Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

Republished: July 10, 2015

Chapter 1

Staring out at the sky with longing, a girl with long brown hair and distant blue eyes sat outside on her backyard's porch. She was small for her age, being sixteen—almost seventeen—and only standing at five feet and two inches. Her clothes consisted of black jogger shorts and a grey hoodie with the word 'OTAKU' on the front. In her lap rested her sketchbook, the page showed a finished drawing of one of her favorite character from her favorite anime, Fran, colored pencils at her side, pencil sharpener on the other. This girl was name Madeline, Madeline Valentine, and for eleven years she has been in nothing but torture and Hell.

Madeline's mother had died in an accident when she was young, and her father feeling that his precious daughter shouldn't grow up without a mother searched for a new wife. Not just anyone, of course, he would go out and meet women around his age until he met her. That Devil-spawn and her just as evil daughter—who put up a front in front of him—and now her stepmother, Felicity Benigni. She was of Italian decent but knew nothing of the language or culture.

It was one of those decently weathered days in her area of Oklahoma, where the weather is as predictable as who will win the next PowerBall lotter; it was cold, yes, but it was bearable and the sun game heat to the skin despite the harsh wind that comes around every now and then.

Her father did love Felicity, but never enough to match the undying flame of passion for Madeline's mother, which drove her stepmother crazy. Of course she would know, he would remind Madeline that he would still lover her mother more than anything, but that he loved Felicity too. Though, Felicity was anything but the woman her father thought she was, and she made it clear to him that she disliked Madeline. He was fine with everything until she started verbally abusing her, then he would step in and they would sleep in separate rooms that night and make-up the next morning.

Madeline would have been fine with just Felicity, but no, there was her daughter as well; Amanda. She was her stepsister, and it was quite clear from the first time they met that Amanda completely loathed Madeline and she had no clue why, but then it all came out.

Felicity and Amanda were jealous of the love that she received, which was tripled to the amount that they received. So they began taking it out on Madeline when her father wasn't home. They knew that she wouldn't rat them out, because she knew that he was happy, and she would sacrifice her own happiness for him.

That didn't stop her from trying to shield herself with him though, because as long as he was there, they couldn't touch her. This went on for ten years, leading to the current day, which was oddly pleasant for one. No verbal abuse, nor physical, it was suspicious.

She stood up from the pillow, which she was sat on, stretching a bit and turned around to go inside. There was a voice in the back of her head, screaming at her to hide, that it wasn't safe. But what was wrong? When would it happen? Where? How?

"Maddie," a sickly sweet voice called out, "mommy and daddy went out on another date, let's play a game."

Madeline froze, cold sweat rolled down her temple, eyes wide in fear as she found herself paralyzed in her spot. She jerkily turned to look at Amanda, who was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, smirk taunting her.

Immediately reacting, Madeline bolted for the backyard again, the door still unlocked which made it easier to slide it open and run out. Amanda hadn't missed a beat, giving chase, screeching at her to stay still. Maddie didn't slow down as the fence came closer and closer, putting a single hand on top and jumping, pushing her body over it quickly with eased practice. She ran, glancing behind her, and saw that her stepsister was hot on her tail before stopping at the sidewalk, eyes wide in fear. Confusion settled on Madeline's features until she felt blinding and excruciating pain.

Her eyes met that of the drivers, who were wide in shock, phone in one hand and the other on the steering wheel. The car suddenly jerked to a stop, throwing Madeline off the roof of it, rolling father away, blood flowing out from different place, before coming to a complete stop of her side.

Her eyes became distant once more, but she was farther now, feeling tired; sleepy, even. She stared at the sun, the blazing flame of fire that sat at the center of their galaxy. It was strange, Madeline had always heard that people would begin to see black splotches in their vision, darkness. Her vision began like that, but was soon mixed with white, swirling together before becoming black, exploding into white. She saw a strange man who she recognized, a smile on his lips, a strange mask over the upper part of his face and an oddly shaped hat.

"Hello, Madeline," he greeted, "let's talk."

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My body was surrounded by a warmth I couldn't describe, though comforting in a way that reminded me of my mother; I was suddenly pushed and pulled out of that warmth, an a cry escaped me at that. I heard voices around me, rushed and hurried. I heard a woman screaming, groaning, grunting, was this woman giving birth? Where was I?

"Hurry, the other one is coming too!"

"She's healthy!"

"Just hurry and get the other out!"

"Right!"

The cries kept coming out of despite me not wanting to, so I began to will myself to stop, taking deep breaths.

"She stopped crying…hurry, check her lungs and heart!" I forced my eyes open, immediately clenching them shut and fluttering them open slowly this time. All around me were nurses and a doctor, who stopped what they were doing, eyes wide in shock. "Her eyes…opened?" I gurgled out something, a giggle followed right after as the sound was amusing to my ears. But confusing came as well.

Why was everyone so tall and big?

I light was shined into my eyes, making me groan, and bring my hands up to cover my sensitive vision. I noticed my hands were chubby and tiny, like a baby's would be. I stared at them, the waved them around and horror filled me. The many fanfictions that I had read before of people dying and rebirthing into another world or into their favorite anime running rapidly through my brain.

I had just been reborn.