{Varia headquarter, Italy}

Knock knock.

Standing outside of the cloud's room, Mammon impatiently tapped their foot against the floor. The investigator behind them stood straight and didn't utter a word in fear of angering the caped mist.

The Arcobaleno clicked their tongue, knocking on the mahogany door once more, this time with a bit more force they cleared their throat. "Yucca, open up," they stated. Their voice wasn't loud, but it had a strange commanding feeling to it. It made the investigator stand straighter as if waiting for an order. Such display of authority from someone so small, Mammon, certainly had their place within the Varia.

From where they stood, the two Varia members heard hurried footsteps, those accompanied by a muffled "I'm coming," from the raven head they guessed.

Sighing, Mammon took a step back. Not a second later, the door swung open, revealing a wet looking Yucca. Holding a towel on his head, the male dried his hair. "Mammon-chan," he whispered, making the small mist unnoticeably flinch at the appellation. The voice, combined with this name, it was so eerily similar to that time. 

Sensing the others sudden shift in demeanor, Yucca pulled up a smile. Meeting the investigator's quizzical gaze, he nodded at him, before ushering the two Varia members inside. It most probably was linked to his case, why would Mammon meet him otherwise?

"You can come in," he said turning to go back inside. "Let me put something more... presentable on and I'm all yours," with these words Yucca went to rummage his dresser for one of his work outfit. The towel still hanging on his head as the other stayed wrapped around his waist.

"Take something from the mini-bar if you want," he called out before entering the bathroom, his new set of clothes in hand.

Mammon didn't wait for the younger's go, already standing in front of the mini-bar they took a can of beer out. When was the last time they drank one? They didn't remember. Casually going to the couch, they sat and sipped on their drink. They could try and drown their despair in alcohol, although they doubted they would get drunk from only a can.

Next, to Mammon, the investigator wasn't as calm. Being with the mist guardian was already testing his nerves, but being with them, alone in one of the other leading member's room, with the said member next door, he wasn't sure anymore. The tension between the two guardians not helping his case, the investigator focused on regulating his breathing. Right, let's recite the alphabet backward! They thought determined.

"Sorry for the wait," Yucca called out, getting out of the bathroom in his usual attire. "Shall we go?"

Not missing a beat, the investigator shot up before bolting straight for the door. "If you will follow me, Mammon-sama, Yucca-sama," they asked opening the door.

Seeing the flustered state of the older looking male, Yucca stifled a laugh. "Sure, shall we Mammon," he demanded, omitting the -chan this time as he had felt the smaller's discomfort earlier.

Hearing their name being called out, Mammon lifted their head, momentarily pausing at the sigh of the cloud's new hairstyle. Standing they dismissed it, throwing the can it the metallic trash can, "Sure."

::

"So all I have to do is sit and stare at Mammon's face?" the white-haired male wondered aloud as he sat on the comfortable velvet armchair, the caped guardian being on a similar chair facing him.

"Putting it this way is a bit," the investigator trailed off. "Crude I suppose, but yes that is the jist of it Yucca-sama," he concluded before pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "As it is impossible for one to hide their true desire in the mindscape, it should be relatively quick," they paused, taking in the two guardians' figure. "Do you have any more questions?"

The officer in probation hummed, shaking his head from right to left before sending Mammon an inquiring look. "What about you Mammon?" he asked with a smile, ignoring the small pang in his chest at the masked disgust the mist displayed.

Mammon didn't answer him, turning to face the investigator they nodded. "We can begin. If there's a problem, Fantasma will tell you. You should be able to see everything too," they stated, their small hand indicating the resting frog on their head.

Fantasma hearing their name moved its frog form and morphed into a snake before they began to float above Mammon's head.

The investigator nodded, pulling a chair he sat next to the two guardians. "Then Mammon-sama, Yucca-sama if you will."

::

{???, ???}

Entering the mindscape, Mammon blinked their pitch-black orbs open. Moving their head from left to right, they realized how up their view seemed compared to normal.

Glancing down they saw their hands, they appeared bigger, closer to their original form. Am I in my adult form? They wondered for a moment, taking in their new appearance. Ah, can't say I didn't miss this form.

Mentally shaking their head, Mammon scanned their surrounding. They needed to find Yucca and get out of here. The earlier it ended, the sooner they could leave the cloud's side. Calmly, the mist started to wander around the mindscape, their feet leading them to an open space where two silhouettes resided. 

They narrowed their eyes, two person? Maybe Squalo's theory wasn't as far-fetched as they thought. Getting closer, the caped being started to discern their muffled voices. Males, they guessed.

"Koro-chan, why did you let them in!" A voice shouted.

Koro-chan?

"We need to take them out, make them forget," the shrieking male seemed to hyperventilate. "I know, I could, I could make my flames disturb the space and kick them out!" the white head exclaimed. "But wait, won't they try again," he muttered, crouching down suddenly. 

The other male who had black hair seemed to be comforting the other. Gently patting the younger's back the raven started to soothe him, whispering sweet nothings Mammon couldn't make out from where they stood.

The now adult looking guardian steeled their nerves if these projections were how Yucca identified himself, they should have spotted them already, felt them from the moment they entered the space.

As Mammon got closer the sound of sobs started to come to their ears, was the white head crying? Pathetic. With a frown, the mist's figure strode forward, not bothering to smooth their feature to suit the seemingly crying male's mood they indifferently called out to the two men.

"Are you Yucca?" they asked impassively.

The white head's shoulders tensed at their voice before trembling slightly and nuzzling himself in the raven's torso, mumbling.

This time Mammon heard them, the pleas he was emitting, begging the older looking male to save him. The raven gave the white head a peaceful smile and the guardian couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity at the sight. So they are Yucca, the illusionist mused, his eyes taking the two males figure in once more.

They were different from what they thought. To begin with, Mammon had expected the cloud to have only one manifestation and to be foreign to the mindscape. Speculation which was refuted from the moment two males appeared before them, and by how familiar they seemed with each other. They had clearly spent time together in the mindscape before and they knew it.

Secondly, the mist assumed the cloud's persona would be closer to his current form maybe not the hair color but still. It was strangely disturbing how two distinct soul materialization could be so different. While one was, eerily alike to the cloud, physically speaking, Mammon knew the other seemed, entirely foreign to them. They wondered how Yucca even came up with someone so physically different from themselves. As for their personality, Mammon had trouble identifying the "real" Yucca. None of them fit the image they had of the male. 

"Have you calmed down Yucca?" the raven asked. Mammon lifted their head, snapping out of their thoughts as they heard the older looking male's voice. The white head, Mammon had dubbed as Yucca, nodded before wiping the tears out of his face and standing up, taking a deep breath.

Closing his eyes Yucca snapped them open, revealing two pools of captivating violet. He turned to face Mammon and smiled so brightly Mammon had to wonder if the tears were real. Either way, the smile, its fakeness and brightness, Mammon had to admit reminded them of the cloud. "Hello there, Mammon-chan!" the white greeted in a sing-song voice.

Mammon felt a chill, the scene of his dreams overlapping with the greeting he received. Reflexively, they took a step back and raised their guard. "And you must be Yucca," the mist asked tentatively for the second time.

The white head nodded enthusiastically. "That's right! We are Yucca!" he agreed with a grin. "You can call me Yucca, and here," he added jabbing his finger in the raven's direction, "is Koro-chan! He's my other half!"

Mammon nodded mutely. The noise Yucca created already tiring them out. Turning their head the raven's way, Mammon received a nod of confirmation. "I'll make this quick then, do you plan on betraying the Boss?"

Yucca tilted his head to the side a confused look on his face. "No? Do we plan to, Koro-chan?" he asked turning to face his raven counterpart as if the older man had the answer while he didn't.

Koro shook his head in disapproval before ruffling the younger's white locks. "No, we don't," he affirmed before letting his black eyes flicker Mammon's way. "Should we?" he questioned with a seemingly innocent smile.

Mammon shook their head negatively. This persona seemed closer to the current Yucca if you took out the fact that he didn't seem to have any humor. Well, this version was better for Mammon, it meant less noise and more silence.

"Then, I'll be going," Mammon stated before giving the two males a slight nod. Readying themselves to get out of the mindscape they were stopped by Yucca's strangely high pitched voice. How does he do that, morphing his voice and attitude at will? Is he a professional actor?

"Ne, Mammon-chan," the mist cringed at the name. "Are you still mad at me?" he asked with a pout. Mammon paused. Mad? They could see from the corner of their eyes Koro widening his eyes before sending the white head a glare, "Yucca you don't need to-"

"What do you mean?" Mammon cut him off, feeling as if they were about to hear something important.

Yucca blinked his purple eyes owlishly, the tension growing every time he closed them as a strangely pure smirk adorned his face, "You're not mad about me killing you anymore, Mammon-chan?"

Mammon's eyes widened before refocusing on the white head with a glare. So the fear was from that time, they realized. Mammon's eyes flickered to Koro's figure who seemed to have gotten defensive. They sighed. "Should I?"

Yucca's grin faltered, morphing into a pout as he showed his confusion through a low hum.

Before either of the males could answer their question, Mammon cut them off. "I haven't forgotten. But it wasn't you," the mist stated, catching the raven by surprise. "Although, if the time comes when I have to return the favor, I won't say no," they concluded, a smirk growing under their hood.

Hearing the words, Yucca beamed. "Great, then we're friends again Mammon-chan!"

Mammon, confused, didn't answer directly, eliciting a chuckle from the white head. "I guess so," they muttered beneath their hood.

Koro giggled at the mist's display of shyness, he liked to think of it this way. 

Huffing, Mammon turned around, "I'll be going then" he paused. "Yucca, Koro, I'll see you outside."

"Ah, Mammon-chan!" Yucca called out, making the mist turn around as he was about to get out of the space. Pulling the mist's hood down, the purple-eyed, beamed. "Mammon-chan's really the prettiest!"

A pink hue appeared on Mammon's cheek as they went out of the space, the last thing they saw being Yucca's beaming face and Koro's amused expression.

::

{Varia headquarter, Italy}

As Mammon snapped their eyes open, Fantasma's snake form turned back into a frog before settling on its master's head. Swiftly turning to face the investigator, Mammon gave them their best death glare, a fit when you don't reveal your eyes.

"This better not get out of this room," they threatened. "I wouldn't want to have to use my money to take care of the likes of you."

Trembling, the investigator nodded, scratching some of his notes out of his reports. "Wh-what is your conclusion, Mammon-sama," they asked, stuttering a bit under the pressure the mist gave off.

"Not guilty, he still owes me money," they stated with a matter of fact tone. "Do you have something else to add?"

Hurriedly shaking his head, the investigator added Mammon's testimony before handing the tablet and pen to the mist. "If you could sign Mammon-sama, you too Yucca-sama," they asked, turning to face the stretching cloud.

"Sure," taking the utensils from the mist's small hands, the cloud couldn't help but compare how tiny they seemed compared to the Mammon in the mindscape. He started to wonder why Mammon and the arcobanelo as a whole had become so... young looking.

Finished with their task, Mammon started to walk out of the room. It was late, they wanted to sleep. Pausing in front of the door they thought back on their recent behavior and encounter in the mindscape before sighing. "Also, Yucca," they called out, earning a low hum from the said male. "I guess white suits you too."

Yucca laughed, "Thanks Mammon-chan!"

Thanks for reading, until next time^^

Self-promo, I published a new story named "Perfect Copy," a KHRXKNB crossover. The main character would be Kise Ryota from KNB while the most important from KHR probably Fran. Thanks to those who read this until the end, and don't hesitate to take a look.