Here I am with another story! :D Just when I finished my last one :3 Let's hope this doesn't drag on for too long or I may lose my inspiration :P
Pretty long, but I wanted to get all the basics out of the way. This is a prologue, so pay not so much heed to it. I just did this as an intro, so you guys know what's up. I'll make a brief summary of everything down bellow ^_^
Hope you enjoy it ~ !
"Welcome back, Master." a long line of servants on both sides of the gates to their estate were there to greet him and his companions upon their arrival but he paid them no heed, long since having gotten used to such things. Giotto continued on, entering the mansion while listening carefully to his best friend slash right-hand man who was giving a report on the events that occurred while he was away. From the sound of it, nothing worthy of attention so he should have plenty of free time to relax.
Giotto di Vongola (born as Sawada Ieyasu), 22 years old, was the oldest son of Sawada Iemitsu, the head of CEDEF, and his wife, Nana. He was one of the chosen candidates to become the heir of Vongola, an infamous mafia famiglia known to be the most powerful and influential family in the world. Because of this, from a young age he was taken from his homeland, Japan, to train both mentally and physically in Italy where Vongola was based.
His life in Italy was the only thing he's ever known, they took him here when he was still 5 years old and he didn't remember much before that happened. Although he would occasionally go to Japan to visit his brother and check on their base there, those times were extremely rare and far in between, not to mention brief. So needless to say, he has more than enough skills and experience to be able to lead Vongola and let it prosper. Ever since he was sixteen, Timoteo, the current boss, started bringing him along in meetings, formal parties and even small get-togethers with their allies. It goes without saying that Giotto was his first choice to inherit his title.
Giotto knew that people held expectations for him, and he did his best to meet those, although he was much too kindhearted to be a mafia boss, Timoteo wouldn't have him any other way. He was just the perfect candidate; smart, talented, cunning, strong, and kind yet strict. He had not only met everyone's expectations, but exceeded them. A lot of people looked up to him and loved him, and Timoteo believed that he had the ability to change Vongola for the better.
It also helped that it only took him a short while to gather his guardians, most of them he had known since he was a child, he attracted people like moth to a flame. He has such endearing traits that made people want to swear their loyalty to him. And of course, his guardians were all strong and skilled and would die for Giotto, not that he would allow that, of course.
"Man, I'm beat." Lampo sighed.
"Nufufu, how strange considering you didn't do anything."
"Daemon! Don't pick a fight when we just got back!" G snapped at him.
"Aren't you the one who sounds like he's picking a fight, G-san?" Asari laughed good-naturedly.
"What?!"
"You're all being too loud." Alaude frowned in annoyance.
"We should all just be thankful that the meeting was a success!" Knuckle said.
"Why wouldn't it be? Especially with all of us present." Lampo sighed.
"Now now, we're all tired so there's no need to start a fight." Giotto sighed. "Let's just hurry to our rooms and rest."
"I'm afraid that's going to have to wait, Giotto."
Said blond looked up and his face broke into a smile. "Grandfather! Is everything alright?"
"Yes yes. of course. I just need to talk to you and your guardians."
They exchanged looks before Giotto nodded and they followed the elderly man to his office. Once there, they were greeted by a dark-haired woman wearing a white one piece and a rather large headwear. Almost every one of them broke into smiles.
"Luce-san!"
She giggled. "How have you boys been? It's been a while... You've all grown so much!"
Luce had been their mentor since they were kids, teaching them the ropes and giving them advice on how to fight and defend themselves. She was the boss of the Giglio Nero famiglia but since they were allies of Vongola, she was more than happy to help them out. Not to mention the fact that she just loves kids. Giotto and his friends look up to her, she was the reason they got to where they were now.
"It's nice of you to visit, Luce-san." Giotto said. "I hope you've been well."
"Well..." her smile faltered a bit, and they all immediately knew that something was wrong as the atmosphere turned serious.
"What is it?"
"It's nothing. I just... I have a favor to ask you." Luce said.
The Arcobaleno was a small group known to be the World's Strongest "Selective Seven" of an era, they were known as the best of the best. They were a group famous since even before the time of Vongola's first boss. Nobody knew how they were chosen, where they came from or even who their leader was and why they decided to group together. They were just an existence that was generally accepted, not to mention feared for their title.
What a lot of people didn't know was that with the title came a curse. The people chosen to become Arcobaleno were chosen by a mysterious man they simply refer to as Checkerface. Once they fully inherit the title and receive a pacifier (Primo knows why it had to be a pacifier out of all things) that corresponds with their flame, they will be cursed with bodies that cannot age or die due to old age. People would think that this was a good thing, but in exchange for that were restrictions to using our flames, so we are no longer able to use them at full capacity, as well as a shortened lifespan. The pacifiers are attached to their bodies and cannot be removed, it slowly drains their energy until there's nothing left to take and the person bearing the pacifier would die. When that happens, a new group of people will be selected to inherit the pacifier and the cycle continues on.
It was no secret that Luce was one of the Arcobaleno, so it came as a shock to them to find out that it was only a matter of time before her death just because she was chosen to carry a burden that no one was even aware of.
"Then-!"
"Giotto, I know you all must be upset but please allow me to finish." Luce smiled sadly. "Most of us Arcobaleno have already accepted our fate, to be honest. After all, despite our resources and skills, we had no way of locating Checkerface no matter how hard we tried, and believe me, we did. None of us wanted to die, obviously. Plus, the restriction on our flames were very troublesome when doing missions. So we continued on with our lives, until a few days ago, that is."
"We all thought it was just an ordinary dream, at first. But when we contacted each other afterwards, we found out we had the same one and were all convinced it was the work of Checkerface. In our dream, it started off as a memory at first, it was when we all first met. And then he arrived and asked us... if we wanted the curse removed. Of course, we all wanted that. So he struck a deal with us."
"... What kind of deal?" Giotto asked, having a bad feeling.
"Checkerface claims that he does indeed have the ability to lift the curse, but he can only lift it on one person. So... he asked us to participate in a battle. Whoever wins will return to their ordinary lives. The life force that the pacifier drained from our bodies will be returned and that person would live a full life, continuing on from before the curse was placed on our bodies."
"Eh? But isn't that a little unfair?" Asari asked. "The Arcobaleno aren't measured in strength alone, they're chosen because they're the best in their field, aren't they?"
"That is correct, it would indeed be unfair for someone like Verde who specializes in science as well as Skull who may be strong but stand no chance against his 'senpais'. So in order to maintain fairness, he said that it would be a 'Representative Battle'. Basically, all of us will choose a maximum of 7 representatives who will fight in our stead and whoever's the last remaining team standing wins."
"So, basically, the reason you are here is..." Alaude's eyes narrowed.
"Yes. I would like to ask a favor from all of you." she sighed before saying, with a voice filled with determination. "Please fight for me. I know I may be being selfish by asking you this, but... if I don't do this then I would have to leave my daughters alone. I know for a fact that the pacifier has already drained a significant amount of our life force, it's already been over a decade, after all. So none of us have much time yet. I don't think Aria is ready to inherit the Giglio Nero just yet, and Yuni is still so young! ... I don't want to leave them so soon... So..."
Giotto chuckled, surprising Luce a bit. That was not an expected reaction.
"What are you being so hesitant for?" he smiled kindly, the same smile that made even heartless mafioso declare their loyalty for him. It was warm and forgiving and it made you feel like you belonged. "We're not going to let you die, Luce. Rest assured, you can leave everything to us."
And with the smiles her students gave her, Luce couldn't help but feel relieved. If it was them, she knew they would be able to manage.
"The Representative Battle will be held in Namimori, Japan." Alaude informed them.
"Eh? Why there?" Giotto asked, blinking in confusion. "Isn't it a relatively peaceful town?"
"That's right, my little brother keeps the peace there so rest assured, there would be no hindrances there that may get in the way." the blond explained.
"Oh, that's right. That's your hometown, isn't it, Alaude?" Knuckle asked. "Perhaps it's God's way of telling you that you need to go back to your roots?"
"It's Giotto and Asari's hometown, as well." Alaude said, ignoring the last part.
"Isn't it a bit suspicious that it's being held there, out of all places?" G asked.
"Definitely, but I'm not really complaining." Giotto shrugged. "It's been a while since I've been there, my little brother might be getting lonely too, so I guess I'll pay him a visit."
"Hm? Your brother's in Namimori?" Lampo frowned, clearly confused. "But don't your parents live here in Italy? What's he doing in Japan all by himself?"
"Well, 2 years ago Dad had the idea that since he and I are here in Italy, it would be best if the whole family were to move here altogether. He probably felt guilty, leaving my mom all alone in Japan. She was more than happy to oblige, of course. But my little brother begged them to let him stay at least until he graduates middle school. Probably didn't want to leave his friends behind, but I'm pretty sure he graduated sometime around last year or maybe a couple months back. Mom and Dad probably forgot about it so they're not pressuring him, he doesn't seem to look forward to moving to Italy though."
"What's he like, exactly?" the youngest of the group couldn't help but voice his curiosity.
"Hmm... Well, I don't really see him that often. But from what I can tell, I guess we kinda look alike? He also has trouble with school and making friends, so I guess that helped in making our parents agree to let him stay in Japan."
Asari sighed. "It's a shame. Alaude-san, you don't know much about your brother either, correct?"
"Kyouya is a loner, like myself. It's no surprise that he doesn't like sharing." was his reply.
"That is no reason for you not to try to get to know him. Family is everything!" Knuckle said.
"I... guess he has a point. I mean, don't you get any news from your parents?" G asked.
"My father is a high ranking officer in the Japanese military while my mother is always travelling all over the world doing jobs as an assassin, they know as much about the brat as I do, if not less."
"Wow, harsh." Lampo whistled. "What about you, Asari?"
"My mother died giving birth to my little brother, so he's being raised by my father in Namimori." Asari explained. "But I don't really get to ask much about him. Whenever I talk to my father, it's always about business. Being a retired assassin and all, he takes the job of maintaining the balance and peace in their community, I try to help as much as I can."
"Well, being the candidates to inherit a really powerful mafia organization can really take up a lot of your time, I guess." Giotto sighed, a frown marring his features. "I would have liked to spend some time with my brother and just be a regular family."
"As the eldest, you have the responsibility of looking after your sibling, after all. You know, seeing them safe and happy is enough to bring you great joy!" Knuckle grinned.
Lampo hummed. "Well, I guess being a big brother is a total pain too. You should also consider yourself lucky that you have an excuse not to deal with that stuff."
"Do you have any siblings, Lampo?" Asari inquired.
"Nah, but I have this cousin. Still really young, practically a baby. He cries a lot and it gets really annoying, I wouldn't have wanted to deal with something like that."
"Well... Now that you mention it, I heard from Mom that my brother cried often." Giotto muttered.
"Nufufu, looks like your brother's nothing like you, Giotto." Daemon chuckled. "How ironic."
"Daemon also has a sibling, correct?" Knuckle said.
"Yes, my brother." Daemon nodded, not mentioning his other sibling and they respected that. It was no secret about what happened to his sister, she died in a car accidennt. Daemon had been really affected by this, considering the fact that he had only found out weeks after it happened and he didn't even get the chance to go to her funeral. It took months before Daemon returned to normalcy, but even then they could still tell he was depressed by the subject.
"Are you close with him?"
"Heavens, no! My little brother is much too... rowdy, so are his little group of mischief. He just does as he likes, traveling around the world, causing trouble." he sighed in exasperation.
"I'm pretty sure Knuckle is the only one here who's maintained a good relationship with his sibling." G grumbled.
"Yeah, don't you live with your sister? I hear the two of you are really close." Giotto asked.
"Yes! Kyoko is very kind and very talented! She moved here a couple years ago since it wasn't safe to stay in Japan anymore."
"From where in Japan did you come from again?"
"Osaka." Knuckle replied before thinking a bit. "Hey, have I ever told you guys about my EXTREME little brother?"
"Eh? You have one too?" Lampo sighed in exasperation.
"That's right! He's an EXTREME boxer! He didn't want to come to Italy for some reason, so he travels all over Japan and challenges worthy opponents to get stronger!" he grinned. "He's always really busy though, so I rarely get to talk to him. But he always makes sure to call Kyoko so she doesn't worry."
"Well... I mean, you're not close but it's better than nothing." Lampo shrugged.
Silence, as they all stared at G.
"You guys expect me to tell you about my homicidal romantic of a sister and my rebellious brother?"
"Yep." Lampo nodded.
"Pretty much." Asari grinned.
"Why?"
"Well, I mean, we've already told ours. Lampo even said something about his cousin."
"Nobody asked you guys to!"
"So?"
G groaned but gave in. "What do you want to know?"
"Well, there's not much to say about your sister since we already know a lot about her." Lampo muttered.
"Is it true that she poisoned her ex-boyfriend?" Daemon asked, genuinely curious.
"... Yeah."
"Tell her to confess, I'm free any time." Knuckle said.
"I'll... pass her the message."
"Well? What about your brother?"
"Ran away when he was 8, never saw him again." G shrugged. "We're still looking for him, but it's been a long time since we last heard of him. He made a name for himself- Hurricane Bomb Hayato, and we were a little worried for him at first. But it worried us even more when we stopped hearing from him. I mean, we don't want to jump to any conclusions or anything. Maybe, he finally settled down someplace, you know? Finally decided to leave this whole mafia business. But, well... we just want to be sure so we keep on looking."
"Why did he run away, anyway? And don't brats usually come back after a couple of hours when they 'run away'?" Lampo asked.
G sighed. "I don't really know. Never really understood the kid. I mean, he wasn't so bad, disregarding his temper and all, but he wasn't a crybaby so I didn't mind looking after him back then. Didn't really talk much, either. So God knows what was going on in his head. I want to say that Bianchi was closer to him than I was but... I'm pretty sure the kid was afraid of that woman from a very young age."
"Can you blame him?" Daemon muttered.
"I agree, your sister needs Jesus." Knuckle added.
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Lampo nodded. "I heard she's trying to go after an arcobaleno this time."
"Nufufu, from what I heard, it's one of the deadly ones. Luce-san seems to be the only peace-loving person on their little group after all, but the one your sister's aiming for seems to be in a whole different level of deadly."
"They say she fell in love with him at first sight and completely dedicated her life to the guy."
"I also heard she's a well-known assassin right now and her cooking can even melt steel."
"... I wish I could deny all that, I really do." G sighed, earning a pat on the back from Giotto.
There was an awkward silence as G continued to sulk.
"Well then... based on our conversation, it's safe to conclude..." Lampo spoke up. "That you all suck as big brothers."
"What?! What about you?!" G snapped.
"I'm an only child, so I don't count."
"God knew you would be the worst big brother out of all of us so he decided to spare the poor child."
"Shut up, Knuckle!" Lampo snapped, earning him a bonk to the head from Giotto.
"Respect your elders." the blond huffed. "Anyway, it's not like our families can't take care of themselves, we should have faith in them. My brother's in an age where he'd want to become independent, so it's only natural to give him some space."
"The same goes for mine." Alaude sighed.
"What we should be focusing on is the representative battle. Luce-san refused to give us any details about the other arcobaleno, but she did say that she doesn't know who they could possibly ask to fight for them... Well, Mammon would most likely ask the Varia for help, but other than that..."
"The Arcobaleno Fon is my cousin, so we should expect my family to join in the fight." Alaude spoke up, making a few of his companions pale.
"Woah, we're gonna go up against those monsters?" Lampo asked.
"Alaude's enough of a monster already but those two..." G muttered.
"Nufufu, your cousin, huh? Wouldn't that be troublesome for you?"
"Be quiet, and don't think so low of me." Alaude's eyes narrowed. "Fon may be my cousin, but I have debt to Luce-san. And I intend to repay her for everything she's done."
"That's good to hear." Daemon smirked.
"Is there anyone else you think Fon would likely go to?"
"... well, there is the Chiavarone."
"Wait, the Chiavarone?! As in the third most powerful famiglia in the world?!"
Alaude nodded. "They're an old family friend."
"Just what kind of family do you have...?"
"Why is it so surprising? Isn't the Vongola allied to the Chiavarone?"
"The Vongola's different, it's an old organization recognized as the number one!"
"Your point?"
"... Nevermind." he sighed.
"Well, they are indeed formidable enemies, we should start preparing for what's to come." Giotto muttered, after a moment of deliberation, he faced his close friends and issued his orders. "We leave for Namimori tomorrow morning, Asari, please have someone prepare the jet. Alaude, keep an eye on every who has and will enter the area of Namimori starting from last week. G, research every mafioso, yakuza, vigilante or any person with a history in the underworlds that currently resides in Namimori. Daemon, keep an eye on the rest of the arcobaleno. I want to be aware of their movements and every person they come into contact with. The rest of you will scout the area. Figure out the landmarks and memorize every turn and every building. It can be easy to get lost at first but it's a small town, you'll get used to it quickly. Knowing the battleground would definitely be useful in the battle. Do I make myself clear?"
Various sounds of affirmatives was heard and Giotto nodded. "Good then, you are all dismissed. Let's hope for the best..."
Hope you liked it ~ !
So basically, here there's still the curse of the Arcobaleno, but instead of turning into babies they just stop aging and have a shortened life span. They were around in their late-twenties when they were cursed, and right now they don't got that long to live. I'd say they were cursed at around... 14 years before the current time.
Here are the ages and families and other facts:
Sawada
Parents currently reside in Italy
Ieyasu(Giotto) - Eldest, 22 years old
Tsunayoshi - Youngest, 16 years old
Gokudera (Hayato's the only Gokudera but the other two don't really have a last name? Their last name isn't Gokudera here, but for the sake of being organized I will put them under this category)
Parents reside in Italy, Hayato's mother is deceased
G - Eldest, 22 years old
Bianchi - Second, 19 years old
Hayato - Youngest, half brother, 16 years old
Yamamoto
Mother is deceased, Father resides in Namimori
Asari - Eldest, 23 years old
Takeshi - Youngest, 16 years old
Sasagawa
Parents travel around the world as professional athletes
Knuckle - Eldest, 24 years old
Ryohei - Second, 17 years old
Kyoko - Youngest, 16 years old
Spade
Daemon and Mukuro's mother is deceased, Father's location is unknown, Nagi's Mother's location is unknown
Daemon - Eldest, 24 years old
Mukuro, Second, took up his mother's last name, 18 years old
Nagi - Youngest, deceased for 4 years, age upon death 11 years old
Hibari
Father resides in Tokyo, Mother travels around the world
Alaude - Eldest, 24 years old
Kyouya - Youngest, 18 year old
Fon - Cousin, real age 43, physical age 29 years old
Bovino
Parents reside in Italy
Lambo - Only child, 7 years old
Lampo - Cousin, 18 years old
Future pairings: 1827, 8059, B26, XS. I may add in a few pairings in the future but I'm not sure yet...
Tell me what you think as well as your suggestions! I'll update this next week so please be patient! According to a little survey I did on my other story, you guys prefer Dark!TenthGen, so just wait a little more and I'll give you just that! ;)
Anyway, Please review ~ !
~ RnR ~ !
~ RnR ~ !