Chapter 65:

But we'll take it all in stride.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas to the Extreme!

Tsunayoshi was sat there fixing Big-Kyoya's tonfa, he knew it back to front and could fix it blindfolded by now. Like he said, Kyoya liked to attack him as his form of hello, which meant he had to dismantle the tonfa every single time they met. He was kind of like Reborn in that aspect. Over the past year he'd had a lot of practice dismantling and fixing it. He ignored the adults staring at him, he was used to that too. Lots of people stared at him as if he was something interesting. He didn't know what made him so interesting though, he was just an ordinary boy right?

Rather suddenly he could feel eyes watching him, and these were not the eyes of the four adults infront of him. They were from further off, and the feeling was getting closer. He shivered from the intensity and the strange aura coming from the look. He recognises the aura just as his 'intuition' supplies him with the answer too.

The chuckles of the man ran down the corridor, but the adults didn't seem to be able to hear it.

"Kufufufu~ Skylark was defeated by a child? Kufu, oh how the mighty have fallen. I'm going to remind him of that moment every time he thinks he's better than me. Kufufu, yes, that'll put him back into place. But by a child that looks so much like the sheep he abhors, kufufufu, kufufufu, ahfufufu."

"You can stop laughing at Kyoya now you know." Tsunayoshi says, briefly looking up at the man before him. His feelings had been right; This was Mukuro from the future.

"No I shall not stop laughing child. The damn Skylark needs taking down a peg to realise his place and I'm glad to see that someone other than I and Sky have done so. And by a child no less." Mukuro sneers, chin raised defiantly and loftily.

"That's not very nice. What has Kyoya ever done to you?" Tsunayoshi asks, putting the half fixed tonfa down on his lap to pay full attention to this matter. Two of his friends were fighting and he didn't like it.

"He sees us as enemies where as I only see him as a play toy and decent distraction. But anyway you name it, it doesn't matter. He is on the ground and defenceless, I have every right to laugh in his face."

What had happened in the future to make Mukuro like this? He seemed really sad and lonely, like he was on the outside looking in at the fun. But he didn't want to admit that he was lonely. Had Chrome and the others left him?

"Enemies? When did that happen?" Tsunayoshi asks in dismay. He would have to stop that from happening. He wanted all of his friends to be friends with each other, like one huge huge family!

Big-Mukuro looks sideward and down at him, locking eyes for a moment before turning to look back at Kyoya. "I would tell you that you should know the answer, but I locked the memories pretty tightly. Let's just say that Skylark likes to think he is top dog, but in actuality he isn't." Mukuro smirks, looking down at Kyoya haughtily.

Tsunayoshi just tilts his head, not understanding any of what Mukuro had just said. But it seemed to him that Mukuro liked fighting with Kyoya and they were enemies in the same way Reborn and Colonnello was. That meant that everything was really alright. Big-Mukuro might not have had the best childhood, living locked behind black iron bars in the Estraneo, but at least it seemed that he had a good future… locked behind?….

Tsunayoshi looks up at Mukuro before smiling brightly. "But I'm glad you know. Seeing you like this means that you were saved!" He wasn't locked behind bars anymore. His eye was bright red and he was here alive. That meant that Verde had kept his promise and saved Mukuro! And maybe the others too. He knew Verde could do it, Verde was a Super Scientist.

Mukuro looks down but doesn't say anything, thinking about what Chibi actually meant. Of course he knew exactly who was infront of him. He couldn't mistake his own Mist Flames after all. He may not have watched Chibi grow up like Sky had, but it was easy to guess what Sky would look like as a child. And this innocent, doe eyed, puffball was exactly what Sky would look like.

"Che, show yourself Pineapple." Orders Storm, having figured out what was going on first. It was all there in the words Chibi had said. After all, who else was enemies and would laugh at Cloud?

Storm blinks when suddenly Nebbia is right in his face, trident spokes poking the underside of his jaw. "Oya, I do believe that the paperwork has driven you insane Storm. Or has all that hot air finally left your head?" His eyes shine with a devilish light- he wouldn't care about harming Storm right here and now. Anyone who called him a Pineapple deserved to be sent on a one way ticket down the Path of Hell. In fact, he might just do that now, teach the puppy a lesson he won't-

Just as Nebbia is about to summon his powers and draw out Storm's greatest fear- and Nebbia idly wondered what that was: his sister's cooking? Being blamed for the death of his mother? A dying Sky that he could not save?- someone pulls on the trident, drawing it away from Storm's tender throat.

The pair look down at the end of the trident's staff to find a pouting Chibi pulling the staff towards himself. "Don't harm Hayato, Mukuro! He was only playing. You're a big boy now you shouldn't mind a nickname."

Rain and Sun laugh over Chibi's choice of words. They loved this kid, he was hilarious. Who else put the three most temperamental Guardians in place with a few words like a mother scolding naughty children? Could they keep him? They couldn't remember when they had last laughed this much, all out war was a serious and heavy business after all. He would be a nice bright ray of sunshine.

Nebbia though, is not happy. He slowly turns his head fully to look at Chibi and the child shivers in fear. That look was not a nice one, it was scary!

"Oya oya, the child dares to tell me what to do? I am the last person you want to anger young boy," He spat the last word out, refuting against the name Chibi had called him. "I am already quite ingrained in your brain, it would be easier than breathing to send you insane."

"Don't you dare Nebbia or I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget." Storm shouts, pulling Chibi behind him.

This man was scary! Reborn, save me! Viper, stop your student! Chibi cowers in fear behind Storm's legs. His head hurt and his vision was going indigo and he wanted it to stop.

The atmosphere in the corridor changes as a wave of warm Flames surround them. Chibi peers around Big-Hayato's legs and watches as Mukuro slowly calms down. The process is jerky as if he's fighting the feeling the whole time.

"Che," Nebbia spits before turning on his heels sharply and striding down the corridor, disappearing into a cloud of mist down the far end.

Chibi jumps and shrieks as a hand taps him on the shoulder. What if that scary man was back again?

"I am sorry about Nebbia-sama," says the woman who had tapped him on the shoulder. Tsunayoshi stares at her, she was so pretty, long purple hair coming over her face with a soft voice. There it was again, that strange mix of Italian ad Japanese, but coming from her voice, or from the voices of these Not-strangers, it sounded right. "He is in a bad mood. The latest mission wore at his patience. He doesn't have much time for people he deems 'utter fools' and he's had to deal with them all day."

"You were the one to calm him down?" asks Tsunayoshi, staring at her in admiration.

"Hai, Chibi-Bossu," she agrees, bowing her head slightly. She too knew who Chibi was, having been part of the Memory Transfer Experiments.

"Yup, Kiri is one of the few to be able to calm Nebbia down when he's in a bad mood. Even Sky steers clear of him when he's like that. You were just unlucky, don't take it to heart." Explains Rain, rubbing the back of his neck in contemplation as he explains.

"We don't know why to the extreme!" Sun adds in. No one knew why Kiri's Flames calmed Nebbia down, but it did. The only other person who could calm Nebbia down peacefully was Rain, due to the tranquil nature of his Flames- although it was more like sedation than actual calming.

"I believe this belongs to you? They are too small to be Lightning 's shoes. Plus I don't remember him getting a pair like this. He's too old for them now." And most crucially, they were kittens and not cows.

Chibi looks down and remembers that he was indeed missing one shoe. He had thrown it at Reborn earlier. "Thank you Chrome!" He smiles. This had to be Adult Chrome, no one else he knew spoke with such a soft voice, or could be so close to Mukuro. Verde had saved her too then. She smiles back at him, a small sweet smile, before taking hold of his foot and putting his shoe back on for him. She pats him on the head once she's done. He gives her a hug back. He always gave Chrome hugs whenever he saw her. Although this Chrome was a little too large to sit in his lap.

"Did you complete the mission?" asks Storm warily, and slightly moodily. He was annoyed, very annoyed with Nebbia's behaviour. Although if Nebbia was like this there was a chance that their mission failed and Nebbia had attacked their own allies.

Kiri stands and brushes the dust from her skirt. She nods her head to Storm. "We finished it as per Bossu's orders." She reports.

"I expect the report on my desk by tomorrow morning." Storm explains.

Kiri nods, having expected this. "I shall do Nebbia-sama's report too. I do not believe he is in the mood to give a comprehensive report." That was an understatement. The last time Nebbia had handed in a report when he was in a bad mood, the report was so full of sarcasm and insults and gory descriptions of what Nebbia would like to do to the pathetic humans that had annoyed him, that Storm had ripped the report up and shouted at Nebbia for nearly an hour. Getting Kiri to do it meant that the report would be understandable, not mind scaring, and actually of some worth.

"I'm sure that Mukuro would like that. None of the Arcobaleno like doing paper work. It puts them in a bad mood. But he'll like it because his little sister did something nice for him!" Tsunayoshi claims brightly.

Kiri blushes at the statement and the sincerity the child had said it with.

"They aren't siblings though." Storm reminds. Even in Chibi's world Kiri was still Japanese and Nebbia Italian.

"They are close enough." Tsunayoshi pouts, looking over his shoulder at Hayato. "After all, Mukuro only learnt how to be an illusionist to keep Chrome alive. He wouldn't be very happy if she wasn't around. And Chrome is learning illusions to help Mukuro too, didn't you?" He asks the last question to Chrome directly. She looks at him confused.

The others look between themselves and eventually at Storm. That version of the story didn't sound right. It sounded like a fairy tale to them. They all knew that Nebbia saved Kiri on a whim, due to the chance that he could use her to gain relative freedom from his captivity.

Kiri though, felt touched that Nebbia-sama cared for her in other dimensions too. It seemed to be their fate to be tied together, for him to become her first reason to live.

Storm looks back at the questioning sets of eyes, before whispering with a hand to his mouth so that Chibi didn't hear. "He comes from a different dimension so of course things would be different. It's just how Mafia Row is. In his world the Mists are-"

"You didn't become an illusionist because the Estraneo told you to, did you?" Tsunayoshi asks, tilting his head to the side.

Kiri's eyes widen as she gasps, a hand covering her mouth. In his world she was where? Chibi's world was 20 years behind them roughly, give or take a few months, so that would make her four. A helpless four year old stuck in the dastardly Estraneo, the place that had experimented on her friends, that had changed Nebbia-sama for ever. She was t-t-there? She didn't know which was worse, her past with her loveless parents or the reality of her alternate self. It was all so wrong and horrible. He felt so sad for the other her.

She stands up, one hand at her mouth with the other at her chest and takes a few steps backwards. Her wide eyes sparkle with unshed tears. She keeps on taking slow steps backwards until suddenly a cloud of indigo mist appears in the middle of the hallway. Green clothes arms and leather clas gloves appear from the cloud and wrap around Kiri before pulling her backwards into the mist. The cloud soon disappears, showing no Kiri or Nebbia.

There is silence for a few seconds.

"Did I say something wrong?" asks Tsunayoshi, turning to big-Hayato.

"They don't like to remember their pasts." Storm says quickly before any of the others can give a different answer. He gives them a sharp look to keep them silent. Plus, what he had said wasn't a lie. Kiri and Nebbia didn't like to remember their pasts, but those pasts were just different from the ones Chibi was talking about.

Chibi nods his head in understanding. But suddenly a growl fills the new silence and Tsunayoshi blushes a bright red, holding his stomach.

"Shh." He says to his stomach, looking down at it. When he looks back up, he finds the other adults starting at him. "Hehe, sorry. It's past Lunch time. Me and Hayato were going to have lunch at his house so I skipped lunch at my house."

"Maa maa, no need to apologise. It's important to eat three meals a day." Smiles Rain, his hands linking up behind his head as he smiled down at the boy.

"A good diet is important to the Extreme!" Roars Sun, punching a fist into the air. Diet was highly crucial when competing in sports. "Let's go get something to eat. I'll make an EXTREME snack!"

And without further hesitation, Sun picks the boy up, places him on his shoulders and runs full speed like a rocket for the kitchen. Which was all the way over the other side of the mansion.

Storm sighs, running a hand down his face. That stupid lawn head. Rain just laughs happily like always before setting off at a jog after Sun, he could do with a snack too, now that they had been mentioned, and a nice glass of cold milk too.

Cloud had had enough a while ago, but had stuck around to see if a fight would occur between Nebbia and the child. But since one didn't, he got bored and left some time during the conversation with Kiri.

Storm has no choice but to follow after Sun. Juudaime had said to keep an eye on their guest. And he wasn't letting Chibi get hurt after all the trouble he had just gone through. Being 'Puppy-watched' as Juudaime had called it was not a fun experience.

Tsunayoshi looked absently around the kitchen he was no in. Sun had gone to find someone to make his extreme snack. Apparently his girlfriend had the world's best recipe for whatever weird sounding snack Big-Ryohei had mentioned. There were far too many super, amazing, to the extreme and other such adjectives and not enough food nouns for him to actually know what he was going to end up eating. Although it seemed that it was very healthy.

Tsunayoshi freezes when there is a rattle in the empty room. It was only him here, so there shouldn't be any other noises.

The noise sounds again, and Tsunayoshi reckons that it comes from behind him. What was making that sound though? Was it a g-g-ghost? He didn't like ghosts, they were scary. Viper may love ghosts but he did not.

As the sound comes again, Tsunayoshi finally pinpoints where it's coming from. The pantry.

Should he go and check out what it was? Reborn and Verde would tell him off for thinking that ghosts were real. Colonnello would barge in there anyway and Fon would have no interest. Bermuda would pretend that it was a ghost to scare the daylights out of him and Skull. He had to be b-brave and go check what was in the p-pantry.

He creeps over on silent feet, reaching on tip toes to grab the door handle. He'd do it on the count of three.

One…

Two…

Oh please don't be a ghost. Don't be a ghost.

Three!

"HEEEEIIII!"

"WAAAAAHHHHH!"

There was a person in the pantry! There was a ghost in the pantry! It was going to come and eat his brains and possess him and he'd never see the Arcobaleno again! There were so many things he'd left unsaid. He didn't want to die!

"Heeii!"

"Waahh"

"Heeii!"

"Waahh"

"Heeii!"

"Waahh"

When Tsunayoshi realises that the ghost hasn't killed him yet, nor did he feel like he was possessed- he could still wiggle his toes on his own accord-, he peeks open one eye to see where the host was. Maybe there was still time to run for it.

But taking a closer look, he finds that it's actually a person, a living one opposed to the ghostly form of one. He gingerly leans forwards and gives a poke to the nearest part of the ghost/person. It was solid and warm. Phew, he wasn't a ghost.

"You scared Lambo-san who was hiding in this pantry eating cake away from Ahodera's eyes." The man says with a gasp.

"Lambo-san? You're Lambo?" asks Tsunayoshi in disbelief. Where had all of Lambo's hair gone? Although now that he looked closer he could see the similarities, like the marks under the eyes and the love of cow print.

"Indeed it is I, Lambo-san, the Bovino's greatest Hitman, who's favourite foods are grape candy and takoyaki. It is nice to see you Young Vongola." It never occurred to Lightning that this 'Vongola' was actually far too young to be the one he thought he was talking too.

"Wow, you grow up to be really big Lambo." Tsunayoshi gapes.

"Did you want some cake? Just keep it a secret from Bakadera. He says I've already eaten enough today. But what does he know? He doesn't even eat cake." Lightning pouts, holding the plate with a slice of cake on it closer to him protectively.

"I like cake. Luce makes a really good chocolate cake. We have to hide the cake though because Colonnello steals it all. Not because he likes the cake, although I think he does, but because Lal really likes it but doesn't want to be seen eating cake. We always make extra cake so that Colonnello can sneak some cake to Lal. Bermuda likes chocolate cake too. I found him one day eating it. He said he didn't, but I saw the chocolate stains on his bandages. He can't hide anything from me."

"B-Bermuda?" says Lightning with a quiver in his voice. He may not have been at the battle, but he's seen the damage the Vindice had caused. It was scary. "As in the leader of the Vindice?" Tsunayoshi nods. "He's scary. The last time we saw him was when he told Sky about the damage all the Space traveling the Enemy was doing was putting a strain on the , do you want any of this cake? If ot then Lambo-san will eat all of it."

"No, I want some, please." Tsunayoshi says, reaching out for the cake.

"How could you have lost him?" Storm says, voice deadly and ice cold. "How hard is it to keep track of a single child?"

Sun and Rain don't look at Storm, eye contact enraged him even more and usually meant being on the receiving end of a dynamite blast.

"All I did was go and find Hana to make me her extreme snack. When I got back he wasn't there anymore." Sun explains, scratching the back of his head.

"That's what you have a mobile phone for Lawn Head!" Storm shouts. "Now go and find him and don't come back until you do. We need to have found him before Juudaime returns tomorrow." He stabs a finger in the direction of the door. The pair nod and stroll out of the room. They had all day to find him.

And anyway, how hard could finding one child be?

"Hmm, you're missing a child? Well that's not good, he might be scared poor boy."

"Yes, how irresponsible of you Storm. Children are innocent and should be treasured and looked after."

"How about we make some cookies? No small boy can resist the smell of cookies!"

Translations: Nebbia- Mukuro and Kiri - Chrome. Mukuro is Italian and Nebbia is Italian for mist, Chrome is Japanese and Kiri is Japanese for mist. I prefer this rather than calling one mist and the other fog. Lightning is Lambo of course.

So who's helping find Tsunayoshi?

I'm sorry if there are more mistakes than usual but I'm tired and want to go to sleep. I'll change it later.

See you next time

Phantom Hitman 1412

First published 27 December 2012