Author Notes: Hi! It's been a while I know, but I'm here for a new installment so I hope that I'm off the hook. I'm really excited because some had misunderstood what Mukuro's role was. Please read on to clear out some doubts and try understanding the roots of his actions and his main behavior. AI-san you'd better do. And I'm not going to include pride since I don't think it's an emotion. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter!

WARNING: There's nothing to be warned about, actually. Just that this chapter may be a bit confusing if you didn't understand the previous chapter.

Mukuro appeared in Hibari's dreams for an unknown reason but before disappearing, he said that he was his strongest emotion. Then, the Cloud Guardian spoke of the existence of his emotions, that they were dormant and unused for he had no reason to need them. Despite the acceptance, there was something else that bothered him…

We Live Our Lives on Different Sides

~What Ails You Most~

Hibari was a light sleeper and Kusakabe knew that no matter how muted sounds were, his boss ends up being awoken. The pompadour was broken for he did not want to disturb the Cloud Guardian's sleep but he really needed to fetch a paper that was sent by the Tenth Vongole which was supposed to have been viewed and signed.

So, the door cracked open and Kusakabe's funky-haired head poked into the room. Survey says that Hibari Kyoya was not even affected! 'Okay, that was weird…' was the thought of the vice-president as he strode as silently as he could through the carpeted floor.

At the table side, a tower of stacked papers hid Hibari from Kusakabe's view; the former's head slumped on the hard surface of the table amidst the work that needed to be finished. Kusakabe began to rummage through the documents looking for something while he spared a glance at the president, 'The drinking session they had knocked him really hard.' yet Kusakabe's brow cannot help but scrunch up in the middle…

He didn't understand the reason behind his dreams, being haunted by such visions was alarming. Though he did not have any problem understanding the profoundness of his dreams per se, the timing of his dreams was what bothered him. How many times it had happened alongside the invoking of his dormant emotions that he had learned to associate them. Likewise thoughts circled his mind as some light and noise stirred his soul into awakening.

His eyes slowly opened and he found himself standing while he slept. What's more is that he awoke in a place where annoying fruits are and this is what he hated the most. Add into the equation that fruits can be talkative drove him insane. What else can go wrong?

Rokudo faced him with a half-sour face, of course with a pinch of disdain in his features, and he began to speak, "Oh you're back," a laugh, "Let's continue the party!"

With a spear in hand, the illusionist lunged at Hibari for a first strike, then a second and then a third and more blurry swipes met him head on but all did not hit the target, ripping the air instead.

Hibari caught the trident under his hand by parrying the last attack, and sent Mukuro to the ground by a quick swing of his other arm. He stepped over his fallen enemy and grabbed him by the collar, sending three more quick right-straight's into the pineapple's face. "Nice party you have here."

"I don't think so," Mukuro still with a smug face, "She hasn't arrived; this isn't the real party…" Then two more bodies materialized in the room, a male with untamed brown hair and a female with a wide forehead. "Yet."

Beautiful brown eyes widened with fear and the new character spoke with a choked voice "HieEeE! H-Hibari and Muku-Mukuro!" He quickly backed off behind the unsurprised female, his trembling very evident.

~Kufufufu, was his trademark chuckle, "I'm glad you could make it Sawada Tsunayoshi," Mukuro spoke after he disappeared once again from Hibari's grasp then reappeared a distance away. However, Mukuro's flashy tricks couldn't take away the carnivore's glare at his prey.

"You," Hibari said with a slight cock of his head towards the girl's direction, "Tell me what all of this is about." He reassured the girl by his body language that he was not angry, only eager to get some answers, and he waited for an explanation all the while being keenly aware of his surroundings.

Tsuna, aka herbivore, whined a lot which made Hibari's head whirl out of annoyance but the Cloud Guardian would not want his prey be the unwanted outlet of his apparent emotion. So he glowered at Sawada with all of his pent up annoyance to return at his object of affection with a perfectly calm face. Her hair wasn't braided and it surprised him that it was straight for he anticipated it to be somewhat wavy from the braids. But whatever shape it took didn't matter; she was appealing no matter what. At that, Mukuro sighed; he had realized the fun would have to wait later.

She was happier than usual and Hibari can't help but soften up. "The answers are within you." She answered calmly as she paced towards a solitary chair that wasn't in the room before. "You need only ask the right questions." She smiled oh-so-cheerfully as she placed a hand on the rest of the chair whereas Mukuro approached the object as well.

"Why is he here? Why are they here?" Hibari noted the Mist Guardians movement by the corner of his eye, keeping tabs on the Tenth Vongole at the same time (though he considered him as little to no risk).

With a grunt, Mukuro asked Hibari if he owned the damned space and it resulted to another wave of sparks to fly in the air whilst Tsuna screeched like a girl once more. But no fight arose; the Cloud Guardian has a more important objective to fulfill.

Yet, Hibari kept on analyzing the whole scenario, with Mukuro presenting a big danger. Caution resided in him and he also looked out for the possibility that a wrong question may have undesirable outcomes. He knew that injuries wouldn't hurt that much but he wanted to wake up clean and refreshed so he thought very carefully about the right questions.

Still, he couldn't stop his curiosity from getting the best of him, "What will happen if I asked you the right question?" he shook his head for that was the stupidest thing he said in his whole life. It would have made more sense if he asked what would happen if he asked the wrong one.

Nevertheless, she did not laugh nor make fun of him, only answered that he will hear the answer to the question and that answer will satisfy him very well. Other things began to slowly disappear from his mind's eye as he concentrated on what he should say.

Her smile widened more as she stood beside the illusionist with her hand still on the chair and her grip was tightening, Hibari could see. He could see that she was getting excited as she chewed on her lower lip.

Yet another sigh from him, "Why are you so excited?" Hibari asked bluntly, and then he noticed what Tsuna was doing for Mukuro—being a footstool.

"It's because you're getting to know who I am," she giggled, subsequently clasping her hands together, "and who they are." In the background, Mukuro scolded Tsuna for being a lousy footstool, of course in his fashion, and ordered the coward to straighten his back more. Other senseless arguments were heard from the two as Hibari wondered what the girl meant.

He narrowed his eyes, was it another trick question? "That guy is Rokudo Mukuro and the other is Sawada Tsunayoshi if I'm not mistaken." The attention of those who were mentioned turned toward him upon the call of their names and Mukuro's smirk didn't pass unnoticed. This caused him to feel the same sensations again, the tingling at the tips of his fingers and the itch to punch the man on the face, it was anger he recalled. And to this, the small smile at Mukuro's lips became a maniacal grin. He hated mind games even though he wasn't mentally challenged, and it was adding fuel to the fire.

Shifting to the person who knelt with his head low and his hands supporting his weight, Hibari wondered why Tsuna would not fight back when he was physically capable of winning. Tsuna glanced at him then made that same face of terror he showed every time the two of them met at some place; his honey orbs resonated with his trembling body. Whether the herbivore was shaking from soreness or fear, he did not know.

At that moment, the blue-haired man's lips curved down when his heels plunked on the floor. "Look at what you've done," his foot tapped against the hard surface below it, "You're ruining my fun." and his clothes rustled as he got off his seat.

"Look who's talking," Hibari snorted as he pocketed his hands, "You're the one who ruined my sleep." Upon the entrance of his hands in his pockets, there were something in his right pocket, thin and crisp that folded upon his touch, it was paper. There were a lot of them, his hand picked one and he took it out, showing it to the man opposite him. He knew what it was; it was that piece of paper he ripped to pieces. The small piece he held in front of him was an integral part of the original since it held one of the two words he read before.

Mukuro tittered, "So what? Then I'll bring him back." He spoke as he paced to be behind the chair. Hibari pulled out his other hand, also holding another piece with anger written on it. Bits of wood exploded in all directions after a few milliseconds, as a tonfa broke the chair that was set into the air by Mukuro. To Hibari's surprise it wasn't an illusion, for hundreds of splinters came into contact with him and a few left gashes on his skin as proof. "I'll make you feel it!" with the last word of his battle cry, the mist-user ran towards the Cloud Guardian; the two pieces of paper, Hibari had let go already, was caught up in the draft his movements made.

Hibari saw him approach with trident at the ready to stab his flesh. He wanted to react yet the greater part of the destroyed furniture hit his ribs and it pushed him back. Through his squinted eyes, he saw that the girl was unharmed but she was reaching for him despite the apparent danger she might get trapped in. "I… I-pin…" pale lips mouthed her name. Giving his left side a glance, he knew where the pain that flooded his systems came from, three blades shredded his left lung and shoulder; the illusionist's attack was successful. He closed his eyes at the sudden ache and the momentum made him crash against the carpeted floor, his head hit and bounced off the cushioned bottom.

"KYOYA!"

His body jolted into life and his eyes opened hastily. The lights blinded him but it didn't stop his hand from inspecting his shoulder. There was no blood, to that he was glad, but it was really sore. He leaned back against his chair and his hand still traced the fabric over his chest. Dreams can sometimes be realistic, no all the time, he corrected.

He went back to his work after feeling that he had regained his energy and seeing that there were tasks left at hand. But this time he wasn't working because he didn't want to sleep, he was doing it to get tired and sleep again.

"Who said I was afraid?"

But his effort of trying to see her was in vain…

To be continued…

*Sigh* My first semester is over, and I flunked a subject and have two conditionals… Dear, dear, I think I'm gonna get killed soon. If it ever happens this fanfiction doesn't get updated for three months after this, then that means I'm already dead. Otherwise I'll tell you I'm not dead. XD OK almost halfway through the story, at least this one is going well…

I hate long paragraphs, I'm allergic to them. Are you? If you are, tell me if my paragraphs are getting a bit too long especially if they can be divided or separated. And tell me if I had spelling mistakes as well. Okay? And sorry about the composition, I haven't written in a while so I'm still catching up. I tried my best to dive into Hibari's thoughts and to keep everyone OC as much as possible. Please don't kill me?

A paradox:

~ If God can do anything, can he create a boulder so heavy he can't lift it? ~