"All non-combatants inside!" Spanner ordered out with panicked haste as he pushed Shoichi who was on the stretcher into the half destroyed base unit. Fuuta ushered the girls along with Yuni and children in first before getting in himself while Ryuuichi stayed one, on guard as they waited for the rest. By the corner, there were explosions before a Squalo, a Hibari and a Gokudera, both were on the long haired man's box weapon appeared. 

"You did it, Gokudera-kun!" The said bomber sheepishly smiled. "It wasn't me! The needles from Hibari's hedgehogs are multiplying to slow them down" It was impressing, how the prefect managed to hold back three of the real Funeral Wreaths. They were amazed by that, and relieved at the same time but when Chrome pointed out that Byakuran was moving towards them at fast speed, it died down to dread again. 

Ryuuichi blinked, eyes wide as he gripped his bow tighter, going to shot him if anything goes the way he doesn't know. He didn't realized that Byakuran was this creepy until that Marshmallow freak decided to take him as a price as well. Dino stepped forward, whip readied to counter Byakuran as he told them to get in first, but of course, they didn't listen. Suddenly, Mist flame seeped out from Chrome's trident. Ryuuichi felt a shudder going up his spine but he stomped it down. Tsuna felt it too. 

"No one will be able to stop me" "I don't know about that" TYL Mukuro materialized in front of Chrome, trident in his hand. "Not even me?" His hair was much longer than before, tied back into a low pony tail, similar to Ryuuichi's though the younger's was shorter, and higher. 

Byakuran was surprised for the nth time when Mukuro appeared. The others, too, were taken aback as the illusionist stood in front of all of them. "Mukuro-sama..." Chrome had a blush on her cheek and her eyes shone, relieved that the man is alive and all. Byakuran then lit up his ring in Orange flame as he impacted with Mukuro's trident, both smirking creepily. The kanji in Mukuro's red eye changed to one and the ground beneath Byakuran cracked, and a gush of lava with lotus and vines shot out from it. 

It was so real that had most of them mesmerized by it. "It's been a long time, Sawada Tsunayoshi, Shiroki Ryuuichi" The latter teen raised an eyebrow. How kind of the man to remember him. Well, at least he isn't like Byakuran. And more handsome than him. 'Okay whatttt..........' 

"But aren't you injured?" Tsuna asked worriedly despite the previous shock. Byakuran, inside Mukuro's illusion spoke too. "Tsunayoshi-kun's right, Mukuro-kun." Of course the white Marshmallow Freak wouldn't fall for it. "I thought I'd destroyed your mind when you were possessing my subordinate. Or at least, caused enough damage to prevent you from creating such illusion" 

Mukuro simply chuckled at that. "I definitely thought it was over when I fell prey to your scheme and found myself trapped in a sealed space. It would've been, had I been alone" Never had he thought that there would be a day he would admit he almost get killed, being the prideful him, that is. It was a fortunate thing that he wasn't working alone. Really. 

And, he was all but annoyed when Byakuran said that his apprentice was poorly raised. "Either way, you dealt me considerable damage. Enough to prevent me from doing anything until a moment ago" His illusions went up a notch, flaring as vines started growing more and more around Byakuran.

The man simply chuckled, much to everyone's chagrin. "That won't do, Mukuro-kun. That's not enough to beat me" The said man's smirk dropped. "Your illusions may be extremely real, but you're still a fake. If you want to beat me, you'll need to escape Vindice Penitentiary and fight me in person" It finally struck Tsuna that Mukuro was still in Vindice's prison. He wondered what had his older self had down all this years. Why the heck hadn't he get Mukuro out of those cold blooded creatures' prison, their clutches? Mukuro was and is still his Half Mist Guardian, and hell, even his friend, so what the heck..

"No need to worry. I shall come to personally defeat you in the near future. We have already made out move. I'll leave it at that. And I merely need to delay you to win here" 

"Now, take the Sky Arcobaleno to Namimori, Sawada Tsunayoshi" The said brunette hesitated. He didn't want to leave the man alone here. It doesn't, and probably never will sit well with him if he were to leave a friend behind. Chrome probably had the same feelings as he had at the moment. "Mukuro! Will we see you again?" Mukuro turned towards them, looking at them sideways. 

"Of course. I can't have someone other than myself taking over this world. Listen carefully, Sawada Tsunayoshi." Tsuna gulped. "You absolutely must not let the Sky Arcobaleno, Yuni, fall into Byakuran's hands" A hand suddenly pierced through Mukuro's illusion frame, ordering him to be quiet before the flames slowly disappeared along with the vines. Mukuro was unfazed by that, as he ushered them to hurry. 

Ryuuichi frowned a little when their eyes crossed, worried for Mukuro.But nevertheless, he heaved a shaky breathe before lighting up his ring, the same time Tsuna and the others did. A bright light surrounded them and they were suddenly transported back to Namimori Shrine. Ryuuichi had landed on his knees, feeling dizzy and his head ached. He clutched his head and winced a little, slowly willing the pain to ebb away. Flame deprivations never felt good. (He learnt that the hard way)

"Ryuuichi, are you alright?" A hand was held out in front of him but it wasn't until his hearing and sight cleared back up did he noticed it. He looked up to see Dino's concerned face. He gave him a tired smile and nodded, grabbing the hand that heaved him up to his feet. "Thanks.." He said as he steadied himself. He looked towards the base unit, which were smoking a little but still intact. 

Things had happened the way he had expected. Well, except for Byakuran's part. No thanks to that.

He watched the Teleportation System device got hit by Gokudera's shot before it disappeared, not destroyed at all. At least it would buy them time. Apparently, they had went to an uninhabited island for Choice, as Yuni had explained. Although that place was far away, they only managed to damage the device a little, and it would take them a while to fix it so Reborn had deducted it to a few hours before they were back into the chasing.

Ryuuichi huffed in temporary relief. 'Well, time to go back, again'

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During the few hours they had, Tsuna and his Guardians had rested in the lounge room while Reborn went to Lal Mirch's room and explained everything, along with Yuni. Ryuuichi, too, had rested. By sprawling on the couch of the lounge room, covering his eyes as he tried to relax instead of sleeping. 

However, after a while, he pushed himself up again and walked back to his room, changing into something more comfortable sluggishly. He then was called to a meeting and not long after that, they went Shoichi's lab to go back to the past along with Yuni. Hibari was there too. Ryuuichi had to control the urge to simply jump on the prefect because he was yearning for skin contact, not that he actually need it frequently but he was tired. 

When they were transported back to the past, their rightful era, and had appeared at Namimori Shrine. The Shrine from their era. Tsuna were wondering why they were transported here when Reborn, out of nowhere jumped landed on top of his head. And suddenly, one by one the Arcobaleno appeared.

Ryuuichi pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling somewhat confused by the time and all and s. Reborn had said that the Arcobaleno trial had just ended yesterday, when they were in the future for almost two weeks plus. 'Wait... If the day from Reborn... Three.. Arcobaleno.. Seven... Today.... -Oh. Yuuichi's coming home soon' Damn the stupid timeline and all.

"I came here half a day before you to assemble everyone. To get them to help you as your tutor" 

"What are we going to do?" What in the world did Reborn planned that need all the Arcobaleno as their tutors? Tsuna, for some reason, felt that it wouldn't be that terrible, unlike the previous ones he had been through. Don't, remind him of it. Please.

"No idea. but we're about to perform a dangerous miracle that's never been tried before in all of Vongola history. An all-or-nothing bet. If we fails, we're done" Ryuuichi sweated at that. He, no matter how amused he was towards the others' hidden, dreaded faces, he couldn't understand why Reborn like to exaggerate on things. Then again, this is a serious situation. 

"Listen up. The outcome is on you guys. Go for it and don't get scared. Bring out your ring, Tsuna" The said brunette did as told and held out the hand that has the ring on towards the Arcobaleno. Yuni on the side, silently intertwined her hands, summoning the will of the ring to aid them. One by one, the Arcobaleno's pacifiers glowed before Tsuna's own ring glowed. 

It suddenly shot out a ray of light, orange flame flared before a man that looked exactly like Tsuna minus the hair color appeared. Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto and Ryohei gasped in surprised. Tsuna recognized the man.

"Looks like it worked. I can't believe that I'm getting to see the real thing. Allow me to introduce the person before you. Vongola Primo!" Nope. Ryuuichi did not just squealed internally. Nope he didn't. 

He blinked, calming down his inner thoughts. Although this was the second time he see him, he still couldn't exactly believe that one day he would actually see the man in flesh- or not... Anyway, it was simply amazing. "So we meet again, Vongola Decimo." Right. He might as well just hit himself in the face before he did something unthinkable. 

"You were the one who summoned me?" 

"There's a legend that the Vongola Rings hold the living will of the First Generation Family. We used the power of the Arcobaleno pacifiers to form a contract that allowed you to take a corporeal form" It sounded impossible, yet it happened. 

"I've never answered to the Arcobaleno's power and never will again. My acceptance of the Arcobaleno boss, the Sky Arcobaleno's conditions had led to this single exception" 'But to the successor of him, I will' Ryuuichi frowned. He had heard the last part clearly, but none of the others did, including Reborn. He wondered why was he the only who could hear it, and who the hell is the person he had 'mentioned'.

"It appears that you've run into a wall, Vongola Decimo" Tsuna frowned. How did Vongola Primo knew that they were in a pinch? "He can sense the danger to Vongola. It must be a response to your feelings" 

"You're Decimo's Guardians?" Giotto looked around to the others, surveying them. "You have yet to inherit the true power of Vongola" Their eyes widen. They had thought that they had already gain it, seeing that they had improved a lot since the last time. It was hard to believe when Giotto simply just look at them and said otherwise.

And what true power?

"if the first generation Vongola Family accepts you as the true boss and true guardian, you will be able to inherit the power of the Vongola." When Gokudera asked what do they have to do to gain the approvals, Giotto replied with questions. "Are you able to embody the duty of a Guardian? Do you have the resolve? Everything rests on that" Right after he said that, he had turned back into flames and disappeared.

Tonight, the first generation of Vongola Family would appear one by one to each Guardians. If there's anything more, Ryuuichi doesn't know.

----------------------------------------------------------------

"Shiroki Ryuuichi" Jump.

"AHH!!!" Ryuuichi literally hopped to the side a few steps and banged into the door when a voice called out to him from behind. His hand clutched tightly onto his water bottle as he tried to calm his heart down, eyes wide. He was going downstairs to refill it when orange flames had appeared upon him before Giotto was there. Behind him six other flames flared and the rest of the first generation appeared. Yes, even Daemon Spade.

He sighed in relief when he realized that it was Giotto and his guardians. Seriously, that wasn't good for the heart. And if anything, they looked more than amused at his reaction. He pushed the fact that they were enjoying scaring him for no particular reason behind. Or did they had a reason?

"Y-yes...?"

"'No matter how far the stars are, they will always be connected'" His eyes widen even more at the familiar, English words. Those were written by him, her. It was one of his favorite. He had remembered it til now, and no one should even knew about it since he had never said it out. Not even Yuuichi knew about it.

Let alone Giotto? Could it be that he knew everything about him? Even his memories of his past life? 

"H-how...."

Giotto simply said nothing and turned toward Alaude, who was giving him an intense stare which had him sweating bullets internally. The beige haired man nodded and Giotto looked at him directly in the eyes. Ryuuichi met his orange eyes unflinchingly. There was something akin to recognition and... familiarity? Ryuuichi doesn't know.

Oh, and did he mentioned that Knuckle was staring at him too?

But that was not important at the moment. He was about to say something else when Giotto raised his hands up and held out in front of him. Suddenly, his whole body started glowing in bright orange and he, for some reason, had floated up a little. The ring that was around his neck had floated out from his shirt, glowing too.

"The seal shall be removed once you pass our tests. And the power of the ring shall be released" Once the ring was mentioned, it grew brighter to the point that it blinded Ryuuichi's sight. Ryuuichi winced at the brightness before it slowly dimmed to nothing else. The first generation, too, were gone. 

He gritted his teeth. 'Just when I was about to get the answers.....' He couldn't believe that just as he was about to get them, they disappeared, not giving him the chance to say anything. It frustrated him to no end. He took deep breathes to calm himself down again, clenching and unclenching his hands. 

He then somewhat remembered the ring, and took a look at it only to be surprised for the nth time. The previous gap in the middle were no longer empty. There were a hexagon shape in the middle, by each edge there were rectangles that connected it to the rainbow lining. It was colorless, empty yet there was something there. He knew that it wasn't colorless. How he knew it was beyond him. 

Giotto's words played in his mind like a broken record. 

'I guess I would have to pass them all to know it....'

For the answers, he would do anything.

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Even though they had disappeared from Ryuuichi's sight, Alaude and Knuckle had lingered behind unknown to the teen. Alaude watched the teen in silence, not minding the other's presence. No matter how he see him, Ryuuichi really really resembles him. The bittersweet memories replayed in his mind as it always would.

Though, Ryuuichi isn't him. No matter how much they resembles each other, no matter how much they're the same, Ryuuichi will never be him. 

It hurt so much even after all these years.

A hand was suddenly placed on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. He gave Knuckle a side way glance before shrugging the hand off. "Let's go"

And they disappeared fully.

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A/N= The next chapter will be the first chapter for the Inheritance Succession Arc! This chapter's quite short ==ll I didn't even hit 3K for this... *sigh*

The First Gen. will appear according to Tsuna and the other's tests. So the first to appear would be Asari Ugetsu and so on.

Yuuichi would appear once again on.. probably two chapters later. Unless I decided to make him appear the next chapter, that is.

Speaking of that, as a reminder, Yuuichi has gone to training camp in Kyoto for at least two weeks and adding up the days til they came back from the future for the second time, Yuuichi had gone for 12 days. Yeah

Giotto can talk to Ryuuichi telepathically.... Somehow

I don't exactly know how to explain the ring... So yeah. AH but the ring is in round shape. Only a piece in the middle is hexagon in shape.

I don't know why but I'm getting more and more stresses these days. *groan* Well, whatever. 

[I apologize for any grammars, spellings, etc.etc. mistakes]