Author Note: Okay, *take a deep breath* MY FINAL SCHOOL EXAMINATION IS FINALLY FINISHED! YEAY! \OAO/ Yeah, the reason why I didn't update this story earlier (once again, sorry, I'm a slow writer… ==") is because I had to prepare myself for my final school exam that is FUCKING IMPORTANT for my next year result! O_e Nobody wants to be in the last class, right? I still want to be in the second class just like I am right now… so… yeah. Sigh. =_= Oh, and I apologize for making Hibari terribly OOC-ness on chapter #8, m==m *bow* and yeah… Kyoko get more scenes than Chrome… BUT! In this chapter, the mystery about why Mukuro abandon Chrome will be told off, and a certain villain that everyone hated him (Yes, HIM! M.M still won't appear… but soon, maybe on chapter #10) will also appear… Beside that… I gotta hide myself before I'm being killed off by Chrome's, Mukuro's and Hibari's fans since I kind of tortured them too much in this chapter… *run away*
Chapter #9- The Truth behind The Past
Kyoko let out a sigh of relief when she saw her lover, brother and friends safe and alive in the cage. They were injured but….at least they were alive. She could feel her sight blurred, her body not listening to her anymore as she finally let the darkness overcame her.
"KYOKO!" Tsuna yelled in the cage as he watched his fiancée fainted in the arms of their friends. Haru had to try her best not to let the orangenette fall to the ground as Chrome let go of her hands around the unconscious girl and pulled out her trident. The purplenette looked at her best friend while giving her an assuring smile, telling her that she will be okay. Her attention then turned towards the mist and cloud guardian. She sighed and looked at them confidently. In her eyes, they were telling the two men to trust her.
Violet orbs immediately find their way towards the run-away boss of the Pescha familgia as she tapped her trident twice on the ground and disappear in a pile of mists. In another second, she reappears in front the two Mafioso with her usual calm violets showing off hatred and angers as she glared at them sharply.
She will never forgive them.
They did not deserve to be forgiven after what they had done to her most beloved family and friends. How dare they hurt her most previous friends and boss?
"Don't you dare to come near me, Chrome Dokuro! Your Decimo and the other guardians are still in the wrath of mine, if you come a step closer, I will—" Calvo didn't managed to finish up his words as Chrome kicked the switch box away from his hand, and as her anger rise up when she remember all those wounds, burns on the other Vongola guardians, her fury raised as she crushed the switch box with a strong, furious step.
"You will what? Kill them?" Chrome muttered dangerously as her grip around the trident tightened in her hold.
"What will you do now with the only threat you had left had just been destroyed?" the purplenette said in a low tone as she take a step closer, flipping her trident dangerously in front of them.
Calvo took a step back, only to have his back hitting against the wall that shouldn't be there. He looked around his surroundings as he started to let out cold sweats while trying to find a way to escape. His blue eyes finally land on his right-hand man who just stood behind him motionless.
"As your boss, I command you to kill this woman in front of me as you want!"
Chrome raised a brow when she looked over at the mystery right-hand man. Why did she felt like he is very familiar? She felt like she had seen him somewhere before… but where? Darn it, her memory seriously isn't that great like when she is still the fourteen innocent self of hers.
Calvo smirked widely as he watched his right-hand man pull out a gun from his jacket. However, he was shocked when his cloaked right-hand man points the gun on him, instead of Chrome who stood in front of them.
"W-Who do you think you're pointing that gun at? I'm your boss you fool!—"
BANG!
The bullet flew through the Pescha familgia boss's chest as he slumped to his knees, watching the cloaked man with widened eyes that couldn't believe that his most loyal and trusted right-hand man had just shoot him. He was trying to kill him.
"Y-You traitor…" Calvo managed to mutter out with his last breath before he collapsed on the ground with his own blood soaking the cold floor.
Violet orbs stared in disbelief as Chrome watched the right-hand man killed his own boss right in front of her eyes. Her grip around the trident tightened when the cloaked mystery man kicked his own dead boss into the pond nearby before turning around to look at her. Her sixth-sense is telling her that if she didn't take care of the guy in front of her, her boss and all of her friends will be next to be killed.
"Chrome Dokuro, I've been searching for you for a long time… my last piece of puzzle…" the mystery man finally talked for the first time ever since the battle. She tried to glare at her opponent but failed when the cloaked man suddenly snapped his fingers.
Her violets immediately widened as she felt a sickening feeling in her gut. She looked down with hazy eyes as her trembling hand slowly reached down to her stomach. A sudden rush of pain shot up her body as she held a palm over her mouth, the salty taste of blood filling up in her mouth as she coughed up roughly. That void feeling...h-her organs...
"Surprised?" the cloaked man said amusingly with a smirk at the purple head that stood weakly, unable to speak as her vision blurred. "That's right...your organs...they're gone."
Chrome managed to glare at him, although it looked more like a pity stare. "H-How...?"
She choked out weakly. H-he...That pineapple head was the only one who would be able to...she widened her eyes. The only one who could have such a strong mist flame to repel her illusions other than Mukuro would be...
"Did you finally figured it out?" the mysterious man said as he brought up a hand to pull the cloak off him, showing off his pale body covered in bandages and cold eyes staring down at her. "I am Jagger, Bermuda-sama's servant and a member of Vindice."
Tsuna jolted up suddenly as he felt his intuition starting to act up once again. He looked around his surrounding and noticed his female mist guardian isn't around…
"Why is my intuition acting up again? Could something bad had happened to Chrome…?" he looked at the unconscious orange head in his arms… no, he can't leave his injured guardians and lover here… what if another bunch of assassins came? Then again…the purplenette might be a strong fighter, but what if her opponent is another even more powerful illusionist?
He ran his hand through his chestnut hair in frustration. His mind just won't work properly right now! Everything came in all too sudden!
But it's not like he can have much time to think when suddenly a loud metal clashing sound was heard, following with a few 'Kufufufufufu~' and 'Die, herbivore!'
"H-Hibari-san! Mukuro! Stop fighting!" the brunette tried to stop the mist and cloud guardians from killing each other. However, he failed miserably to stop the two rivals as he sighed in defeat. No one will be able to stop the two blood thirsty beasts from trying to kill each other-
"Oi, Hibari, Mukuro. I think it will be the best if both of you go to search for Chrome. She had been missing ever since we arrived here." The ex-sun Arcobaleno said aloud as he tipped his fedora while smirking slightly as he watched the two rivals stopped on their tracks. They turned around and looked— or more like glared at their boss with dangerous auras emitting out from them that that is practically screaming; 'YOUR STUPID ITUTTION MUST HAVE FELT THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG, RIGHT? WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME EARLIER YOU DAMN HERBIVORE/MAFIOSO!'
Mukuro jolted suddenly as he felt the presence of another illusionist around the area… no, this feeling isn't like his Chrome… it felt very unfamiliar and dangerous… something is wrong…
Without wasting his time, he gritted his teeth as he immediately ran towards the direction where Chrome had gone to as fast as he could. His head kept pounding painfully, as if they were trying to tell him something.
"Where is she?" he growled out, although he could heard his own voice slightly tremble in fear of losing the girl who he had lost once before… he can't… what if it is the Vindice who came to take her away, just because he had broken the oath they had made together? Wait, it was THEM who broke the promise themselves first!
He stopped on his tracks all sudden when he saw his beloved purplenette lay on the ground. His mix-matched orbs widened as he watched the weak female illusionist coughing out a pool of blood but he was even more surprised when he noticed her organs were gone.
He doesn't have much time to think as a hand suddenly stretched out to grab his neck. He managed to dodge the attack, and his surprised orbs sharpen into a glare when he gets a nice look over his opponent. Those cold, heartless eyes… he could never forget them.
He gritted his teeth as his A-class mist flame flickered in its highest purities. How dare the dead zombie… how dare he hurt his Chrome?! He thrust his trident in a speed towards Jagger, however, the bandaged man dodged his attack with ease. He was shock when the vindiche disappeared, and in another minute, he reappeared in front of the purplenette. Mukuro was stunned as he watched the Vindice prisoner smirked cunningly to him before grabbing a handful of the purple locks of the weak illusionist, he picked up the gun he had dropped down earlier and aimed directly in front of Chrome's head. Without her organs, the female illusionist couldn't manage to even cast an illusion; Chrome is nothing but is shown to be a weakness for Mukuro in Jagger's eyes now.
"Put the weapon down, Jagger. You are breaking our deal right now. You promised before you won't involve her in any of this." Mukuro growled, pointing his weapon towards his opponent as he watched worriedly over the purplenette who was starting to pant for air.
"No, she is, actually." Jagger said with a sly smirk.
"You had broken the deal between us and that is why, I will let you feel the pain of losing her." his thumb moved to the hammer of the gun and it gave a 'click' sound, ready to do its job.
His grip tightens around his trident every time he heard a choking sound and short pant produced by the purplenette. He can't bear to see her suffering… and it's all his fault. If he hadn't been so stubborn and impatient to meet her…she won't have to suffer all these pains. If he hadn't been so selfish to only think about himself, she will never have gone through so far… it's his fault, everything started from a single mistake he had made.
And that is for meeting and…falling for her.
"Let her go." The bluenette said bluntly as he dropped his metallic trident on the ground. Although Chrome's vision was blurred, she manages to recognized those mix-matched ruby red and sapphire blue orbs showing no hesitation as he approach the fearless man in front of them.
"In exchange for her life, I'll go back to the Vendicare Prison once again." He said without any hints of fears, he didn't even try to cast an illusion to attack him. In those eyes, Chrome saw sadness, pain and regret. Why did he show those emotions? Chrome wanted to scream out. She wanted to tell him to run away, and let her stay alone at here.
"M-Mu… Mu…" she wants to call out his name, the name that she hasn't called for years. But where is her voice when she needed it the most? Why did he flash such a confident smile that told her to stay calm?
"Kufufufufu… Nagi… don't worry, you won't have to see my face anymore in the future. I won't even come to bother you again. This game will end very soon and you…you will get back your peaceful life."
Why does it sound like a farewell for her?
'No, you pineapple idiot… what do you mean I won't be able to see your face anymore? W-What is the meaning of this? A few days ago you appeared in front of me, telling me that you love me and you will let me fall for you once again… where is the proud and strong Mukuro Rokudo that I used to know? Why are you acting so weak now?' she wanted to ask him so many things. But how can he just run away now? Just like how he had done to her ten years ago.
She watched as Jagger pulled out a long metal chain from the shelves of his long coat. She wanted to scream at him to run away, before they catch him and put him in the prison once again. Why… why did she act like this? She hates him! She used to hate him with all her burning passion over what he had done to her all these years, the reason why she become strong is because she want to be an independent and strong woman and prove to him that she didn't needed him in her life! But now… why did she feel so weak? And why is she struggling not to let those tears running down from her eyes?
"St… St-op…" she tried to murmur out with all she could.
A tonfa was suddenly sent flying towards the hand that held her hair tightly, and all of a sudden, she was dropped from the vindiche's grip to another pair of arms. She looked up with her eyes that could barely open and felt a hand gently stroking her purple locks as she was being pulled up into a warm embrace. She coughed into the soft fabric. She could smelt a familiar metallic smelt in the shirt… this scent… it's…
"K-Kyoya…" she murmured out, looking up at the man who glared at the opponent in front of them as he held her trembling, small figure tighter in his arms.
"You'll get your organs back soon. Just hang on, herbivore." He whispered into her ear before slowly leaning her weak body against the wall. When the ex-prefect turned around, his face darkened as he grabbed his tonfas that fell on the ground. His onyx, cold orbs glared at Jagger as killing aura emitted around him.
"You made a simple but unbreakable mistake… herbivore… whose property did you think you had just touched?" Hibari murmured, his bangs covering his eyes as he had switched to his fighting mode. His tonfas flicked with cloud flames as he immediately charged towards Jagger who warped in another second before the tonfa could get him.
The cloud and mist guardians gritted their teeth when Jagger reappears in front of the barely conscious purplenette. Chrome tried to glare at her attacker, but ended up giving a pity stare instead.
"Mistake?" Jagger asked, before starting to laugh out evilly. "The biggest mistake that both of you had made is falling for this unworthy woman. Like now, what would you choose? Revenge or her?" Without another word, he kicked Chrome with full force, making the girl choked out more blood before fallen into the pond.
"YOU BASTARD/ HERBIVORE!" both of them yelled in unison as they were about to attack Jagger when he suddenly disappeared once again.
They didn't have much time to think when several assassins came out from the hidden door and started to attack them, the boys' eyes never leaving the pond in which Chrome had fallen into. Both of them were worried over the girl and deep inside their heart, they wanted to go and save her. However, with several assassins attacking them, it will never be that easy unless both of them worked together…
"Pineapple-herbivore…" Hibari hated to ask for help, especially from his rival. But it's not like he had another choice. Chrome will die, in any time, if none of them went and help her to recreate her organs. "She will die….if none of us go to save her. You're her ex-master; you must have the ability to recreate her organs. So, go."
Mukuro stared at him in disbelief. The proud cloud that will never asked help from anyone… is he giving him a chance to show Chrome just how much he actually loved her?
"I wouldn't have given you this chance if I could help her recreate her organs."
Okay, maybe he is seriously too idiotic to think that the stupid ex-prefect will ever give him such a chance…
He rushed towards the pond and was about to jump into it when fear suddenly gripped his gut.
He will never forget… he will never forget how he had been stuck in the water for nearly 10 years… How the cold liquid run through his whole body and how he used to struggle against that frightening feeling. Sometimes, he will even feel like his whole body had been frozen to ice because he can't even move his fingers… the feeling of how his nose started to stung when water run into it… it was worse than hell.
Hibari watched as the pineapple-head illusionist stood in front of the pool dumbly. He gritted his teeth as he continues blocking the attacks from those assassins.
"Herbivore!" the cloud guardian yelled, but Mukuro can't hear his voice. He was too deep in his own thought about all those terrible years he had gone through. It was then that Hibari yelled at him again.
"Do you want to lose her again?!" the words echoed in his mind when suddenly an image of Chrome lying on the medical bed, looking half-dead and barely conscious. Yes, he had been watching her all these years, and there's no once he won't feel hurt when she cried for his name and how she had to fight back against death…
He balled his hands into fists as he shut his eyes tightly, taking a few deep breaths, he jumped into the pond with a loud splash, flinching as he felt the cold water run through his skin.
Chrome slowly opened her good eye, staring at the clear water around her as she felt her body sinking deeper into the water. She wants to scream for help but her lips felt numbed and she can't move her body either. The only thing she can do was watched herself sink into the deepest part of the water and die.
"We can't bring her with us. She is ill."
A voice said in her head suddenly. She opened both her eyes this time in surprise when she saw an image of Mukuro sitting next to her ill younger-self. He is caressing her hair as his mix-matched sapphire blue and ruby red orbs stared at her with full of… what is those emotions? Why does his eyes shown of so much pains and sadness?
She watched as Mukuro ran his fingers through her purple locks, and as she begged for him not to go, why does his hand start to tremble? She doesn't remember about it at all. All those expressions and reactions he shown to her when she's sick… why doesn't she had any impression towards it?
The image suddenly changed. This time, it's an image of Mukuro sat on a luxury sofa comfortably, Chikusa and Ken were standing next to him. In front of them is… is that Jagger?
"Rokudo Mukuro, let's make a deal, what do you think about it?" Jagger asked, although his face was covered with bandaged, she could still see him smirking cunningly to himself. The so-called pineapple head titled his head to face the Vindice in front of him as he laughed sarcastically to him. "Kufufufu~ it depends on what deal it is."
Jagger snapped his finger, mist suddenly appeared from his hand and soon, an image formed on top of his palm. In the picture, Mukuro felt a strange feeling tightening up in his gut as he saw his Chrome choking out blood while gripping on the skylark's shirt for dear life.
Is this how she had been through all these days? He asked deep inside his heart before glaring at his enemy.
"What is the meaning of this?" All of the cheerfulness and playful tone in his voice had been replaced with a dead serious one. Jagger snapped his finger once again as the mist disappeared before looking back at Mukuro once again.
"I will give you two choices." He said, pulling out a small bottle of clear blue liquid from his coat. "I have the antidote that could help your beloved little puppet cure up all her illness and pain. But as a price, you have to go back to the Vindice prison."
Mukuro 'kufufufufu'ed a few times and was about to say 'no' when Jagger cut him off. "The second choice is, using that little puppet of yours in exchange for your own life."
Mukuro know the meaning of the words. He narrows his mix-matched orbs at the bandaged man in front of him, after a few minutes, he let out a chuckle. "Kufufufu~ that little girl can't live without my illusion organs, do you think she would be able to go through those death-like days?"
He stood up from the sofa as he takes a step nearer in front of Jagger. "Take me instead then. But in exchange…"
The male illusionist glared coldly at the vindiche. "Do not ever involve Chrome Dokuro in this stupid deal of ours ever again, you hear me?"
Jagger grinned underneath his bandaged face and pulled out a metallic chain from his coat this time. "Deal." He said as he throws the small bottle of antidote to Ken and Chikusa.
"Mukuro-sama!" Ken rushed towards him as Chikusa caught the small bottle of medicine. Mukuro turned around to look at him as chains immediately rushed up to bind him, a dark portal appearing before him. He turned around, looking at them with his usual smirk.
"Ken, Chikusa. Before I leave, I have one last order for you two." He said to his two most loyal subordinate.
"Tell Chrome that I do not need her anymore. She should go to the weak Vongola where she had the boss that she adored more than me and all those stupid guardians that cared for her." He faced the portal once again, a satisfied grin appearing on his lips for the last time before he disappeared along with Jagger.
She could feel something hot forming from her good eye despite the cool waters. She blinked it away and notice that they were her tears… why is she crying? Why does she feel so painful? Is it because she had finally known the truth behind why he abandons her…? No, he didn't abandon her… he is… he is protecting her from being dragged into the darkness of the Vindice world. All these years… she had misunderstood him…
He dived deep into the water where a purple haired figure was slowly sinking down. He wasted no time to reach out his hand as he grabbed hers and pulled her into his embrace, as if fearing that he might lose her as they reached the surface.
"Don't cry. Everything had passed. Aren't I here now?" he smiled lovingly to Chrome. The purplenette felt a warm feeling and the pain slowly disappearing…
"Why… why did you do so much for me? I've been treating you so badly… why…?" her tears won't stop running out from her eyes as she watched Mukuro furrowed his brows. He knew that he will lose his conscious no longer because his strength and energy had reached its extreme. However, his warm smile never left his face as he kissed her forehead lovingly.
She know the meaning of the kiss, she could feel it by herself. However, she doesn't have time to reply him when he hurriedly dragged her to the bank and a hand pulling her up from the water surface.
"Herbivore, how are you feeling?!" Hibari exclaimed worriedly as the purplenette choked out some water. The tears continued running down from her eyes and Hibari noticed Mukuro haven't come out from the water…
"That stupid-pineapple herbivore…" Hibari growled out as he takes off his jacket and dived into the water, rescuing Mukuro this time. Chrome just stared as the skylark jump into the water, she was just too lost in her own thoughts now.
"I missed you so much….Nagi."
No wonder he said that he missed her…
"You never knew how much I wanted to see you these ten years."
He had been stuck in the Vindice prison for ten years, all he wants is to meet her but she… she…
"Na- I mean, Chrome. Please let me explain everything next time. There's something you had misunderstood."
He had been trying to explain to her all the time. But she was too stubborn and doesn't even want to listen to him at all. She was scared of the truth…that he really did abandon her.
"I suppose you're right..."
That unusual expression on his face….Why hadn't she noticed it before?
"Can you… call my name?"
He just wanted her to call him by his name. But why can't she?
"Don't blame yourself… I know you didn't mean it…"
He had always been so gentle to her, but she was still acting so rude and hateful towards him.
"I… have always wanted to see you all these years…"
"There's never been a day where I didn't regret abandoning you… but…I have my reasons…Nagi."
He had told her that he had his reasons and she knew that he had always wanted to meet her. It was all her fault. If she had just been more straightforward with her feelings towards him, perhaps she won't felt so… so… she can't explain her feelings. All she can say is she felt a stinging pain on her chest.
Hibari pulled up the unconscious male illusionist up from the water as he cursed out something like 'stupid-pineapple-herbivore'. That was when he titled his head, seeing Chrome who sat next to him. Her body trembling slightly as tears won't stop running down from her eyes.
That was an unusual expression that was shown on Chrome's face but Hibari wasn't too surprised. After all, he knew that no matter how much she detests Mukuro… he… will always be one of the most important persons in her life.
He watched as Chrome weakly approached Mukuro, her hand gently caressing his freezing, cold cheeks as one of her hot tears dripped on his face.
"Why… why did you try so hard? I-I had always been so rude and hateful towards you… yet you always treated me so lovingly with care…" she murmured out, choking on her own tears this time as she remember the kiss that he laid on her forehead.
"You can't die….I…"
Hibari doesn't want to listen. He doesn't even want to hear the last word that will spill out from her lips. All he can do is ignore the pain in his heart when she said the word as he gritted his teeth.
"I can't live without you, Mukuro-sama."
To be continued.
Ending note: Not as long as the previous one but this one will at least make you 6996 fans satisfied right? No? Then I better go and kill myself already… (Haha, just kidding. XD) Oh, 1896 fans… PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! OAO" I know you must want to kill me after reading this chapter since I made Hibari heart-broken… *dodge a rotten tomato* But, I promise you won't feel left behind because in the 'Mini Stories based on Never Again', there will be one story (Yes, indeed, 'Mini Stories based on Never Again' will had multiple stories themselves!) based on how Hibari is being her supporter (One full story based on 1896 and *wink, wink* there will also be a chapter where Chrome actually fall for Hibari! Although it's just bits of it… ==")! Or perhaps, in exchange for making you all sad, I will make a 1896 long-shot next time…? But dang, I don't have any ideas for them so you have to wait patiently… That's all, ciao-ciao for now then. ;) Between, here's a little preview based on next chapter.
"You bitch! Why did you make Mukuro-chan suffer so much pain? How dare you make him injured like this! Look at what you've done to him!"
…
"You loud herbivore…who do you think you are? Yelling at one of the Vongola guardian and trying to use violence against her, do you really want me to bite you to death?"
…
'Kufufufu… Nagi, had you underestimated me? I'm the immortal Mukuro Rokudo…I won't die so easily... and I won't ever forget about you. You were always on my mind, I will never forget every single smile of yours and the time we had spent together although it was short…' he want to say it out, however, due to the fact that his mouth was covered with an oxygen mask, he could only stare at her while weakly intertwining their fingers together.
^v^ I believe you can smell a cat fight slowly approaching this time…?
