A Royal Summer Chapter Eighteen

Uh oh. It's... the last chappie!

NOTICE: THIS CHAP WILL BOUNCE BETWEEN FUTURE AND PAST A WHOLE BUNCH OF TIMES WITHOUT WARNING!

Preview to A Royal Fall in this chapter!

Some more weeks later...

Fran held Belphegor's hand in his own. "Just stay calm. It'll be any moment... I just know it's today..."

Belphegor squeezed the older man's hand. "Fran... just remember... what I want..."

"Hehe. I won't forget, Bel. It'll be the first date I have with you when I get back. We'll go out and dance together, with you leading. Make sure you fulfill your side of the promise, too."

"Uh huh," Bel said, nodding, "I'll do it, no matter what. And I'll be myself the whole time... and I'll-"

"Okay, hush...," Fran murmured, stroking the prince's hair. "When I get back, all I'll want is to spend time with you. So you can do the dinner whenever you want. I'll love it, no matter when or how you do it, senpai."

"Okay, Fran, put this on," Belphegor said, placing the hat on Fran's head. The younger man smiled, and reached for his senpai's hand.

"Senpai...," he whispered, "Won't you stay beside me the whole time?"

"... I will," the prince agreed, kneeling down in the chair and resting his chin in Fran's lap. "You're older self sat in this exact same place... in this exact situation... and... ohh, Fran, I'm going to have a hard time saying goodbye..."

"Well, it's not really goodbye, senpai. I mean, we're... gonna be together in the future, aren't we?" Fran asked. Belphegor looked up, and there were tears in his eyes.

"Yeah, Fran. Of course we will...," he said, before wiping at his eyes. "We'll always be together, Fran... until the day we die."

The illusionist stroked his lover's hair, and murmured, "So why are you crying, senpai?"

Belphegor faked a smile, but Fran didn't notice the false grin. "Fran, it's because you are just so cute. Your older self... well... he's too mature for me."

"Aw, senpai. Don't try to cheat on me with me," Fran laughed, hugging the prince as he began to stand. Fran nuzzled into the Storm's stomach. "Love you, senpai."

"Love you too... Fran... Ushishi..."

Squalo walked into the room. "Voi, you're leaving soon, right?"

Fran stood, and sighed. "Yeah. It'll be hard, getting back into the routine of my world...," he muttered, tugging on Bel's arm. "Come on, senpai... they wanted me around them when it happens. I have to say my goodbyes."

'My permanent goodbyes,' Fran silently added. 'I ought to make them good.'

Bel nodded, and the couple followed Squalo to the sort of lounge. (the place where the mangled couch is.)

Fran looked about the living room, and smiled. "Well, I'll be leaving soon...," he began.

"I don't care," Levi grumbled, before the author ignored him.

Lussuria stood up and hugged Fran tightly. "Oh, Fran-chan! I'm gonna miss you!" he gushed. Fran rubbed the Sun guardian's back.

"Don't worry, Luss. It's not like I'll be gone forever."

'Though I will be.'

Mukuro stepped forward and held out his arms. "Come on, Fran. One last hug for your mentor before we say farewell."

Fran rolled his eyes and stood, then gave his master a brief hug, before backing off, and murmuring, "Bye, watermelon head."

The older illusionist nodded. "I entrust you with Kyouya's life," he managed, looking away. "Don't... don't fail me."
"Don't worry, Master," Fran said, "I won't. I'll protect him."

"Kufufu," the former pineapple chuckled, "I know you won't, Fran..."

"Mou, saying goodbye is such a difficult task," Lussuria groaned, stepping forward. He simply held out his hand. "It was so great to see you, Fran."

Fran blinked for a moment, uncertain, but eventually reached forward and accepted the handshake. It seemed so unlike Lussuria not to glomp him and smother him and make the illusionist rage. However, considering the Lussuria he'd hung out with for over two months, Fran found the small gesture not much of a suprise. Xanxus and Squalo stood back in the room, talking to each other in low voices.

"Yo, boss! Fish-face, too!" Fran called. They looked at him, and Fran felt a tad awkward under the serious stares of the older men. Regardless of inimidation, Fran asked, "Aren't you gonna miss me?"

Xanxus walked over, and Squalo followed. The boss placed a hand on Fran's shoulder. "Fran, you are very, very important to our squad. Don't you ever let anyone put you down. Your cheerful, carefree, nonchalant personality can seem to annoy the lot of us, but it was greatly refreshing. Fran, don't change."

Squalo stepped forward next. "You've come a long way," he said, "We'll miss you. We'll miss being the ones you admire."

Fran blinked. "I admire you all... what do you mean?"

The swordsman hung and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Fran. I have nothing more to say."

With that, he walked away, and Xanxus walked after him.

Fran looked down as he took a seat on the couch beside Bel. 'Well, this is it,' he thought, 'I'm ready to lose all potential of existing. I'm ready to become... not part of this world. And it's not just me. Xanxus... Squalo... my Belphegor... we're all done for. Once my younger self returns here, all will be sealed. Without a doubt, this world is headed straight for another future. And... I will disappear forever.'

The man sighed. 'This is why I always hated history.'

The sun broke over the horizon in both worlds.

BANG!

Three days later, Outside Varia Headquarters

The phantom looked longingly at the tall building, his arms folded, when an idea formed in his head. "Hey... maybe the spirit guard is down," he wondered aloud. "After all, I've seen some pretty wierd shadows around there..."

The ghost began to walk forward, then stopped, and reached his hand out. No walls were in his way. The spirit grinned. "Oh? Someone forgot to lock me out a while ago..."

"... Usheshe!"

And finally, Eight Years in the Future.

Fran yawned as he walked, and rubbed his eyes. "Stupid boss... giving me a mission so early in the morning."

"Stop being a wimp," Hibari snapped. "I'd rather be in Mukuro's arms, after all."

The illusionist elbowed the Cloud in the side. "Stop your pinapple-istic fantasies and keep walking."

The ex-prefect muttered, "As it turns out, he's getting a haircut today. He's going to stop tying up his hair. I can hardly wait to see him again..."

The teal-haired illusionist rolled his eyes, before stopping in his tracks. "Did you just hear something?" he asked. The ravenette looked back.

"What, like a rustle? It was probably just a-"

Before he could finish his sentence, a shot rang out, and the prefect was hit in the leg. He clenched his teeth and whirled around, equipping his flame-coated tonfas. "Who's there?" he shouted. "Show yourself, you coward!"

Fran looked around just as not one, but several enemies appeared around the two of them, and gulped. then held out his hand. "You all better stay back or I'll kill you all!" he shouted, touching his thumb to his middle and ring fingers.

"Back off, Fran, they're my prey," Hibari hissed. Another shot hit his hand, and he dropped a tonfa, groaning low with pain. Fran closed his eyes, and muttered several words so fast, they sounded like a foreign language. The very second he finished, a black dragon burst from his hand, roaring loudly, and took to the air, before swooping and taking out many of the opponents.

"Guard, me, skylark, to save your life," Fran instructed, his eyes still closed. Hibari recognized the tone in the illusionist's voice, and, though reluctant, he stepped in front of the Mist guardian, watching as many of the enemies were killed. Some shot at the dragon, and each hit made Fran twitch slightly with annoyance, but he would always come back with a stronger retaliation. The dragon charged, and headbutted several guards into falling over, where they were pierced with strong, large claws.

Another roar, and the tables had been turned. Fran and Hibari went from outnumbered, to dominating the situation. Their foes were thrown, crushed, skewered, speared, stunned and struck. Everything went perfectly.

After the last few people had been taken out, Fran returned his illusion, and looked back at Hibari. The ex-prefect smiled just the tiniest bit. "Fran, I don't know why, but I have the oddest feeling that you just saved my life. Thank you."

Fran grinned, and wrapped an arm around the other's shoulders. "Come on, skylark. We need to get you helped for those shot wounds. There's time to save you from any sort of poisoning..."

"Mm... okay."

Fran smiled.

'It worked, Master. Everything is just as it's supposed to be.'

-End Chapter

Now don't y'all forget that newly opened door! It's KEY for A Royal Fall. Now, if you would please...
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