Rebirth

Ring 1: A Whole New Beginning

Hello. My name is Chrome Dokuro, I-I go to Kokuyo Junior High. I lived a regular life. If I had to point out where my life went wrong, I'd hate to...but I would have to blame Tsunayoshi. Um...I'm not very good at this...um...HAH!

Ku Fu Fu

Everyone, let's give my cute Chrome a break and let our story tell itself.

"Welcome Everyone! It's time for Haru's HaruHaru Interview Dangeous!"

"I still don't get what's so dangerous."

Haru threw the nearest thing she could grab. Which, fortunately, was chalk. Unfortunately, she threw it with enough force to knock him off his seat.

"Well, onto the interview! Today's guest is the always interesting, Chrome Dokuro!"

"H-Haru, I'm not that interesting."

"Our always modest, Chrome-chan!"

"Go Chrome! Death to the gorilla!"

'The Gorilla' threw the board eraser at the offender.

"Well Chrome-chan, let's start with the basics, what is your birthday?"

"December 5th."

"What's your age?

"13"

"What's your favorite place?"

"Kyoko-chan's brother's ramen cart."

"What's your relationship status?"

"Eh? Um...there's you and Kyoko..."

"We're talking about a boyfriend."

"Eh? Um..."

"Somebody should take her off the air." someone muttered.

Haru left the stage and began beating the guy with her mike. Chrome left while she could. She leaned against the wall and sighed.

"Everything alright Chrome?"

"Yes. Thank you Kyoko."

"Is Haru interviewing you again?"

"Yes." She admitted.

"Too bad. Don't let it get you down Chrome."

"Thanks."

"This interview is dangerous for US!"

"Shut up. You just don't know what it's like to be an interviwer!"

"It's better than watching a flat chested women bark on stage!"

"We should get a teacher." Kyoko said, "Come on."

As lunch came to a close, Chrome and Kyoko headed towards their lockers. Chrome could barely recognize her own locker.

"Eh? This isn't my lock."

"Hm. What happened to it?" Kyoko wondered.

"Maybe somebody switched the locks?"

Suddenly, someone loomed over them. Nervously, Chrome turned and looked up.

"H-hello M.M-S-Sama."

M.M glared at her for a moment before she turned, "Mukuro-Sama! It's here!"

Mukuro approached the 2 and smiled at Chrome, "Is this yours?" and jangled a lock above her.

"Ah!" She cried, "Sorry!"

"It's nothing. But it seems you're in a fix." Mukuro turned to his lock and spun in the code, popping it off and unlatched it, "There you go."

Mukuro handed Chrome her lock and walked off, leaving a stunned pair of girls who were late for class.

"Chrome." Kyoko called.

"Huh?"

"Wanna help out at my brother's ramen cart again?"

"Okay. But what about Haru?"

"She got detention."

"Oh."

When Chrome and Kyoko reached the new location of Ryohei's ramen cart, he was already working hard.

"Ah! Kyoko, Chrome! Nice to have my cute waitresses again! What took so long?"

"School."

"Ha Ha! Luckily I don't go to school! Those classes were boring to the extreme!"

"You dropped out Ni-san."

"Ha Ha! I could never sit through those classes anyway! Learning was never my strong suit!"

"Hey Kyoko! Miso ramen please!"

"Ah! Coming!"

Haru was the last to arrive and the first to leave. When Kyoko left, Ryohei told her to tell his parents "Hi". Chrome stayed late. Til Ryohei closed his cart.

"You always stay so late." Ryohei smiled, "How do you manage?"

"I just do." Chrome answered vaguely. She hid her frown.

When Chrome got home, the night and her home was already dark. Chrome used her keys to get in. Once she closed the door, she heard movement behind her. She stopped breathing. The movement continued. Slowly, she turned her head around. Her mom was wearing a fluffy pink bathrobe and standing on a giant lavish staircase. She looked around sleepily. She shuffled over to the kitchen and out of sight. Chrome breathed a sigh of relief and walked up the same stairs where her mom came from.

Chrome walked, exhausted, to her room and took a midnight bath. After changing to a pajama, she walked over to her bed and hugged her pillow. Silently, she cried herself to sleep.

Ku Fu Fu

Chrome dreamed of a lake. A small forest surrounded that lake and nearby was a ruin, a white small remain of what was clearly a worshiping temple. It was at this ruin that Mukuro appeared. He chuckled,

"After years of abuse, you learned to fear your parents. After years of neglect, you learned to fear the occasions where your parents have ever spoken to you. You live such a life all alone."

Chrome nodded, sadly, dreamily.

"Haru. Kyoko. You think they only love you out of pity huh?"

Chrome nodded again.

"Is that so? Well then...shall I be your first friend?"

Chrome woke early the next morning. If she didn't, her mom would be up and she would never be able to make breakfast. And yet, after Chrome made not only breakfast, even her own lunch, she made breakfast for her parents. Before she left, she turned to the empty home,

"I'll be going now."

No one wished her a safe trip.

"Chrome, your dark rings have grown." Kyoko noticed.

"I-It's nothing. But Kyoko, you've got some as well."

"I would. My favorite bakery was having a sale on cakes so I had to wake up early to buy some. Haru was with me."

At the mention of Haru, she walked through the door, looking like a zombie. She too looked deprived of sleep.

"I woke up at an ungodly hour of the day...and managed to get a godly cake...it was worth it."

"If it was worth it, why are you trying to convince yourself that it is?" Kyoko laughed.

Chrome smiled. And then the teacher walked in.

"My name is Mukuro Rokudo. Your current teacher was busy so they asked me to fill in." He looked directly at Chrome, "Nice to meet you."

Nothing happened that class. Nothing happened between Chrome and Mukuro. Not in that class. Not in the same room as their assistant teacher, M.M. That may sound disappointing, but it's the truth. After all, it was a dream. Right?

Throughout Mukuro's class, Chrome tried to figure out whenever that vivid dream was really a dream. In the end, she couldn't answer it. As everyone began to pack up, Mukuro made an announcement,

"Kamina gave me a list of all the people who are to stay after class for extra lessons. Ku fu fu. I say list, but it's really a name: Chrome Dokuro, stay after class please."

"Aw, sucks." Haru said, patting her back.

Chrome jolted out of her shock from that pat.

"Um..."

Chrome wasn't learning. They were both just standing there.

"Am I really that bad at this?"

"No."

Chrome shrunk back into silence, but that question had an effect: Mukuro laughed,

"Well, shall we get going?"

"Wh-where?"

"On our date. We're boyfriend and girlfriend right?"

We can guess Chrome's reaction to that.

Mukuro brought her to a amusement park. They spent the rest of the school hours playing in there. Chrome was still in shock.

"Did you think it was a dream?"

"Oh...yeah'"

"I figured. Are you upset?"

"N-No! Not at all!"

"That's relieving."

Chrome reluctantly had to cut their date short. When she got to Ryohei's cart, Kyoko and Haru were already there. They demanded an explanation, but Ryohei ignored her lateness. And with the rush of work, her friends decided to let it pass...but didn't drop it.

"So where were you?" Haru asked when they were all walking home together.

"Huh?"

"You were gone for the whole day." Kyoko added, "We were worried."

"Sorry. I...had a lot to learn."

"We came to check up on you and you weren't there. Don't tell me you've been keeping a boy behind our backs."

"N-NO! I-It's nothing like that?"

"Hmmm?" Haru looked at Chrome suspiciously.

"H-Haru...you're home."

"Ah!" Haru left and rushed inside, but she poked her head out from behind the door and yelled, "You better tell me tomorrow."

"Don't worry, she'll forget by tomorrow." Kyoko smiled as they continued to Kyoko's house.

Chrome stayed silent and wondered what to do.

"You don't have you to tell me. Chrome-chan lives a hard life already right?"

"H-huh?" Chrome didn't think anyone knew about her parental problems.

"Well you wear that eye patch because you got run over by a car when you were young right?"

"Ah! Th-that's right."

"Well, I'm home...so..."

"Wh-wait."

"Hm?"

For a moment, Chrome hesitated, but before she could debate any longer, she blurted, "I-I'm dating Mukuro-Sama!"

~The Sky Awaits The Reunion~

A plane flew into Japan.

"All passengers please remember to take your personal items with you as we leave."

"WAH!" One passenger fell as he pulled his trunk out and everything spilled out.

"S-sorry." The boy apologized to the other passengers who helped picked up his belongings. When he finally got out, he went to one of the restaurants and bought a soda. Or tried to.

"Ah! I lost my wallet."

"I-it's on the house."

"R-really? Thank you!"

When the boy left, the employee sighed, "He looks so pitiful."

The boy smiled at his strange stoke of luck and opened the soda. The drink blasted out of the can and soaked him. He sighed,

"Looks like my bad luck followed me to Japan." He reached into his pocket and took out a photo, "Well, at least this isn't wet."

The photo showed a small young girl with familiar purple hair.

"Chrome...I'm home." Tsuna smiled.