Phalaenopsis

Parallel World 13

Summary: AU- When Enrico became Decimo, Vongola became more corrupted than ever before. Both Italy and Japan was subjugated under his rule, causing thousands of lives to be ruined. In Namimori, Tsuna had been trained since young by Reborn to become the true Vongola Decimo that Nono passed his will onto. All that's left is to find his Guardians and take on the Vongola.

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

World's End

From a different time, boys and girls and children and adults would marvel the sunset. They would stare while being filled with calmness a sky could only bring; however, no one had the time to do that anymore. No one wanted to because it would remind them of the state the world was in; the crimson sky that slowly disappeared into darkness... the blood stained world that only knew of hatred...

If the sky united people, should it be determined that whoever resembled the sky would unite people based on hatred? Should the basis of the sky be about the bloodstained paths even children lead? If the sky produced crimson color akin to blood, should the person resembling the sky cause blood to pour and color the ground?

Many think it would be inevitable even with the most innocent of people. To be naïve was to give up your life. To be considerate was to set oneself for a life of betrayal. To be forgiving was to be foolish.

That lesson would be drilled in the most naïve of minds. That lesson would be forever engraved in the most innocent of minds. That lesson would be understood but not followed by the most forgiving of minds. That lesson would be rewritten by Sawada Tsunayoshi.

"You're a disgusting sight, Tsunayoshi," his senpai snorted. "Just because you were adopted into that Family, you get the same privileges as us. Disappear from our sights."

Tsuna tightened his fists, feeling his nails pierce his skin. He lowered his head as his caramel bangs shadowed his face to block his blazing eyes from anyone's sight. He did not want to see the faces of the sons and daughters of the Mafiosi who took his parents' life. If he did, he knew his rage would control his actions.

"Are you listening? Disappear already!" Tsuna applied more pressure on to his hands. Blood trailed down his hand and crimson dots tainted the white tiled floor.

His senpai raised his fist in irritation with a scowl decorating his lips. The fist came closer and only a few more seconds were needed before the distance between the brunet's face and the fist would be closed. "Stop."

The word, as if by magic, froze the fist in place. A murderous aura covered the brunet as he slowly raised his head to meet his gaze with his senpai. It was a fierce gaze that knew almost no warmth or kindness, just like the world. It was ironic he would give such a gaze when he was probably the kindest in the area, but hatred was always something that changed the hearts of people, even if for an instant.

Tsuna's seething rage seemed to grow the longer he glared at his senpai; however, he closed his eyes and loosened his fists. I am not going to lower my status because of them. They took too much away from me.

Tsuna opened his eyes again; this time they were less narrowed, but the caramel orbs held a resolution no other would possess. His senpai continued to stay frozen, but was it from fear or awe? Perhaps both?

"You will never see me again as the inferior Dame-Tsuna. Tonight, the truth shall be set free," Tsuna whispered as he walked away. Tonight, the truth would be made known to the public, the truth Tsuna had been waiting for. A smirk crawled on to his lips. Tonight was the first step towards taking down the Vongola.

Trust was a word that lost its meaning. Fear was something that inhabited every corner or alley. Greed was the darkness that bit a hole in every person's heart. Everywhere Gokudera looked, one of the words could be applied. If another person was arrested, it was for greed. If a friend or family member turned their back on someone, there was no trust. Nothing needed to be specified for fear since it was everywhere.

And yet, Gokudera's heart was filled with hope that there would be someone who would not be tempted by greed or shaken by fear. He hoped there was someone who could trust another with his life and not regret it. That was the person Gokudera Hayato wanted to follow, but it sounded as real as a fairy tale.

Nevertheless, he longed to put an end to this horrendous world. For that to happen there needed to be someone who had those qualities, and just like the furious storm, Gokudera Hayato would put all his time and energy, passion and strength, into helping that person; however, the only problem was to find a person like that, a person with a powerful resolution.

"Hayato." Gokudera paused in mid-step, his mind trying to grasp the reason behind the familiarity of the voice. He turned around and his eyes instantly narrowed; he met emerald the same shade as his eyes.

"What do you want, Bianchi?" Gokudera snarled, ready to turn around and forget about this meeting. Bianchi took a moment to examine her younger brother. If the world was not this corrupted, would Gokudera still hold this resentment?

"I have an invitation for you. It's from a close acquaintance of mine," Bianchi replied as she took a black envelope from her pocket. Gokudera snorted and started to walk off, but a hand grabbed his arm. Just as he was about to retort, Bianchi drew him into an embrace. In the hug, Bianchi whispered in Gokudera's ear. "You have the opportunity to follow the one who will change this world. He's the true Vongola Decimo."

Gokudera's eyes widened, but he soon closed them to hide the excitement dancing in his orbs. He pushed Bianchi away but took the envelope. As her brother was walking away, Bianchi smiled. This was the most she could do for him. The rest was up to him.

Gokudera leaned against the wall of the alley while carefully opening the envelope. The letter inside was plain with black ink. However, the words inside made him smirk.

As he put the letter away, Gokudera said, "Tonight, the truth shall be set free."

In this world, there was no happiness. Every day one can see someone dying or being murdered. For example, there's blood on the street. Over there was a collection of rats eating away at the flesh of a corpse. Then over by the corner were two Vongola guards laughing at the cannibalism people had to perform in order to survive.

Yamamoto loathed it, so how could he still smile and laugh in days like this? It was simple; he smiled and laughed at the end of those Vongola's lives. He could just imagine them begging for mercy and screaming pleas of forgiveness.

Of course he would not forgive them. Slash. There goes a leg. Slash. There goes an arm. Slash. Off comes the head. He could just picture it, those Vongola being hunted down, and who would be one of those who would hunt them down? He, Yamamoto Takeshi, would surely participate.

Where did his naivety go? It died the day the Vongola along with other Mafia famiglias took his mother and murdered her in front of his eyes. He could still see the blood that poured out of his mother's mouth and the organs that were twisted out of her body. He could still picture her heart being ripped out. He could still hear the mocking laughter from the Mafiosi who cut her flesh into thin pieces in "honor" of his mother marrying a sushi chef.

He absolutely loathed them. His naivety died along with those men who killed his mother, and who was the one responsible for killing those Mafiosi? It was none other than Yamamoto Takeshi. His eyes grew dark for revenge as killing those Mafiosi was not enough. His mother's life was worth more than them.

One look in the mirror and Yamamoto knew he had gone far down the path of hatred. But everyone went down this path, right? In this day and age, surely there was no one who was not tainted by hatred. If there were someone who was not on the same path as him, he would love to meet that person.

Maybe that person would be able to restore the world? Maybe but that was only if there was someone.

Knock! Knock! Yamamoto drew his sword, his Shigure Kintoki. "Takeshi, it's your father. There was something on the counter addressed to you."

Yamamoto closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them. His eyes no longer held the bloodlust or the deep swirls of hatred. "Alright oyaji. Let me dry my hands first."

Yamamoto hid his Shigure Kintoki under the mountain of towels and headed towards the door. He unlocked it and gave his father, Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, a giant grin. Tsuyoshi, however, did not smile back. The solemn look on his face alerted Yamamoto.

"Takeshi, this is a private matter that only you can decide, but I want you to remember that you are a successor of the Shigure Soen Ryu. Only you can make and lead your path as a swordsman," Tsuyoshi said with great conviction. Takeshi seemed taken aback by the sudden words. Nevertheless, he registered their meaning.

Takeshi nodded his head and Tsuyoshi gave a smile full of pride to his son. It was up to Takeshi on what he wanted to do. It did not matter if Tsuyoshi wanted his son to be as far away from the Mafia as possible. It did not matter. Yamamoto Takeshi was on his own journey as the successor of the Shigure Soen Ryu.

Tsuyoshi handed his son the envelope, but Takeshi did something his father would never expect. Takeshi gave a ninety-degree bow, a bow full of respect for his father. A bow saying sorry for the future mistakes and disgrace he would cause for his father. Tsuyoshi's smile as well as his eyes softened.

"Takeshi, stand up," Tsuyoshi said. Takeshi did as told and met his father's wise eyes. "Your mother is already happy for you, but she would want you to remember the good things in life. You don't have to force yourself to smile or laugh."

Takeshi's eyes widened, but before he was able to say anything, his father was gone. Takeshi tightened his grip on the envelope; he would make his father and mother proud. He would change this world even if he died in the process.

Suddenly feeling the urge to read the contents of the envelope, Takeshi ripped it open and took the letter out. The letter was plain with only black ink. However, the contents amazed Takeshi.

"Hahaha, so that's how things are done," Takeshi said. His lips changed into a smile, a real smile that had not existed ever since his mother died. "It looks like tonight the truth shall be set free."

There were good and bad sides to the Mafia. There were good and bad bosses of famiglias. There were even some that sacrificed their lives in order to let their subordinates live. One of them was to be forever remembered by a young individual.

May the boss of the Bovino Family rest in peace.

Lambo tried to control his tears as he wandered the streets. The Bovino famiglia's boss had been a good boss, but the thirst for power and dominance was too much for the Bovino Family to push back. Thus, it collapsed.

(flashback)

Alarms rang throughout the mansion, causing disturbance and chaos to erupt. Red flashed through the halls from the alarms, fire, and blood.

The sounds of gunshots, walls collapsing, and screams filled with agony were heard by everyone. The more time passed, the more frequent these sounds became. The curtains burned into crisps as well as furniture. Smoke lingered everywhere.

Lambo, a young child dressed similarly to a cow, gripped his blankets tighter. What was happening? Where was everyone?

Bang! Lambo ducked under the sheets and shivered. Who was there? "Lambo, come out. It's me." Upon hearing that familiar voice, Lambo peeked out of the blankets. His sea green eyes widened instantly. What was the red liquid on his boss's face? Why was it staining his boss's clothes? Why was it everywhere?

"Lambo, listen to me. You have to escape. You have to leave this place and do not come back. Don't ever come back here, understand?" Boss said urgently while holding Lambo's shoulders. The young child nodded his head but stayed frozen. Boss picked Lambo up in his arms and handed him a black envelope. "Open this envelope when you are far away from here. It should tell you what to do. Then go to Namimori, Japan. That's the safest place for you right now."

Lambo looked up at his boss's face and tried to ignore the red staining his face. "Why does Lambo-san have to leave? What is happening to Boss and everyone else?" The Bovino boss shook his head.

"Lambo, find the true Vongola Decimo. Tell him the Bovino Family is supporting his decision," Boss said with determined eyes. "Now go Lambo. Boss is proud of you."

(flashback end)

Salty tears slid down Lambo's face and left dark dots on the ground. Don't cry. Don't cry. Lambo tried to stop his tears, tried to stop remembering what happened.

"L-Lambo-san will cary out B-Boss's last orders. Lambo-san will make B-Boss proud again," the young child said through sobs. He wiped his tears away as he tried to read the letter from the envelope. "T-Tonight, the truth s-shall be set f-free."

What happened if the only one you cared about disappeared? One would feel saddened and guilty. Did the person leave because of what you did? Then what would happen if the only one you cared about was taken from you forcefully? One would feel bitter and furious. Who were the ones who took her away? Who were they? One would ask those questions in order to take revenge. Hatred made a home in the heart of Sasagawa Ryohei at the age of eleven.

It was during the night when there was no light in the sky since the clouds shrouded the stars and the moon. The Sasagawa household was only made up of Ryohei and his younger sister, Kyoko. Their parents had passed away years ago so Kyoko only had Ryohei to lean on.

Ryohei promised to protect his sister, his only living relative and most precious person. He promised to keep her safe from the Mafia, the ones responsible for the world's disorder. He promised to keep her alive. He promised many things.

They were in the basement with Kyoko, a nine year old, grabbing her older brother's sleeve and hiding her face in it. Ryohei had been patting her head and rubbing her back to calm her. It was not her fault that she was frightened. Who would not be when there were gunshots outside along with the shout of profanities?

The only reason Ryohei was calm on the outside was to reassure Kyoko that everything was going to be fine even when he did not believe it. He did not want her to cry. He did not want her to be scared. He did not want her to be scarred. He just wanted her to be a happy and bright child who would be able to smile genuinely in this dark world.

She flinched when her ears caught the sounds of a door being knocked down. Then she began to stake in fear and huddled closer to her brother. Ryohei pulled her into an embrace. "Kyoko, it's going to be okay. Everything is going to be fine."

Kyoko nodded her head in the embrace but continued to shake. Everything was going to be okay. Everything was going to be fine because Onii-chan said so.

Ryohei's hopes diminished when he heard the sound of footsteps coming closer to them. It sounded as if it was coming from upstairs because it was. Chairs were being knocked down while the tables were flipped. Some were even thrown to the wall and split in pieces.

Ryohei could hear Kyoko's soft sobbing. He tightened his hold on her and looked at the door. For Kyoko's sake, don't come in. For Kyoko's sake, don't find this door. For Kyoko's sake, don't stay in the house any longer. For Kyoko's sake...

The door was blasted off its hinges and crashed into the wall. Ryohei moved Kyoko so she hid behind him. There was no way those Mafiosi would get Kyoko. There was no way he would allow that. There was no way.

"So you were hiding in here?" one of the sinister gun-wielding Mafiosi asked. "Get the girl. We only came for her."

Ryohei immediately stood up and clenched his teeth. They could not get Kyoko. They just can't. The rest of the Mafiosi walked towards the two siblings with guns in hand along with a smirk.

Ryohei stood firmly with Kyoko grabbing her older brother's legs as if her life depended on it, which it might. Ryohei moved into a boxing position; he would fight for Kyoko. He would protect her.

The next moment became a blur to him as he suddenly felt dizzy. He felt something small bite the back of his neck and now he was wavering on his feet. Only the promise of protecting Kyoko made him continue to stand.

However, it was not enough as he was punched, thus sending him flying backwards. "Onii-chan!"

Ryohei shook his head to stop the darkness from enveloping him. He could not faint. He had to protect Kyoko. "Onii-chan!"

Ryohei snapped his head toward the direction of his sister. She was trying to fight back against the hold of her captors with tears visibly falling down her cheeks. Her honey colored eyes were only looking at Ryohei, her only hope.

However, hope was being torn apart every day in this world. Someone walked up to Ryohei, someone with dark brown hair and eyes. As the other Mafiosi were leaving with Kyoko, the man took another step closer to Ryohei. A mosquito was sent to bite Ryohei one last time to knock him out, but before Ryohei fell unconscious, the man said, "Your sister will be safe."

Ryohei did not believe the man. Whoever the Mafia took away would never be safe. They would all die.

Since the time Kyoko was taken away, Ryohei had grown bitter with silent rage for the Mafia. He had grown to become someone who absolutely despised the Mafia. He had grown into someone Kyoko would fear.

But for one night, he headed down the path in becoming someone Kyoko would not fear. Four years had passed since then, and Ryohei walked into Kyoko's room. He would pay his respects and cry the whole night over losing the only one he cared about. He did this every year during the day Kyoko was taken from him.

However, this year was different. This year he found an envelope on Kyoko's desk, a black envelope. Curiosity taking over, he slowly picked it up and opened it. Inside was a letter and something else. He ignored the other item and began to read the letter; it was addressed to him.

His eyes widened and his hands began to tremble when he finished reading it. His eyes began to water but not from sadness, from joy and relief. He placed the letter down and went to pick up the other item from the envelope with trembling hands. It was a photo, which made his legs weak as he collapsed onto his knees. More tears slid down his cheeks, but a smile made its way on to Ryohei's face. Then it turned into a grin as he started laughing.

His sister was alive. Kyoko was alive. She was safe. Kyoko was away from those Mafiosi.

After his laughter subsided, he still had a grin on his face. Looking at the photo in his hands, he said, "Tonight the truth shall be set free."

Many people considered Hibari powerful, yet he felt powerless. Many people considered him as the hope the world needed to defeat the Vongola, yet he felt hopeless. Many people thought he would be the one to defeat all those Mafiosi, yet he did not believe it. He did not believe it, yet he trudged on.

His goal was not to defeat the Vongola no matter how much he wanted to. He did not think he had enough power or strength to defeat that man, Vongola Decimo. Instead, his goal was to defeat as many Mafiosi as possible to further help him in his revenge.

Hibari Kyoya did not enjoy being forcefully exiled out of Namimori. Namimori was the town he privately swore to protect. He did not appreciate that it was being taken over by Mafiosi; it was being torn down and fixed cheaply. He did not appreciate that Namimori was in the hands of people so incapable but numbers had stopped Hibari from interfering. He was exiled and he could do nothing about it.

However he was able to take out numerous Mafiosi daily and secretly. No one knew who was behind the killings, but there were theories. One theory was unanimously agreed on by the students of Namimori Middle School. It was decided by the students that the fearless and powerful head-prefect was the one responsible. The leader of the Disciplinary Committee was preparing to rescue Namimori.

Loyal members of the Disciplinary Committee stayed with Hibari. More people who were deemed worthy joined and soon the Disciplinary Committee grew in size. Hope started to flood the hearts of the citizens of Namimori. However, the hope was short-lived. There was an attack from the Mafiosi of Namimori against the Disciplinary Committee who were fighting back with full force. It did not end well.

"Retreat!" one of the members with regent hairstyles yelled. Numerous men with similar hairstyles fell back while an onslaught of bullets were directed towards their retreating backs. Many men stumbled to the ground, taking their last breath. Many screamed in excruciating pain as an endless stream of bullets made its home in their skulls.

One man dived behind the remains of a crumbled wall as he narrowly missed death. "Kyo-san!" the man spoke into his earpiece. "There are enemies all over. Our members are retreating and dying. At this rate, no, already we are losing!"

There was silence on the other end. Bang! Kusakabe Tetsuya ducked his head in order to avoid a bullet being embedded into his neck. He prayed to his lucky stars while he rushed to the next wall, which would provide temporary defense. Fortunately, he managed to survive as he clutched his bleeding shoulder, which was injured in a previous attack.

"Kyo-san! Can you hear me?" Kusakabe spoke with panic and urgency lacing his words. "Kyo-san!"

Hibari crushed his earpiece with his bloody and battered tonfa. He leaned against the wall for support as he clutched his side. "Shut up or I'll bite you to death."

Even with his empty threat, Hibari took it seriously. He did not need to be reminded that they had already lost, that all their efforts until today ended up like this, that he had failed to protect Namimori.

Would things end up differently if they had been prepared? Would they have a chance to win if those Mafiosi did not use a surprise attack? Would they even stand a chance even if they had been prepared?

Hibari tightened his grip on his tonfa and hit the wall in frustration. His tonfa crumbled a little bit each time until it was no more. How could he, Hibari Kyoya, be beaten by an herbivore?

He stumbled forward but caught himself, bringing his knees slowly to the ground. His teeth clenched and his fists tightened until his nails dug deeply into his palm. The blood dripped down and tainted the ground. He did not care that he might die of blood loss. He was frustrated that he had lost; he was frustrated at himself. Those crowding Mafiosi herbivores had beaten him. Hibari Kyoya had lost.

However, he had just lost the battle and not the war. The war had not even begun and no one, not even himself, would proclaim a war against the Vongola. The war had no winner or loser since there was no war. There was no war.

Who would be crazy enough to proclaim war against the Vongola? Just look at himself; Vongola Decimo was not even in charge of this battle. Who would be crazy enough? But there was another question that could be asked. Who would be powerful enough? There was no way that someone so powerful could be an herbivore. There was no way that the person would die in this kind of battle. But would there be someone so powerful?

Footsteps. Hibari's ears listened intently as he heard someone walking away. Who was there that had been watching Hibari? Who was there that Hibari could not sense?

Slightly curious, Hibari stood up and trudged towards the fading sound. He stopped in front of crumbled bricks, which came from a destroyed building. Underneath one brick was a black envelope addressed to him.

Hibari fell on one knee before picking up the envelope. The blood on his hands tainted the envelope and soon the letter. Besides the blood and the black words imprinted on the letter, there was nothing else. However, the words on the letter implied much more than its appearance.

After reading the words, a bloodthirsty smirk came across his face as his eyes showed bloodlust. His eyes narrowed as he stood up with newfound determination. He would bite to death whoever sent the letter. "Tonight the truth shall be set free."

"Chrome, who gave you the letter?" Mukuro questioned as he looked over the paper. Chrome stood next to him in the alley; her eye scanned the words again with a smile slipping on to her face.

"A carrier pigeon had the letter. But isn't it great? There is a way to get your friends out of the Estraneo," Chrome replied. She looked up at Mukuro with unhidden enthusiasm shining in her eyes. She knew how much Mukuro wanted to get Ken and Chikusa out and free ever since she abandoned her famiglia or, more precisely, her famiglia abandoned her.

(flashback)

"Kufufu. What is a young defenseless lady doing by herself?" Nagi lifted her head from the butterfly on the flower and turned to face the stranger. Her eyes examined the older boy who leaned against the tree with arms crossed. Despite being a complete stranger, he did not appear to be a threat so Nagi stood up and took cautious steps towards him, wanting to see the boy more clearly.

"This is the private garden the head servant gave to me. Who are you?" Nagi caught the boy's amused gaze and noticed the color of each eye, one red and one blue.

"Apparently I am someone trespassing your garden. Do you still not call the guards?" the boy asked. Nagi paused in her steps, thinking over the words before shaking her head. When she met his gaze again, her attention turned to the right eye, which was barely peeking out from the indigo hair. Why did he hide an eye with a beautiful color? She began to close the distance between them until she stood beside him. With her left hand, she brushed away the hair covering the boy's right eye. "Are you not scared of me or this eye?"

Nagi could not find anything frightening about the boy or the eye, which held a beautiful shade of crimson. There was something mystifying about the eye that drew her full attention even if the color reminded her of blood. "It's beautiful. Why do you hide it?"

The boy turned his head away, allowing his hair to cover his eye again. Nagi lowered her hand to rest at her side, watching the boy's movements. "It is an eye that will cause the suffering of thousands. It is an eye with the paths of hell. With this knowledge, are you afraid?" The boy straightened his back and turned to face her. Nagi could only reply with a shake of her head, mesmerized once more of the crimson eye. "Kufufu. You are amusing, but I'll be leaving now."

The boy turned around, and his body began to disappear into indigo flames, into a mist. Nagi rushed forward to grab the back of the boy's shirt, not knowing what she was doing. Her hand gently held a piece of the shirt, but she could not help but think it felt fake, as if it was only a figment of her imagination. "What's your name?"

The boy turned his head around with a smirk in place. "Rokudo Mukuro. What's yours?"

"Nagi." Mukuro raised an eyebrow at the lack of a surname but did not say anything. He vanished into the mist, leaving Nagi a name to repeat throughout the day.

It was as if she was in a fairy tale with her knight in shining armor coming to break the monotonous days of simply living alone. He was her knight with the red eye.

Knock! Knock! The girl looked up from her book as the door to her room opened. One of the servants that was always stationed by her door gave a bow before stepping aside to reveal the boy with the red eye. "Nagi-san, this is your new personal servant. His name is Rokudo Mukuro. Your parents have assigned him to stay with you at all times to prevent any harm towards you."

Nagi nodded her head, but she knew that was not the truth. Her parents must have wanted a new guard so she would not run off and cause any unnecessary trouble for their famiglia. Or perhaps they only wanted her alive so their famiglia could continue even though she'll only have a title, while the real boss would be the Family's second-in-command.

The door closed behind the servant, leaving Nagi alone with Mukuro. The boy walked past her, heading straight to the door on the other side of the room. He twisted the knob and pushed it open as he said, "Shall we go to the garden?"

It never felt as peaceful as when she was alone. With Mukuro always leaning against the tree while watching her actions in amusement, she felt she had a companion. Even when they never talked, she felt content. Nevertheless, she felt she was in one of the stories she read where the peace was the calm before the storm. Perhaps when the storm struck, she would end up dead and forgotten. She always imagined that would happen, mostly because she knew that was what her parents wanted, so she was not surprised when Mukuro held a small trident against her neck after a week of their peace.

"Humans are fragile beings. With one motion of my hand, you can die. No one would notice until they happen to stumble upon your body. But who will care?" Mukuro asked as he looked into Nagi's eyes. The girl stared back with her amethyst eyes appearing blanker than before.

"Maybe it's for the best," Nagi mumbled as she stared at his red eye. "It would be a relief that it would be finally over."

"An ending is merely the beginning of another cycle," Mukuro said. "Humans are the most disgusting of creatures. They send for another to kill their own flesh, not living up to the responsibility of taking care of their own kind or to take out what they brought in. Those who are neglected receive the worst punishment and have led useless lives."

Nagi stared at Mukuro, noticing the bitter resentment in his voice. Then she tentatively asked, "Have my parents sent someone to erase me?"

Mukuro looked back at the girl, noticing the resigned expression. "They have if you did not notice how close to death you are."

"But will you do it?" Mukuro attempted to conceal the confusion that wished to flash on his face. What reason would he not have to slice her throat for the blood to flow out and eventually choke her? Why would he give mercy in this merciless world? Nevertheless, his actions were misinterpreted.

"What are you doing?" Mukuro turned his head to the door; Nagi's eyes seemed to lighten at her mother's entrance, hoping that a part of her mother came because of concern. "Why are you hesitating to kill her?"

The woman walked towards them in long strides; a corrupted fire lit her eyes, making Nagi flinch. Mukuro did not expect the woman to reach for his trident and his unprepared grip lost to the fierce one. He only watched in his haze as the woman covered Nagi's mouth to muffle all sounds and drew her hand back. Then he saw red.

Nagi's body shook as she grabbed her mother's wrist and tried to pull it away as if it could make the pain disappear. She wanted to scream until her lungs flared, but her mother's hand muffled the sound. Her crimson tears tainted the trident. She could not see in her pain-filled eye.

Suddenly, she felt the hand pull away as well as the trident in her right eye. She gasped for the cold air and clutched her eye, red covering her hands. She heard her mother scream, but it was cut short. Curiosity taking over, she opened her left eye and moved her head slowly to look for her mother. She saw Mukuro standing above her mother with the trident that pierced her eye. "Rokudo-san."

"Your mother is not dead. She's only unconscious," Mukuro replied while staring at the body. Nagi started to move towards him while struggling to keep the pain at a minimum. "What are you doing? Didn't you hear your mother? I was hired to kill you."

"Rokudo-san," Nagi started again, pausing to fill her lungs with the cold air instead of sobs. "You went against my mother. You're the first one to do that in order to help me. Why would I be afraid of you?"

Mukuro turned to face her struggling form while tightening his grip on his trident. In a couple of steps, he reached Nagi and held his trident near her throat again. "Don't misunderstand. I only helped you because..." The rest of the words died in Mukuro's throat as he noticed Nagi was looking at his red eye with a small, knowing smile. "You knew?"

"I can guess. My step-father funded the Estraneo's experiment facility in disguise as an orphanage and your name would come up," Nagi answered with violent coughs following. "Rokudo-san, I'm sorry."

(flashback end)

"Chrome, don't believe everything you see. This sounds impossible," Mukuro replied, bringing Chrome out of her reverie.

"But we can go to the meeting place to see if it isn't fake. There's no harm in that, right?" Chrome asked. She waited patiently for the inner debate in Mukuro to subside and she knew what the answer was when all that was left was glee. Mukuro folded the letter and put it back in the envelope before placing it in his jacket.

"Kufufu. Then we'll see if tonight the truth would really be set free."

"Tsunayoshi-kun, all the envelopes have been sent." Tsuna looked to his right on the balcony and saw Byakuran leaning against the railing with his arms crossed. "I'm still not certain that sending the letters to the people who were your guardians in other parallel worlds is a good idea. They could be part of the problem in this world."

Tsuna shook his head and rested his arms on the railing before looking towards the sunset. "There's a reason why they were constantly chosen as my guardians in other parallel worlds. Being guardian is not a title handed to anyone. Loyalty is one factor that must be considered. Resolution is another. Those things have been lost and is more important than ever right now."

Suddenly, the brunet felt a familiar weight on his head. "If they are not worthy to be guardians, they will not be given the position. And if they're part of the problem, I'll just shoot them. There's nothing to worry about."

"Reborn," Tsuna sighed. "Please keep your violence to a minimum." In return, Reborn lightly hit Tsuna's head with his gun.

"When were you able to order your tutor around?" Reborn asked. Tsuna could feel the beginnings of a bruise appear. Nevertheless, he let an amused chuckle pass his lips. Byakuran watched them while playing with his Mare ring.

"Even in this world, you're still a pacifist. I guess that is really in your nature," Byakuran said. Tsuna looked at him with a smile while Reborn leapt off the brunet's head and onto the floor.

"Just treat me as the Sawada Tsunayoshi of this world, as your friend." The brunet noticed that Reborn was covering his face with his fedora, but he knew Reborn had the same smirk on his face as Byakuran.

"You really are an anomaly, but that's a good thing here," Byakuran said. Tsuna replied with a chuckle, something Byakuran felt at ease when hearing. There was no ill-intent, malevolence, or sadism coating the laugh, only genuine bliss. "Do you think they will come?"

Tsuna stopped his laugh but kept his smile on his face. "Of course. I edited the rough draft you wrote into something that had parts of Reborn's research on the Vongola." Byakuran was about to retort, but Tsuna held a hand up. "I know. If they are enemies, it would cause a target to fall on me. But I had to give something in order to receive something else. I had to give them information to receive their temporary trust."

Byakuran sent a questioning look to Reborn, asking if he knew. "There must be give and take to ensure success. If Tsuna did not give them information and only a letter containing a date and address, they would ignore it as a scam. Tsuna had to risk something since they would be risking their lives to appear at the location," Reborn replied, but the infant did not seem completely confident.

"It'll be fine. I trust them." Byakuran watched Tsuna's expression to see if the brunet believed his own words. There was no doubt, suspicion, or hesitation in his eyes. Maybe Tsuna was too trusting? Byakuran peered closer at the brunet. Perhaps he knew because of his hyper intuition?

"Nevertheless, we have to prepare. Have you informed the guards about their appearance tonight?" Reborn asked while looking at the brunet. Tsuna shook his head with his smile turning sheepish.

"I'll do that now. Byakuran, do you want to accompany me? I'll make a stop at the kitchen for some marshmallows if you come," Tsuna asked before turning around and heading towards the door. Byakuran quickly followed while humming a tune. Tsuna always knew how to lessen the tension and anxiety he felt.

A/N: Phalaenopsis has come to an end and I thank every one of you who has read this fanfic. Regarding the fate of these stories, I have decided to let every one of the chapters be up for adoption, except for chapters 5 and 13. If you want to adopt, ask me first and then I'll give the story to you.

The poll will be up and you'll be able to vote for which story you want me to continue; it will end on April 10, which is one month from now. Since massive plot bunnies appeared in History class, Parallel World 13 will be continued as an individual fanfic.

Thanks once again for reading this fanfic! If you don't mind, please tell me which chapter you like the most and why.