Here we are now.
The silly willy is starting on a new one~ { gosh, finish the old ones first- ha ha no. }
The theme on this one is dystopian times. Has nothing to relate with the actual storyline of KHR. Expect no soft stories from the weak writer
Subject to rate higher, and possible warnings come later.
Pairings? : I'm not a fan of war-romance, but there is unfortunately
Age group is around mid-teenagers; 16-20, and adults are 27-32
As always, lovely disclaimers: Katekyo Hitman REBORN! and its characters do not belong to me, it belongs to Akira Amano. The idea and setting do though.
Project Veneridae;
Prologue:
Big brother said everything was perfect if he was the one sitting on top of all.
He controls all like a God.
He is the saviour, the one whom everyone relies for their lives.
"Let me be your big brother." a kind voice would always have said, as he pat the shoulder of the lost child. The child would either smile or have their sleeves wipe the tears from their eyes. Big brother was warm..
a child's face would be caressed by a warm hand, ears having sweet words of comfort, and eyes of purity as big brother explained things that they had not a clue on.
Big brother would protect all of them. Big brother was your father. Big brother was everything.
But..
Who is Big brother?
-x-
Seven colour constitute the rainbow.
The colours of power. The heirarchy.
The powers in their titles. Sky, Storm, Lightning, Rain, Sun, Cloud and Mist.
The Sky was the one who held of them together in a warm embrace. Generally the strongest and due to it's trait of harmony, it is the one that is valued as the highest. The Sky is the one who holds the bright Sun, the sailing Cloud, letting the Rain fall, creating a further Storm, tagged along with the Lightning, and finally, be shrouded by Mist.
There was no.. incorrect. There was a preferred flame that everyone would want to be born as, the Sky. Sky holds all privilege and is looked as the core to success.
The Sky is everything. A sign of perfection.
...
But what is a sky itself?
-xx-
Anything is watched. Tell a dog to watch a rat walk, and it will.
Not like in a sense of being stalked. There were no surveillance cameras even though they call it being "watched", as it was more of the higher class police force or the protection squads who were watching over the innocent lives and ridding of the already evil ones.
So it wasn't badly watched, considering how the world was in a pretty perilous state. It was almost as if the world hated everyone around it and refused to develop, and its behaviour has influenced people to do the same.
People were dumping one over another, they were hurting others simply because they found that it was more trouble than it was worth to help someone. The rich prevail and the poor stay poor.
The rich are the ones who live in real houses, the poor only have something to cover themselves in.
The stereotype had always said; a house is when you have a roof over your head. More like, under yourself, to save yourself from the cold of the night and weather.
...Both were necessary, not just one.
It was a dirty place in the outskirts of the beautiful yet ugly city. Beautiful that it had lights all around it that shield all of its ugliness. The old creaky buildings were overlooked because surrounding the vacant or occupied areas were verandas of beauty, new buildings and a lot of signs of a healthy country.
..But ugly because of the dangers that are overlooked by it.
Worst of them all, a young boy of no experience in real life, was chosen by one of the most skilled teachers to overthrow the government that chained them into the society system they were in. It was truly hopeless for a young boy with the eyes of innocence, hands of a weakling, and motivation of no one, unbeknowing of the old garbage that is covered by something bright, the terrifyingly old buildings that can't support anyone, the crying souls waiting for death, to do anything that was worthwhile.
The only miracle was that he had a great teacher, but the student themselves were awful. Never seeing the disgust of the world, they didn't know what it meant to be fighting against a system.
Perhaps that wasn't the only miracle. There was one he took for granted; he was a "high-class" from what the records say. The pampered ones, who get all the education and well treatment as they worked hard.
To say he was a high-class in a "system" was wrong though. There wasn't a real system. There was no class system, it was just seeing who was richer than the other get more advantageous things because they can afford it.
It was a stretch to say they were living in a capitalist government, as it really was more of an imperialist government they were under the roof of. A government who has a strong degree of military strength, superiority, a force to be reckoned with, that you would be sorry had you come on the wrong side of the road because of their fearsomeness.
Everyone was chained down according to this fate. There was no such thing as doing things that were going out of the spectrum of what they commanded you to do or live as. Sure you could possibly promote, but that was it. Life was what was designated to you.
Sawada Tsunayoshi, the hopeless "high-classed" child of eighteen years, was safe from most of the "persecution" because he was one of that superiority wing. He was a powerful being in terms of being in the hierarchy. This was why he was able to do whatever he pleased, but the only thing that keeps him away from doing "what he wants" was that he didn't want it!
Basically, he didn't know he was able to use the strongest element of flames; the Sky.
He hated the privileges that he took for granted. He wanted to live "normally", without having such luxury he thought everyone would be having, and wanted a new way to it, but he didn't dare think of going against the government for it. It was impossible. He didn't have the skill of the high-class that he should be having, he was practically a useless child in a setting he took for granted.
His teacher must've cried to release him from being his teacher. Maybe not, considering how he seemed to laugh about it, then telling those around him that this boy.. this child that you are mock will be the one who changes them all. He is going to experience the rage of war and come out as the successful one. The only successful one among the nobles because he would know how the other classes lived.
"That's impossible though.." he sighed. It became one of his catchphrases that everything was impossible or he couldn't do it, so no one should rely on him for it to begin with. It was a terrible idea that he was assigned practically one of the best hitmen as a teacher. He cried for his teacher rather than the teacher feeling sad about it.
The teacher of his was thrilled to make a revolutionary change for the boy. The reasons were unknown, but it must've been how he could be famous for creating one of the best leaders in the world in a matter of time. Reputation didn't sound like him, or that was what the student had said, although everyone believed it when he joked about fame and glory, saying:
"That's obvious, why would you waste your time if it wasn't for a glorious cause?"
It is a long road. A perilous, dangerous, scary road. But it was a path. He had his plans set.
There was something to gain from it.
A revolutionary gain.
-o-
Chapter 1: Storm
This was something without his knowledge to study, as textbooks or other tutors with the boy didn't know of the teacher's plans. They were scared to ask him too.
The man had a pragmatic mind of his own, no one could possibly understand him even if they tried to. He was one of those people whose mind you could never read no matter what the cause was.
He found people at a random time, but at the perfect timing as well, considering whenever there is something of necessity, or if someone wanted to have a meeting with him or something, he knew exactly when to come by. It was truly frightening.
The face of a young child, but the mind of millions. That was what they called the young yet old, childish yet mature, teacher of Sawada Tsunayoshi.
He was significantly shorter than him too. Considering Sawada was someone of not too majestic height, he was shorter. Yes, that teacher was even shorter than that student. The student stood at a height of 5"9, but the teacher was around 4"4. Considerably short for a professional teacher that one would expect to be 7 feet or taller.
That remarkable teacher with a name that no one where it originated; Reborn. No one knew his family, where he came from, not even his date of birth, although there was a given date.
Reborn.
Although.. it didn't matter who were named what. Anyone could be named whatever they were given and that was that.
Tsunayoshi wasn't a common name either. Rumours had it that that was an emperor's name. That boy was prophesized by the teacher to be one. Maybe it was a predestined name for him.
Not bad.. not bad at all.
But in order to be the emperor/commander whatever it was, he would need allies. The power of one is impeccable, but sometimes there is the need for a friend.
This was the situation where the power of one, needed the gift of a friend.
And the teacher knew exactly who to call for this.
Gokudera Hayato.
The bombsmith with the power of raging explosives.
Bombsmith was a joke they called him because of his efficiency to make explosives at the shortest of time and have it explode at such good rates, he could've been called the government's bomber had they needed him.
It was to compare to no one. His self-defense was on par with what they needed. But to convince him to join Sawada's soon to become team would be a difficult task, because he almost kills anyone who comes in his way.
Reborn too, is too meticulous. He knew he was only looking for a leader to follow and show his skills to. Someone to protect, unlike the "lame" partners who do nothing but save themselves in time of need. He knew how to speak in the manner that everyone would cry "this is what I've been looking for all my life!", and knew who to really call.
Though to get him to befriend or make an alliance with Sawada was going to be trouble. He was going to work this out. Not a single soul would disapprove his actions.
They don't know what they are getting into, after all.
-oo-
Reborn journeyed by himself.
He found it to be legitimate cause to say he was going for a few days in order to "get more material to teach", which he had told everyone around him, including Sawada who was tired and considered.. not making progress in his studies.
He wasn't upset or anything with Sawada, unlike what he was assuming. Sawada had the impression that he was giving up on him. That it was all over, there was nothing left for him to learn if he was going to continue this.
But Reborn wasn't. He just wanted to test himself because he knew it was a bit intimidating that Reborn was evaluating him.
Oh well.. he might not see the results of leaving Sawada behind.
Finding the person he was looking for, he casually stepped over. It was a small little place, like any blacksmith's place, small, slabs of metal around the dark brown brick-esque walls, the fire place where the heat stones are picked up for forging weapons..
Well this one had a lot of other things too. There were some cylinders of metal around, some nets that looked like the ones used for fish, a lot of ropes..
He was a bombsmith after all, too much fire would cause an ignition and hence cause the explosion right in the apparatus.
Though Reborn was suspicious that there must've been a lot of explosions in here, considering the smell of soot was evident and the outlook was a bit darkened.
At least the boy was successful.
At the young age of eighteen, not everyone can make successful bombs and actually have it used for war. It was generally the old knom-ish men, like.. dwarrows, or a dwarf if that is an easy word. It was always the Dwarf clans who created heavily explosive bombs and were the demolition squad.
Who knows, Gokudera might be a dwarf deep down inside.
Nah, it's the ancestors.
Had Reborn not sidestep as casually as he did, he would've been a human kebab.
Gokudera had a dynamite thrown at the minute he was surveying the area. Reborn, of course, knowing that, sidestepped and made a clear distance between the bomb's explosion and himself, having himself unharmed.
"Who are you?" the boy, Gokudera, gruffly called. Reborn smiled.
It was always something the silverette always tried to do; sound intimidating. When he did, he always made his voice all gruff and angry to make it look as if he was ready to kill someone. It was fake as it was.
But people did get fooled, laugh all you want.
Reborn held his hat that was trying to fly off of his head as he smiled. "I'm sure you don't know me, or ever seen me before" he said incredulously.
"Of course I don't. Who are you?" he replied a bit irritated. Was this man trying to play games with him? Moreover, this is a child was trying to play games with him, considering how small he was, but talked as if he was so self-assured.
"My name.. might give you a scare. I fear" a smile that grew bigger as he spoke, he fingered one of his prominent curls on the sides of his face before leaning back on the wall.
"Are you sure you want to know?"
Gokudera pinched his temples. He sure did not have the time and patience for this. It was either answer, or just leave. He doesn't accept requests right now considering he was busy with preparing weapons for the army.
"Are you even going to tell?" finally he said, sounding a bit defeated. He moved away from the post to walk over to the small fedora boy, who seemed unnerved by his approach. It wasn't like he was too close. "If you don't have business, leave please." he lastly said, holding one of his prototype bombs.
Reborn kept a light smile as he pinched on the middle area of the bomb as it exploded with a tiny little pop on Gokudera. Because it wasn't done yet, the power was weak enough to make a cute sound and just pop.
"I'll kill you if you don't leave"
Reborn then sighed. He was wasting his time, even though he literally has the attention of the bombsmith. "I need you for something, could you follow me?"
"I'm afraid not. I have work" he moved away from him, but his attention stayed.
"Oh no, I'm sure this would be more important, it's urgent after all" Reborn then stepped forward.
"Are you a part of the blasted government too?"
"No but I'm the opposite"
-o-
"Are you going to explain what you meant?" a while after saying that, he questioned himself for leaving his place to follow the young boy. The last thing he told him was that he was the opposite to working with the government and then told him to follow.
For some reason he complied. There was something about him that said he really should not disobey him.
Even though he had his doubts on what they were even doing.
"My student here.. is someone who is going to oppose the government system we have now" Reborn finally replied him with a gleam of his eyes. Gokudera was surprised that he didn't look any nerved by their long travel of dashing through the forest.
He couldn't have been a normal person.
Then again, what made him think he was a normal kid? This guy wore a suit that most noble people wear, but more business-like, as if he was a part of something important. He had no armour, but his skills were impressive when it came to his speed. He was unaware of his fighting power as of right now the reason why he wouldn't judge the strength.
But the look in the boy's eyes told him volumes of being in long wars.
That was when it clicked to him.
Was he really that legendary assassin; Reborn?
"My name is Reborn, as you asked earlier, Gokudera Hayato"
He was probably a replica of Reborn, because Reborn was considered someone of an older age and look. This boy was small..
Gokudera decided.. he was going to play the skeptical one.
-oo-
There was a level of determination in his little chocolate coloured eyes when he focused his aim on the target. When he fired through the big rifle, the impact almost drew him back a step long steps, but it fired in a straight line, breaking the wooden target completely.
This was Sawada Tsunayoshi when he was not being supervised by Reborn, the young teacher with the fedora. His fear of the teacher stunted some of the display in his prowess, and as it may have been said once, Reborn knew that.
The reason as to why he left him to train for himself for a few days. He knew the boy took every lesson into his heart and has it carved into memory on how to reach that potential, but he was scared to show it because of the possibility of more training that he wouldn't be able to endure.
Reborn didn't bother letting him know there was no more training after this.
It was so that he could continue this training and master it once and for all.
Sawada made a quick dash, avoiding every obstacle in his path. The speed test.
Each spot had a random trap that was put and needed quick thinking and even quicker action to counter it. Knowing this was Reborn who taught him, the traps always changed, but Sawada was so used to it like if it was nothing anymore.
It could be said that when Sawada puts himself to the test alone, his skills are impeccable, but when he is compared to one of the strongest fighters in the landscape; Hibari Kyouya, he wasn't in par as of yet, but he was getting there.
Hibari was literally the demon incarnate. Scary, powerful, dominating, imperialistic. He was not the head of the government, but he led his own team that mostly went in war, more like the resistance team. Bloodthirsty and equally strong, he always came successful at the young age of twenty.
Practically the strongest person anyone has ever known, or will know. Sawada looked up to him just as much as he feared the man, enough to never see his face for real but only on portraits. He stood tall and proud in each of them.
Sawada aspired to become strong like him when he found himself being eligible for enlisting in war, and the possibility of him having to. And most of all, being Reborn's student, he wanted to become the strength Hibari was to reach that level.
He trained harder.
To exceed what he was now.
He needed that determination he has never had before.
That resolve.
The resolve that reverberated between master and apprentice, he reached so far to achieve.
A light in his hands.
Be the light.
His hands were clenched, gloved in rather unique branded gloves that he was able to afford because of his wealth and class. They had blue ball like domes on each back of the hand, void of any design, but a light blue colour like the sky.
The light was in his hands, quote again. Quite literal, as his hands had begun to glow. The determination that was beginning to sprout, warming his hands in a calming manner.
He had his determination imagined as if it was a flame inside of him, waiting to burst out of him.
that was exactly what happened.
Ephemeral, faint, but strong, beautiful orange coloured aura started to appear from Sawada's hands. His eyes were closed, but he felt his determination to become strong. Even though he didn't know of the darkside of the world right behind him, he was growing determined to develop a strength that would protect everyone.
Most of all, protect whom he loves. His family, his only friend; Sasagawa Kyouko, his teacher.. everyone whom he meets.
He didn't take notice, but the aura took shape, not a regular shape, but it surrounded him magnificently. It radiated a small amount of heat, but it raged with Sawada's battle power, his resolve. What he wanted to do, and how he would do it.
When he opened his eyes, they were fainter in colour as well, taking in the orange colour, and finally, his hair had a small spot where the fire shaped aura rested.
Dying will flame.
The rumoured power that ranked people according to what flame they can emit. The one he never had knowledge on because he never seen it for real.
It was only fairy tale and mythology.
No it was real this time.
Such a strong presence, it made some servants come out and wonder what he was doing as they suspected it was possibly Reborn doing something, but little did they know, it was their baby boy who came out with this strength.
They were astonished, flabberghasted, but proud of him. Small smiles appeared on their faces, seeing this impeccable strength of their little careless master.
He looked like an entirely different person.
Reborn coincidently dropped by. He wasn't expected to come back so soon, but he did, and when he did, he brought Gokudera with him to put him in a challenge against Sawada to prove his worth.
For one of the first times in his life, Gokudera was surprised. He never thought this kind of strength would come from lowly nobles. It was amazing, refreshing, reassuring.
Most of all, it was warm.
Gokudera didn't want to, but the flames did move into him, communicating, reverberating.
"So, what do you think?" Reborn then asked him, who was frozen in place, but with one of his most calmest looks. It was like a serenade of feelings, a truth.
Not what he had expected to see.
"This is the Sawada Tsunayoshi you were talking of.." he solemnly said, watching as the flames went off of the boy. Soft little orange leaving the premise, leaving the brown haired male in the middle of the training field he was in.
He looked like he had not a clue what just happened.
It must've been sudden when the power rush happened, or so Gokudera thought, but when he saw the destroyed targets that were skillfully shot by a rifle, the traps that were covered by peaceful roads..
He knew this was a real deal.
And fighting him wouldn't be necessary.
"Amazing.." he looked over to a broken dummy, feeling the broken barks of hay and wood, uncaring of the splinters that could come from doing that. It was a clean fire, rendering the dummy to not be able to be fixed from the spot it was brutally shot into.
"You said your name was Reborn-san?" he addressed the small teacher, who nodded with a small smile on his face "I understand, I'll consider joining your little team" he brought a fist over to Sawada, who was still looking at himself because he said that a minute ago that he 'bursted into a rush of flames!' and was surprised by that, moreover wanting to know how to do it again.
Reborn returned the bump as Sawada still looked, then he finally looked at the silver haired male standing infront of him. He remembered that man as a very scary man, not as scary as Hibari, but as scary that he could flick a bomb and bam, there he goes into the sky.
"Goku..dera-kun?" he asked, letting the name roll on his tongue as he gazed at him. Now that was an improvement if he managed to get the fearsome bomber to smile gently at him and call him 'boss' as well.
"Thank you.." he quietly said to the other. They were both at a similar height, but Sawada's hair gave him more height to be taller than Gokudera. Reborn then stepped infront of the two
"Welcome to project Veneridae; Gokudera Hayato"
Gokudera looked at him, then smiled again "That flame thing you did, boss, I.. I can do that too did you know?" he looked a bit excited when he said that, showing a small finger of flame to the other. His flame glowed in a strong red light.
Storm flame.
The disintegrating flame, the one that stands at the Sky's right, or so assumed. The best for demolition, and destruction.
It was perfect for a bombsmith like him.
"That's so cool, Gokudera-kun.." he looked at it thoughtfully. He would really want to start training this strength, moreover get along with Gokudera if he wanted a team to create.
Veneridae was probably one of the terminology for it, or so he assumed Reborn to call it.
This was the start. The birth of a new team. The team of seven flames.
The seven colours to form the rainbow.
Arcobaleno.
Although they were not adopting the name of a rainbow, but they will be the colours for it.
-ooo-
There were some he disliked, those were far from his presence.
Away from the light of the sky, exile.
It didn't matter if they were old, or young. If they were a threat to society, be put away. Fed to the hungry rats.
There was no way out.
It didn't matter if they were hungry or thirsty either, so long as they served what needs the ones who had them wanted, it didn't matter a bit.
It was a harsh reality that was never to be changed.
There was a young one in one of these exiles. So young that one would assume how the hell did he even get there in the first place? And why was he treated like he was worse than the gross adults?
Usually they would release their anger on these isolated people. Sometimes they restrained him for no apparent reason, chained him down as if he was going to attack in a weak state like that.
It all didn't matter, so long as he wasn't in the sight of the higher-ups. It didn't matter what would happen to him.
The worst that could happen, and the reason as to why he's not permitted to die is because of the possibility of future usage of this child.
The sky would disapprove.
So much for being the one who accepts all around..
But who is the sky?
Hi hi~ Sorry for a rather short one for chapter 1, I guess writing a thousand words most of the time has lessened my skill on the 8000+ ones I wrote one time in my life.
I wonder if anyone can tell what the one reference in this is.
Also, originally I had Gokudera's point of view and what happened cut out, but I decided to add it if I were to post it here to avoid the vagueness.
As always, any sort of feedback is greatly appreciated