Kurai Rin's Story

"But you let the other one go! Why can't I go down there with the others, too?" Came a boy's voice, high and childlike but with a distinct edge of authority. Said boy, a short lanky kid no older than thirteen, had an entitled air about him. He was dressed like your stereotypical preppy school kid, complete with blazer and an overly-styled black hairdo.

The boy was standing beside another figure, this one noticeably taller and more toned. Like the boy beside him, he wore a sharp suit, though the suit jacket was hidden under an olive colored oversized winter coat, its furred hood resting along the figure's shoulders like the beginnings of a cape. His hair, stringy and black, fell around his ears like a mop. Currently, he was leaning against the railing of a balcony, one that was near the gymnasium's entrance and overlooked the entirety of the truly massive auditorium. He balanced his chin on the base of his palm, his elbow resting securely upon the railing, his free hand tucked away in his jacket pocket. His eyes were closed, a bored look long since saturating his face.

If he heard the boy's angst-filled question, he certainly didn't act like it.

After a few seconds of silence, the boy grimaced, eyes narrowing viciously. He didn't say anything further. He didn't have to. Instead, he simply turned, fully intending to follow a gaggle of adults busy shuffling out from the elevator doors and down a nearby staircase towards the gymnasium proper.

"Stop." The taller figure spoke in voice barely more than a whisper, yet his harsh utterance could not be mistaken for anything other than a command. The boy halted mid-footfall. He hadn't even made it a single step. The taller figure didn't even turn to acknowledge the boy. He simply spoke, as if stating some unequivocal law of the universe to the surrounding ambience. "It is not yet your turn to be down there."

The boy turned slowly on his heel to face the taller figure, his posture transforming from one of defiance to one of begrudging submissiveness. The figure responded by opening his eyes, though he still did not look at the boy. "But—!"

"Look." The figure removed his hand from his pocket, lazily pointing over the balcony and at the crowd below. "Look at them all. What do you see?"

The boy grimaced again, taking a second before responding. "A bunch of stupid primitives."

"Not true," the figure chided. His eyes, hard amber-red orbs that glowed like twin supernovae, swept over the gathering below. They came to rest rather quickly upon a somewhat odd duo. A short woman of small frame and long snow-white hair stood within proximity to yet another, this one younger and more petite, her hair equally as long—though it appeared as a dark purple in the ambient lighting.

"I see my rooks," he continued. "Beautiful. Strong. Undefeatable. The king's influence and power made physical."

His eyes darted in the opposite direction, landing on another pair sharing proximity. The first was a particularly short girl no older than fourteen, her hair a deep mauve, her mannerisms fragile and child-like. Nearby was a woman of average height, svelte, with deep green eyes.

It was a moment before he spoke again. "I see my bishops. Infallible. They surround the king, representing his ego, and will crush his enemies with a higher power."

The figure's eyes swiveled, landing on the final pair. Unlike the others, these two weren't female. Though both men stood equally tall at nearly six feet, one had deep red hair—the color of blood. The other, gold—the color of a mighty sun.

"And I see my knights. Glorious. Unpredictable. Unexpected. The embodiment of the king's Mandate of Heaven."

At this point, the boy was leaning over the balcony railing, balancing himself with his forearms, trying to pick out just whom the figure was talking about. When he spoke, he didn't look over at his elder companion. "What about me? What am I?"

The figure paused for another moment, as if considering. "You're my queen."

The boy made a face, looking up at the figure. "Eww! What do I have to be a girl?!"

"Of all the actors here, the queen is by far the most powerful," the figure said, ignoring the boy's outrage. For the first time, the figure took his eyes off of the crowd below, electing instead to stare down at the boy whom pouted at his side. "Do you know why?"

Instead of answering, the boy pursed his lips, choosing to look back out over the balcony.

The figure answered his own question. "Perspective. That's what makes the queen the most powerful piece. The most flexible. The most useful. With the proper perspective, the queen can project power at any point on the board. At any time."

"So what," the boy muttered, obviously dejected at being labelled "queen".

"You asked why you couldn't go down there with the others."
"Yeah, but—"
"And what do you see when you look over the balcony?"
"Everything! I see all of these stupid idiots a—!"
"Exactly. You see everything. The entire board. From here, you have perspective."
"But—"

"You go down there now and you can't see the whole picture anymore. You lose that perspective. That means you lose your value to me. Understand?" The question was rhetorical. "So wait." His command was harsh and left no further room for debate. "Your turn will come." Not waiting for a response, the figure returned to surveying the crowd below. The ends of his lips curled upwards, forming the beginnings of a smirk. "Those battling on the front lines are not fit to command."

The boy sighed bitterly, hunching his shoulders. "God I hate chess," he muttered.

"My... Wake up... I... Ely... Wake up... Sia..."

Slowly like flowers blooming to a song of spring, deep green had been revealed as those eyes fleetingly opened. Yet, it only reflected at first a curtain of endless darkness. The sensation of numbing coldness encircled like a ghost. This effectively caused a wave of panic which was related to the sound of a beeping alarm. It was accompanied by voices were inaudible, but as it went on, there were a few which could be understood. They were conversing about an elevated heart rate and pulse indicating the Princess was agitated. Then, there was another statement stating to return the subject to stasis. But the said parameters eased down, it was due to an image which could now be seen behind those emerald depths.

What was seen?

Blurry but then it became clearer. It was a face belonging to a male. There was a sense of familiarity and a tidal of feelings washed over. The most prominent was nauseating longing. Candle-like fingers moved ever so slowly as it was directed to reach for that visage. But, it only made contact upon the pristine glass, a clear separation. There was a sharp pain because of that and the lips which had been silenced for so long attempted to speak. Though, it had been a failure. The words would not form. Feelings seemed knowledgeable what should be said but, the mind seemed unknowing. This aptly brought doubt and confusion to the maiden encased in Crystal Glass.

And when she had been released from the cradle she had been placed in, the face was given a name, Alastor Lorenzo Koenig Rizzo. A person she does not know, but why did she feel those multitude of emotions for a stranger. No, that is incorrect. This Alastor is not an individual of unknown intricacies. He is her Master. She will serve as the Comet Guardian of the Rizzo Famiglia. Such information should had given her a great amount of discomfort and panic. But, there was only an odd sense of acceptance. Why was that? Is it because of Alastor? If that is the reason, then she shall...

"Go... Move, Sia..."

With a sudden turn of the head, Elysia looked behind her. A voice, she heard it, masculine in melody with the overtone of a wish. But, there was no one there, just a wall. Was it a part of her lost memory? Was it simply just imagination? She was uncertain. According to the people (Rizzo scientists) who had been taking care of her, her lost memory could have been the product of her stasis or of her own doing. In summary, there was no definite origin. As for the reason of her being put to stasis, it was due o the flame inside of her. They tell her that the Comet Flames had an adverse effect on her health and needed to be contained. But now, she has been awakened to fulfill her role and to say the threat of the flame inside of her had been neutralized.

That is what she had been told. But truly, that was far from the truth.

Still for now, it was enough. "Miss?" As it would appear, she was once more in a trance as she awakened and looked at the one who called her. It was a man, one of the patrolling guards for the Vongola Ceremony. "Is something the matter?" The Princess seemed bothered about something. Elysia blinked a few times in a rhythmic matter before shaking her head slowly to the sides. "Nothing. Everything is fine." She answered with her usual mellow persona. Even with her far-off look, she was a sight to behold, something out of fantasy and ethereal elegance. Her coffee brown skin seemed to have a caramel glow of its own as her eyes of deep green glistened with a distant story. Hair of violet pinned around her head resembling a crown, accented by a golden spiked tiara. She wore a sleeveless red dress with military shoulder tassels bordered with a sea green fringe at the edge of the bodice, and includes two separate cuffs worn similarly to bracelets. She was an image of a princess. Yet, her chosen appearance was dictated by her caretakers not of her own preference. Though, she is not opposed to it. She simply does what was asked.

The said guard nodded with a further offer, it could not be helped to have a soft edge towards the Comet Guardian. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to say or ask." Hearing the man's words, she offered a small smile of gratitude and appreciation. "Yes, thank you for the concern, Sir." She then gave a polite bow before walking towards her fellow guardians. They had been asked to gather together for a mission which had been directed to them by Maschenny Rizzo. It was to go back to a certain period in time where the Vongola Famiglia reigned with their rings. They are tasked to retrieve these rings for the sanctity of humanity. A noble purpose it is if one would think, however, in truth, she felt nothing towards the cause. Would that mean she was a terrible person? Is she an individual without a heart? Was that because she has no memory? Or was it because that is simply how she is? Truly, a dilemma of her self.

Removing herself from her inner monologue, Elysia had simply stood beside a fellow guardian, Annalise Cortega, the one who commands the star flames. It seemed the rest of the guardians are scattered about and soon it will begin. She could only wish that there would not be much of a trouble for them. It is not a pleasant feeling for her to see any of her peers harmed or troubled especially that of their leader, her Master. Thinking about it, she allowed her eyes to travel to see where the Master Rizzo has gone. She had taken notice of Kurai Rin, Althaia Rizzo, Tyde Rumerio, and Cornelius V. Roquet among the crowd. In the end, she feels unease if the Master was not present or she was not beside him. After all, she had always been with Alastor since her awakening. As such, the temporary absence by his side causes discomfort, even if that was not noticeable at front.

It's so full of people...Kurai's dark eyes scanned the crowd before looking at the woman beside her. Alastair had given them orders to fight the Vongola guardians at the very day of the so called coronation, where the rings were passed down from the tenth to the next generation of the Vongola familinga. Forth isn't day itself, she had probably been practicing weeks in advance, reading up on flame types of the Vongola and then the members themselves, etching everyone of their faces into her mind. Was it worth the trouble? She sure hoped so. Kurai wasn't sure if she had done a good job mastering the Rizzo's flames either, but there was hardly any time to feel hesitant about the whole business. Still, it was her first time fighting people, not aliens. Not to mention the fact that they have flames of their own...

Snapping back to attention, she glanced around nervously. This was a first, being around so many people. Usually she would have felt a lot more comfortable staying in, but this time it was necessary to launch the attack. In fact, she couldn't get this over and done with right now, but patience is a virtue. Taking a few deep breaths, the girl held out a small black box and looked around furtively. "Good, there's no one watching..." She murmured under her breath as her hand that was holding the box burst into dark flames, causing a small cat to come out. It purred as she stroked it's small head, nuzzling it against her palm. Kuro always managed to calm her down, no matter what situation she was in. Even if she was feeling rather uncomfortable in the growing crowd. Setting Kuro up on her head where it nestled comfortably into her hair, the dark matter guardian was feeling a little better as she decided in her next course of action.

"I should... Find the others?"
When in doubt of what to say, find the noisiest of them all. Kurai immediately pinpointed the two figures, both with striking hair colors along with a small boy. Isn't that the sun flame guardian of the Vongola? She didn't believe her eyes, but nevertheless eased herself through the crowd muttering a few apologies under her breath.
"Hello..." She managed to reach the two just as the small boy's facial expression changed. From his normal, bored look it turned into one of shock and pain. By instinct, her eyes darted to the two with a slightly accusing look. Did they do something again? Judging from their personalities it was very possible, but before she could speak again the boy's expression cleared and became normal again, as perpetually bored as usual. This was getting awkward again. Kurai had a compulsion to hide her face right now, but the nearest pillar was quite far away to escape to without being noticed, so now she must wait it out. Chewing slightly on her lower lip, she gave her best smile and tried to make polite conversation.
"So... How was your day?"

Call it Alien intuition, but Ai was very uncomfortable. Perhaps it was part of Ai's complex systems involved in decision making, a system developed over billions of years of evolution and direct intervention meant to make good decisions based on all perceivable factors, information from the future and her somewhat relatively underdeveloped trust system. Perhaps that was the part that was malfunctioning. No, not malfunctioning, just working as expected. Ai had experienced an attack on herself a day before the inheritance from a foreign factor, and the conditions of this day fit that day very well. The chances of the unlikely event happening again were still extremely low, but it had happened before. Ai was programmed to take chances every now and then, it was the secret to her success, but what that meant was that she was to occasionally accept something of slightly lower probability or effectiveness as true. Now, this was only meant to effect her decision making and not her caution system, which was programmed to take all things with a probability over 1% into account, but perhaps something in her system was triggering the effect to be cautious about another introduction of foreign elements. Was it an error that was coming from the vessel's mind? The instinct of self-preservation?

Regardless, Ai wasn't comfortable with the decision to ignore such an unlikely threat. She was told to put it out of her mind, however, so she did her best to try to do so. Right now, she had a duty, locating the Guardians. She already had spoken to the Storm and Cloud guardians and she had identified the Rain, Sun and Lightning Guardians and the Boss, meaning everybody was present. Now, she had to make sure they were aware of their duties. Of course, she was going to to them in order, and Trevor was next on her list.

When Ai had first identified him, he was interacted with two men, but now it seemed a young women about Ai's apparent age was speaking to him. Still, Ai felt it important to interrupt. Of course, she was going to take the advice the Cloud guardian had given to her. After all, mannerisms were one of the most difficult things to master in human culture.

"Excuse me," Ai called dully yet politely, ignoring the girl's presence, "Sawada Trevor. I was told to remind the Guardians of their roles in this ceremony as it is almost time to begin the presentation. Are you aware of your role in this presentation?"

On a second notice, however, Ai witnessed the presence of another organic create seated on top of the woman's head. No, it wasn't organic. It was a box weapon. Maybe to somebody lesser trained it would appear ordinary, but Ai could tell it was a box weapon. She couldn't identify the flame, however, as it was not immediately obviously giving off flames, nor were the properties identifiable by mere presence alone. Maybe she could guess if she lit a flame of her own in her presence, but a direct sampling would have been preferred over mere observation. Either way, the presence of a box weapon meant that the girl was associated with the mafia in some way.

When Trevor said his name, Tyde began to show a warm smile. The boy was such a nice kid. He even had respect for his elders and seemed innocent enough. It was amazing to think of how he would react when everyone began screaming there in a few moments time. The new thought in his head was enough to keep him going through the boredom.

"Ty-Ty tan!!!"

Tyde looked over his shoulder to see that maybe the Vongola kid wouldn't be his only form of entertainment. "You bud. Whatcha got there," he asked staring at the boys hands.

"Lookie tan! They're delicious tan! Come on try them tan!"

Tyde took the plate of sweets from Conelius and began stuffing his face with all the goods. There were cupcakes, candy, chocolate, and other delectable things to enjoy. Tyde forced as much into his mouth as he could and began chewing slowly with his cheeks puffed out. "Tiz si benny joog." He meant to say that the sweets were very good, but the sound was muffled through the food. It was almost automatic. At that moment Tyde was actually happy that they had went to the past. Weren't a lot of sweet things where they came from. Though, at least you could kill people there without having to worry about timeline junk.

However, something happened to ruin the moment they were having. Something that was entirely more entertaining. Vongola sun had began to have a headache. It seemed really painful. So painful that Tyde just looked at the kid for a second before doing anything. Then he waited longer wondering how long the headache was going to hurt the kid. It was really peculiar. He didn't remember any major sickness records being given about the boy, but then again, he slept through most of the meetings. He used to be able use his imagination, putting Alastor's mom, the scariest person he knew, in different crazy situations. Soon it began to bore him and he wasn't able to get a smile out of it so he decided to just sleep. Usually his dreams were interesting.

He looked back at the Vongola kid, trying to think about what he had on his mom before he started reminiscing when Kurai stepped up to Trevor and started talking to him. Tyde grabbed Cornelius's shoulder and pulled him close to whisper in his ear. "Hey, don't look now, but I think Kurai is starting to talk to the Trevor. Don't make any sudden sounds, she might get startled." Tyde had to admit his surprise. It may have been the first time he had seen the girl start a conversation with someone who wasn't one of them. Tyde looked over to his friend and smiled, a wide cat like one. "So, you ready for the game later? Got any special tricks up your sleeve?"

That's right! The sweets are pure awesomeness. They weren't much of these desserts in the time where he originally came from, so this was perfect for him. Cornelius was also very happy that Ty-Ty was enjoying it the same as him. But in regards to the Vongola Sun Guardian, he simply stepped away and said hi, after that, he went away. Well, he won't force it at all. That child has things to do like the ceremony and stuff. He was simply being polite as often told to him by Lia and Elysia. So technically, no harm was done to him. It just means more for him. He happily chomped on the sweets while understanding what Tyde saying about it even if it came out all jumbled. It was not only his eyes were sharp that accompanied his ears especially when it's about things he really likes. "They're really are tan!"

His ministrations were a bit interrupted when he heard Kurai greeting them. He happily looked at the youngest guardian among the Rizzo Famiglia. "Rara, come come tan! Try these sweets they're awesome tan!" He announced once more presenting the plate to the girl. But, he was slightly held back by the sight of something on top of Kurai's head. He was completely ignoring the accusing look from Kurai as if he and Tyde did something or the sudden discomfort brushing on the Sun Guardian. He even did not care for the other appearance of the Mist Guardian who was querying Trevor Sawada. All he cared about was the creature on top of Kurai's head which was similar to the giant stuffed toy he was carrying on his back much like a cape.

Cornelius was only jolted out when he felt the pull from Tyde and whispering in his ear that Kurai was initiating a conversation with the Sun Guardian. He was also told not to make any sudden movements. But, it was hard to do it as the lure of the Animal Box Weapon was far too much. "I'm so sorry Ty-Ty tan! But, I want Kuro tan!" He said and then ran over to Rara without much of a hesitation. His hands reached out and grabbed hold of Kuro as he hugged it immediately. "Kuro! I miss you so much tan!" He rubbed his cheeks to the dark matter cat. There was no question about it, he was the most animated of the Rizzo Famiglia guardians and has the extreme liking to cats. "It's good that Kurai brought you Kuro tan!" He smiled so brightly much like that of a child, actually he was more of a kid than the ones surrounding him at this moment.

He then pulled away a bit from Kuro and looked at Tyde. Games? Oh, that's right. They were here for a purpose and not for the party. It slipped a bit from his mind but he did told the children earlier that if they were good, there will be something exciting going to happen. "Yes tan! I have a lot of tricks tan!" That was true. When the boss-man gives the signal, there will be a performance like none other. But, he was unaware that Alastor had already noted his attendance to two CEDEF agents and even used him as a leverage to avoid a minor scuffle. Well, it was of no consequence to him. He was fine with it because, he will do what was asked of him while enjoying himself in the process. "I can't wait tan! I already told the children earlier tan. You'll also enjoy it a lot Ty-Ty tan!" This was something he was certain of.

"... Are you aware of your role in this presentation?" Trevor blinked twice, catching the last bit dialogue. Several steps behind him were two adults munching on candy and whispering to one another like the kids back at his school... and right before him were two girls—one familiar and one a stranger. They were both looking at him with an air of expectation, as if he were in the middle of a conversation with each of them. He was pretty sure one had called his name... or maybe it was both of them?

Trevor's eyes shifted between the two in confusion, eventually settling on the more familiar face of the Vongola's Mist guardian, Shaji Ai. "Um... yes," he said, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. "I guess so." After a few awkward moments, he turned back to the other person standing before him. The stranger. She was at least as old as he was, perhaps a bit older. She was definitely... beautiful?, though Trevor wasn't exactly sure why that thought crossed his mind. "Hello. Sorry, but I have to go." His words were utterly sincere, but his tone (or lack thereof) might not have conveyed that.

Without waiting for a response, he turned and began making his way through the crowd once more. His older sister expected him to be on stage with the others, and he didn't want to disappoint.

"Shh... Kuro, calm down!"
Both of the young girl's hands were on the top of her head, trying to placate the small cat that was now hissing at the girl with pink hair. She was an alien, there was no doubt of it. Kuro rarely responded so strongly to humans, even if they were guardians of another flame. "There, there." She had finally managed to get it to calm down finally, but it was still glaring at the mist guardian with something of a vengeance. "Sorry, he's not... Very good with pink things." She gave an apologetic look at the two Vongola guardians. It was a lie of course, albeit a white one.

"I'm so sorry Ty-Ty tan! But I want Kuro tan!"
The cheerful voice came again, as the ever happy Quaser guardian stretched out his hands, picking her box weapon up and rubbing his cheek against its dark fur, causing the kitten to mew and bat at his hair with its small paws. This was nearly the perfect opportunity to escape from the awkward conversation. However, before she herself could speak, the boy with golden hair did, excusing himself to go to the ceremony. "Please excuse me, but shouldn't... You go too?" She asked the alien girl quietly as she tuned to go to the other two guardians.

Her shoulders sagged with relief immediately after she reached them as she moved behind Cornelius discreetly. That was enough 'conversing' for the day. For the rest of the time before the fight she would stay close to the two guardians "It's good that Kurai you brought Kuro tan!" Cornelius chirped happily, seeming more like a child than anything and bringing a rare smile to her face. It was nice to see at least one person relaxed about the whole business of getting to the rings. It seemed almost like they were close to a family for a split second if they acted naturally to each other. They were a odd group, but she like them nevertheless.

"Yes tan! I have a lot of tricks tan!""I can't wait tan! I already told the children earlier tan. You'll also enjoy it a lot Ty-Ty tan!"
"Try not to make to much of a mess maybe? I'd hate to see your outfit get messy with blood." She said as she reached up to pat a purring Kuro on its head. He does have a tendency to lose himself once he takes of his patch after all.

"Please excuse me, but shouldn't... You go too?"

Ai nodded, although her invisible third eye was staring at the box weapon. Perhaps it was designed to detect the usage of illusions or of flames in general which caused it to react, or Aliens. The latter was highly unlikely, however. With her cue, Ai went back toward the stage where she saw all the other guardians had gathered, already seated and ready to begin. Upon making it on the stage, she spoke, not to the boss or any of her fellow guardians, but to the External Advisor, whom was shuffling his cue cards while some adjustments were being made to the microphone and the speakers

"All the guardians are present," Ai stated simply, as if it weren't already clearly obvious. DiCaccio didn't even need to glance behind himself to confirm it.

"Yes, I can see that," he confirmed, "And it appears things have gone smoothly so far... for the most part." DiCaccio bent over a bit and spoke in a low voice with the intention that nobody eavesdropping could hear them. "I've been informed that there was an attack on one of the allied families, the Bovino family, less than an hour earlier from now. Three deaths, including the boss, but not the daughter. We've no information about who the killers could possibly be, but we've confirmed that deathperation flames were involved, albeit we're not sure what kind yet. I don't think it is of relation to this ceremony, but my men are still on alert.

"Naturally, the Vongola family is expected to help deal with something like this, seeing as that was the Tenth's code. Currently, I've already ordered my own men to investigate, but it is up to the Vongola head to make the decision to pursue. Now, I don't want to give the Boss anything to worry about right before she's to make a huge public appearance, but I'm going to have to inform her about it tomorrow. I'm sure she wont have any issues about this heroic stuff. I'm just wondering if something like this would be too big for her right now..." DiCaccio trailed off in consideration, glancing at Reida.

He seemed to come back to himself when he looked back at Ai whom was staring at him ever-so intently, standing back up again. "Ah, yes, make of that what you will, Ai," he told her, no longer speaking in a low voice, "For now, we must focus on the ceremony. You know where you've got to be, so go join your friends." Ai stared back blankly. "You're Boss and fellow guardians," DiCaccio corrected. Ai nodded and took a seat on the stage. Though DiCaccio said it wasn't likely of relevance to the ceremony, Ai couldn't help but consider every possibility of a threat. To do so, however, she'd first have to consider the Bovino family and of their relevance. Only, somehow, Ai felt the Bovino family had some sort of significance to them that she was not considering. Maybe she'd consult the TID about them.

With everybody present, the presentation was underway. DiCaccio tested the microphone personally, while getting everybody's attention. With a final lively "Good evening," all the room had their undivided attention on him. He smiled and began to speak.

"Indeed, good evening everybody. I'm sure I've spoken to many of you personally and in fact, if I haven't spoken to you already, then please, do be sure to do so by the end of this presentation, but anyway, my name is Lorenzo DiCaccio and I had been the acting head of this company for about four years now up until recently. In reality, I'm the head of a branching company known as CEDEF, a security agency that began as a simple traffic redirection organization. Indeed, I've been rather vague about the exact content of this presentation, although I'm sure you've all heard the word 'Box' thrown about here and there. Well, that's quite simple. That is because everything we wish to present," he raised a small orange baseball-sized cube with a clam print on it, "Is contained in this little box." He paused to allow the intrigue to sit in as people struggled to get a clear look at the small thing, looking quite sure of himself.

"Now, I'm sure we all have the same question in our heads. 'What could be so special and yet be kept in such a tiny box?' Well, in this little box of ours are all sorts of little secrets, secrets that perhaps were never intended to be discovered by society, secrets of the universe we have been kept in the dark about. Today, I hope to bring these secrets to light as not only is the secret to the next technological revolution hidden within this box, but the secret to the future of our company, Vongola Corporations.

"Now, of course, Vongola Corporations already makes over a trillion dollars a year. Of course, that's absurdly more than we've been making about 70 years ago, when the last head was already beginning to turn this company into what it is today. Back then, we would have only been making a few billion, although back then, of course, that was a lot of money. However, with this new industry we plan on opening with the secrets that are contained in this box, we expect to make it to our second trillion within the next twenty years. Who knows, in a hundred years, we may have a gazillion.

"Of course, we're all here because of what is inside this small little box and what is inside is the future of this company. Indeed, this presentation is not only about the future of technology but the future of Vongola Corporations. Not only do we hope to enter a new era with this new technology, of which I'll reveal soon enough, but we wish to do so under the direction of our new young head, Ms. Reida Sawada." DiCaccio gestured to the young boss. "Now, she may be quite young, but don't let her appearance deceive you. She is a very passionate and intelligent individual on the inside and we are proud to enter a new era of not only industry, but of life, with her guidance. After all, the former head, Tsunayoshi Sawada, had inherited the company when he was only fourteen, and look where we are now!" The audience applauded.

DiCaccio quieted them. "Now, before we proceed, we would like to have the new company head say a few words concerning her plans for the future of the company to open this presentation. We would appreciate it if you held your applause until the end refrain from taking pictures until cued. Any questions directed toward her may be asked at the end of this presentation or directly to her afterward." He explained it with a slight sternness directed toward anybody who might have given her trouble if it was picked up.

"And now," DiCaccio called, "May we all direct our attention to the honorable Eleventh Vongola head, Reida Sawada."

The man was tall, that was for sure. He weighed in at just over six feet two inches, 200 pounds. Maybe. He wasn't really counting anymore.

He completely towered over those that stood around him, that was for sure. Perhaps that was why he found it hard to pay them any mind, choosing instead to lean against a nearby wall, arms folded across his chest. These "mafia bosses," business executives, scientists, researchers... humans. Primitive humans. All of them scurrying about, full of their own self importance, unaware that their entire species rests fully within the shadow of annihilation. A shadow cast not by some potential environmental disaster or a coming war between families or atomic powers. No, this was something else entirely. Something they weren't prepared for. Something they weren't imagining.

Not in their wildest dreams.

From the inside of his trenchcoat, the man pulled a cigarette. Using a single hand, he brought the death stick up to his mouth. Immediately upon placing it against his lips, the cigarette's inert tip exploded into incandescence. It looked as if he'd just held it to an open flame. From the dirty looks several onlookers levelled at him, one would think he'd just strapped on a suicide vest. Still, he paid them little attention, choosing to focus his remaining eye on some other sight. Yes, he only had one eye. He lost the other a decade or so ago during a particularly nasty skirmish, employing what he believed to be a discreet black eyepatch to cover up what little remained.

Not that the prospect of being stared at phased him either way. These primitive humans... perhaps to them he looked edgy and mysterious.

Closing his eye, he took a slow drag from the cigarette, rocking his head back slightly, enjoying every second as the toxins pervaded his lungs. That possibility of lung cancer or the like didn't bother him. He wasn't really concerned with longevity at this point, and while he was here, in this foreign place and time, he would take care to savor such luxuries. Where he was from, the old ways—the old luxuries—were all but dead. There was nothing left but the day-to-day chore of survival.

Very soon, this world, this time, would look more like his own, and, like every other timeline he'd peeked into, the result would be the same. Humanity would be destroyed, here and everywhere else. It was inevitable, against an adversary superior in nearly every way.

The man exhaled through his nose, a thick stinky cloud of cigarette smoke enveloping the immediate area. Several of the more offended guests decided to move away, muttering under their breath, but again, the man paid them no mind.

After a moment, he opened his eye, sweeping his gaze over the crowd for the umpteenth time. Once more, he caught sight of a Rizzo. Tyde, this time. He had to admit, it was pleasant to see his guardians in person again, even if they were several decades younger than he remembered. Standing beside Tyde was another Rizzo, Cornelius. He recognized them from their hair styles.

Ah, now that brought back memories.

The Tyde and Cornelius of the timeline from which he hailed looked exceedingly similar to their younger counterparts in the here and now. His eye landed on the others as well. First Althaia, then Elysia, and finally Anna. They were all spitting images of their future selves. He was sure the same applied to the young Kurai, who was a regal being back in his timeline. She was too young in this present, her body too short, for him to catch sight of her now, wherever she was in the crowd. Still, it was fascinating. They weren't so different, these Rizzo and his own, except for one main point.

Despite himself, the man grinned. It wasn't a pleasant expression—more of a jackal's smirk than anything. It was the total irony of it all that brought about the facial contortion. The main difference between the Rizzo of his timeline and the Rizzo of this foreign timeline was simple.

In his future, all of his guardians were dead. Of the Rizzo main family, he was all that remained. He—Alastor Lorenzo Koenig Rizzo.

Of course, he became king like he'd always wanted. King. Lord of the Rizzo, or of whatever was left. In fact, he'd become a general of sorts. Coordinator for all that remained of the resistance, including the Vindice and survivors from the Cervello. Yes, that's what they'd been reduced to, a "resistance". Mere actors playing within someone else's game, someone else's rules. It was like admitting that they were already beaten. Their only option now was to resist. Not defeat, not cripple, not dominate, but simply to resist—and even that wasn't going well.

To top it all off, he was alone. His guardians were gone. His family, gone. There was nothing left and nowhere to go. His universe was doomed, just like the myriad others. Doomed.

Alastor took another puff from the cigarette, this one shorter, removing it from his mouth and exhaling yet another cloud of gray. This time, his gaze landed on another. Clear on the other side of the gymnasium, standing atop the balcony that separated the entrance area from the rest of the gymnasium, was a guy. Alastor was hesitant to call him a man, for he was yet more boy than man. He had not been shaped by the tragedy of inevitability. Of death and suffering. Of true war.

Not yet.

The guy was looking down from above, eyeing the crowd below him with what Alastor knew for sure was an unhealthy amount of disdain. Next to him stood a young child, a preteen by the look of him, balancing himself on the balcony railing with his forearms. The two looked very similar, with stringy black hair not unlike Alastor's own, though he had his gelled-over into a series of small stylish spikes. It was a future fad.

Still, in a way, Alastor pitied them. His experiences made him cold, merciless, and virtually undefeatable in combat. He'd seen every type of battle, every type of savagery, every manner of death conceivable at the hands of their enemy. By comparison, these younger greener versions of himself only thought they knew what it was to struggle. To crawl and scrape for every last inch on a battlefield littered with the remains of your comrades.

They would soon learn. Everyone would. It would be mankind's grand finale.

Suddenly, the guy atop the balcony raised a single finger. His index finger. Alastor immediately knew what that meant.

The time for action was nigh.

Alastor dropped his cigarette, giving it a curt stomp with the back of his heel. The number one had arrived. His target. The eleventh Vongola boss: Reida Sawada. Even in his timeline, she was legendary, renown for her fighting prowess and her reign over the final era of the Vongola empire. It'd be interesting to pit his full ability against the likes of such a historical figure. Hopefully she wouldn't disappoint, even if he was couple decades too early to meet her at her prime.

Once given the signal, he would engage.

Though the chances were essentially non-existent, perhaps this would be the timeline that would change things. Win the war in the past, before it even starts. Perhaps.

Or perhaps not.

The Vongola XI had already begun her speech when a distinct and all too familiar reverberation reached his ears. A SNAP! that could only come from one person. It was the signal. The time to strike was now.

Cornelius was in pure bliss with Kuro in his arms. His love for cats was not to be dampened by anything else even the given mission they had coming to this era and to this specific event. He did not even noticed the vongola guardians leaving them or the point the presentation has already started. But even if he was enamored by the flame cat in his hands, he took noticed of Kurai who was now behind him. She patted Kuro's head and reminded him not to make a mess since his outfit would get bloody and all. He did remember that blood stains were quite hard to remove on clothes. But, that would be a bit difficult since his ability is to make things go splat and kaboom! Adding to that, subtlety was never his strongest suit, but since Kurai did ask him, he could try at the very least.

"I can't make promises tan! But, I'll try tan!" He stated with a bright smile on his face. He then finally lifted his head enough to see that most of guests were looking at front. It seemed the ceremony was starting. Well, he really did not care for speeches because in his personal book, they were boring. They should do something livened things up. He could even see from the corner of his that some of the children were not entertained by the long-winded statements or the technical terms relating to innovation and technology. Why would they? That's why he would just busy himself with Kuro and other fun things he could come up with. But, that was also impeded by the resounding snap of a finger which he knows far too well.

"I'll play with you later Kuro tan!" He happily said as he handed the feline back to Kurai. When that was done, he stretched his arms and limbs, much like a warm-up. "It's time for the show tan!" He glanced back at Tyde and Kurai with a very excited expression as if he was a child who was about to receive the most wonderful toy ever in the entire world. "I'll catch you all later tan! Have fun everyone tan!" He stepped forward and saw that everyone was in a panic. It seemed that the legendary Reida Sawada was not just a myth. She sensed something was amiss. Good to know, that. This would not be that boring then. He stretched his arms sidewards and announced with a quite cheery but loud voice. "Everyone should stay tan! Good boys and girls will be rewarded tan! Just sit back and enjoy the show tan. Because if not tan...."

His words were left in the air but, it was soon replaced by a series of explosions which rattled the entire hall as it was revealed that he had implanted quasar-infused flame balls at the entrances of the entire gymnasium in suspended animation. Now, most of the entrances were blocked and impassable effectively trapping the ones inside and preventing outside interference for a duration. "The next ones who would go kaplowe are you tan!" He then looked towards a group of children which had been part of his crowd when he was telling a story earlier. "Didn't I tell you tan? There would be an awesome show tan!" Now, his hands were not empty any longer as each now held concentrated quasar flame balls which appeared as a dark-red flame which sparks in a wild frenzy. His eyes then looked at the trapped crowd with his bright smile as if he did not do anything wrong at all. "Let's make more fireworks tan!"

---

---

As it was to be expected, the signal had been given. Elysia gently moved away from Annalise but not before leaving a few words. "Be careful." With that said, she made her way through the crowd without much difficulty. The panic ensued by the Vongola XI did not alter her perception where everyone was in a slower time than hers. She is able to move away from the way or to be ahead of others. Her demeanor eerily calm as she is already aware where her assigned target is. She had seen him being taken away by Reida Sawada to another room. That is the destination she must go which was not that hard to reach even when Cornelius had began a series of explosions which filled the entire gymnasium with such thunderous sounds, cloud of heat, heap of debris, and injured individuals.

She did not pay heed to it as she came out of the explosions completely unharmed and even when some of the security detail intend to prevent her from advancing forward to where the Leader of the Vongola is. They could not either due to the fiery blasts or simply because they were far slow when compared to her. She gave a few knocks to announce her presence. It is proper decorum to do that is it not? After doing so, she opened the doors and entered seeing the presence of Reida and Trevor Sawada. She then walked towards them with a notable distance before speaking once more. "Good day, I am here to take the Vongola Sun Ring. If you would kindly please hand it over." Her words were not laced with any hint of sarcasm or any edge of malice.

Elysia was simply stating her purpose in a calm manner and the tincture of sophisticated politeness. Her emerald eyes did not reveal anything deeper as she stood before the two in a presence that shall not be moved. "If it is not complied with, I am allowed to use force." Upon stating that, she reached for a small pouch which she carries and poured its contents to her palm which revealed to be shards of some object. Then, she enclosed it between her hands where a bluish light illuminated forth into a circle. Afterwards, she released it from her hands as it was now able to sustain its own form which appeared that of a silver-green orb which floated before her, but it exuded a cold air around it. "This will be the only time a choice will be given." She reached out her hand towards them with an open palm for the said ring to be handed to her while the said formed orb began to circle around her form. "Whatever it may be, I will respect it and I hope you will do the same to mine."

After stating that, the silver-green orb whizzed passed the two Sawadas with such blinding speed leaving a notable icy trail in the air as the orb implanted itself on the wall behind with such strength enough to create a large hole on it. It would appear that the enemy before them was not just anyone.

It was truly funny how boredom worked. At the start, it seems like it'll never pass. Hours pass by along with the boredom and it seems like each one passes slower than its predecessor. Luckily with boredom comes new ideas. Ideas of how to pass the time. These ideas could be drinking punch, or eating sweats. Even talking to people is a good way to pass through the grueling wait, that promised nothing but the utmost fun. Still, Tyde bared his teeth and went with it. It was his job after all. If he controlled himself then he would have his fun at the end of the day. How sweet it would taste too after being denied for so long. He had to think. Was he a masochist for this type of thing? Did he like being denied his birthright? His right to take life with his own prowess? It was a fun idea for a about two minutes, but seeing as he didn't really care about the ticks he had in his personality to either fix them or follow through with them. Of course this wasn't entirely true. More like a half truth. He would admit that his love for life and the last wonders of it was a tick, by human standards and maybe even alien ones. However, he didn't consider a tick. Instead it was something he was meant to do. A road he was meant to take. . . Plus it was fun.

He sighed, falling back into a state of non existence, or daydreaming for some. He noted the Vongola pair walk away from Kurai, which was a relief to him. The more they stood around them, the more he wanted to kill them.

To make matters worse, he was passing through the mid stage of boredom. Thanks to the annoying man announcing the start of the presentation. This stage was more anticipation than anything. He could literally feel his time coming upon him, much like a kid who studies all day just to smell his mothers cooking. Well, in his case it was either a doctors cooking or a servants, but it was all the same feeling at the end of the day. Usually, in an event like that, one would run to the dinner table, ready to eat. However, this was one of those times where you had to let a meal marinate first. It marinates and all you can do is sit back and look at it, licking your lips raw until the right time calls to dig in. This situation was only different because instead of food, they were targets. All lined up on stage. Had this been a mission to kill them, Tyde wouldn't hesitate but to crush them with rocks found in one of his boxes. Or even himself. Though, when he thought about it, rocks would be better. It would be less likely for them to die, especially if he targeted their limbs. Then, with the ones that survived he could have his way. It was a pity really. His fun would be cut in half, but he'd still be able to bring pain. Tyde decided he would imagine the rest after he was done. He looked at the Vongola, just like the rest of the crowd. Though, instead of paying attention to what was being said, he gazed at them long enough to fix them into his day dream.

The eleventh. Yes, she spoke about things that didn't matter to Tyde, but with every expression her face made, Tyde could see it better and better. The sight of the dark place, he called his thinking space. He had a lot of thought space in his dream world, but the thinking space was special. Each idea made Tyde an Einstein of death. Whether it be prolonging or hastening, inflicting or numbing, he was able to do it. Sometimes he wondered if the things he has thought of and done were things people would find in the future of him simplistic and boring. It made him feel happy, knowing one day, someone could surpass him.

"Oh my," he said in the dark room. "I almost forgot about my pastime. Eleventh Vongola, you aren't my target, but still, I can play with you. Hehe. Here I can play with all of you."

The dark room shown small lights in seven different places, each showing a tied up Vongola. "For the eleventh, I took out your voice box. I don't really want to here you talk about... What is it? Revolutionized Tools? Yeah, just like the man who invented the wheel said. And now look, we don't even need wheels. Circular objects are still used though so hey. Wasn't much of a waste now was it? Whatever. You bore me, so onto the next."

He walked around to the second table which had the sun guardian. "Little Trevor. So young and innocent. Though if I had my way..." He thought for a second. "Yes. Brilliant. I'll stitch your back onto the Storm kids back, then I'll hang you from the ceiling with.... Let's say fish hooks? Maybe that's too cliche. Oh. I can nail you to it with knives. Then slowly the stitches will fail do the weight of Stormy here and he'll probably fall to his death. You, on the other hand, will probably be bled out by then. Yes."

In the current plane, he smiled as he watched the eleventh talked. Tyde's eyes looked like they were focused on her and the rest of the speakers, but in all actuality he was seeing something other than some boring talkers. He was seeing the chaos of a generation other than his own. One before his own. It did become rather boring, seeing as no matter how many times he killed them in his mind, they were all up on stage, happy go lucky and... unamused? He wondered if they even wanted to be there. Well, if they didn't, he'd help them. He'd take away their boredom. Of course it would be replaced with pain, but if he was just given the signal, he would do it. There was nothing more Tyde would rather do.

He found himself going through the third phase of boredom, which was pretty close to surrendering to it. He sighed and walked back to the punch bowl, pouring himself some of the sweet red liquid and leaned on the wall. "Life is what it is I suppose," he muttered looking at his reflection in his cup. "Sure I'm bored now, but as long as life keeps going, I'll be able to cease it sooner or later. Gotta just wait it out."

He slightly tightened his grip on the cup in his hand and brought it closer to his mouth. At that time, if you asked him what he heard first, Tyde would have to say it didn't matter. For both the snapping sound and the volume change of the crowd were equally charitable to him.

The final stage of boredom had finally begun. It was funny. He couldn't even remember being bored in the first place. This feeling, the current one he could have easily exploded from, was indescribable. He loved it. He wanted it to get even more intense. If he lost himself in it, that would probably be the most glorious gift god could give him.

He looked over to Conelius. Tyde knew that he should probably fight away from the boy seeing as casualties were supposed to be kept at a minimum. Though after hearing that he was going to put on a show, he couldn't help but feel like he was missing out on something. Before walking away from Kurai, he patted her shoulder, saying, "Knock em dead kid."

As he walked around looking for a guardian, any guardian, to play with, he caught a glimpse of the older Alastor standing amongst the crowd looking as god like and awesome as ever. Thinking that it would be cool to watch him fight someone, Tyde followed after him, doing his best to catch up with the clatter and panic, the boy saw one of the Vongola guardians challenge the man to no avail. In seconds, Tyde was bursting out in laughter. He didn't even care about older Al anymore. The kid in front of him was a hoot. "Ahahahaaa. Wow. Wait. Hehehe. Ahahahahaha." He giggled and leaned his arm on the boy, laughing even harder. "Sorry, heehe....Sorry but, hahahaha." The laughter was uncontrollable. Tyde had to focus to stop and even after he continued to giggle here and there.

"Okay....Okay. Yeah, I'm good now. Hehe. So kid," he chuckled grinning at the pink haired boy. "You should give me your ring. You're most likely going to have a bad time if you don't." The Rizzo's Asteroid extended his hand as if he was about to accept the ring whenever the Vongola was ready and suddenly stopped halfway. "Actually... This isn't about you is it? Nah. It's about something greater. Life. Life has lessons for everyone to learn. So I'll teach you something. Something about how life, is also unfair."

The young man didn't lie. Unknown to the boy in front of him, he already knew things about him that could be used against him. He was also older and had killed probably more people than the boy has in his living family. One could probably add the other Vongola's families in that mix too. Not only that, but other things also made this unfair. It was unfair in Tyde's eyes. Though the fact that he wouldn't be able to kill him limited him and made it more fair. Still, Tyde was sure of the outcome. He just wasn't sure if he'd be happy with it. "You better be entertaining. I want to see if the blind should even be allowed to exist. Show me what makes life special for you and I'll teach you a lesson."

As he talked, Tyde backed up from the boy and pulled a knife that was sheathed in the back of his belt. "Draw your sword Akio," he said, wondering what the boy would think of his name being known by a stranger. "It's time to play samurai's and ninjas."

Kurai barely flinched as one of orbs flew past her to be implanted in the entrance, successfully blocking anyone with the intention of leaving. Not that she liked seeing innocent people injured, but they couldn't take the risk of their prey escaping, could they? Cornelius had handed Kuro back to her, announcing that he would play with him later, so she was now cradling the small creature in her arms and surveying the damage caused with an oddly calm mind. From all the times they had worked together, it wasn't the worst damage he had caused to a building. Nevertheless, the objective this time was different...

The crowd was already in a panic, especially with what seemed like a golden haired madman wielding two weapons of destruction laughing like it was all a game before them. You can't blame them for being afraid. Seeing the Quaser guardian laugh happily while almost killing people was enough to strike fear into anyone's heart.

"Knock em dead kid." Tyde's voice came to her ears as she spun around, studying him with her large eyes before giving him a quick nod. He was off to find his victim, and whoever he was, he'd better watch out. Knowing Tyde, he has a tendency to have fun with his prey.

"Guess I ought to go now." Kurai murmured to herself as she stroked a purring Kuro. She wasn't looking forward to this too much, unlike the others and her feeling was more of one that wanted this over and done with. She had managed to put up with the brief but suffocating social session for this fight, but while she was hoping that it would be worth the wait, she wanted him to surrender his ring quickly. She didn't want to fight that badly. It was too tiring and boring.

Still, she was a step behind everyone as she headed to her target, Troy the storm guardian. He was looking around for the leader of the Vongola, as if he was worried for her. However, he was standing next to the alien girl... She changed her grip on Kuro, holding him tightly before he could do anything drastic like jump clawing to the girl's face. He reacted strongly to extraterrestrial beings for reasons unknown to even herself. He is a fickle animal, like all cats, even if he was a flame weapon.

"Troy Takumi, may I take the ring?" She asked politely, slightly proud of the fact that she had not stammered yet. She had rehearsed the many situations again and again in her head before deciding on he perfect one for the occasion. She pulled out her gun with one hand, but did not aim it at him just yet. It was simply to let him know that she wasn't joking about wanting the ring, but she didn't want him to feel threatened. Of course, she didn't expect him to just hand his over without a fight either, so in whichever case, she was prepared. With that, she waited for his reply quietly.

Troy was still wondering what the impending danger consisted of since he didn't identify any of the 'enemies' in the area; however, panic started to fill the room. He looked around to see who the targets were while looking around the room for Reida. The main target in his mind would be the newly appointed Vongola guardian of course. The worst part about this is that she walked off stage earlier. He had started to walk away from Ai when a cold shrieking voice then murmured his name saying, "Troy Takumi, may I take the ring?" the strange girl asked.

The first thing Troy noticed about her was the gun in her hand, but it wasn't pointed at him. He realized the seriousness of the situation; however, he wasn't worried about himself. He was more worried about Reida because her life was the only placed above his own in his head. With that in mind, he merely glared at Kurai in the eye and slowly took off his book bag. He unzipped it slowly with her still waiting in front of him and pulled out a belt with box weapons and placed it around his waist. The next three things he pulled our were a large paint can and two spray can bottles. He carried the paint can in his left hand, and the spray bottles in his right. "So the ring thing...," he threw the large paint can towards Kurai and threw one spray can to the left while the other to the right. He quickly placed his ring in a box weapon on his belt and pulled out a small Systema C.A.I. pistol and said, "No." He shot the large paint can, and both of the spray cans one after another and they all exploded. Paint splattered everywhere on Troy, Kurai, and the general floor around the area. "The sooner you're out of my way, the better. I kill people like your for breakfast so lets make this quick." He lied.

He placed his right hand to one of the newly made pools of paint and his storm ring begun to shine. A long spear-like weapon came out of the ground, but had a paint brush tip that constantly dripped paint. He looked towards this strange girl with seemingly void black eyes and pointed his pistol at her. "Hope you're ready!" he said with a gesture as if he would shoot. His storm ring begun to shine again and his entire body immediately dissolved into the paint as if his entire being was being melted. He swiftly popped out of the area of paint formed behind Kurai and sent his spear flying at her while the spear at every movement dripped more paint onto the ground. After the first thrust, he sent three more lunges, then jumped back. "Bang, bang" he said with a devilish grin as he begun to fire off disintegration rounds from his Systema C.A.I. gun.