Katabasis

An LLS Production

Prologue: Intonaco

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.

– John Masefield, Sea Fever

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In any recounting of events, there is always a basic necessity to explain the parameters of the events to be related.

The dramatis personae – who, how, why.

The setting – where, what.

The time – when.

Time, is that which determines the order of events in sequence. For that reason alone, though it controls only one dimension, that dimension... is perhaps the most important of all.

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"Four years... and we still haven't found him?"

"I've heard that it's tough to break out of Vendicare, but to hide him this well..." the white-haired man scratched at the row of purple triangles on his left cheek. "The Vendicare is hiding him very well. I guess the search isn't going well on your end either, Aria."

Aria's back straightened. Her hand flew to the orange pacifier hanging on a long chain around her neck. As head of the Giglio Nero, she wore that symbol with pride and a reminder of its cursed heritage. "And you too. The cause of your impending doom is still alive."

Byakuran raised both his hands in a gesture of surrender, seated across her on a chaise-lounge in a sitting-room. "I can't help it. The Sky Mare Ring is blocked. I assume the foresight of the Sky Arcobaleno has also been blocked."

Aria grimaced, but did not deny it.

"Like the moon marching across the face of the sun, the future now lies outside of comprehension," Byakuran admitted.

"Do we capture Sawada Tsunayoshi then?"

"That's why they say that Italian mothers are the scariest when it comes to protecting their children," Byakuran joked, but stopped grinning. "Today is the 16 December of 2010, Italy time. At January 11 of 2011, Japan time, it's Japan Coming of Age Day. The Vendicare are honour-bound to place him under heavy escort to the town of his birth. Sawada Tsunayoshi would be there as well, along with the Vongola's Ninth generation, the External Advisors, the Varia and the Simon Famiglia. If you feel up to tackling all of those and possible Arcobaleno, our target would be at Namimori Shrine at that time."

The Ninth Boss of the Giglio Nero considered the arrangement. "...I heard that relations are bad between father and sons, but would he really...?"

"Vongola Nono would not. The Young Lion... has two sons, and the one we seek hates him." Byakuran considered. "Whatever his feelings, though, we are targeting the younger brother of the Saint of the Sky. Have you heard? In the five years since the incident on Simon Island, the Vongola's young heir has grown progressively. The Simon boy too, and let's not forget their knights either."

He paused. "If we can pull off the greatest assassination in Mafia history under the Vongola's top brass... we cannot afford to waste time or power on stealth. It will be an open assassination. At this stage, even allying the Giglio Nero and the Gesso would not save us from the Vindice's wrath."

Aria spoke, and her words were crafted with the steel of protective motherhood. "Yuni will be alive. As part of the Tri-Ni-Sette, they will not kill you. That's enough. In order to destroy the one who would kill my daughter...! They will be my enemy! Even if it's Sawada Tsunayoshi!"

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