Ceres tug on Giotto's sleeves with a trembling fingers. She keeps on shaking her head when Giotto told her that everything will be alright for the meeting with Veccio today. She could feel another premonition, but Giotto just smile to her to sooth her worries.
For the time being, Simon was in his own mansion, investigating all Valerie and Veccio's previous cases. Not only the case that happened to Ceres recently, but it is including the last murder stories and anything that is related in the mafia world in Italy.
All the guardians line up outside the meeting room. They can't do anything but to wait for the result, and only those who in concern is allowed to be inside the room.
"What's wrong, Lampo?"
"I-I'm scared.. what if.."
"Trust him, you idiot! There is no use to cry!" G bonked the lightning guardian's head.
"I trust him too. He is determined with his alternative and decisions, right?"
G look away from Daemon's and Alaude's stare. He can feel the tension too, even though Giotto is confident in his decision, the result of the meeting will be less than 50%. Veccio don't have the power, but, he can do any other thing that might hurt Giotto and Ceres.
Asari was silent the whole time. He grip on his flute, trying to focus himself on other things. Ceres's voice echoing in his head, her words keep on repeating in his mind.
"I cannot foresee what will happen thereafter, Asari-sama. I can feel.. that soon.. I will not be here after this meeting."
'Ceres..'
"This bad feeling.." He whispered to himself and shook his head, tightening his grasp on his flute.
---------------------
The room was dark, dimmed from the light that was reflected from the outside. The sky was greyish; showing that storm is coming. The three people; Veccio, Giotto, and Ceres, was sitting in a room that was decorated into Japanese style, particularly it was changed by Giotto's orders to Ceres's liking. And today Giotto's intuition told him something was not right, for Veccio to choose this room for their meeting place.
Did Veccio had made the same decision as he does..?
The so called elder dress himself into a loose kimono, slumping and leaning himself on the wall with a big flower vase beside him, which was decorated few years back when Ceres joined Vongola family.
Giotto sit on the tatami mat, not too far from Veccio, together with Ceres behind him, who was narrowing her eyes onto the mat; trying her best to be away from her premonition in her head by tugging on her knees and praying that everything will be done smoothly. She wanted to be with him, Giotto, she love him more than anything. She wish that Veccio could see through her sincere heart, so that she can be with her loved ones. If it goes well.. Ceres, too, wanted to tell Giotto her feelings. But, no matter how hard she tried to ignore her premonition, it still appears and pricks inside her. Because..
Her premonition is always right.
"So.." Ceres tighten her grip when Veccio breaks the silence.
Giotto lift his head.
"What is your ultimate decision for her punishment for her sin?"
"...."
He glances at Ceres for a moment before he turn back again to Veccio.
"I will choose my own decision."
Veccio's fingers twitched, and it slowly tremble from the anger within him.
'Giotto-sama..' Her grip tightened on her knees.
"I've decided.."
'Don't say it..'
"That I will forgive her sin. And I will make it as my own ultimate decision; my own Vongola way."
Veccio widen his eyes, biting on the edge of his lips until it bleeds. At the same second, his hand push the vase, crashing it into pieces around the room, and one of the shards pierce through the side of Giotto's right eye.
"NO! I WONT ALLOW YOU TO MAKE THAT DECISION! I WONT ALLOW IT!!"
"...!!"
Ceres heart beats fast, more than a nervous state when she had fallen in love with Giotto. It was thumping so hard that it could burst apart when Giotto's body shiver from the iron liquid that fall out from his fresh wound. He groan from the pain, kneeling down--holding his head from the blood that kept on coming like a flow of water.
Veccio, realizing what he had done, quickly kneel down and hold onto the sides of Giotto's head.
"G-Giotto..? Wh-what's wrong..? Wh-what had happened..??"
Forming a sly smirk within himself, he took this chance to act according to his plan. He abruptly stand up, and point his finger to Ceres, screaming his best furious, hateful roar to her, yet 'concern' to Giotto in his tone.
"YOU!! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! GIOTTO NEARLY BECOME BLIND BECAUSE OF YOU! IT'S YOUR FAULT! YOUR FAULT!!"
G slide the door open in a hurry from the loud crash enough to be heard from the outside hall.
"VECCIO!!"
His attention immediately went to Giotto's state.
"...! Primo!!"
"Do you think you have the power to break Vongola's sins? Can you do it??"
G ran to Veccio, holding him back before he could reach to Ceres.
"Ceres..! Get Primo out of here, quick!!"
She couldn't do it.
She couldn't move.
All the fears and blames, together with the sight of Giotto who was in pain because of her come and mixed together in her shivering chest. Veccio's words tingling in her ears, as she widen her eyes in fear, hands trembling to reach out for Giotto. Her eyes widened more, as Giotto slowly lift his bleeding head to her with a smile.
"Are you alright..? Aria.."
She step back when Giotto pulls out his hands to her. She tug on the sides of her head, her body shivers from the premonition that came true in front of her eyes right now.
"YOU COULDN'T EVEN HAVE THE POWER TO BREAK THE SIN YOURSELF! YOU ARE NOT NEEDED! YOU ARE NOT NEEDED IN THIS WORLD!"
"Veccio!! Stop it!!"
Ceres shut her eyes, her tears froze.
"It's your fault! Your fault! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!"
------------------------------------------
Since then, words couldn't be reached into her heart no matter how method Giotto had used. Whatever he said, whatever he did, she just kept on crying.
She is like a living dead. She didn't respond to Giotto's tears on her lap when he desperately call out to her..
Winter had taken its place.
It was cold that evening when Giotto meet with Veccio again.
"Don't you think.. that your gift is useful at this time?"
His golden orbs didn't budge.
"That woman's soul must be erased, and besides, haven't you been delaying your punishment on her?"
Veccio kneel down in front of him, pulling Giotto closer by his tie.
"The things that torment her now is her memory with you, and her love for you."
He leans closer, slowly whispering his cast into his ears.
"And the only way to save her is to erase her wounds; her soul from this world, and only you, who has the ability to do it."
He paused directly beside his face, whispering,
"And this is your last mission.. Giotto."
Snow falls gently outside her favorite room.
Ceres was there, sitting like an obedient, lifeless Russian doll, her arm was pulled gently by Giotto in the freezing air.
"Both of us.." She whispered to Giotto, back in his old memories.
"Deep down she actually wants to be freed." And there's a low snicker in the elder's voice.
"We shouldn't have met.."
"She wishes to forget about everything."
"We shouldn't.. right..? Giotto-sama.."
The hospital room was silent, and the sound of night cicadas can be heard. Tsuna clench his fists, turning his head to you; deeper than just seeing your face--he was looking at the person within you. Ceres resemble like Riekka a lot, it's like someone who's been reincarnated with the same face, same bloodline, and same personality but with a different, sad, and bitter background stories.
"If I was the snow frozen inside the dark, closed Vongola family, Aria was the fresh and clear spring that brought the color into the world that holds a lot of sins and the spill of blood."
"...." Tsuna closed his eyes. He could feel it. He could feel how much Giotto's heart had been shattered apart.
-----------------------
Giotto hold her delicate fingers tightly, reminiscing his past.
'Even hurting others, making them cry, from an order, I ignored everything and erased their souls.'
'But I never thought that my most precious person's.. most precious memories.. now I had to erase them with these hands..'
Ceres lift her pale face slowly to her beloved.
'This is my punishment..!'
He put his palm above her eyes, gripping at the side of her head gently.
"Thank you, Aria. You don't have to suffer anymore.. I hope that.. you can rest in peace although.."
He pursed his lips.
"..Although I can only pray for it now.."
There is no reply from her. She is like a doll that don't have the power to speak at all. But then again, Giotto's hand twitched when he feels something wet prickling down on her face.
"Giotto-sama.."
He widen his eyes from shock.
"I'm sorry.. I couldn't protect you.. I'm sorry.."
"...!!"
His hand tremble as the other hand grip tight onto hers. A flash light flow through her head in instant, and Ceres fall slowly onto the floor; her heart had stopped beating.
Tears flow on his cheeks as he pulled away. 'I'm the one.. who supposed to apologize.. I couldn't even protect you.. and us..'
"I'm really happy to have met you, Giotto-sama..! It is the best moment in my life to be your right hand woman..!"
Her words and her smile in the waltz that they dance together fades away, followed by the warm breeze and the beautiful fireflies on that night.
'I'll keep on living inside this never melting snow, so the dream that I shared with you wouldn't melt away..'
"GIOTTO!!!"
Simon bursts into the room, but it was too late now when Ceres body was in sight. He turn to Giotto, who was showing an emotionless face with tears that flows down on his cold cheeks.
"....Ceres.."
Simon slump down, crying silently next to the sleeping maiden..