Hi! This is my first fan-fiction, so please do pardon me if it isn't good. Feel free to comment, criticise, or (hopefully) compliment this story. If you have enjoyed reading it, please do favourite/follow the story to see how it unfolds! New characters are introduced.

-Klarcas

Chapter 1: The Beginning

"The rainbow which appears every now and then, only to fade again.

The sea knows no limits to its vastness,

Shellfish live through the ages, inheriting their shapes."

…

The sand, on which all lies below all three and forms the foundation.

The sun rose crisp and clear in the morning as it cast a warm, rosy hue across the sky. A frigid breeze blew across the peak of the mountains as the gentle sound of birds chirping resonated in the air. While the base of the mountain was lush and green, the peaks were a pristine white as a thick layer of snow covered them.

Amidst the range of mountains, a lone man darted from one mountain to another with steps that were gentle yet strong. His movements were as light as a feather but as fierce as fire. Stepping against the side of a cliff, the man jumped upwards and did a mid-air flip before landing softly on a snowy peak. Looking up, he gave a sheepish smile as he realised he was the last to reach the rendezvous point.

"You're late, Kawahira," a voice said firmly.

"My apologies, Elder," Kawahira said, scratching his head as he looked around at his leader.

The Elder was an old man with white, flowing hair and a beard that reached his chest. He wore a beige robe beneath a brown leather cloak along with wooden clogs. A long scar stretched across his chest and his arms. His eyes radiated an immense strength and fortitude as they reflected wisdom and experience.

"With this, all the remaining members of our kind are here." The Elder continued with a deep voice, looking at each of the three in the eye. "Sepira, you foresaw this coming, didn't you?"

"Yes," the young lady said, her eyes laden with sorrow.

"As such, just by ourselves, we cannot hope to support the Seven Stones on our own any longer. We must enlist the help of the humans."

"What?" Yami asked. "Why? We can still do this! The Elder and I have insane reserves of power! Besides, the humans are far too weak!"

The Elder turned to look at Yami, whose indignant face showed that he was clearly against this. Yami was a well-built man and looked like a middle-aged human. His black hair was thick and spiky, resembling the mane of a lion. He wore a long, black coat that reached to his knees and his muscles bulged beneath his sleeves. He wore a pair of sunglasses which hid a pair of ferocious eyes.

"Their species has grown, and they will be some that have extraordinary power. If we were to split the stones into smaller fractions, the humans should be able to withstand the immense force of these stones. But yet, we have to find the right hosts. We cannot let such power fall into the wrong hands."

"This power guides the growth and development of life on Earth. Are you certain about this, Elder?" Kawahira asked with a tinge of doubt.

"Yes," The Elder replied. "We will still hold majority of the power, but we will get seven of the strongest humans to light part of the flames of the Seven Stones."

"But these flames have to be continuously lit…will the humans agree?" Sepira asked.

"Then we shall make it that it cannot be removed. It is a small sacrifice as compared to the entire planet." Kawahira said. "Elder, I shall take responsibility for this."

"Very well, Kawahira. You shall seek out these humans, and give them the fragments of the stones. They shall be called…"

Kawahira stood for a moment, looking up at the sky. There had been a heavy storm the night before, and the sun which shone now cast a bow of seven colours across the sky.

"The Arcobaleno," Kawahira finished.

The Elder smiled. "That is indeed a suitable name, for the seven souls who shall flames shall light up the source of life."

As Yami watched this scene unfold, rage was slowly building up inside him. They were the superior species, and they should be ruling over the humans, not coexisting with them. He could not be concerned with the balance of power. He had deliberately cut off his supply of flames to the stones, causing a power imbalance. Each time he did so, a natural calamity occurred somewhere on the Earth, such as an earthquake, a tsunami or even a plague.

"There is much more that I wish to say," The Elder said, "but we shall end our discussion today. The conclusion is that we shall use the humans' power to support the Stones. Let us split the Seven Stones now. Everyone, please pour in your power and I will divide their physical forms."

The other three stepped forward to form a square as the Elder took out the Seven Stones. Each of them had a distinct form that resembled the natural minerals of the Earth, but yet the power that they radiated was on a completely different level. As Sepira, Kawahira and Yami poured their powers into the stones, the amount of flame which was given off was indescribable. It was as if all the flames of the world were condensed in one spot, and to a certain extent, that was the reality. After a significant amount of flame was sent into the stones, the Elder placed his hand over them and took a deep breath. Seven beams of light shot from his hand, each one aimed at one of the seven stones. Suddenly, a bright light burst from all stones, blinding everyone including the Elder momentarily.

"Is it over?" Kawahira asked.

The Seven Stones did not change drastically, but each stone was split into two pieces, with one piece larger than the other. Getting up, Kawahira picked up the seven small pieces and placed them underneath his robe.

"These are the humans' stones, aren't they?" he asked. The Elder nodded. "I shall proceed to convert them to forms more suited for the humans," Kawahira continued.

"Very well, today's meeting has ended. We shall meet again one month from now. In the meantime, continue living amongst the humans, and do not disclose your identities. We shall continue protecting them in secret."

With that, the four visibly relaxed and made their departure. As Kawahira leapt away, Sepira followed behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Can we walk together for a while?" she asked.

"Why, of course," Kawahira replied.

As they ventured out of hearing distance from the others, Sepira suddenly spoke in a worried tone. "Kawahira…" she said, her voice visibly tinged with fear.

"What is it?"

"I saw the Elder's death in my vision yesterday."

Kawahira's eyes widened. "How could that be?" he asked. "The Elder is invincible! The only person that could probably fight against him is someone of our…NO…you don't mean?"

Behind them, the Elder and Yami remained behind. Underneath his shades, Yami glared fiercely at the Elder. The Elder could fully sense Yami's hostility and rage.

"What is with the anger?" The Elder asked.

"We should be ruling the humans. Such kindness…is not needed. It has resulted in the deaths of our kind, and you know it. Why do we bother sustaining their lives? Let them learn to survive on their own!"

"We have been given greater and superior powers. It is our responsibility to use that power wisely." The Elder calmly replied. "I know you have been withholding your power from the stones, just to watch the destruction caused from the instability."

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Yami taunted, taking an aggressive stance. "Try to stop me? Oh wait…I just remembered," he smiled, "You can't. Your power has weakened too much over the millennium!"

"Do you wish to see if that is true?"

"Bring it,"

As the two beings clashed, the ground split as their fists met each other. For each strike they made, a section of the mountain would be rendered to dust, and each attack that was blocked resulted in an after effect of whirlwinds. At that point of time, weapons were not yet invented and the two engaged in unarmed combat. However, there was no need for them – their own bodies were more than powerful enough.

"Why do we not go and assist the Elder? This is too much!" Kawahira shouted.

"That is not his will," Sepira replied. "He knew that I would foresee Yami's betrayal, but he did not say anything. That means he wishes to handle it, and it will be our responsibility to maintain the balance of powers."

In silence, Kawahira grit his teeth and watched the battle that raged on fiercely fifteen kilometres away.

After ten days, the explosions and destruction finally stopped. Sepira and Kawahira immediately rushed over, where they found that the once lush greenery and snowy peaks had now transformed into a dry, desert-like canyon of rocks and the raised shapes of the mountains were now a series of large, deformed cliffs and valleys.

"Elder! Are you fine?" Kawahira asked.

The Elder coughed once, before he spoke in a weak voice. "I'm fine…Yami has suffered more damage than me, but he managed to escape…battle was inevitable, for what he sought was the destruction of Earth."

"What do we do now?" Sepira asked. "What will happen to the Seven Stones?"

"Is there any other choice but to split them further? I will conduct the same procedure, to split the stone once more."

At the end of it, the Seven Stones were now split into twenty-one smaller stones, including the first seven. "These twenty-one stones will be carried by humans, to determine and balance the fate of their world…" The Elder said.

"This will be known as the Tri-ni-set," Sepira declared. "The humans now hold the key to their survival. The Arcobaleno and these other fourteen stones are the new form of the Seven Stones."

Kawahira had been silent all this time. Yami was far stronger than they had expected, and it was evident that the Elder's life had taken damage. He would not last for much longer, and it was probably the final discussion they were going to have.

"If the first set is the Arcobaleno, the others should have similar connotations. Let the other two sets of seven…" she said before she paused to think, "be the Mare and Vongola."

"The 'rainbow', 'sea' and 'clam'?" The Elder laughed. "That is a beautiful scene to imagine, Sepira. It will be one the humans will always remember."

"The humans now hold most of the power," Kawahira realised. "They had better protect this power wisely…for if they do not, their very existence is threatened."

"Which is why," the Elder said, smiling despite the pain from his wounds, "I will use my remaining power to forge another seven stones, which hold fragments of my power. I shall also grant this power to the humans, along with the extra power that was removed when the seven stones were split. Yami will return for the fragmented stones, and they have to be protected when that time comes."

"This much power…but Elder, doesn't that mean you'll die?" Kawahira asked.

"I have lived for a long time, and my time draws towards its end. I have made many wrong decisions, and letting Yami become this evil is one of them. My only hope to redeem myself is to cleanse these mistakes that I have made through my death," the Elder panted. Talking was now clearly painful for him.

"You there!" he shouted. "Behind the tree, come out!"

For a moment, nothing happened. After which, a lone human crept out from the bushes with a confused look on his face. Judging from his expression, he had probably seen the whole event unfold itself.

"We've been spotted!" Kawahira shouted as he released a large, intimidating flame that resonated across the entire place as the sheer pressure from the flame blasted the nearby rocks and cliffs.

"Hey, watch it!" The human blurted, raising his hand in front of his face. "I was nearly blown away! What's with you?"

Kawahira was shocked. He was certain that amount of flame would have killed a mere human. However, this man had managed to stand his ground, and was mostly unaffected by it.

"So, I assume you have heard everything. I need an owner for the stones I am about to create. Will you accept this role, and fulfil a dying man's wishes?" The Elder asked.

The human scratched his head and looked at the Elder. "Well…I'm normally too lazy to accept stuff like this, but if the world's at stake, I guess I have to accept…besides, those two looked like they'd kill me if I didn't say yes," he said, tilting his head at Kawahira and Sepira.

"Very well…" the Elder said. "What is your name, human?"

"Daiki Shin," the man said.

The Elder proceeded to forge seven stones, which would be given to the man Daiki. Releasing another huge flame, the Elder converted the immense and vast energy he had into seven tangible forms that took the initial shape of rocks.

"The Arcobaleno, Mare and Vongola," the Elder panted. Even breathing was now painful for him. "We have a rainbow, clam and sea, and I want to add one more element to that scene of the beach. What is a beach without sand?"

The other three looked at him, ready to receive the Elder's dying words.

"This power shall be known as the Sabbia."