Amusing, to say the least, what had pushed these people to who they are today. So, another eccentric, 'what-if' ficlet of mine.


Not sure where this is actually going, but a shot is a shot so yeah.


And I suppose I changed her(Jo's) eye color from gray to green. For some reason, I have to make a LOT of edition to majority of my works. *shakes head in shame*



=Emerald Green=


"From inside the hands picking, the emerald green flowers
Change their body to the sky, the wind, the ground.
Laying in that opulent place that opened its eyes to that beauty,
Asking questions to the sky.


The future has become brighter..."


---

POOF!

"Darn it... shouldn't have just let that Artemis-san handle thing like those to me."

A groan escaped the female's face as the ginger-haired COMSUBIN soldier groaned at the favor that was asked to her by the ash-haired scientist. Oh, sure, Lal Mirch told Jo to head over to the laboratories and assists a female scientist named Artemis, who is a colleague of hers from God-knows-where, and this disaster ends up. Well, technically, it was her fault seeing that she must have missed an instruction from her something about...

"'Don't touch anything'. Geez... could have just said it earlier." Jo grumbled, dusting her camouflage pants from any dust as she looked around the place, a look of wonder seen from her bandage-laden face of hers. "Strange... last I recall, I was in that woman's lab for all the heck's worth." Scratching the back of her short, ginger locks, the young soldier gave another sharp sigh as she shook her head in disbelief on what just happen; she might be a soldier, but she's no idiot.

"Crap, didn't knew there's such thing as a Time Machine or whatever-ma-call it. Shouldn't have taken that orders from ma'am."

Looking around the scenery once more, Jo noticed that her surroundings consists of a green pasture as a small tilt came from her head at the sight. Upon walking further, and from the signboard she had read, the female also concluded that she must be still in Italy, only in the countryside.

"Least I'm not lost or anything," She mumbled under her breath, noticing that she was only wearing a fitted sando over her bandaged upper body, the aforementioned camouflage pants and combat boots. Shaking her head, the female soldier knew that they won't even mistake her for something crazy for as long as she keep her cool and speak in her native language (Italian) then nothing's bound to make her think she's a terrorist.

Yeah, right, as if the attire would show her that; could be worse, though.

After a few walks here and there, Jo somehow noticed a small town not far from where she is right now as the last thing she needed before she would be saved and return to her own time was to be burned to crisp by the searing sun. Seriously, why does the sun have to be so hot, she pondered as the female trudged herself forward, reaching the said place in half the time than she expected it to be. "Well," The female spoke, hands placed onto the pocket of her pants as she shook her head a bit. "Here goes nothing... hopes they get me before some damn craziness that I didn't do happen."

---

Running.

That's the only thing he had been doing for the whole part of his life.

He wasn't sure when he started running, or why, but it wasn't his fault for this to happen.

I have to get away from them.

That was his usual thoughts whenever these bullies would decide to pursue him and beat him for reasons he doesn't even know. He wasn't sure what he had done, but they find it amusing to beat the young lad senseless, even if it was for no reason at all, just for kicks they say. It was not fair, the lad thought, eyes closed and praying that someone would be there to save him, it was not fair at all.

Had he done something to deserve this?

Or maybe having a blonde hair and bright, blue eyes is a curse on itself?

Damn it, damn that accursed look of his!

"COME BACK HERE, KID!"

Oh, God, they're gaining close, the kid thought, not even daring to look back, as he run as fast as he could until he felt himself colliding with someone taller.

"Oi, what gives?"

Before he could even give a small apology and run, a gand grabbed onto the collar of his jacket as he wring himself to get free from their clutches.

"Lemme go~! Can't you see I'm being chased?"

"THERE YOU ARE!"

The blonde-haired kid was afraid of this as he expected the person who had grabbed hold of him to shove him towards them, but all he heard was...

"Waddya think you're planning to do with the kid, ei?"

Opening his eyes, he looked to see the person who had grabbed him glaring towards the boys pursuing him a while ago, her eyes glaring towards them as if she was ready to beat anyone senseless at the slightest aggravation. Her eyes, he noticed, seem sharper than he had seen all his life, but also brighter than anything else. It was the brightest emerald green optics he had ever seen, and probably the first one which made him wonder what else does this female has despite the unnaturally male-like attire and locks she had.

The males pursuing the blonde lad stood from their place, afraid at what would the female in front would do to them seeing that she's not from around the town, before decided that the shrimp was lucky for this day that somebody had saved his hiney and walked away. With that done, the red-head shook her head, mumble something about how brutal kids are these days and released her grasped onto the boy's jacket as it was his turn to have the receiving end from her glare.

"Oi, and where do you think you're going?"

Arms crossed and with the sharp glare of hers, the blonde lad couldn't seem to move from his place as he looked down, trying to avoid her gaze, and mumbled something about being picked on by the older male. She made a 'tsk' sound, head shaking, as she also notice how scrawny he seems to look.

"And you call yourself a man?" The ginger-haired woman spoke, an involuntary twitch seen from the male at her statement. "Oh, stop wimping out, go get drowned if you must." That was very harsh for her to say such a thing, he thought with a pout as he was about to answer back when a loud churn was heard within the vicinity. How could he forgot, he hadn't ate anything and he just about to buy something when they took his money and started to chase him to who-knows-where. The woman looked at him as if she had this 'what in the world?' look of hers but not before emitting a small chuckle. "Goshdarnit, please tell me it's just a dog, right?" He only shook his head in reply before she grunted and placed her hand onto the pocket. "Hmm... hope the currency is still acceptable," She mumbled more to herself (in which the lad somehow heard) as she gave a small grin as if it was something good news. "You have cash, right, kid?"

"They took it."

Silence.

"Stupid bastards."

Does she ever know when to shut her trap from releasing some foul words in front of a child?

After a few complain or so from the female, the blonde-haired lad was glad as he was eating his treat happily while watching the older woman beside him chugging down a bottle of water. He noticed how unrefined she moved or the fact that she acted like a sweaty, male soldier that she is despite the obvious figure (well, to him actually) she has. But what made him gain interest more is her eyes and how sharp yet bright it seems to look, as if it was glowing or something. Not too dark and not too light, just right. It didn't take a lot effort for her to scare the bejitters out of those guys and that seem to made him wanting to become like her.

But how?

"Good thing they accept currency, though I have to make a run for it later when they realize about the date." The female spoke to herself, scratching the back of her head with one hand (other still holding the water bottle) as she looked onto the lad who was looking at her. "Eh, Something in my face colonel?"

"Colonel?"

"Well," Pondering why she called him in her secondary-language, which was American (she might be born from Italy, but she's somewhat have an American blood within her from somewhere, must be relative or something), she involuntarily scratched the side of her cheeks as she snapped her fingers at the thought. "You just remind me of someone, nothing too serious." She said sheepishly, noting about that darn lecture in one of those shows she watched from the TV about not to mess with time and stuff, not that she had any past time when she wasn't still part of the COMSUBIN or anything. "Anyway, I'm not going to stay long so, I rather, not know your name just in case or something." The female added as an after-thought.

"Are you an American?"

Whatever she was drinking right now (and, frankly, she was glad it wasn't beer) she would have spitted towards the bystanders walking in front of them but lucky that she managed to hold it down and swallow it before anything else happens as she looked skeptically towards the younger brat and nearly choked him if it weren't for the face he was pulling. Aw, darn that blue eyes and yellow hair of his... darn her soft spot for kids, in general.

"Er.." How in the hell she will answer that? Ah, screw it! "You know, I rather not answer that, just be happy you have a manlier nickname." She mumbled, scratching the back of her head. Speaking of which, how long has been since she first came here in this place again? To be precise, how far in time? She better not screw this or else, she thought with a groan as she was oblivious towards the lad's amusement towards her.

"Um... thanks again for a while ago."

Looking at the blonde kid, a small smile was seen from her face as she ruffled the young one's head in a friendly manner, though she frowned once more once he started talking once more.

"I wish I were as strong as you are," The lad squeaked, looking towards the older one with his bright blue eyes. "They think that I look weak and all, if not that I look a bit like a wuss. You seem to be strong and tough, and sharp for a woman." Another sigh escaped from the female as she deliberately whacked the guy in the head as hard as she could. "OWCH~! What was that for?"

Veins throbbing on her temples, she couldn't help but find this a bit annoying for her taste. "Dammit, you must be the wussiest brat I've ever met!" She growled arms crossed and certainly not too happy on his statement a while ago. "Screw what they think of you if you have to, you have a chance if you willed to do so." Another whack in the head (certainly, one could tell she won't be good anytime with these kind of situations soon enough.) "I'm saying this to you; if you keep thinking that you're weak, then you're weak. However, if you think that you're strong, then, by all means of that ego of yours, you're strong." She gave a grin towards him, jabbing her thumb towards herself. "Trust me, the only thing you need to think about, if you want to be strong, is to believe in yourself. So what if it shouts 'ego' or something, screw them and just trust your own self!" Not really the best of her advices, but it was close enough.

Well, her own opinion.

"Well," Stretching her arms, and crackling some knuckles or so, the female looked towards the lad as she gave him a thumb's up. "Guess I over-stayed my welcome, gotta go otherwise I could feel a major scolding from someone." Giving a way, she was about to walk away when...

"Wait!"

"?"

"What's your name?"

She did not expect this. If she give out her name, who knows what catastrophe would happen (that, or she's exaggerating) as she turned her head a bit and looked at the kid.

"You're serious, right, colonel?" The female spoke and he nodded defiantly.

"I want to know your name so I can find you when I become stronger!"

Darn, should have just get out and not interfere, she frantically whined to herself from within her mind as she gave a sheepish smile.

"Er..."

Pause.

"Josephine."

"Eh?"

"Josephine would be fine." One last wave from her. "Well, see ya."

He didn't know where she went after that, but as soon as the lad looked at the next second on where in the world the emerald-eyed person is called Josephine, he found that she had disappeared like a wind.

"Josephine..." He spoke her name, knowing that there is actually someone brave (or stupid) enough to say such things as bluntly as that to him. "Thanks."

---

"You could have just tapped me in the shoulders instead of dragging me, darnit!"

It was just in time when Artemis found where Jo is as she promptly pulled her back to where she belong- her own time line.

"Look what you've done!" Artemis ranted, flailing her arms in frustration as she growled onto the red-head female in front of her. It was lucky, though, that no one manage to notice the chaos that have happened and that Jo was returned back to her respective time right before things goes out of hand. Darn, should have listened to Verde and put all of her kooky inventions back where they came from; in the closet. A sigh escaped the ash blonde-hair's mouth as she shook her head, adjusting her oval spectacles. "Just be glad you weren't sent to the time of Adolf Hitler or else, you're as good as dead."

"Wait, just because I look like an American?" Jo growled, but nevertheless was glad she was safe. "Well, where ever colonel is, I'm sure he grew up to be a decent man."

"Did you say something, Josephine?"

"Nothing." Pause. "And stop calling me Josephine, dammit."

---

Looking up towards the ceiling, the blonde-haired COMSUBIN soldier keep recalling a part of his life where he had learn a lesson, forming him from who he is today. If it weren't for this person, he wasn't sure if he could even become one of the strongest amongst the army or something.

Wonder where in the world that person is? Prolly traveling or something else.

"You seem to be deep in thoughts."

He looked towards the side to meet his gaze with the raven-haired Mafioso, arms crossed and having that sly glint in his eyes as the blonde-haired male gave a grunt in reply.

"Don't disturb me, kora!" Collonello spoke, returning his gaze up to the ceiling. "I'm concentrating."

"Yes, like you always say," Reborn smirked, lingering his slate optics towards him in observation before moving out, leaving the male to his thoughts. Even with all these years, he was sure that where ever the person would be, or whoever they are, they must be fine and doing things like always. He could remember the hits he received from this person but he knew there must be for a reason.

"Maybe..."

Come to think of it, that person seems to look faintly like someone.

"Nah couldn't be."

Unfortunately, just seeing this person in a one-time basis doesn't really help much with the memory.

Yet...

"Told you I'd become strong, kora."

He owes it all to this person; if it weren't for her, he wouldn't be where he is today.

"Thanks, Miss Josephine."

How in the world he could remember that name from once-upon-a-time, only he could tell.


Phew, thought I couldn't pull that one out, but I did. Er... yay me? Haha, well, it could be worse, really.

It's weird how I manage to make a Collonello one... and, yeah, managed to play with time and stuff... kinda confusing, if not a bit jumbled up, but not really worse for wear.

Did I say anything else? It's a 'what-if' scenario. And prolly a what-if on where did Collonello had his 'name' originated from. And, yes, Jo's real name (if you recall the 'Kaze no Message' drabble) is Josephine and that I did a time thing where Collonello met the older Jo and that stuff. Yeah, he can't remember that the Josephine he had met and this Jo are just the same person and, certainly, Jo doesn't even aware that the kid when she had this 'time-travel' adventure is actually the young Collonello. So yeah, sums up?

And, yeah, Reborn and Artemis cameo. Er...

Anyway...

The song used here is titled 'Emerald Green' by See-Saw from the anime ".Hack//Legend of Twilight Bracelet". I don't own KHR, the song, and everything that is not owned by me, for if I do then Luce would be Tsuna's tutor. The only thing I own is Jo, Artemis, and this drabble.

If anything, I would wish for the Acrobaleno to have their dance routine. Please?