Chapter Six: I Dare You to Cry
When Ivan Salvo was born, he was not called Ivan Salvo, he was called Ivan Jefferson Krakow. His father was from Poland while his mother was a native French woman who worked inside the house of Earl Salvo as a gardener and a cook assistant. Ivan's father left his mother before Ivan was born. Actually, he didn't leave them, he was just killed by a horse carriage 'accidentally' since he was a small governor in his homeland.
Six months after Ivan was born, the Salvo family welcomed another new life, somebody who would later be called as 'Earl Salvo-sama' by Ivan himself. The mother of the baby, the official wife of the current Earl Salvo, was dead giving birth to her first son. It was rumoured that when the baby was born, he didn't cry nor laugh, he just remained cool. And the left eye of the baby was red, the eye called as the 'demon's eye'.
The baby was named as Zero Vendémiaire Salvo, and he father named him to be the next Earl Salvo. The mother of the young Zero Vendémiaire Salvo was Japanese, thus this boy looked a little more Asian than French. His hair was brown, same as his right pupil. But there was something strange about his personality. For example, he didn't smile once until he was three. But the times he smiled, the smile was even brighter than the sun.
Zero Vendémiaire Salvo was given lessons about how to act like a noble ever since he was four. But he seemed like he already knew how. After teaching him for only one morning, the teacher told his father that his son no longer needs any kind of education, because he seemed to know everything already. Of course, Earl Salvo didn't believe it at first. Three years later, when Zero should officially start to learn about Mathematics, Philosophy, etc., Earl Salvo tested him. And that was when he got totally stunned. The result: his dear seven years old son Zero Vendémiaire Salvo was taught by an university teacher right away.
The day Ivan he himself met the legendary Zero Vendémiaire Salvo was when he was eight. At the age of eight, he already started helping his mother on her gardening jobs. That day, when he was sweeping the leaves on the small garden trail, he saw the young Zero, at that time also eight, walking towards him. But Zero was looking down at the ground, thinking something.
Zero Vendémiaire Salvo did not notice the existence of Ivan Jefferson Krakow until he heard a small 'Bonjour monsieur Salvo...". He immediately turned his head. Ivan remembered the first time he saw Zero's appearance so clearly that he even dreamt about it today.
The face of the young Zero Vendémiaire Salvo was...well, not yet handsome, but somehow...delicate, like a china doll, so fragile that you might break it in one touch, but so well made that you can't help yourself but touch it. His left eye was covered with a well-made black eye patch and was also covered by the front of his brown hair. When he noticed Ivan, a beautiful smile appeared on his emotionless face, so bright that Ivan was shocked for a second.
"Ah, bonjour, Monsieur Krakow." He said with a bright smile. "Comment ca va (how are you)?"
"Ah, bien, bien (good, good)..." Ivan didn't know how to respond for a second. The next Earl Salvo talking to him in such a kind tone? Impossible! "Thanks you." He said naturally without noticing.
"Why 'thank you'?" The young Zero was a little confused, but the smile remained. "You said hi to me, of course I should reply!"
At that movement, Ivan was quite stunned. How did Earl Zero knew what I was thinking! He thought inside his mind. But he quickly cooled down. It's Zero Vendémiaire Salvo who I am talking to, the legendary Zero Vendémiaire Salvo! "Yes, you are right, Monsieur Salvo." Ivan replied with a smile. "But you look..." He remembered Zero's expression before he saw him, that expression pained him.
"But Monsieur Salvo, you looked...lonely..." He said automatically. When he realised what he just said, Ivan's face was quickly filled with fear. Did I...did I just told the future Earl Salvo of France that he looked lonely? Me? Some kind of a dumb gardener? Oh my freaking god I am so doomed Zero-sama's gonna crash me or kill me or hang me or tore me into-
"Haha!" Ivan's crazy thoughts stopped when he heard the innocent laugh. To his surprise, he saw the young Zero laughing, covering his mouth with one hand. The laugh was extremely pure, so different from his expression just thirty seconds earlier. "You looked very interesting just then." Zero Vendémiaire Salvo grinned at the extremely confused Ivan. Looking at Ivan in the eye for a second, he let out another short laugh. "Oh, you thought I am going to crash you?" He joked. But Ivan nodded with fear, along with the question how did Zero knew what he was thinking.
"Oh, nice idea." Zero Vendémiaire Salvo smirked. But then he shook his head and patted Ivan on the shoulder gently. "Of course I won't do that, Monsieur Ivan Krakow. You are just telling me the truth!"
"Huh?" Ivan was confused for a second. But then he understood what Zero Vendémiaire Salvo meant. This young boy standing in front of him right now, the young cute boy rumoured to be the smartest of all French noble kids, was lonely. The future Earl of Salvo, the best helper of the French king, Zero Vendémiaire Salvo, is lonely.
"Unbelievable, eh?" The young Zero smiled a little. "Well, of course, I am always smiling, no matter where. But when I am alone, I...I can't help but put that programmed smile down. I don't want to be like this actually, but nobody knows! Nobody can know!" He was like talking to himself. Ivan listened in silence, but his heart was racing as Zero talked calmly. "I want to be normal, like everyone else, but I cannot change my fate. I chose my own fate, I chose this world, but I just-" His voice was cut of abruptly.
"What the hell in the world are you freaking talking about! Take down your freaking mask!" Ivan, the usually quiet boy, suddenly took a tight grip of Zero's shoulders and started shaking Zero with huge amount of energy. "What the freak are you thinking everyday, Zero Vendémiaire Salvo! You are normal! You are not just normal, but also lucky! Compare to me...well, not just me! Look at everyone around you, they care for you so much! Well, maybe they want the power or money or whatever, but they are still helping you! You have friends, don't you, those kids from the other families. Your friends-"
"Shut up!" Zero Vendémiaire Salvo screamed out loudly, totally losing his control. Ivan was so freaked out that his knees crumbled and fell to the ground. Zero stood there, breathing hard. But after such a loud shout, his face remained pale.
"Ah...ah...ah...so..sorry...je sues desolè..." Ivan said quietly, struggled to stand up. That was when Zero realised that Ivan was sitting on the floor. The shivering body and the words reminded him of somebody inside his memory, a memory long ago, about a red hair boy that lived in the same town as he did. A small smile appeared on his face, Zero knelt down and pulled up Ivan's shaking body gently.
"Nah, I should say sorry, Ivan-san." Zero Vendémiaire Salvo said slowly. "I am very sorry indeed, if I scared you."
"No...I am alright." Ivan said slowly, but there was still fear inside his eyes. "Sorry if I offended you."
"No you didn't." Zero said as he stood up and turned his back to Ivan. "It's just you prickled my old wound."
"Huh?" Ivan was a little confused.
"I don't have any friend." Zero said out loud and clear. "Remember that. I do not have any friend and I will not have any-"
"No, you do have a friend." Ivan suddenly got his gut back again as he stood up.
"Zero Vendémiaire Salvo-sama, may I please be your friend from now on?" He said with a giant grin
Zero Vendémiaire Salvo was first shocked. But then his cooled face finally crumbled. "Ah." He let out a short sigh. "Of course, if you want." For the first time as he arrived in this world, Zero smiled from his heart.
"Haha," Ivan laughed. "So that's it then!"
Before Zero turned and left the small garden, he suddenly stopped and yelled at Ivan with all his energy. "Hey, monsieur Krakow, do you want to be my close servant? If you do, you can change your name legally to Ivan Jefferson Salvo!"
Without any hesitation, Ivan nodded quickly and shouted back with the same amount of energy as Zero just did. "Of course, Zero-san, of course!"
Now, his little conversation with Francesco.
Francesco was staring at him with this strange look in his eyes. So weird that it sent a shiver up Ivan's spine.
"Did you just say...that Zero-sama will destroy Vongola if the seal is released?"
"Yes!" Ivan said filled with fear.
"You gotta be kidding me." Francesco said as he let out a short laugh. "It was just a memory seal, well also an emotion seal. How can Zero-sama destroy Vongola if it was released?"
"We are freaking not talking about the same seal!" Ivan was on the edge of going berserk. "I mean the eye! The demon's eye!"
"Wait..." Francesco was clearly confused for a second. "Wait...the demon's eye is a seal?"
"Of course, damn it!" Ivan shouted. "Didn't Earl Zero tell us about it! You forgot? You freaking idiot! But that isn't the most important thing right now, the situation in which the demon's eye will be released is that the flame of fury is somewhere near. Did you check if anybody in Vongola owns the flame of fury?" Ivan cooled down as he asked Francesco who was chewing on another peach.
"Of course, Ivan." Francesco said with a grin. "There's one guy who owns the flame. He's called Xanxus, the Vongola ninth's adopted son. But since he's in the Varia, there's nothing to worry about."
"Oh the Varia." Now Ivan's mind was totally calm. "Great, nothing will happen to Earl Zero then."
"Since the Varia seldomly visits the rest of the Vongola."
But they just didn't know how wrong they could be.
"Ha!" Xanxus shouted as he fired another silver bullet at Zero, but Zero ducked it again elegantly. During this whole time, Zero didn't attack at all, he was just jumping around lightly avoiding all the attacks. The black cloak on his body went flew along with his movements, making him look like a giant swallow.
"That Salvo guy's pretty strong, shishishi..." Bel said slowly, but there was a trace of confusion on his face.
"Senpai's actually right for once!" Fran exclaimed cooly. "Even our stupid boss cannot beat him!"
"Shut the fuck up!" Squalo shouted impatiently. But he knew, if Zero keep jumping around like that, Xanxus would be tired sooner or later, then, it would be big time for Zero.
"Ah." Zero let out a short sigh filled with impatience. "Can you just do something fiercer, boss of the Varia. Well, I guess I shouldn't expect anything good from a man being frozen by Vongola Tenth at the age of fourteen then. Am I right?"
"Shi!" Xanxus snarled. "If you say so..." He quickly switched his guns into the gun which looked like the seventh.
"Boss's gonna use his flames." Squalo said slowly. "Well, then, good luck Zero, if you can duck them."
Zero's eyebrows raised as he saw a small flare of flame from the gun. The felt this urge going up from the bottom of his heart. That was when he heart quickly sank.
"Crap." He murmured under his breathe. "I forgot. It's Xanxus."
"Haha, you afraid, garbage?" Xanxus said with a giant smile as he saw Zero running for the exit. Reborn's mouth twitched as he saw the sight, he got no idea why Zero was doing so.
"Yes, I am afraid." Zero quickly answered. He needed to get outta here as quick as possible, or...or there might be...a...
"No, you can't go." Bel quickly blocked the door. "Running away isn;t what a good child would do."
"Shit." Zero cursed as he felt Xanxus getting closer. He felt the flame of fury inside the gun, also this urge getting stronger and stronger, going up into his brain.
"There you go, garbage." Xanxus smirked as he prepared to fire. At that time, the feeling inside Zero's body finally shot inside his brain. Before he finally lose grip of his common sense, Zero used his quickest move and kicked Gokudera and Reborn out of the room, Yamamoto was also out since Gokudera kind of dragged him.
"Huh?" Fran was a little confused. "What was the cloak freak doing? I wanna know. Do you know senpai?"
"Nah," Bel didn't say anything. "Just watch."
Zero's body suddenly collapsed onto the ground. Xanxus raised his eyebrows, he didn't know what was happening, so he just backed up a little. But anyways, he felt this wave of killing intent going through his body, and the origin was the passed out Zero.
Ten seconds later, Zero moved. Slowly as he stood up, his left hand went for his left eye. Covering it gently, a shot of red light filled the room, along with this cold laugh, and a flash of silver light.
Then it disappeared just like that. When all the dusts finally died, a bloody scene appeared.
Zero was the only person standing, he was in the centre of the room, his cloak still not settled. With him as the centre, there was a circle of blood, no, serious wounded bodies of the Varias, each with ten or more cuts on their body.
"Ha..." Zero was breathing hard, his body shaking. "Ha, ha...Crap...what did I do...did I just lost myself again...did I just lose to the demon's eye...ha...ha..."
Struggle to walk, Zero staggered outside the room leaning onto the wall. He took out a small piece of paper from his pocket.
"Ha...the Vongola's top enemy family, number one...ah...here in Japan...fine...I will go there tonight then, to get rid of the side affects..." Then his body disappeared right outside the door.
But nobody noticed the colour of white outside the door.