Chapter 39
Riza Verita
"A lesson without pain is meaningless. That's because no one can gain without sacrificing something. But by enduring that pain and overcoming it, he shall obtain a powerful, unmatched heart. A fullmetal heart." - Edward Elric
Today's Reviewer Quote :)
I don't watch TV... My computer tells me to stay with it. My computer controls the earth. -catrinebatrine
PS, I got some awesome fanart, by Hisawa Kana. Link's on my profile. Go look at it, it's so awesome:) Maybe it'll inspire another to make some more fanart... :)
Okay.
Okay, okay, okay.
Where am I right now, again?
Yeah, I kind of had to take a little time just to figure out where the hell, plotwise, I was. And how much time I had left.
...Aria just...died, so I'm the boss of the family. That happened like a year and a half or so before Byakuran mind-raped Real Yuni, so he could have the power of the other Mare Rings.
But before he mind-rapes me (I don't feel comfortable talking about that. You can probably imagine why.), Genkishi is going to go be a total jackass and challenge my dearest Squ-chan. But of course, Squ-chan's a pimp, so he'll win.
Don't ask where that logic comes from. I don't even know.
So Genkishi is goin' to lose to Squ-chan dearest, and then come back, all injured. But then Real Yuni gave him this killer look and he was all OMGICAN'TDOTHISSHIT. Yep. So I just have to perfect my killer look.
I'd figure out the rest later.
It had been a week after Aria's death.
Almost everyone, almost, had been pulled out of their slumps. I had bounced back about yesterday, after spending five or six days in my room, gloomily hacking into the Vongola Systems, to stalk Hibari-sama.
Yeah, I was that depressed.
But then Hibari-sama caught on to the fact that the video cameras were watching his every move, and destroyed a majority of them. So then, I had nothing else to do, except swallow the pain and move on.
Just like what Edward Elric says. "Stand up and walk. Move forward."
...dammit, I've been watching way too much Fullmetal Alchemist to be healthy. I live my life according to its' morals.
I was standing in front of a mirror, sizing myself up. I was pretty damn short for a twelve-year-old (ALMOST THIRTEEN, DAMN YOU.), I think. ...Fran was practically Belphegor's height, and I was still as short as Fuuta had been when he was nine. That's real success right there, in the height division, I believe.
I had gotten my traditional Giglio Nero paintsplatter-thing tattoo when I was eight...and it hurt like shit while I was getting it. But then again, I don't have very good pain resistance, so who really knows if it hurt or not?
My hair was still shoulder-length, of course, but Gamma (the fucking bastard...) had told me that if I didn't get the ponytail...thing, then he would end up slowly killing Nosaru by taking away all the cheese-products from the manor. I'd given in, almost immediately, after seeing Nosaru mope around for a day without any Cheez-Whiz. That poor guy.
So Mukuro and I suffered together, with the ponytail-thing, because Gamma wouldn't let me get rid of it, and Mukuro literally couldn't...considering how he was in a fish tank...I'd have to visit that poor guy soon.
To be honest with you, the eyes of Real Yuni, bright blue, have always intimidated me a little. They seemed accusing like 'Yo bitch. Where da fuq is the Real Me and why da hell you think you can impersonate me?'
Yeah, not the best kind of feeling to get from eyes.
I began perfecting my 'Killer-Yuni-Look-That-Would-End-Up-Getting-Genkishi-To-Be-Kind-Of-Good-In-An-Evil-Way'. I thought I'd made progress. You needed to have the exact ratio of kind, softness and accusing sympathy (8:2). Yeah, it's pretty difficult, if I do say so myself.
Then Gamma walked in. "...what are you doing?"
I blinked, beginning to feel kind of awkward. "Uhh, perfecting my Killer-Yuni-Look?"
Gamma sighed, rubbing his forehead. Apparently, he was used to this kind of thing...not sure if I should've felt offended or anything. "Carry on."
I logged onto my laptop and saw four new emails.
The first one, surprisingly, was from I-Pin.
To: ProdigiousPokemonMaster
From: SplashingRamen
Yuni-san, it is me, I-Pin.
Lately, Master has been in contact with me. He says that the green rainbow baby would like to speak to you. He says that you will have to find him.
i-Pin is not sure what that means, but I hope you find the green rainbow baby.
Yours truly,
I-Pin
P. S. When I mentioned you to Kawahira-ojii-san, he says that he once gave you some rings as a present. Is that true?
P. S. S. I heard that you were having a little fight with Fran-san. If you need someone to talk to, I'm always here.
I typed out a reply, my fingers flashing over the keys.
To: SplashingRamen
From: ProdigiousPokemonMaster
Hi, I-Pin!
How's your Japanese college been? I heard Lambo completely dropped out of school...not surprising news. I suspect that you've been nagging him about getting back into the schooling system. I hope that he picks it back up...he's already so stupid. (Don't tell him I said that. He'll Electtrico Cornatta me into next friggin' week.)
A green rainbow baby? Do you mean the green Arcobaleno baby, Verde? Verde is green in Spanish, I think... I dunno, I only know Italian, Japanese, English and a tiny bit of French from Frapple.
Tell Fon I say 'Wassup, my home skillet?'. Oh, and that I'm his new boss. :3
Your Prodigious Italian Homedog,
Yuni-sama!
P. S. Yeah, he gave me some rings once. I think we might be distantly related or something. Not really sure.
P. S. S. Frapple? Yeah, we're having some best friend problems right now. And you're not here...you're in Namimori, right?
I clicked send, and began scanning the other emails.
To: ProdigiousPokemonMaster
From: ExplodeAndDie
Juudaime has mentioned that you've been more annoying than usual. Except he didn't say that, because Juudaime is Juudaime and too kind to ever be so vulgar.
So screw off.
-Gokudera Hayato
I snorted. So Juudaime is too kind to be as vulgar as Gokudera Hayato? Well. Now everything makes sense.
To: ExplodeAndDie
From: ProdigiousPokemonMaster
Bitch, please. If anyone is annoying, it's you.
Just kidding, you rock and I wuv you~
No, really, shut up.
Yours,
Yuni-sama
Gokudera and I had been passing emails like this for years. I'd imagine that he'd have like work or something to do, but he always, apparently, had time to nag me and just totally put me down. It was his way of caring, I suppose.
Two more!
To: ProdigiousPokemonMaster
From: NamimoriSkylark
Stop watching me, midget.
I didn't respond to that email.
To: ProdigiousPokemonMaster
From: NumberOneHitman
Yuni,
I have a person I need you to find.
His name is Irie Shoichi and he works for the Gesso Famiglia.
Red hair, glasses, green eyes.
This is critically important.
Find him, and relay me his information.
And do it, fast.
Reborn
Never before in my life had I been issued a mission by Reborn. Technically I was his boss now, after Aria's passing, but there was no one (well, maybe Tsuna or Xanxan or Gamma or Squ-chan or Mukuro-dearest or Hibari-sama...my loyalties are scattered.) I was more loyal to than Reborn.
I pulled up the Gesso systems. Byakuran had protected all of his webpages with his other-worldly-knowledge, making it virtually impossible for me to break in.
Yuni.
Mao? How come you only come when I can't figure something out and not when I need emotional support?
This isn't the time. Do you remember what the first Yuni did when Byakuran was drugging her?
You mean when he was mind-raping her?
...sure.
She 'sent her heart somewhere far away', or whatever.
And do you know what that means?
I think she, uhh, mentally travelled to...parallel worlds! Thanks, Mao!
Of course, Yuni.
So, umm, how do I travel to...parallel worlds?
I do know, but you must figure this out yourself.
You are evil.
Why, thank you.
I crossed my legs, sitting comfortably on my bed, the only sound in the room was the whirring and whizzing of my computer and my slow, steady breathing.
The Sea knows no bounds.
The Clam passes down its form from Generation to Generation.
The Rainbow appears from time to time before fading away.
I have no idea where the hell that song came from, but I mulled it over.
The Sea can travel horizontally through time and space, through the fabric of existence.
Byakuran, and the parallel worlds, how he could mentally travel through parallel worlds, but physically would destroy the body and the original parallel world.
The Clam can travel vertically through time and space, through the fabric of the supernatural.
Tsunayoshi, and the Vongola Trials, when he was dying inside Hibari-sama's hedgehog, and the previous Vongola Bosses arrived.
The Rainbow can exist as points in space and time, through the fabric of humanity.
Real Yuni and her ability to travel through time, project the original Vongola Guardians and to exist during the Arcobaleno Curse Arc.
Everything made sense. More than one Rainbow, Arcobaleno, could exist at once in the same time frame, like how in canon, Real Yuni had appeared for the Arcobaleno Curse Arc, while somewhere else in the world, the young, real Yuni was off, picking flowers or something.
In canon, Yuni couldn't travel through parallel worlds. She could pick any place in time and appear there. That means I can too.
WHATISLIFE.
Way to go, Yuni. You figured out the secret. Congratulations. Now, lets go.
And then, I was flying.
Picture yourself in a boat on a river,
With tangerine trees and marmalade skies.
Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly;
A girl with kaleidoscope eyes.
Cellophane flowers of yellow and green
Towering over your head;
Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes,
And she's gone.
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
Ah...
Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain,
Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies.
Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers
That grow so incredible high.
Newspaper taxis appear on the shore,
Waiting to take you away.
Climb in the back with your head in the clouds,
And you're gone.
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
Ah...
Picture yourself on a train in a station,
With plasticine porters with looking-glass ties.
Suddenly, someone is there at the turnstile:
The girl with kaleidoscope eyes.
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
Ah...
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
Ah...
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
Lucy in the sky with diamonds!
-Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds by the Beatles
Okay, not literally, flying, but I was feeling like I was. It was a giant, empty, white space, with no walls or ceiling, just whiteness that stretched on for eternity.
Speak clearly, Yuni, and tell the Pacifier where in time you'd want to go.
Uhh, okay.
"Pacifier, take me to the day that I learned the secret of the Gesso or Millefiore systems." I said, as evenly as I could.
However, in my mind, I was basically panicking. Oh me gawd, I'm gonna travel through time~ Suck dat, Frapple! And Lambo...FUCK YOU, mwahahaha!
Yeah, I didn't have clear priorities.
In an instant, the white plain was gone, and I was standing in a very clean office. Yuni, not me, but the Yuni of the Future, I guess, was sitting on a throne, her eyes clouded.
Mind-rape.
She was just sitting there, and I was standing beside her. But I was physically there, and my feet were sinking into the plush carpet.
There were two Yuni-ses, in the same frame of existence and the world wasn't exploding.
But I thought that if your future/past self and your current self came into contact, then the world would explode. Reborn, you liar. I thought, bitterly.
I heard footsteps, and chattering down the hallway. I froze. If they come upon two Yuni-ses...
Quickly, I hauled ass. I tossed Future Yuni over my shoulder (Jesus, I needed to lose weight.) and threw her behind the throne, but snatched up her cape, tying it around myself and secured the hat.
I adopted a glazed look, sitting upon the throne.
DON'T SEEM INTERESTED. I told myself.
Yuni, why didn't you just hide behind the throne, instead of this?
I...don't know.
The door opened.
"Yo."
"Spanner, don't greet Yuni-sama like that! Good morning, Yuni-sama."
Irie Shoichi and Spanner were standing in front of me. Shoichi looked flustered, and Spanner just looked bored.
Funny, the first time I ever meet the guy is actually in the future.
"Good morning, Irie Shoichi, Spanner." I greeted, as monotone-esque as possible. "How have you been today?"
Apparently, Future-Raped-Yuni only spoke when necessary, so the question was out of character.
Shoichi blinked, suspicious of me. "Fine...Yuni-sama...? Are you feeling alright?"
"Yes." I said, pretending to be a very, very uninterested Fran, who didn't want to even talk.
He seemed satisfied with this answer and held up a laptop. "Byakuran-san asked me to show you the systems, so you could access the information whenever necessary."
"Proceed."
He did. He showed me the various ways to break into the system, deactivate the alarms, reactivate the alarms, their database, soldier profiles, etc.
"Do you understand, Yuni-sama?" Shoichi asked, at the end of it.
"I do." I confirmed, blankly.
But inside, my mind was buzzing. It was so simple...how had I missed that triple-padlocked backdoor?
"I don't know why I had to come." Spanner complained, as they left the room. "She didn't even talk to me. To think, she used to be my boss."
"She still is, Spanner! And be more respectful." Shoichi reprimanded, critically.
I sighed, relaxing into the chair. I'd have so much shit to do once I returned to the present.
So, Mao. How do I return to the present?
Wait until midnight.
Easy enough- wait, midnight? Yep, goodbye existence.
Disguise yourself.
WITH WHAT?
You could pass as a D-Rank White Spell member, if you found a uniform and maybe some makeup to hide your tattoo.
Where the hell would I find a uniform or makeup?
The closet or maybe even that vanity over to your right.
...oh.
I changed quickly, into the slightly big uniform and applied just enough foundation.
Mao... makeup feels weird...
Suck it up.
I hefted up Future-Raped-Yuni and set her on the throne. "You alright?" I asked her, jokingly.
"Yes." she replied, unhesitatingly.
I swallowed. I hadn't expected her to answer. Her voice...my voice...it was so blank, dead, meaningless. Like there was really no hope left in the world, or if there was, she'd refuse to see it.
"Stay safe." I suggested, exiting the room.
"As long as I am with Byakuran, I shall be." was her automatic, robotic response.
I shivered and ran out of the room.
No one greeted me in the hallways. It seemed that they were just too eager to help Byakuran that they didn't have any time to nod at their fellow Spell-mates.
I couldn't help but notice that there were only White Spell members, as far as I could see, in the Headquarters. There was definitely severe discrimination against the Black Spell members. My poor friends...
I escaped the building with relative ease. No one suspected a White Spell member, since the White Spell were held in the upmost trust and honor.
I was in Italy. That much I could figure out. The streets of Florence were almost the same, dirty and busy, just like they had been in the current.
Then again, it had only been a year or two. Not much could've changed.
The first place I headed for was the Giglio Nero Headquarters. But it wasn't there. The only thing in the area was a giant pile of ashes, some idea of the foundation/frame and a soot-covered brick chimney.
The nearby flower patch had been burned, too, as if the color and happiness was unwelcome, especially in such a serious, plain place like the White Spell.
I crossed my legs, sitting under a tree.
I had about a half hour. Shoichi and Spanner could really talk...even if it was mostly Shoichi.
Feeling a little lonely, I tried channeling Mukuro, but of course, that could only end up in pain.
"Hello?" I asked, awkwardly, glancing around Mukuro's mindspace.
The flowers, tree, and little river/creek thing were exactly the same. Everything seemed a little...dry of color though, like the sun had been missing for a while.
"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" a voice demanded, freezing, cold and just full of hatred.
I blinked, spinning around. "Mukuro-dearest? I'm visiting-"
"Get the hell out." he ordered, his voice shaking in anger. "If there is anyone in the world that I'd want to kill right now, it's you."
I took a step back, shaking. "W-What did I do? I-I just-"
"You killed Sawada Tsunayoshi." he said, darkly. "Do you not know? Is he just another one of the faceless people that you have so willingly murdered?"
My jaw fell, tears springing to my eyes. "But, Mukuro, I'm not-"
The sound of someone else shimmering into existence cut me off. "Yo, Shishou, I'm here for train...ing...?" the person trailed off, their eyes landing on me.
Their green, green eyes.
"Yu...ni?"
"Fran?" I identified, feeling even more awkward than earlier. Great. Come face-to-face with the guy you're pissed at in the present, in the future! That...didn't make much sense.
He just stared quietly at me, like I was someone he didn't recognize.
I guess I wasn't. He knew the future me, I suppose, who apparently killed Tsunayoshi-chan, who murdered people 'willingly'.
Mukuro, on the other hand, was just fuming in loathing, in hatred, loudly. "GET THE HELL OUT."
"I don't know what I did!" I wailed, confused. "You won't tell me!"
"You killed Sawada Tsunayoshi." Fran clarified in an uncharacteristically small voice. "You killed him. You've had entire villages taken out, because they spoke out against one of your soldiers, or maybe I should call them killing machines-"
"I didn't do any of that!" I protested, honestly. "I didn't! I'm...I'm from the past, Fran! I am! So stop accusing me of-"
"You're from the past?" Mukuro repeated, in disbelief. "You sure as hell don't look like it."
"I'm from like two years ago! I guess...I haven't grown much." I sighed, in disappointment. "Damn."
"If you're from the past..." Fran mulled it over. "...than if you die, then none of the horrors that have happened in the future will happen?"
"No, they still will!" I assured him, feeling kind of bad that I was promising a dark future. "But I'm trying to fix everything! I'm going back to the past, in like a minute or so." I glanced at my watch. "Yeah, I got a minute and thirty seconds. Time can really pass while Mukuro is bitching at you."
"You're trying to fix everything?" he said, before laughing, cruelly. "That's impossible! You can't fix anything, Yuni, only break them apart."
"But I-"
"No, Yuni." he sneered. "Like that's even your real name, you fake."
"I'm not a fake!" I snapped, angrily. "I'm not-"
"You told me." he informed me, helpfully. "You told me everything."
"I don't even know everything!" I hissed, completely pissed now. "So stop saying that I do!"
"You don't know everything, but I know everything about you, Verita Riza." he pronounced the words specifically.
I blinked. "Who the hell is Verita Riza...?" I trailed off, my head suddenly pounding.
"Riza, it's okay." Alice smiled at me. "You'll get better soon."
"Like hell I will." I deadpanned.
My sister laughed, a gorgeous sound. "You're always so negative, Riza. Lighten up a bit."
"I'm in a freaking hospital, how the hell am I supposed to lighten up?" I considered it. "Then again, these hospital bastards only feed me through a freaking tube, and I'm like a quarter of my original weight."
Sebastian, my brother, came running in. "Riza, Riza, Riza! Guess what-"
"Don't care." I informed him.
Alice smacked my arm, lightly, carefully. "Play nice, Riza."
Everyone had been treating me carefully, like I was made of glass, after my leukemia diagnosis. I wanted to scream at them, tell them that I wasn't made of glass, that I was the same me, just not steel anymore...more like wood.
"What did you want, Seb?" I asked my brother, turning back to him.
His eyes lit up again. "I made it onto the Varsity middle school hockey team!"
"...aren't you in elementary school, you fourth grader?" I accused, dryly.
"Yep!"
"...even I have to admit, that's pretty damn impressive." I gave in.
Elizabeth was dancing around the room, to the 'VOII' song. "Voi, voi, voi!"
"You look stupid." I laughed. "And why the hell is it on my iPod?"
Sebastian tried to look innocent. "I dunno."
"You demon!" I pointed. "How dare you!"
Alice laughed. "Stop being mean, Riza."
A nurse poked her head into the room. "Riza Verita? We're here to check on your blood pressure."
"Check the fucking machine." I suggested. I didn't know what the heck blood pressure was. I wanted to be a lawyer, not a freaking doctor.
The nurse's eye twitched. "That's what I was coming in for-"
"Then don't ask, crazy bitch." I snapped. "Like Nike says: just fucking do it."
"Nike says: just do it, Riza, not 'just fucking do it'." Sebastian chirped, ever so helpfully.
I flipped him off.
"Riza!" Alice reprimanded. "Not in front of the children!"
"Seb is a fourth grader." I shrugged. "And he's seen the Hangover, there's nothing more scarring than that."
"...true." Alice admitted. "But you shouldn't do that anyway."
"No." I retorted, bluntly.
Alice just smiled at me.
"Verita...Riza." I repeated, the words sounding foreign in Yuni's voice. "Verita Riza. Riza Verita."
Fran just glared at me, his eyes full of hatred, anger and pain. "Yeah, Riza. You're not welcome here. And you never will be."
I swallowed, taking a step back.
Then I was in the white plain again, the white seeming to be hopeless and endless, like no matter how far you run, bitch you can't escape. "Just send me back to my original time." I asked, just so tired.
And I was sent there, collapsing in exhaustion and emotional exertion.
My last thoughts before I fell asleep were fairly strange. No wonder I like Fullmetal Alchemist so much. I have Riza Hawkeye's freaking first name.
.
.
.
.
.
The ocean can't be blue without the sky. Without the bright sky, the ocean would simply be clear, and one would be able to see through it. So the ocean should be thankful that the sky prevents it from spilling all of its' secrets.
I didn't like this chapter. I don't know why, but I didn't. I told myself that when the reviews were at about 500 (497, to be exact), I'd reveal her name, regardless of where we were, plotwise.
So there. Motherfucker, this chapter was really fucking long.
Reviews :D
anyandeveryanime - There is nothing wrong with loving a fictional character. ITS ALL COOL.
Rd - You've never freaking seen Lilo and Stitch? *dies* And don't cry! I always feel bad!
Ingmina - Be positive...about your fucking death. Good message to tell Yuni.
Pailrose - Yuni is really fun to write and I just like writing about/for her.
coldgazeproduction - Thanks for da peanutbutter :D *takes you away to Vindice for breaking my window*
CuteDork - I just love Last Cross. I dunno why...but I do. *shrug*
Vanessa Celestine Blanchette - Like...what on facebook? Links don't appear in reviews.
shirokuromokona - She's planning on saving Yamamoto's dad, Tsuna's parents (she's bonded with Nana), possibly even Timoteo. She's got big plans.
CrimsonSkyTamer - I'd gladly take some pineapple jam :3
catrinebatrine - My computer controls parallel worlds. *win*
SophieQueenOfTheWorld - I've never seen Doctor Who. Hmmm...
Hisawa Kana - Thank you so much for the fanart. I love it, the pacifier (omg, I died when I saw it, it was so awesome), FRAN and Yuni-sama, of course. Thank you, so much. Really.
Michiyo - Don't cry, Michiyo! STAY STRONG.
NAO-chan33 - I'm twisting the events for plot sake. *shrug* Time-travel is really confusing. Sherlock, hmm? I loved those books, because Sherlock is hilarious, so I'll look into it, thanks.
MeLikesROFL - YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN ON THE BFF LIST. NOW YOUR NAME IS BOLDED, UNDERLINED AND ITALIC-ED SO FAR IT SEEMS BACKWARDS.
ResyaAfhirsa - I don't know if I should continue on the plot...do you think I should?
The Ice Sorceress - The Future arc travels fast (get it? Time travel? BAHAHAHA- Yeah, no.)
Lawlette - I've never heard Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds...okay, I'm listening to it now. Yuni in the Sky with Froggies...maybe, lol.
Everren - Setsuna and Kioku streets was on purpose, mainly cuz I was like OHSHIT, what should name 'em? And then in the background, Chrome is like 'Setsuna no Kioku~' and I'm like 'Thankses, Chromesies :D'
Paigecat - ALPHONSE, DON'T BE HER POKEMON. EVOLVE AND MOVE ON. I don't think I'll troll people with Mao's identity. Too much trolling kills children. *nods*
hello-totoro-ninja - Let me just say, your name is awesome. I will keep writing until the end of freaking time. *nods*
a simple fan - Grab your friends (kidnapping) and lets adventure!
Chocolate-Tama - Cannibalism is frowned upon, in most societies.
CC - I just love their Zoro masks. They're badass. I don't think this chapter gave her good spirits.
happytth - I'm so glad to know you liked it :D
One of my reviewers (Lawlette) says that 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' would be like Yuni's song. Except that it'd be 'Yuni in the Sky with Froggies'. I TOTALLY AGREE.
Question: What do you think Yuni's theme song would be?
ADDITIONALLY. I want a new summary. Who would like to give me some to use?
Leave a reviewwww~
Leave a pillowwww (with exactly four w's).
Expect an update, uhh, sometime this week. *shrug*
LeoooooInuyukaaa!