"And I remember your dad fainting right when they let me hold you in my arms! You were so tiny and cute! But now you're all old and grown up..." Mom said. She was droning on and on about the day I was born, which was today, October 28. It was my twelfth birthday and I was growing to hate it more and more by every second Mom continued talking! Dad was quieter than usual... "You were a real wild child. I remember you bit Gokudera when you first saw him. And let me just tell you, he was NOT happy about that. You've always been like that, so hyper and unpredictable, yet always in a good mood. It's like that time when-"
"Mom! Will you please shut up?" I said finally, not wanting to hear another second of her dronings because they were very embarrassing. Lancia was laughing at me and I was blushing profusely. Mom smirked evilly. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Yes, yes I am!" she said bluntly. "My mom never got to talk about all my embarrassing stories when I was a kid! Come on, please let me have some fun?"
"No. You've had enough fun for, like, the last fifteen minutes..." I said.
"You're no fun..." she said. "Ok, I guess it's time to move on from embarrassing you and move onto presents."
That got my attention. "Presents?!"
"Yes, Sunshine," she said. She handed me a small, yellow box wrapped in an orange ribbon, my favorite colors! "Here you go, Yuni. It's from Dad and I. Happy birthday!"
"Thank you, Mom and Dad!" I said. I untied the ribbon carefully and opened the lid of the box. Inside was a pair of earrings. They were in the shape of the sun and dark yellow near the center and lighter yellow on the rays. "I absolutely love them!" I got up from my seat and bent over to hug Mom who was sitting across from me. Dad was next. He was standing up beside Mom's chair. He hugged me tightly and petted the 'fluff' in my pony tail that was much like his spiky hair.
"I'm glad you like it, Sunshine," he said warmly.
"Are you kidding, Dad?" I said. "I LOVE them! Put them on for me, please!" I gave him the box and put my bangs behind my ears.
"Ok..." he said. He seemed a little nervous. He picked up one of the earrings and took the back off. "Oh dang it! I dropped the back..."
Mom sighed and started searching the ground for the tiny earring back. She picked it up and said, "Why don't I put them in?"
Dad blushed and said, "Yeah, that might be a good idea..."
Mom put them in my ears with no problem. I ran into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. They looked beautiful! I decided to never stop wearing them from now on. I went back into the living room and and hugged Mom and Dad again.
"Mine next, Sis!" Lancia said. He held up a yellow bag with white polka dots and tissue paper. "You'll love it! Oh, there's a card that goes with it, too," he added.
He handed me the bag and I took out the envelope. "'To my awesome sister'," I said, reading the back of the envelope. "Aww! Thanks, bro!" I opened it and read the front of the card. "'Its you're birthday and everyone is talking about you...'" I opened the card. "'But in a good way, not like normal. Haha, sis! I love you and hope you have a marveltatic b-day. Your bro, Lancia.'" He had always loved making words up. I chuckled at the card and smiled at him. I neatly set the card down and took out the tissue paper. It revealed a book. Not just any book, my favorite book! It was a hard back version of The London Danes Mystery! Believe me, I wasn't an avid reader, but that book was the best combination of sci-fi, suspense, and mystery all wrapped up in 400(ish) pages! I held it to my heart and said, "This is perfect! Amazingly perfect! This is the best birthday ever! I love you all so much!" I gave everybody another round of hugs.
"We're glad you had fun, Sunshine," Mom said.
Lancia and I sat on the couch as Mom and Dad were talking about something. I opened my book and began reading it. Even though I've read it at least five times prior, I've never actually owned the book. I've borrowed it from one of my friends as a recommendation and I've checked it out of my school library a couple times.
Lancia started playing with my hair and I tried to ignore him and get absorbed in my book. "Please stop that," I said. "I'm reading." He rolled his eyes and I kept on reading.
The doorbell rang and Lancia and I looked up. "Were we expecting someone?" Lancia asked.
"Not that I know of..." Mom said.
Dad went to go open the door. "Ahh! What brings you here, Timoteo?" he asked. I couldn't see who as at the door.
An old man walked into the room. "I need to speak to you two about... it," he said. I assumed he could talk about whatever 'it' was in front of Lancia and I. The old man looked over at us with a warm smile. "And you children must be Lancia-kun and Yuni-san, am I correct?"
"Yes..." I said. Lancia and I looked to Mom and Dad in confusion.
"This man is- my old friend," Dad explained. Old is certainly the right word... He looked in his eighties to early nineties and walked with a fancy cane.
"Lancia, Yuni, why don't you two go upstairs?" Mom suggested. It wasn't a yes or no kinda question. Her tone of voice made it clear that were weren't supposed to listen to whatever this old guy had to say.
Lancia and I strolled upstairs rather hurriedly. I walked in place for a couple steps and so did Lancia. We were SOOO gonna listen in. Our footsteps repeatedly got quieter, as if we were going into our rooms. We sat down at the top step of the staircase and began listening. "Not a word," I whispered to him. He nodded. We heard them begin talking.
"I could see something special in each of them. I know they will both grow up to do great things in the Family," the old man said. "Now, by your sending them away, Ami, I trust you haven't told them about it yet?"
"Correct," Dad said. "We're waiting until Yuni turns thirteen before we mention it, unless something happens before then." I wonder what they could be talking about... And what are they keeping from us? I looked at Lancia and he at me.
The man coughed a couple times before saying, "When you tell them, they will be welcome to attend MTA," he said. What's MTA?
"Yes, we've been planning on sending them there as soon as we can, but without rushing the process of telling them," Dad said. It sounds like some sort of school...
"I see great potential in Yuni," he said. I heard him cough a couple more times.
"I can sense it too," Dad said. It sounded like he thought it was a bad thing... "I don't want them to be involved with the mafia so young..."
"M-mafia?!" I whispered to myself. I stood up. I was tempted to run downstairs and ask what the heck was going on, but I thought against it. Mom would probably kill me.
"The world of the mafia is very dangerous for children so young these days..." Mom said. "Yuni has almost been kidnapped once, now. Thankfully, the mafioso were stopped by Adel and Yuni doesn't remember, but that was a long time ago..." What?! I was almost kidnapped?!
"Because of my position, my own children are out in danger..." Dad said.
I looked down at Lancia. We looked at each other with the same confused expression.
"If you tell them soon, the Academy will be able to keep them safe," the man said.
"I know that... It's just that they're so young..." Dad said.
"Honey," Mom said, "maybe it is time..."
"No. I want to keep it from them as long as possible," he said firmly.
It was quiet for a while. The man coughed more and more, but eventually stopped and said, "I can't help but to notice, that two certain children happen to be eavesdropping on us..."
"That's our queue!" I whispered to Lancia. He and I tiptoed hurriedly into our rooms. I opened my book and pretended I was reading.
"YUNI! LANCIA! GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!" Mom yelled.
"Crud..." I said. I met Lancia in the hall. "It's going to be a war zone out there..."
"Yep..." he replied worriedly.
We walked together down the stairs. Near the bottom, Lancia tripped and face planted into the ground. "Are you ok?!" I asked him.
He held up his hand in a thumbs up and stood back up. "I'm ok..." he said. "Ow..." I helped him up.
"What did you want, Mom?" I asked, knowing the answer.
"We're you listening to our conversation?" she asked. Dad and Mom had completely different expressions. While Mom was fuming, Dad looked completely horrified.
I looked at Lancia in defeat, then to the floor. "Yes, Mom..." Lying would end up in my early grave (courtesy of my mother) so I figured the truth was better than being killed.
"Yuni-" Dad said. He was interrupted by the old man's coughing. The man coughed into his hand and when he was finished, he looked at his hand in horror. "Are you ok, Timoteo?"
"Blood..." he said. He started coughing into his hand again. I saw red drops on liquid fall to the floor from his hand. The old man was coughing up blood...
I guessed Dad hadn't seen the blood when he asked, "Would you like some water?"
The man continued coughing. "Dad! He's coughing up blood!" I said. I felt adrenaline pump through my body. What if he was really sick? What if he died here?! We have to do something! If only I could do something to help him... I felt slightly faint for a split second then, it happened.
There was something tickling my right hand. My eyes widened, my heart raced, and I screamed in fright when I saw a orangey-yellow flame burning my hand. I started panicking and I tried to get it off with my other hand. This made that hand catch fire... I did the first thing that came to my head and stopped, dropped, and rolled to try and get the fire off of me. I looked back at my hand and the flames had gotten bigger. It didn't work... I screamed again and started crying. I didn't even know how the heck I had caught fire, not to mention that it wouldn't go out!
The flames were spreading to my arms. I looked up to Lanica. He was a little blurry because of my tears, but I could see his expression as clear as day. He was horrified, completely horrified. His sister was about to be burned to death right in front of his eyes...
That's when I felt someone's arms around me in a strong embrace. "You'll burn!" I cried. I struggled to get them off so they wouldn't catch fire. The arms wouldn't budge.
"Yuni, calm down!" the person said. It was Dad. "You're not going to burn to death."
"But the flames-"
"They won't hurt you, I promise," he repeated.
He was right... The flames weren't hurting me. They actually kind of tickled. My heart stopped pounding so hard. "Ok," I said calmer, but still freaked out.
He let me go, squatted down in front of me and held my flaming wrists. "They'll go out in a second..." I watched the flames slowly go out. "See? You're ok. You're just fine," he said. I nodded and sniffed.
I hugged him tightly and asked, "What was that?"
"Dying Will Flames," he said. "I think it's about time we tell you two something..."
"Is it about the mafia or whatever?" I asked.
"Yes..." he said. "You two will be switching schools, as soon as the next term starts." He looked over to the old man and the old man nodded.
"But why did I burst into flames?" I asked.
"I think you might have overreacted..." Mom said.
"He was dying!" I pointed to the old man. "I wanted to do something to help him!"
The old man chuckled. "It happens all the time," he explained. "I have a medical condition."
"That's why I offered him a glass of water," Dad said.
I was super embarrassed... "How was I supposed to know that...?" I asked. I overreacted and I freaked out after I bursted into flames for a reason that I can't even begin to fathom... How did I not die...? And why did we have to change schools?
"It's ok, Sunshine-" Dad said.
"Compassion," the man said.
"What?" I asked.
"You have the Flame of Compassion," he said.
"A Flame that rare? Are you sure?" Mom asked. I was so confused.
"I'm sure. I've seen her Flames before. Sun and Sky Flames; the Flame of Compassion, just like my mother," he said. "I think I must go. I need to oversee your enrollment papers. They'll be enrolled for the next term at MTA, correct?"
"Yes," Dad said.
"Good bye, everybody," he said.
"Take care," Dad said, showing him out the door. The man left and we all look at each other in awkward silence.
I decided to break that silence, "So... Why are we moving schools to this 'MTA'? What does that even stand for?"
"Mafia Training Academy," Mom said.
"What is up with all this mafia stuff?!" I asked. "I mean, it's not like you're a mafia boss or something... Right?" They were silent. "You are mafia bosses...?"
"Correction," Dad said. "I am the 10th Boss of the Vongola Family and your mother is one of my Guardians."
"I'm guessing you don't work in a bank..." Lancia said. Mom and Dad laughed for a while. "I'm still confused... What does Yuni bursting into have to do with the mafia?"
"Dying Will Flames," Dad said again. "Instead of guns and ammo, the mafia uses these Flames to battle. But don't worry, we aren't bad mafioso. In fact, we are one of the best."
"Ok, so let me get this straight..." I said. "You are the mafia boss of a Family called the Vozgoli or whatever and Mom is your Guardian. We are switching schools to a mafia school. You you use these weird flames that don't burn you, and you aren't evil. Did I miss anything?"
"The Vongola, not Vozgoli," Mom corrected. She looked to Dad and said, "Yes, that's pretty much it."
"What are the weird flames and what do they do?" Lancia asked.
"Your new school will explain all of that. I doubt I could explain it so it made sense..." Dad said. "If you'll excuse me, I need to make a call to a friend of mine..." He walked into a different room.
Mom looked at me, then at Lanica. She stared at us intently. It kinda creeped me out. She finally spoke up and said, "I'm not happy with you two, but that's beside the point. I'm glad that we could finally tell you, but at the same time I'm not. The mafia world is ruthless and merciless, you need to know that. The MTA will train you to be elite mafioso so you can face your enemies without fear."
"But what if I don't want to be part of the mafia?" Lanica asked.
"It's too late now... You're my son, you're bound to be a mafiso," Mom said.
"Wait... If Dad is a mafia boss... Does that make one of us the next boss?!" I asked.
Mom chuckled and said, "Maybe. If your father deems you worthy as his successor, then yes, but if not, then no."
"Our lives are going to change drastically, huh?" Lancia said. He seemed a little nervous.
I patted him on the shoulder and said, "You got that right, bro..."
"Be prepared for the next couple of years. They'll be though on you, training and all..." Mom said. Seeing our scared reactions, she continued, "But don't be scared! I personally know all the teachers at the Academy and can give them an earful if they send you home with broken bones!" I think that made it worse...
Dad came back into the room and said, "I just talked to Reborn."
"Really? What did he say?" Mom asked. Who was this 'Reborn'?
"I asked him to help train them, but he said he was busy on a mission, but he'd send 'reinforcements'," he said.
"'Reinforcements'? Who could that be?" Mom asked.
"Knowing Reborn, I'm sure they'll be alright," Dad said. "He said they'd be here within the week and 'I'd know who they were when they show up'."
"I guess now... We wait," Mom said.
"We wait," Dad repeated.
Authors Note:
This is the sequel to The Vindice's Child and is about Yuni and Lanica... Basically the Vongola 11th Gen. I won't say anything more or it would spoil things!
(I do not own any KHR characters. Tis was made for entertainment purposes only. No copyright is intended.)
Please leave a review, follow, and favorite if you liked this! Expect the next chapter soon! Happy reading!