Chapter 1
They did it. Byakuran was defeated. The war with Millefiore was finally over. The Arcobaleno were revived, all thanks to Yuni’s sacrifice. But none of this would have been possible without Reborn’s wimpy student. He was the one who ended the war.
Colonello gazed at Lal. She was as beautiful as always. More so now that she was in her adult body. Although the tears were new. As was the gentle hugging.
“I’m sorry for leaving you,” Colonello whispered, leaning into her hold. If there was only one thing this cursed body was good for, it was that it allowed him to be held entirely in Lal’s arms. She curled around him, holding him close.
“Don't ever do something as stupid as that again,” Lal muttered. Colonello could feel the top of his head dampen slightly and felt horrible. He never meant to make Lal cry.
“I can't make that promise. If it meant you were safe, I would die a million times over,” Colonello said softly. And it was true. All his life, Colonello has lost the people he loved. He couldn't bear to add Lal to that list. It would destroy him.
Lal pulled away with a muttered “Idiot” and Colonello instantly missed the feeling of her hug, but he refrained from commenting. Instead, he looked around at the gathered group. Most of them were involved in their own conversations, allowing Lal and Colonello to have some privacy as they reunited. The only one who wasn't talking to someone else was Reborn. The hitman was sitting on the lowest branch of a tree near his student. If Colonello were a betting man, he’d bet that Reborn had been keeping an eye on them the whole time. Reborn made eye contact with Colonello, then tilted his head slightly to the left. Colonello nodded. They were ready.
“Everyone,” Reborn called out, getting everybody’s attention. “It’s time to go back,” he announced. There were various sounds of agreement from those gathered. The fairly large group traveled back to the Vongola base and began making the needed preparations to return the time travelers to the past. Several letters were given to Futa, who would deliver them, and goodbyes were exchanged between both people and box weapons before it was finally time.
Colonello and the other Arcobaleno (sans Lal) used the powers that came with their part of the Tri Ni Set to send the memories of those involved with Byakuran’s defeat to the past with the others. Despite none of them having ever done this before, everything was working exactly how it was supposed to. Until it wasn't.
They were about two thirds completed with sending the memories back when Colonello felt something he hadn't felt in over thirty years. His magic. Ever since the curse was put on him, Colonello hadn't felt a single hint of his magic unless he searched for it while meditating. Hermione, who had began studying the curse the second she saw him, had said it was because his magic was likely trying to protect him. It had retreated deep inside his core in order to compensate for his new body. If left free, the sheer volume of his magic could permanently damage his core at the size it was now. Yet for some reason, his magic chose now to surge through him. That, combined with the spell the Arcobaleno were using, caused Colonello to black out. The last thing he registered were the shocked cries of his fellow Arcobaleno.
One voice in particular stood out to him though. Lal. She was shouting his name. Guilt surged through him. Lal had been alone for years and just when she got him back, Colonello went and did this. He made her sad again.
Before unconsciousness fully claimed him, he was able to catch a glimpse of her. Lal was terrified, reaching a hand towards him as if that would stop whatever was happening. As if she could grab ahold of him and pull him away from it.
Then there was only darkness. When Colonello woke up, he felt like someone had stuffed his head full of cotton then put it in a blender. He groaned, pushing back the pain to force his eyes open. What he saw made him believe he was dreaming.
Colonello blinked. The hallucination was still there. Well shit.
Standing above him was a man he hadn't seen since the Battle of Hogwarts over forty years ago. Remus John Lupin stood there, looking worse for wear, yet holding out a piece of chocolate like he always did when he was alive.
“What the actual fuck, kora?!” Colonello didn't even realize he had slipped into Italian due to his shock.