Skull is not happy to be kidnapped- especially in the middle of an emotional crisis- and he is perfectly willing to make that fact known.

Until Kawahira explains.

He tells Skull of a Seer on Atlantis who had seen the future of the world. Who had seen the world shatter and break. A world that collapsed in on itself and brought about the End of Times.

Of a Seer who had seen Skull step forward in time and change everything.

How that one change would not only save the world, but see the system Kawahira had used for eons stopped. How having Skull take his place as Cloud Arcobaleno would see the world fixing itself.

He tells Skull of the Seer who chose to place the curse of Immortality on him so he would reach that point- this point- in time.

And Skull learns of the sacrifice Atlantis had made, of the combined efforts of the Elders and the Seer that would power the magic that made him immortal. He learns of how Atlantis fell after their efforts, drained of the magic that held it up.

And he mourns.

Even as Kawahira explains that Atlantis would have fallen shortly after that anyway, Skull still mourns the knowledge that making him immortal had been the thing to tip the balance that much sooner.

He listens as Kawahira lays the facts out for him.

And then Skull is given the news he had been waiting so long to hear.

"The magic was meant to stop the day your Arcobaleno Curse was broken. You are no longer Immortal Skull. You are simply Skull of Atlantis, Skull of Vongola, and you will live and die as all mortals are meant to."

Skull cries.

O~O~O~

When he gets back to the mansion only to find the family that had taken him in, and taught him to live again- truly live again- all mobilizing on his behalf, ready to declare war on whoever or whatever had taken him…

Skull smiles, because he will get to live with them.

And he will die with them.

And Skull can live with that.

He can really, truly live with that for the first time since his life on Atlantis.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

ITS FINALLY HAPPENED I FINISHED A MULTICHAPTER OHMYGOD.

…..I THINK I'M GOING TO CRY. I FINALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL THE OTHER AUTHORS WERE TALKING ABOUT.

I'm still waiting on a few of the fan art submissions (which is absolutely fine-take your time) so I will let the winner know once I have them all.