Plot: The SKY was painted with a dull shade of GRAY. The night after Sawada Tsunayoshi's mission, he went missing, and later on, his memories were in the process of being rewritten. Can his Guardians find him, before the dark flame, consumes him wholly? Can they get his memories back?

Warnings: OCs, a bit of cursing, and dark themes

Rating: T – and it won't get higher.

Truth 01

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Words are but symbols for the relations of things to one another

and to us; nowhere do they touch upon absolute truth.

-Friedrich Nietzche

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Yamamoto Takeshi blinked twice; his eyes were glued to his phone, exclusively used for Mafia purposes. "Hello?" he answered, looking around to make sure no one was listening. Takeshi's brown orbs narrowed when he heard Sawada Iemitsu's news, "I'll try to protect them as much as I can. When is their flight? Understood, I shall leave immediately. Ja." The young Yamamoto placed his phone back into his pocket.

"Takeshi?" he heard his father call his name. "Were you on the phone, just now?"

Takeshi smiled wryly before he entered the kitchen, where his father was busy making some sashimi. "Hey, dad," he said, clearing his throat, "My visit has been cut short. I'm needed back in Italy this Thursday."

"Oh?" Tsuyoshi frowned; his back was still facing his son, and he intended it to remain that way for a while. "Do what you wish, Takeshi."

"I'll visit again, dad, don't worry," he said before rushing to his room to pack for his trip.

"Don't you dare die in your mission, Takeshi," he whispered as he stared at a picture with a small smile. "Your mother didn't, and so should you…" his eyes sparkled with nostalgia as he recalled his late wife.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"You are pathetic, Duilio," Yamazaki Megumi snorted as she positioned herself for defense against the man disguised as a hermit. "You are the reason why the Anziano and Scuro famiglia are in war. You are the reason why the Vongola Decimo is gone."

Duilio applauded her. "As expected from the Metafalica Famiglia's Cloud Guardian," he sighed, "Too bad you won't be able to live to tell all…"

"Che. Try me," Megumi spat. As long as the documents are safe with Basil and Gino Moretti; and as long as they manage to bring those documents to the bronco…

"I think I shall," Duilio said with a devious smirk.

Sorry boss, I might not make it to the next reunion. Megumi thought before she dodged Duilio's broad sword; she opened her box weapon that revealed a long metal staff. Duilio raised an eyebrow eyeing her weapon before he plunged his to the wooden floor boards. "Don't underestimate me or my family."

"I'll give you a choice, Yamazaki Megumi," Duilio said in a calm tone, "Join us or die."

"I know where my loyalties lie, so I'd rather die," Megumi smirked, "but thanks for the offer." She dashed towards Duilio with her staff ready to stab him on the chest, but when the end of the staff was only an inch away, she stopped. "W-wha…" blood gushed out from her mouth.

"I expected much from you," Duilio clicked his tongue while shaking his head in a negative manner; his broad sword was plunged into her abdomen. He pulled his sword back and let the young woman collapse on the floor. "Arriverderci," he said before whistling the song he had made up himself, "When the sky is at its darkest hour, the clouds will be painted red~"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Y-you are Leo Medici!" Gino Moretti's eyes widened when they arrived at a camouflaged air base. "A mechanic for the Anziano famiglia, specializing in aeronautics –"

"And you are?" Leo Medici eyed the pair in a suspicious manner.

"He is my grandfather, Leo-kun," a woman entered the scene, who Basil recognized as the Cavallone bronco's fiancé. "…and Basil-san from CEDEF?" it was more of a question than a statement. "What brings you here?" she asked. "I was expecting Megumi --- wait, is something wrong?"

"Megumi-san gave us these," Gino said showing them a black box along with a necklace.

Yumiko, Gino's granddaughter's, eyes widened before her head snapped towards Leo Medici, "Leo-kun… Megumi is…"

"That damn brat," Leo growled before saying: "Let's go to the bronco."

"Aren't you going to check on your sister?" Yumiko asked.

"Half-sister," Leo corrected in a low tone as he unlocked the large gate leading to a jet plane, "She once told me that when she leaves her Metafalica necklace, she is as good as dead."

"But—" Gino was cut off. He too was worried for the young girl.

"Megumi's pride is her indefatigable loyalty to her family," Leo snapped, "Once she removes her symbol as the Metafalica's guardian, she is deemed as a traitor. Besides, she probably knew that she will die. So we should hurry; don't let her sacrifice go in vain."

The three froze for a few seconds before following Leo Medici enter the plane; a while later, they were on their way to the Cavallone villa. The journey to the Cavallone base was drenched in silence.

"This is Leo Medici, pilot of the private craft, Anziano Aquila asking permission to land. Over," Leo broke the silence that lasted for five hours.

Yumiko rubbed her eyes. Langour was written all over the young lass; after encountering different stressful days.

"Permission granted."

"Grazie," Leo muttered, half-heartedly. "Over and out."

Yumiko stared outside the window, letting out a sigh in the process. It had been weeks since she last visited the main Cavallone villa, but unlike the last time, she was here for business.

"Are you alright?" Gino asked his granddaughter.

"I will be fine," Yumiko said with a smile. "Everything is just too fast to comprehend, grandpa."

After they landed, they were immediately sent to Dino's office. No questions asked.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"They won't listen to us." Komatsu Kumiko, the boss of the Metafalica Famiglia, drummed her fingers on the table top. "I've tried all that I can; but the two famiglias are too obsessed with fighting each other. The Scuro and Anziano just hate each other." She sighed in defeat before leaning back on her chair. "In a different topic; I've heard that the Vongola Decimo is MIA."

"Where did you hear that?" Dino demanded.

"From our informant, Yamazaki Megumi," Kumiko said. "So, is it true? Tsuna-san disappeared?" she peered at him.

"Boss, your guests have arrived." Dino mentally thanked Durante, one of his subordinates, who announced the arrival of the long-awaited document from Russia. The bucking horse motioned for his subordinates to open the door.

A woman with long light brown hair and dark brown eyes stepped inside with three men in tow. "Dino," she nodded before taking a deep breath and greeting the other important figure in the room, "Kumiko-san."

Kumiko raised her eyebrow, crossing her arms in the process. "Where is Yamazaki Megumi?" she asked, "She is supposed to be with you, is she not?" Her eyes lingered at the figure, near the exit. "Leo Medici, where is your sister?" she demanded, tightening her grip on the arm of her chair.

"Half-sister," Leo corrected in a low tone; his hands were clenched and he was busy studying the interior of the room. He fished out a necklace and tossed it to Komatsu Kumiko, who managed to catch it perfectly. "That damn brat is dead," he stated, before he turned around, "I have to go. I don't want to fraternize with the people who lead to that damn brat's death." Yumiko bowed her head in shame as did Gino Moretti. Both were guilty of what had happened to their ally.

"Before you go, Leo Medici," Kumiko said, "Bear in mind that your sister's sacrifice won't go wasted." Leo didn't reply, instead he set his course back to his jet. The Metafalica boss turned to the three. "What did Megumi give you?"

Basil handed her a small black box. "Megumi-dono didn't tell us how to open it, though," he said.

Kumiko examined the box. She brushed her fingers on the smooth surface of the box.

"Fingerprints confirmed. Komatsu Kumiko." A robotic voice emerged from the box. "Voice confirmation needed."

Kumiko sighed. Leave it up to Megumi to make things a lot complex than they should be. "Canto della speranza," she recited her favorite line.

"Voice confirmed." Kumiko placed the box on the table, and watched as it open to reveal a small chip. She gingerly picked up the chip before taking out a small laptop from her bag. Kumiko inserted the chip into one of the slots and placed the laptop on the table.

"You can connect this to your plasma television if you want," the Metafalica boss said. Dino's subordinates hastily searched for connectors and extension cords; after fifteen minutes, everything was set.

"Good day," Megumi's voice echoed throughout the room, her face appeared on the screen. "Sorry for not being able to deliver this document, personally. Yes, I know that I won't make it," she sighed, "…Anyway, let's get back to business… The documents we found belong to the Scuro famiglia," Megumi's video was replaced by several windows that were either full with text or pictures.

Dino frowned. The document was the reason of the Anziano and Scuro famiglia's conflict.

"…I'm not going to repeat myself, anymore, so you better take notes." There was a huge intake of breath, heard. "The document contains data about the different flames; from the cloud flame to the sky flame. As we all know, the Sky flame is the most powerful in the world, in fact, only a few people possess it."

Dino, Kumiko, Tsuna, and a few other people's pictures popped out.

"If the sky flame is rare, so is the eight flame –"

A colorless 3-dimensional picture of flame appeared at the upper right of the screen.

"—The Scuro famiglia calls it 'The Flame of Light.' By monitoring well-known people who possess the sky flame—Yes, that includes you and the bronco, boss --, but they have found out that there is only one candidate that is 'compatible' with the flame."

Dino muttered a curse under his breath as a familiar face appeared on the screen.

"--Sawada Tsunayoshi-san, Vongola Decimo…Shocked? Well I am too. But there's more to this 'flame of light', thanks to a certain informant, who I paid a lot to gain this information, there is a person who knows more about this topic. Isn't that right? Gino Moretti-san?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cielo pulled Hikari to his side. "What is the meaning of this, Mostro?" he asked, making sure that Hikari was safe. "You have been lying to me."

"I am not the only one, though," Mostro pointed out, his smile almost demonic. "Can't you see? Hikari is, also, conspiring against you. She is not your little sister." Cielo held Hikari close to him, in a protective manner. He didn't speak, and continued to stare at his 'butler'. "Do you not know how selfish she has been all this time? She is the reason why you are here. And yet you are still protecting her, what kind of fool are you?"

"Mostro, stop," a commanding voice said, making everyone in the room, freeze. "Do not talk like that to our dear guest…," Cielo's eyes narrowed as a man, clad in black, entered the room.

"I'm sorry, my lord," Mostro bowed in apology, even though he was ignored by his real master, he didn't bother raising his head.

"I can tell you more about your missing, memories, if you want," the man's emerald eyes twinkled with sickening delight, "But of course, there is a price to pay…"

"I'd rather die," Cielo spat, his intuition told him that the man cannot be trusted.

"Don't you even care about your family?" the man asked, lowering the hood of his cloak, to reveal tresses of golden hair. It was rather shocking to see an angelic looking creature to side with darkness. He reached into his cloak and took out a few pictures. "... Don't you care about their safety? I know you don't remember them, now, but, how would you feel if they all died because of you, hm?"

"You wouldn't dare…" the brunette nearly growled. The color of his eyes, were shifting from brown to red.

"Duillio-sama…" she whispered.

"How are you, Hikari-chan~?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Note:

O_O SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE!! I'll try my best to update ASAP. Though it's summer, I still have review classes for upcoming college entrance exams . Urgh. I still don't want to go to college. Heck, I'm only fourteen (turning fifteen on October)!!!

There are a lot of unanswered questions, which will, hopefully, be answered in the next chappie.