In Their Story, There was a Girl

Chapter 35: Mist, Part 1

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Yotsuba even whispered Mukuro's name when she went to sleep. She didn't exactly know why, but she felt like she needed to tell him the news that she'd won. A part of her wanted to prove to him that she's different from when they met. Another part of her just wanted to talk to him. It was clear, when Reborn explained the role of the Snow Guardian, that her destiny was exactly how she imagined it. "Always in the core of danger," for some reason, she wasn't as scared about this fact as she thought she'd be. Her father also went through the same things and his road lead to death. Whether or not he got to protect the things she treasured, she did not know. All she knows is that she'd done the best she could tonight.

A light green field appeared in front of Yotsuba's eyes when she next opened them. The soft leaves of the clovers caressed Yotsuba's legs. It was funny, really. All she felt was the comfort that surrounded her instead of the pain she should be feeling from her gashes and wounds. Maybe because she was in her dream, but if that really was the case, then she's been talking to an imaginary Mukuro for the past months. The clover field today feels strangely fresh and moist. Subconsciously, she raised her hand in front of her and moved it about in the foggy air.

"You're crueler than I'd imagined, little clover."

Mukuro's voice sounded from behind Yotsuba. She didn't jump in surprise or turn around abruptly. With all these encounters with this strange man, Yotsuba seemed to be quite used to Mukuro's sudden appearances. She merely turned around to face the man who held an eerie smirk. The blank expression on her face told him to explain his words just a second ago.

"What you did to Malvolia was torture, and you know it. Wiping out her ability to fight is like destroying a human's instinct to protect his or herself. You think you did a good thing for her, but she'd probably feel a lot better if you just shot her in the head."

Mukuro's cold words were carved into Yotsuba's mind one by one. She looked at him. His blue hair looked damp in the mist, and his red eye shimmered with the humidity in the air. The red eye was still as dark as ever; sucking in all the light of the day, and reflecting nothing but darkness. Yotsuba knew exactly what he was getting at. She lightly tightened her fingers together; the feeling of the body of Alpha and Omega still remained in her palms. She'd let Malvolia live on with nothing to live for. Yet what she held in her other hand, Omega, could've been savior for the fallen woman.

If she'd killed Malvolia, then maybe she wouldn't be as miserable as she is now.

Yotsuba… this man… has figured you out completely.

So then, she smiled.

"Ne, Mukuro, there's no point in telling me those things," said Yotsuba, tilting her head in an innocent way. "Because more than that woman, I'd really like to wipe out your abilities."

Ridding of the Six Reincarnations, ridding of your ability to take over Tsuna's body. Your revenge toward the Mafioso would be completely destroyed. Would that make you miserable? Would you choose death instead of a new start?

Hearing Yotsuba's words, Mukuro was not surprised or angry. He merely tilted his head like she did, and thought for a little bit. And then he smiled, like a child who was praised by someone else.

"Kufufufu… is that so?"

She stood there staring at him. His expression showed no change in his heart. His eyes were still the same as aways—hollow and dark.

"And what do you think Malvolia is doing right now? You think she is enjoying the new life that you've granted her?"

Yotsuba did not answer. Mukuro smiled even wider and raised his index finger. Yotsuba watched as his index finger drew a clean, straight line across his throat. That line seemed to make Yotsuba's heart bleed. Dead—Malvolia was dead.

"She killed herself after the Varia left her," Mukuro explained.

Yotsuba looked down at her feet. Murder. Killing. Compassion. Kindness. For all the years in her life, she'd been relying on the people around her. Something like "fighting for survival" wasn't anything she could understand. In fact, she'd forgotten where she is in the world. What she'd tried so hard to protect was the exact thing that caused all the bloodshed. And yet what she couldn't leave behind, she has completely let go of.

And what you are hinted at, do you think that I don't know? The cruelty of the Mafioso… the cruel things that I've done… but is it better than what it is now to kill her with my own hands?

"It's my selfishness," Yotsuba mumbled, not just to Mukuro. "No one can say that they know what real justice is. In fact, the more we think about it, the more confused we'll be. I just know that I have to do things according to my instinct, do what I'm destined to do, no matter how cruel things may seem. I wouldn't know if anyone prefers to be dead than alive; I just know that I don't want to destroy the possibilities of the future. You can call me weak, and you can call me naïve, but… I only want…"

I don't want to lose anyone around me…

Step by step, Yotsuba walked in front of Mukuro. She knew that it was silly saying those things to a man who has experienced the Six Reincarnations. He stood before her, like a king, and she was the fool.

"Honestly, I'm not surprised at all that you'd say such heartless words," the corners of Mukuro's mouth rose to a perfect curve. The smile did not taunt, yet it had a tint of acceptance.

Yotsuba copied his smile. "I just did what I thought was right…"

"Kufufufu… that's right," he relaxed his shoulders and put both hands into his pockets. "I wouldn't kill out of compassion—we're both quite similar on that point, minus the opposite circumstances."

Yotsuba understood him completely.

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The two of them walked quietly through the clover field; both had soft, strange smiles on their faces. The bright green color of this place suddenly seemed a bit lonely. Yotsuba remembered the first time that she'd seen this place, and how astonished it was. Over time, it became a somewhat comforting place. There was no pain, just the soft touch of the clovers. Maybe if she'd stayed here long enough, she'd become numb to everything else in world.

And if Mukuro stayed in the water jail long enough, what kind of person would be become?

At this moment, Mukuro opened his mouth to speak. "Yotsuba…"

"Hm?"

"The world of Mafioso that you'd imagined was very different, wasn't it?"

He asked casually, each of his footsteps were as light as feather.

"……I guess so."

"And how do you feel about it?" he continued. "Seeing the differences in between two worlds, how do you feel about it?"

"The difference between two worlds?" asked Yotsuba. "You know… even if it's the same world, there will always be differences."

Mukuro stopped in his track and looked at Yotsuba as she continued.

"The carefree life that I've lived after The Ninth has rescued me and the battles we're facing right now are, obviously, totally different. Xanxus is also different now. So is this place. And so are my companions that I fight for. I cannot say whether one or the other is better, but the people that I love will always be the same."

Yotsuba switched her gaze toward Mukuro, her black eyes shining brightly. "Tell me, Mukuro, how do you feel about it?"

Mukuro stared back at the girl. Something was moving in his heart, but he only smiled. "There's something you've forgotten, little clover. I don't fight for anyone but myself."

As expected, the girl's brows furrowed. Clearly she was angry with Mukuro's words, and she took a few steps forward, meaning to leave. "Oh, right, I forgot. You don't even care about your own companions' health when it comes to your ambition! The Battle of the Mist is tonight; I hope that the Mist Guardian is an a lot more pleasant person than you!"

Mukuro chuckled behind her. "Well, then, go on ahead and find out."

Just for what he'd said, Yotsuba took even longer strides away from Mukuro. To leave coolly and show him only her back, she even pointed her chin upward. Don't look back; don't look back; don't you dare look back at him!

In the end, she still looked.

Standing in the mist and the clovers, Mukuro did not even move his feet. With his hands in his pockets, he stared at her retrieving figure calmly. In that instant, Yotsuba wanted to stop walking. Stop walking and just look at him, look at him standing steadily there as if he owned this place. His red eyes shimmered like a jewel found after digging through layers and layers of earth. And the red eyes said the words "Rokudou Mukuro."

But it might just be her illusion, because she's sleeping after all.

So Yotsuba turned back around and continued on her track. But somehow she felt the Mukuro's gaze on her back. His warmthless gaze held tightly onto her, never loosened for a second. And just like that, she walked until she woke up to the bright sunlight.

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"Squalo is not dead."

"Eh?"

Yotsuba's head perked up suddenly at Dino's words. She hadn't really been paying attention to her visitor's talking up until now. Dino sighed with a small smile.

"Finally. Something seemed to be on your mind," said Dino soothingly, "I knew how close you and Squalo were. And hopefully that's good news for you, so you can take your off whatever is bothering you."

"Where is he right now?" Yotsuba pursued on, quite anxiously.

Dino stopped. "Were you not listening to me? After what I've done for you, all you care about is where Squalo is?"

"Dino!"

"All right! I was only joking!" Dino put up his hands. "He's being treated at a hospital right now. It wouldn't be convenient to visit him yet."

Yotsuba opened her mouth to say more, but realizing that there's nothing she could do, she let out the big breath that she held and sunk into her chair. "Sorry, Dino, and thanks. For saving Squalo."

"It's no big deal," Dino smiled. "I knew it would hurt you bad if Squalo was killed."

Yotsuba turned her head away, too ashamed to tell Dino that Squalo's death was not what was bothering her. She also wanted to slap herself for forgetting about Squalo's death in such a short time. Maybe she'd never accepted the fact that Squalo can be dead. But what was bothering her was that she could not tear her eyes off the blue-haired boy in her dream. Why is it that she wants to see deeper and deeper into his eyes?

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She would've never guessed that their next encounter would be so soon. Yotsuba, along with Tsuna and the others, arrived at the school gym at night for the next battle. No one knew who the Guardian of Mist is. Even more so, no one expected to see a girl who resembled Rokudou Mukuro just a little bit too much to show up bearing the Ring of Mist.

"Chrome?" Yotsuba gasped as the scrawny girl approached them, earning herself strange glances from her friends.

"Yotsuba-san, we meet again," Chrome responded to Yotsuba's surprise with a slight nod.

"Yotsuba-chan, do you know her?"

"Ah? Well, yes," said Yotsuba, "I sort of bumped into her a few days ago…"

"Stupid woman! Can't you tell it's obvious that this girl is possessed by that bastard Mukuro?!" Gokudera, being his distrustful self, was the first to raise suspicion. He stood in front of Tsuna, holding up his bombs while yelling at Yotsuba. Yotsuba raised an eyebrow at Gokudera's opinion about Mukuro, but then she realized that she had nothing to defend him with. And why would she want to defend him anyway?

Chrome's little eyebrows scrunched up together, looking quite bothered by Gokudera's words. "It seems that you don't believe me…"

"Of course not!" Gokudera bellowed. "Just look at her weapon, Juudaime! And that weird hairstyle… and the eye patch on that shady eye!"

"Don't talk about a girl so rudely, barbarian-kun…" Yotsuba said darkly.

"What?! Why are you on her side?! You were possessed by that bastard during the Kokuyou incident too, weren't you?!"

"Stop it, you two!" Tsuna stepped in just in time. "Besides, she's… not Rokudou Mukuro…"

Gokudera and Yotsuba turned their heads toward Tsuna in astonishment. Tsuna seemed to be confused by what he said as well. He had no evidence that Chrome was not Mukuro, but somehow his intuition just tells him that she was not Mukuro. Yotsuba was also surprised by Tsuna's words. How does he know?

"Do… do you really think so?" Gokudera asked.

"Um… yeah, for some reason…" Tsuna stuttered, not knowing why he thought that way.

Chrome perked up at Tsuna's action. "You spoke up for me…"

The scrawny girl walked up to Tsuna slowly. Before Tsuna could comprehend what was going on, Chrome already placed her soft lips onto Tsuna's cheek. "Thank you, Boss."

"EHHH?!" A shade of red suddenly spread all out on Tsuna's face.

"WHAA--?!" Gokudera also exclaimed at this scene.

"Ehh… lucky…" Yotsuba muttered. "How nice… being kissed by a cute girl…"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Gokudera shouted.

"Greeting."

"Don't joke around! Get away from Juudaime!" Gokudera acted as if he was going to kill the girl. Yamamoto had to pull him back from the back to stop him.

And in the midst of the entire ruckus, the atmosphere was brought down to a more casual level. And so was Yotsuba's mood. But the battle was yet to start, and Yotsuba was undoubtedly worried about it. How strong Chrome was, she didn't know. But what she knows is that if Mukuro was to appear, there would be quite a commotion. Not to mention that it's quite hard, even for Mukuro, to keep up the illusion when using Chrome's body.

"Let's make a huddle!" suggested Ryohei loudly.

"I don't need that kind of thing," Chrome said as she turned around and walked toward the middle where Mammon stood. "I'm going."

"What's wrong with her?" Ryohei asked.

"Seems like she's in a bad mood," said Yamamoto, unsure of himself.

"Chrome," Yotsuba said, "don't risk yourself."

Chrome turned her head back just a little bit. "Thank you, Yotsuba-san."

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TBC.

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A/N: Hey guys! School is wearing me out! I really have no privacy when I want to work on this story because I have two roommates… but I've done my best. It would've been a really long chapter if I didn't separate it into two parts. I just wanted to update as soon as possible so you guys won't have to wait that long. Anypoo, please enjoy this chapter while I continue my fight against writer's block and school! And lastly, please review!