It was finally over.
The curse was lifted and the Arcobalenos were restored to their forms but the slight difference was rather than returning to their real age, they were de-aged several years thus resulting them to be three years younger than their original age but that wasn't the case anymore because now they were free and they were happy. A party was ensured after everyone was recovered and they were partying in the Arcobaleno Manor. A manor used and inhabited by past, present, and future Arcobalenos, it's walls were soaked with the power of its previous users, the library filled with the rich history of the Dying Will Flames and portraits of former Arcobalenos graced the suite of each Arcobaleno.
I Prescelti SetteThe Chosen Seven as they were referred to by the Mafia Society even someone as weak as she wasn't someone to be trifled with, she was only weak against her fellow Arcobalenos but to all others par the Vindice, she is the Strongest Cloud alive and the only Cloud that would fit within the current I Prescelti Sette generation. The party was in full swing by the time she noticed it, some were already drunk enough that their sober Famiglia members started to drag them away in hopes of salvaging their reputation. Usually, she'd be in the middle of it but tonight was just for relief.
Tonight, she would be happy for them and for herself.
"Oi, Lackey. What are you doing here?" Lifting his purple gaze from the almost empty glass, he meets the eyes of the man with a killer stare. "...Reborn-senpai." He lifted his glass in a mock toss and his smirk played on his face. "Normally, you'd be in the middle of this chaos not watching it." He said imploringly while Skull had to stomp the mocking retort that was about to pass his lips. "...Normally, yeah. I would but I'm just savoring that I got my body back, I don't want to jinx anything." He replied calmly that Reborn was oddly bemused at the lax reply of the Cloud Arcobaleno.
He knew Skull and he could tell that something was off about the normal loudmouth moron civilian and just left it... for now. Leaving the young stuntman, Reborn doesn't need his Dame-student's Hyper Intuition to tell that something was going to happen soon.
"Are you going to visit, Mother?" Skull smiled knowingly while the woman beside him patted his shoulder. "It's about time." He replied while the woman beside him, the Giglio Nero Nono sighed. "Couldn't you stay for a bit, Skull?" She pleaded while Skull looked at the other Arcobalenos and their guests. "You know I never belonged... It would be beneficial for everyone if I just... disappeared. " There was pain behind those purple eyes and Aria felt the Cloud's pain. "They won't take the fact that you leaving without a by leave..lightly." A bitter sad chuckle escaped his lips. "Maybe they'll court another Cloud because I'm not suited, I never was and you know it... I was just a civilian and still am." He replied and felt someone hug him.
They spoke no more.
Skull managed to get out of the party without being noticed and made his way to the Sky suite where their beloved Sky lays in a glass coffin, a beautiful princess she'd make if Luce were awake... Entering the suite and through various security measures, he sat at the chair near her... The Sky flames lay dormant but they could still feel her, their Sky. It was a miracle that Verde managed to create a stasis chamber where the power of the Sky Arcobaleno pacifier was held in hopes of staving off Luce's disease and when the battle ended, Luce's disease was gone.
She was healing.
Anytime now, she'd be awake but Skull couldn't wait anymore. "Luce... we managed to get the curse lifted and we're back to normal... Gods, there's so much to tell you when you wake up." Skull held his helmet, the infant-sized helmet embodied his years struggle as an Arcobaleno, years as the errand boy for the Mafia-borne individuals... His status as a civilian demoted him to the very bottom of the hierarchy which was so damn unfair.
"Luce... I'm sorry but I want my life back, please find a way to forgive me for leaving, Il Mio Amato Cielo." He placed his hand on the glass and pulsed a bit of his Cloud flame, he felt the curl of Sky flame and closed his eyes, to be with his Sky for the last time.
He placed his helmet and the empty pacifier on the chair and walked away without a backward glance to his sleeping Sky because if he did look back, he would've seen a tear escape and cascaded down her face as her Cloud drifted away from her, from them. From the spiritual world, Luce kept watched of her Guardians, and needless to say, she wasn't happy at all. Just because their Cloud was born a civilian doesn't she was weak... If the others only knew.
Skull was the strongest out of all of them.
And now, she's drifting away.
"No Skull...Please come back... Please..." It was futile to beg or shout, she'd done it before and not even Viper who was the Esper could hear her. It hurt, it hurts to see their Cloud pack her things, the sentimental ones were packed but the other knickknacks she had were left, several clothes, a couple of books... Luce watched as Skull was staring at the picture on her nightstand, it was their picture as a Famiglia.
Skull took the photo off the frame and had an unreadable expression. "Was I even part of this?" There were times Luce wished she could've been heard, to be seen, and to be at least corporal so she could smack everyone because they were so stupid. They were on the edge of Dissonance with how they treated their Cloud. "Skull, La Nostra Amata Nuvola, you are part of our Famiglia. Please don't leave..." Luce was close to screaming her heart out when Skull tore the photo in two and held the side where her picture is... The purple-haired androgynous-looking male behind Luce with a grin so genuine that it melted her heart.
Luce watched as Skull burned herself off the picture with her Cloud flames and left Luce untouched.
I've been trapped in a cage
Sorrow said I should stay
But I found beauty in this pain
Gave me strength to break these
Invisible chains...
Skull unlocked her window and threw her bag at the bush then closed the window with a silent click then another look at her room, looking for anything she'd miss then nodded. Taking off the piercings she had and proceeded to close the pierced skin. Her face devoid of makeup then with another burst of her flames, she removed every single tattoo etched on her face, on her body.
She was removing any mark that reminded her that she was Skull de Mort.
Unfortunately, her flames mutated her appearance because she never had purple hair or purple eyes before because her hair was a dark inky color and eyes like dark chocolate, bittersweet that held edge yet appear innocent. She was a walking contradiction and she frankly, still is but that was about to change. Skull planned everything from the very moment she became an Arcobaleno, she had an escape plan.
This was never part of her plan, to get attached to a bunch of abusive, narrow-minded... She released a shuddering sigh.
Taking out the permanent hair dye and the colored contact lenses.
She began her transformation.
I don't believe in your fairytales and goals
Conozco la Vida and
She's working on my soul
This ain't over yet
Still got demons in my head, yeah, yeah
Cold, sweating in my bed, whoa
Don't wanna get used to...
Black hair, brown eyes.
She almost looked like herself except her skin, she wore her biker suit for an alarming 24/7 basis that it wasn't exposed to a hint of sunlight but she could play it off as having Anemia... Underneath her biker suit, she wore a long-sleeved purple turtle-neck and a pair of black skin-tight pants paired with black ankle-high boots. She zipped her suit to cover her outfit and sighed.
This was the last time she'll sleep here.
The last time she would walk these hallways and the gardens.
The last time she would ever be near a situation that warrants her life because she had enough of this life, enough of the treatment she was subjected to, enough of the people who never gave her a chance to show them who she really was, she wasn't their Cloud anymore because she had enough of the bullshit, they could court another Cloud for all the fuck she gave.
Good riddance.
Just because she didn't have a colorful mafia-borne status like the majority of them doesn't mean she doesn't have her own reputation but they didn't give her that chance and even if she had the opportunity to show, they dismissed her and she was fine with it, the less they know about her and the less attachment she formed with them but she knew that at least a couple of them knew she was hiding something, she had her slip-ups but they were dismissed because it was the heat of the moment.
It was absolutely fine with her.
She kept her secrets close to her heart, only one person knew her for who she was but that person is in a comatose state.
Whatever pain she had from the hurt, the easy dismissal, and then the kicks, smacks, lovely snide remarks about her intelligence and her capability.
IT. WAS. NOT. FINE.
Helmet and Suit on.
Luce watched mutely as Skull walked out the Cloud Arcobaleno suite, leaving as if it was just a mission, the SKy Arcobaleno prayed to have anyone intervene Skull's path, she wept in joy seeing Fon by the door. "Isn't it a little late for a ride, Skull?" The Chinese man inquired Skull shrugged. "It's been years since I rode my old bike, Fon. I've been night riding before, nothing happened!" With a perfect flourish that only Skull could poise.
Perfect Little Actress.
Fon was a little pensive but agreed and Luce clutched the doorframe as her sob was deaf to everyone she cared about.
Aria watched from the window as she saw her Mother's Cloud Guardian walked away from the manor with a bag at hand, out the gate.
Out of this life.
It's too late to save me, yeah
Don't you come my way, don't pray for me
'Cause I saved myself
Already saved myself
Yeah, yeah
It's too late to save me, yeah
Don't you come my way, don't pray for me
'Cause I saved myself
I've already saved myself
Freedom was liberating.
When she put a distance between herself and the Arcobaleno manor, she took a detour to the forest then to the cliffside where her airship was being handled by her animal companion, it may sound quite absorb but Oodako was very efficient especially with eight tentacles, he was smart and he managed the ship without her, it was odd but everyone has an animal companion that resonated with them.
Cosmo, the Sky Arcobaleno's animal companion was in the same state as Luce.
Skull wondered if anything happened to her then ... What would become of her animal companion?
'You're thinking too hard again.' It was an exclusive bond that warranted her to hear what Ookado thought while petted his head. "I never thought we'd get this far, my friend." She mumbled while Oodako wrapped himself around his mistress/friend, he knew of her plight and even saw witnessed it, it took all of his self-control and his friend's pleas to not thrash at the Arcobalenos. He was subjected to nights where his friend would pour her heart out to him, her tears, her pain was his and the rest of the animal companions weren't very happy with their partners.
That's why they treated Skull with kindness, couldn't they see how she was drifting away?
Oodako watched his friend pick herself up after falling, from being pushed, comforted her when he knows that she was close to breaking, and got to know the real Skull. How could they call her weak after everything she'd done for them, she'd done to get away from her old life.
They were arrogant and ignorant.
Now they lost her.
'Where are we going?' He asked curiously while Skull smiled as she discarded her biker suit and helmet.
"How does my past sound?" She said while Ookado nodded. 'I'm with you wherever you go.'
The skies rumbled and as thunderstruck, the Arcobalenos had a foreboding feeling.