At the day of the carnevale, bright lights filled everything and everyone was all costumed up.

"You look good Tsuna," Takeshi complimented.

Tsuna nodded. He wasn't doing a fire act today. Today, he was dressed as a joker. He wore a white placid mask with a golden design. His clothes colored burgundy and black and as he walked; the bells on his hat chimed with every step. At least this was manlier than his last costume but he was still jealous that Takeshi looked manly in anything he wore.

He wore a white mask as well covered with a black masquerade mask on top that only covered his eyes. He had on a magician's hat wrapped in red shining roses and golden frill. A matching red scrunched collar ran around his neck outlined in gold and sported a same colored blazer with white ruffles running down his neck.

It was hot with everything they had on being covered from head to toe. His black gloves prevented a good grip of anything which he found irritating. The crew basically paraded around town with confetti showering all over them and the streets crowded with masses of people enjoying the event.

Even though he couldn't play with flames, Tsuna still felt like doing something that the audience loved. He did flips in mid-air and showed off his physical abilities with jumps and turns.

"Mah~ Tsuna's really showing off," Haru remarked as she stood on the float.

Kyoko laughed. "He's the center of Namimori after all."

As he landed on his feet, he heard a bell chime against the floor and rattle.

"Ah!" he ran after it.

It rolled far to the audience and hid in the crowd's feet.

"Do more! Do more!" The crowd chanted. They thought he came closer to rile them up.

"Ack!"

They rushed at him with grubby hands yelling out " ! Mr. Joker!"

The sight of the yellow bell disappeared as a thick mass of people engulfed him.

"Should we help him?" Takeshi worried.

"Nah," Kusakabe patted him on the shoulder. "He's just popular."

Kusakabe's smile gleamed as a worried sweat drop came at Yamamoto's face.

A hand grabbed him from his back and pulled him out.

"Are you okay?" a voice asked.

Tsuna looked up panting. "Thanks," he breathed. Tough crowd.

"Here," he held out a yellow bell, "I think you lost this."

He went ahead and reattached it to Tsuna's hat. He stared at the man like his hero. He had that charismatic feel about him with the long golden hair with a sort of punk look, but you could tell he was a nice person. He was tall like a lot of the Europeans he had seen since he got here. He wore a black muscle shirt which showed the tattoos on his arm which Tsuna thought was really cool.

"Arigatou, onii-san," Tsuna let out then caught himself. He accidentally went back to Japanese when he was too impressed with the tattoos.

"What?"

"Ah! I mean thank you!"

"Oh, you're Japanese!" the man called out. "That's cool. I know how to speak too," he smiled. He patted him on the shoulder. "Well, you guys are doing great! You guys are making the parade look really good. Keep it up."

With that, the man had to leave but he watched him go. That guy was really cool.

"Tsuna!" Takeshi called out.

The parade was already moving and Tsuna ran to catch up.

….

He took off his mask trying to cool off and get a breath of air. It felt good to feel the weight off from his face. They were all back in their dressing rooms but they could only stay there for a little while. They still had to put on a performance at one of the shows they booked for the night. Tsuna looked up at the clock and they only had two hours to kill. They were supposed to take turns on and off parading the streets and Yamamoto had a different shift that him. Maybe he should look for Xanxus. He had to be enjoying the carnevale right?

….

Xanxus was not enjoying the carnevale. The Varia were roaming the crowded streets of the festival but were fully armed. The Monterrosso was a stubborn group and they had been caught moving behind the streets. Squalo looked around him annoyed. There were all these people! They were probably using this as a distraction and cover. What made it worse was that people wore masks so he couldn't tell if any of them were Mafia or not. He clicked his tongue when he suddenly felt a hand reach for his sword.

"A Carnevale Ogni Scherzo Vale,~" Anything goes at the carnival~.

"Hey!" Squalo turned and smacked the person right up the head.

"Ow!" A costumed person fell back.

"Don't touch me!" he yelled. Damn. He thought it was a person trying to attack him.

The person ran away cussing that he was only trying to pull a prank.

"Shi Shi Shi." The swordsman turned around and a series of knives came at him that outlined his head. "That person doesn't know how to play a prank."

A vein throbbed in Squalo temple. "Stupid! Stop playing around!"

…..

Dino wandered aimlessly around. He'd been informed that the Monterrosso had been moving recently and that they were planning to bomb one of the floats to kill Abelie Gioia, the daughter of a rich bank owner who supposedly tricked them and got their boss' brother imprisoned and put for death row, during the parade. He reviewed the issue and it turns out that the brother got himself caught and blamed the banker for his own mistakes. Either way, Dino couldn't let anyone get hurt in his turf. If they blow up that float, it wasn't just Abelie Gioia that was going to die; there were other people gathered here.

"Hey!" a voice yelled.

The blonde turned around and saw a small brown haired boy do a flip dodging an incoming water balloon. It splashed onto one of the prankers instead who yelled out. Wow, that kid's amazing. He suddenly remembered the performer on the streets. The two prankers ran away and he came up to him.

"Wow, you're really athletic," he complimented.

The kid turned around. He was dressed in normal clothes this time dressed in jeans and a light sweater. "Thanks."

"You're that joker from the parade earlier right?" he smiled.

"Yeah," Tsuna admitted.

Was this the blonde from earlier? He perked up from admiration. This guy fit the perfect image of prince.

"Um, is it normal for everyone to act like this?" Tsuna asked. He understood it was a festival but everyone was really trying to pull pranks on him ever since he stepped out of the Kokuyo building. The man looked at him odd. "This is my first time participating in the festival," he explained awkwardly.

"Oh," the blonde nodded in surprise. "I thought you were pretty comfortable here when I first saw you. Don't worry, those kids are always pulling pranks in days like this," the man explained. "It's all fun and spirit of the carnevale. If you need anything you can ask me."

Tsuna smiled. "Thanks. My name's Tsuna."

"Dino," he shook his hand.

"Actually, I have to go". Tsuna told him. "I'm looking for someone,"

"Alright. See you then," Dino smiled.

They waved goodbye and Tsuna walked away and went into an alley. Din scrunched his face. Where was he going? It was dangerous going into alleys especially when he knew the mafia was moving in the shadows. Some men dressed in the same costume of black and white with feathers protruding from their hats followed him in. One of them looked suspiciously around before entering and glared when he locked eyes with the blonde. Shit! Dino ran after them.

….

Tsuna had no idea where Xanxus was and was just aimlessly wandering around the city. Maybe he was at the central square? He was bound to meet someone he knew if he just kept walking around. He went ahead and took a shortcut in an alley. He remembered from his childhood entering through this place many times when he wanted to fool the other kids that he could run faster them. The lights were dim and he got a bad feeling in his stomach. He heard footsteps from behind and started walking faster but stopped in his tracks when he turned the corner. There was a bunch of scary looking guys smoking and loitering as they sat on crates. The dim lights shadowed their faces and that was more menacing than the guns they held.

"What the shit?" one of them sneered when they spotted him.

Tsuna tried to run back but he could see the shadows of people ahead approaching. The men he saw caught up to him and he was trapped. Damn. He gritted his teeth and tensed his hands. These guys weren't going to let him go.

As from both sides approached the boy, a roaring brightness rushed at them and they screamed in pain as a flame burned at them.

….

Dino ran into the alley and he saw the group of men turn the corner and a bright light ignited and they came flying back. He stepped back as they flung to the brick wall. What the hell? He ran up ahead and he saw Tsuna in a different light than what he saw just a minute ago. His eyes sharpened and his face took in a scary seriousness as he punched a bunch of guys to the floor and knocking them out. He watched more amazed until he noticed a guy getting up from the floor reaching for his gun.

"Watch out!"

The bronco flicked his whip taking away the gun and smacking the man back down. As the last guy fell to the floor, Tsuna turned around.

"Dino?"

"Tsuna! Are you alright?" Dino ran up to him.

…

The blonde touched his lips with a worried look. There was a bruise on his lips he didn't notice before.

"Did they hit you?"

Tsuna blushed. That was from when Xanxus bit his lip earlier!

"No!" he blurted. "I'm fine!"

"Hey!" a voice yelled.

A gun shot and a sudden flash rushed between the two's face and Dino backed away. The two turned seeing a tall irritated man with a smoking gun in his right hand and another loaded in his left.

"Xanxus!" Tsuna called out as a smile emerged on his face.

He ran up hugging him. The man petted him and kissed his forehead as Tsuna let out a slight purr.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a gruff voice. "And the hell are you doing with him?"

The man looked at Dino and the blonde shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably.

….

So the kid was with the mafia. That made a bit of sense right? He looked at Xanxus and back at the kid. The kid was apparently part of the Vongola. Had he seen him before? If he kept looking at him, he did remember him looking like someone he knew. They went ahead back into the streets to take Tsuna back to where he was supposed to be stationed for the entertainment crew. Dino walked behind them as the two talked.

"I was just looking for you," Tsuna looked up.

"You're not supposed to go into places like that."

"But you do,"

The older man looked at him and bit him. Chomp. Dino couldn't resist a smile. What was he looking at? It was like a lion or a tiger playing with a cub. The man held Tsuna closer and he couldn't help but see that Xanxus was a little different. A little bit calmer than he was known to be. They reached a tall building where other people were running around in costumes and they passed dressing rooms where girls shrieked and slammed the door closed.

"I'll go ahead outside," he told them before waving goodbye.

He left the two of them as the future Vongola went ahead with the younger boy all the way to his dressing room.

"Don't go anywhere unless I tell you to." Xanxus warned as they reached his door.

….

Tsuna resisted a pout. Xanxus was always out there putting himself out in danger. Showing up in the alley where those strange men were only meant that he was doing something from the mafia. What did he mean when he said to not go anywhere unless he told him to? He wanted to help and he knew he could take care of himself. The older man noticed his sad look and kissed him.

"Be careful," Tsuna told him.

Xanxus promised and left him to wait the last half hour of his free time. He was being selfish when he didn't let Tsuna in on these "business" missions. The boy sunk into his chair. Why couldn't he enjoy the carnevale like a normal person? As he was sulking he heard noises across the other dressing room. He poked his head out like the others and a man with a thick mustache standing in the hall was arguing with a girl inside the room. He yelled something and a shoe came flying at him with the door slammed in his face. What was the problem? He saw Kusakabe coming across the hall who tried talking to the other man. He shook his head and Kusakabe frowned. When their manager came into the room, the others crowded to him.

"What happened?" Haru asked.

Kusakabe sighed. "The girl who was supposed to be in the first float is refusing to be in the parade," he answered shaking his head. "It's going to ruin the whole thing."

"Who is she anyways?" one of the other members asked.

"Abelie Gioia. She's the daughter of one of the sponsors for the festival and if she doesn't show, her father is going to be really angry and might even take it out on the whole festival."

"What is she supposed to do? Just stand in the float?" Yamamoto asked. He already came back to get ready before the show. His eyebrows slanted as he talked. He was really serious about performing and took pride in Namimori, more so than a lot of the other members.

"She's just going to be public figure," Kusakabe answered. "She just needs to show up to please the audience. We really need someone to replace her quick."

"We can just put someone up there," Haru let in. "No one will know if we just put a mask on them."

"But everyone's already got their own thing in the parade. Plus, she's not part of any particular group or organization," someone argued.

"I'll do it," Tsuna volunteered. Everyone looked at him. "I'm just a joker," he tried persuading, "there's a lot of other ones like me but there's only one of that girl. If the parade's going to be ruined without her, then I'll do it."

…

Well, I guess Tsuna's gonna be cross dressing again :D All he does is want to help everyone . Anyways, thanks for patiently waiting and reading guys. I know school's been hectic for everyone T^T and it has been a while since I updated. I'll try updating again soon 3