At the request of a reviewer from my first 1896 story, I decided to post this one too. I wrote it to get a male friend who hates yaoi off my back -I have a tendency to write XS because it really is just that easy-

aviatophobia- the fear of flying. At least one of them.

Up in a plane, not even illusions can stop her fears, but a certain cloud guardian can at least offer some comfort.

Aviatophobia

A plane ride was not Chrome's favorite way to travel. She could take an onslaught of illusions any day. Even deal with being run over. Anything she dealt with in life was easy to overcome, especially with such good friends and a caring Family. Since their return to the past, they had all been a lot closer. She spent more time over at their school or Tsuna's house, which was pretty much a gathering point for all the guardians and miscellaneous friends.

However, there was nothing to stop her from hating planes. Being a thousand feet in the air with nothing to save them if the engines failed was terrifying. Oh, she knew about air pressure, and all the scientific things that kept the plane up. That didn't make her feel any better. If just one variable changed, they'd all die!

She didn't want to die.

Mukuro had chuckled when he heard her terrified thoughts about getting on an air plane the first time to come to Italy. He assured her there was nothing to fear. He would protect her. But his illusions, no matter how real they became, couldn't save her from the fall and crash and death and…

"Chrome, are you okay?" Haru inquired.

Chrome's face was white, her arms shaking as she clung to her seat for dear life. She looked sick.

"We haven't even taken off yet," Bianchi told her soothingly. "We were fine coming here, we'll be fine getting back."

Fuuta popped into view. "More people die from being kicked by donkeys than from air plane crashes." (True fact)

The female half of the mist guardian whimpered. The plane's engines began to make noise. A little tone, then the captain began to speak. "Hello passengers and welcome aboard flight 26 out of Sicily, Italy, headed for Shanghai, China, and then onto to Namimori, Japan. We appreciate you flying with us today as we begin our eight hour flight. Uh….weather conditions are nice right now, uh…sunny skies and easy winds…"

She tuned him out. This was stupid. They could have taken one of the Vongola yachts. At least she could swim really well. But up in the sky there was nothing she could do but fall down, down, down. Would she die before she hit the ground/water? Or would she feel that horrible pain before she died?

"Worrying about it is just making it worse, my dear," Mukuro told her soothingly. "Why not read a book or something? Look, even our dear friends are trying to cheer you up." Sure enough, everyone was. They had twelve rows to themselves. They were all talking to her, trying to get her attention away from the fact that they were about to fly hundreds of feet into the sky.

(first class: Goku/Yama, Tsuna/Reborn, Haru/Basil, Hana/Ryohei, Lambo/Kyoko, Nana/Iemitsu, Colonnello/Skull, Ken/Chikusa, Fuuta/Bianchi, I-Pin/Fon, Chrome Hibari)

Chrome shrieked as the plane gave a sudden jerk. It began to move, slowly picking up speed as it moved towards the runway.

"You look green. You're not going to throw up are you?" Chikusa inquired, grabbing a bag from the packet in front of him and leaning over the seat to hand it to her. "If you do, please throw up in here." The plane gave another jerk. She let out another scream, and threw her arms over her head, which she placed with her nose to her knees. This was it, she was going to die!

"Come on Chrome, everything is fine," Tsuna called from behind her. "No one else is freaking out, and if anything does happen, I'll catch you, and use my gloves to slow our descent."

She shook her head. That wouldn't help. She'd probably fall too fast, or he'd miss her or go after Kyoko or Haru.

"Fon, why not knock her out," Reborn suggested. "At least then she won't be afraid."

"REBORN!"

Her breath was coming in short gasps now. The thump of her heart against her rib cage was almost painful, and she could hear her blood pounding in her ears.

"She's hyperventilating!" Ken exclaimed. "What do we do!?"

"Shut up," an annoyed voice growled. Hibari stood in the aisle, ignoring the flight attendants ordering him to sit down. Everyone stared.

Ignoring the looks, Hibari slipped past Chrome's trembling form and sat next to her, taking the window seat. He made no move to comfort her. Hibird jumped from his master's head, and landed on Chrome's, now singing a song he must have picked up over Christmas. "Glory to the new born king. Peace on earth, and mercy mild. God and sinners reconciled."

Slowly, her breathing evened out to where she wasn't in danger of fainting. Her whole frame still shook and she still refused to move from her curled up position, but at least she wouldn't faint.

The plane picked up more speed. With a jolt, it took off. Chrome let out a weak whimper, tears now spilling from her eyes. Noticing her distress, Hibird began to preen her, chirping comfortingly. Hibari placed his hand on her back as the forces attempted to push her back against the seat.

Fifteen minutes later, they had leveled out. The seatbelt sign turned off. The flight attendants began to walk up and down the rows. One stopped by Chrome. "Is everything alright?" she inquired kindly. Chrome shook her head. "Is there something I can get you?"

"A bottle of scotch and some ice," Reborn requested.

"REBORN!"

"I want brandy!"

"COLONNELLO!"

"Sake for me."

"DAD!!!!!!"

Chrome shook her head, but Hibari said calmly, "A glass of water." The flight attendant, noticing where Hibari's hand was, and assuming-as most people would-that the two were a couple, nodded and hurried off to get some water. She returned a moment later with a cup of water, and a blanket. Hibari accepted both, pulled down his tray and placed the water there. Hibird returned to his usual perch on Hibari's shoulder as said teen threw the blanket over Chrome's shoulders. It was cold in the plane.

"Sit up," he ordered. "Only herbivores hide their faces."

"Oh leave her alone Hibari," Bianchi sighed. "She's scare…" She stopped.

Chrome had slowly sat up. Her body still shook with tremors, and her face was wet with tears, but there she was. Sitting up. She transferred her hands to the armrests, and clung to them. Her knuckles turned white before too long.

The helpful flight attendant returned with a pillow and another blanket. They went over the terrified girl's legs and behind her head. "Try listening to your music. That always helps," suggested Mukuro.

All through the motions of getting out her iPod, Chrome's hands shook violently, and her movements were stiffer than a body in full rigamortis. She fumbled the music devise, dropped it a few times, before finally getting the headphones over her ears, and the thing turned on. Her trembling eased up a bit once Utada Hikaru and GazzetE were playing in her head. The tears didn't.

"Drink," Hibari ordered once her hands were steady enough to hold the cup. She drank, put the cup down, and returned her hands to clutching the armrests for dear life. "Tch." He turned to stare out the window as Hibird once again began to preen Chrome's hair.

Outside, the sky began to grow darker and darker as the sun set. The attendants began coming around with food and drinks. The younger children ate the BBQ sandwiches, chocolate milk, and gram crackers happily before getting tired. They were fast asleep within the hour.

Chrome was still shaking, though her tears had thankfully stopped. She ate her dinner, and drank the soda brought to her, though she was unable to eat anything else when it was offered. And unlike many people on the plane, she couldn't sleep. Hibari had drifted off, head leaning against the side of the plane.

"Why not try to rest? You'll feel better once you do."

'I can't,' she silently whimpered. 'I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't.'

She sniffled. Tears began to leak out of her eyes again. She hated flying. If only she hadn't lost her sleeping pills. Last time they got on a plane to go to Italy, she had taken a sleeping pill to knock her out at Iemitsu's suggestion. She must have left them back at the Vongola mansion.

A hand appeared in front of her face, shaking something that rattled. She looked up. Reborn looked down at her, a pill bottle suspended in his fingers. "I don't like planes very much either," he admitted to her. "I quickly learned to carry these at all times. Takes care of air sickness, and makes me tired enough to nap. Want one?"

"They're prescription."

"That they are. However, I am under the impression that at least twelve different people on this plane use the same thing, as did this one." He indicated Tsuna, who was staring sleepily ahead, yawning every now and then.

She stared at him for a moment, then held out her hand. There was a slight tremor in it. Reborn placed a single pill in her palm before popping one in his own mouth, and sitting back in his chair. He tossed the bottle to Colonnello. (A/N: Do not EVER give out prescriptions pills to ANYONE! It is dangerous and they made be allergic or have a bad reaction to the medicine. However, the pills here are completely made up-I think-and are harmless)

It took quite awhile for the pill to take effect, but within the hour, her eyes grew heavy, and before she knew it, she had fallen fast asleep.

The time slipped by slowly as they approached China. Almost everyone had fallen asleep by now. The only one still up was Fon, who was reading one of the many books he had received for Christmas. His young apprentice was using his lap as a pillow, a blanket wrapped around her small form. The other children were using their row mates as pillows as well. Lambo and Fuuta were fast asleep, curled under blankets like I-Pin. Gokudera and Yamamoto were using each other as pillows, as were Basil and Haru. Ryohei was Hana's pillow. Tsuna was leaning against his home tutor, who was snoring slightly. Nana and Iemitsu were resting against each other, sharing a blanket. Chrome was reclining in her chair, Hibird comfortable in the nest he had made of her hair, while the little bird's master leaned against the wall.

They might have slept till morning. The plane was going along smoothly. Things were calm. The only ones still awake were being very quiet, so as not to disturb the passengers. There was nothing to bother anyone. Till the storm hit. Even the pilots hadn't seen it coming. One second everything was fine, the next the plane was engulfed in black clouds. Lightning flashed, and thunder roared loudly. The plane began to shake.

People woke with a start when a scream cut through the air. "Attention passengers, please remain calm. We've hit a winter storm. We request that you all put on and tighten your seatbelts, as the turbulence will be rather bad for awhile. There is nothing to worry about. I repeat, there is nothing to worry about."

The air craft gave a violent jerk. An overhead compartment opened without warning, spilling its contents on the floor. Another scream sounded from the first class seats.

"It's okay Chrome," Bianchi called over the thunder. "We'll be fine."

"LET ME OFF!" the poor girl shrieked. "I WANT OFF THIS DEATH TRAP!" The plane gave another violent shake and tilted to the side without warning. I-Pin and Lambo began to cry. Fuuta whimpered, and clung to Kyoko.

"Everyone will be fine," Nana assured the startled children. "Don't worry. Chrome sweetie, its okay." But Chrome wasn't listening. She had started hyperventilating again.

"Calm down Chrome," Mukuro ordered. "Having a panic attack will not help the situation. In fact it might make things worse."

Something warm touched her hand. She grabbed hold, and clung to it, tears splashing over her cheeks.

"Perhaps we should take a boat next time," a voice suggested lazily, with only a tiny hint of annoyance. Hibari traded a look with Gokudera and Yamamoto, who had looked at him when he spoke up.

"I agree," Tsuna yelped clinging to Reborn as the plane gave another violent shake. The thud of more bags falling sounded from the second and third class seats. Babies were crying. "This is horrible!" Lightning flashed, followed instantly by the ear splitting rumble of thunder. Ryohei was still asleep.

"I HATE THIS!" Chrome sobbed. "I WANT TO BE HOME!" Her breath hitched. Suddenly, she felt light headed. The world began to look black around the edges.

A hand grabbed her head, and pulled her to the right. She fell against a warm body as an arm wrapped around her. Releasing what she had previously been holding, she grasped Hibari's shirt and buried her face in his shoulder.

Slowly, her breathing evened out. The tears began to abate. The steady, rhythmic beating of the cloud guardian's heart began to lull her to sleep. Even as the plane shook, and things rattled and rolled, and babies cried, she relaxed for the first time since she got on this sorry hunk of metal.

"Should we wake them?"

"No, Hibari will kill us."

"Then we'll wake Chrome."

"We still have to fly to Japan. I'd prefer her to stay asleep, instead of being awake and panicking."

"True, but…"

"Shut up before I bite you all to death."

With various eeps and gasps, the group shut up, quickly dropping into their seats. Someone snapped a picture. Hibari opened one eye and gave a death glare to the stupid photographer with a death wish. Reborn smirked at him, took another picture, and sat down. Grumbling, Hibari shifted a little. Something was leaning against him. Glancing to his left, he spotted the extra weight. Chrome was curled up against him, a blanket lying across her lap, and a peaceful expression. Her hands were loosely clinging to his shirt, a far cry from the death grip they had had earlier. Hibird was nestled on her head, content to use it as a nest as he often did.

For a moment, Hibari considered moving her. But only for a moment. Sighing to himself, he let his head drop against the headrest, reclined his chair a little more, and went back to sleep, arm still slung across Chrome's shoulders. He'd bite her to death later.

Inside Chrome's head, Mukuro laughed.

There you go you 1896 freaks-is one as well-enjoy, read and review or else I'll set Hibari on you.