a miracle to send us back. If we did find a way back, of course."

"Then what would be the outcome of finding a way back?"

"Now you just shush and let me talk. I'll probably answer your questions somewhere, and if not, we'll have question time when I'm done."

Sakurako shut her mouth.

"Good. So. Miracles, blah blah blah. Uh.. way back. Yeah. Okay. We've been thinking. Now, we haven't proven it, but we believe that the way back is through the plushies. Remember them? We came here with them, after wishing to be here. We can only assume that in order to go back, we either need to wish with the same plushies, or make plushies of someone we love and care about in our home world, and wish with those.

"But, we're not certain that even if they did work, if we'd be able to return here or not. So we haven't tried. We would lose a lot. That's for us, in this timeline at least. Your timeline, however, nothing much has happened yet. So, assuming those methods work, you have nothing to lose.

"Well, besides being able to stay here with them. But then again... you do have a higher risk dying in this world then in our world... You could be a housewife! Like Haru and Kyoko! Except you probably wouldn't like that. But yeah. I'm rambling. Sorry. I know that was a lot of info. So I'll answer any question you have to the best of my knowledge." Aoyuki concluded, grabbing his tea and relaxed against the sofa.

"Do you have paper and pencil I can borrow?" Sakurako asked.

"Uh... yeah, just... hold out your hands." *Snap*

A notepad and quill pen appeared on Sakurako's hands.

"Why a quill pen?" Sakurako stared at the items before her.

"Hey now. Don't be hating on the classics just because we've stopped using them." Aoyuki responded as he took a swig of his drink.

"Okay okay." Sakurako began scribbling all the questions she had so far onto the notepad. Once she finished writing she placed the notepad before Aoyuki.

"Uhhh oakie-dokie. Let's see here..."

Questions:

Do you guys still have those plushies?

What would happen if we've gone to a decision to return?

Does any of our 'husbands' in particular know of this? You did say that they had a reason on knowing our other flames along with our special rings.

Do you think there was a reason why 'we' in particular have different flames from the others along with the regular set of flames in the storyline?

"I'mma answer them in order. First, yes we do. Mine's been here in my safe, for at least a few years." He reached out and started turning the air like a doorknob. "Here it is. My secret safe. It's a pocket of air I keep with me at all times. And here's my plushie. A little worn and dirty, but still just as good as it was on the day I bought it." Aoyuki smiled gently at the plushie before returning it to its spot in the safe, and sealing it.

"Then my TYL self hid it also?!"

"Yup. I don't know exactly where, but yeah. KK has hidden hers as well. We did, however, use my wind powers and KK's mist powers to form kinda like a magic link. So, should one of us die, our plushie gets sent to the closest available person between the remaining two.

"Two, even I don't know what would happen if you returned. This timeline, after all, is one where you stayed. You being here proves it. And so do I. But I can only assume that you'd go back to living life in the world we left. Maybe time had frozen, maybe not. Maybe time is somehow warped, and time here is different than time there. We're not sure.

"Three, what do you mean by 'this'? 'This' as in our second flames? Or the plushies? Or something else?" Aoyuki asked, scooping some nutella out of the jar he teleported from the pantry.

"The second flames and rings. I'm not even sure that 'they' know of that the plushies existed."

"What's with the 'they'? You can say their names you know. It's not taboo. Unless we're playing the taboo game. Then you probably shouldn't." He berated, waving the spoon of nutella at her face before shoving it in his mouth.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi, Yamamoto Takeshi, and not but least...actually the worst Rokudo Mukuro."

*Twitch*

"Nohpe. Whee ar not menshoning his name. His codename wheel be duchk but ash deick. Butt hyeah. *Gulp* They don't know about the plushies. That would be a bit weird, wouldn't you think? Meeting someone for the first time, and seeing a plushie of yourself with them. Yeah, I'd be freaking the fuck out and run like hell away from them."

"You're right on that..." Sakurako just imagined what would've happened if Tsuna saw the plushie version of him. It would be a awkward situation for all of them

"But uhm. Yeah. They all know about mine, and I believe you told Reborn, and I'm pretty sure Hibari knows, or is at least suspicious of you two. You guys did abuse your powers in front of him a couple times. And me having to reveal mine, kinda confirmed it. Possibly the duckbutt assdick. But who knows. Or cares about him. Certainly not me." He scoffed, taking another spoonful of the chocolate.

"Ugh don't remind me." Sakurako sipped more tea to ease her small headache.

"Ahnd four your lasst queschion, eye haave kno fahking clue. Ashk the yuniversh why."

"That's going to take a yule log time to Yuni's chapter, in fact the past you and Kimimi are there by then."

"Why hhhare whee bringing hup yuuuuuhni? Ahnd yhesh. Past uss shhhhould be here bhy then." *Gulp*

"I thought you said...oh wait nevermind ignore what I just said." Sakurako slapped her forehead in realization.

"Ahh. Nutella's delicious. I do so pity the people who don't like chocolate or are allergic." Aoyuki sighed contently, drinking his milk tea again.

"Other than that is there any other things beside random stuff, I should look out for once you and TYL Kimiko leave?"

"Well you know how it goes already. So I guess no? I'm not so sure about the choice battle though. Because Byakuran's an ass, and he probably already knows or something. He might incorporate it then. But that's the only problem I can think of. Besides the final battle. Stay away. Very far away. Or do something that will protect you completely. Ghost worries me." Aoyuki cautioned, recalling the events from the chapters he had read a long time ago.

Shivering in thought Sakurako responded, "Alright. I'll warn your guys' past selves about that too."

"Welp. We've stayed here long enough. Shall we go back?"

"Yep, I kind of did promised Kyoko and Haru to help cook again." Sakurako again hugged Aoyuki's arm.

"And we go!" Aoyuki yelled, grinning as they were wrapped up by the wind.

*Whoosh Swoosh TumbleTumbleTumble Zhooom*

"Whoo hoo! Better than roller coasters! Hey. We're back." Aoyuki turned to glance at Sakurako.

"I think the second time wasn't a charm of a ride." Sakurako seemed a bit pale.

"Nah man. You don't know what you're talking about. Let's go in and check on everyone shall we?"

The two head off to the kitchen.

Thanks for reading! Hopefully, things are going to pick up speed and become more interesting (and possibly more romantic) but we'll have to see. Stay tuned for the next chapter of FFM!