{Varia's private jet}

Playing with his now white locks, Yucca hummed some random tunes, disregarding his comrades' sour mood as excitement wheeled up inside of him. He was feeling so pumped at the moment! Fran, the Varia's future mist was someone he only met once in person during the final battle. The two hadn't interacted much, and most of Koro's information on the teen, well kid, came from the Varia's blabber and Mukuro's complaints. 

Meeting him would surely make him think of something other than them.

Someone who pissed off so many people without smiling but always deadpanning, it was something Koro in both, present and past life was never able to do. Not like he ever tried, but still, it was impressive in its own way as it seemed the green-head didn't do it on purpose or did he now? Whatever the answer was, Yucca decided it just was part of his personality.

The guardian's humming didn't stop, gently tilting his head to the side he felt some of his white strands fall on his shoulder before glancing on his left. One of Bel's dagger remained pinned on his seat where his head previously was. Taking the knife out of the mattress, Koro's purple eyes, flickered to Bel. The fallen prince seemed to be napping, no movements indicating his previous actions, although his smile, a bit wider than before was proof of his guiltiness.

"Nyurufu, Bel, you shouldn't be jealous of Fran-chan," The white head coaxed, unmistakably attempting to tick the storm off. "You'll always be the second one in my heart," another knife flew his way, Yucca caught it between his fingers. "Ran being first of course."

Bel's hidden eyes cracked open as a sarcastic laugh escaped his lips. "Shishi, do you think I care about that Yu?" Taking a more comfortable position, the teen extended his hands, taking his daggers back before continuing. "It's your humming that annoys this prince."

Koro grinned, "Is that so, I think I'm pretty good though?"

Belphegor paused, staring at the older man for a few seconds before cackling even more. "Ushishishi, Luss did you hear Yu? He thinks he can sing!"

Yucca's eyebrow twitched momentarily as his smiling facade didn't falter, his purple eyes turned to the extravagant male on the other side of the aisle.

The green head who currently was reading a magazine on the latest martial art trends lifted his head at the sound of his name. His shaded eyes met Bel's hidden ones, before turning to Yucca with a wry smile. "Ah, Yucca-chan's singing prowess," the effeminate male muttered, further provoking Bel's laughter. "You know I like you a lot Yucca-chan, right?"

Bel's laughter died down as he tried to regulate his breathing, eager to here his older colleague's point of view. Lussuria took a deep breath before staring into Yucca's purple eyes, "Darling," he called out seriously, making the white head instinctively straighten. "You are tone deaf."

Koro's smiling face froze for a second. His purple eyes, scanning his fellow guardian as he caught glimpses of the earplugs they were wearing. "Ah, I didn't think it was this much," he muttered wryly.

Belphegor exploded into another laughing fit.

"Now, don't let it get to you darling, we all have our weaknesses," Lussuria tried to soothe, containing his inner laughter as best as he could.

"Voiiii! Shut up you scums, I'm trying to think!"

Leviathan who sat as far as he could from the other felt a sigh escape his lips. Why couldn't he stay with his Boss?

::

{Jura, France}

The jet had landed a few hours ago in the Dole Jura Airport. The trip to their destination by taxi being the longest from their point of view. There was nothing to do, why did they not arrange a limousine? Koro wondered as he refrained himself from puking, quickly taking another pill to prevent motion sickness, at least limit it. 

Whatever, it meant the mission would be longer, therefore less time for himself and his mind to wander. He tried to coax himself.

But they learned from their error, and for the trip back Leviathan had been tasked with arranging a drive for them, a Varia quality type of ride.

Now, their first destination was Fran's grandmother's house. Phone in hand, Koro lead the way, he started to brief the Varia (if they ever listened) on where they should go and who they would meet.

"Fran, real name Francis Lamarre is raised by his grandmother Renée Lamarre since his third birthday. Parents died in a car crash when they went out to party, Fran was staying at his grandmother's place at the time," pausing to see if the other's were at least pretending to listen, Yucca continued. "currently eight, Fran is said to be mocking and straightforward, not caring about consequences."

Belphegor scoffed, "So this brat was always annoying," sounds of agreement emanated from the other members before Koro resumed, not taking note of the comment.

"Although he still retains some childish behavior, befitting for a boy his age," the cloud paused briefly glancing at Belphegor and sighing. "Fufu, you would be so much cuter if you acted your age Bel," dodging a knife, Yucca's pace unnoticeably quickened as he went back to his files. "Renée's house should be a few meters higher," he paused scanning his comrades' clothing before settling on his and heaving a sigh. "Mammon should be the one to go ask, we look way too suspicious."

Squalo nodded. "Voii, as the Boss' stand-in, I'll take command. Mammon, we'll follow the small trash's suggestion, you go and get info on the annoying trash's whereabouts. We'll wait for you a bit further from the house."

::

"The granny said Fran was upstream," Mammon retold, readjusting their straw hat.

Squalo clicked his tongue, frowning. "Upriver she says," he mumbled, turning around and making his silver hair fly in the wind. "Still more climbing."

Arriving in front of a cliff, the Varia paused. "This should be climbable," Belphegor muttered, on cue the Varia jumped, going higher and higher until they reached the cliff's top.

"A normal kid couldn't even come here," Lussuria sighed as he arrived on top.

"Shishi, Fran's not a normal kid," he paused. "He's more of an idiot."

Walking beside them, Koro didn't add anything, merely laughing the comment off. His purple eyes wandered from tree to tree as he began to, properly take in the French vegetation. It was a bit rockier than the one near their headquarter but had a charm to it nonetheless.

"-Byon!" Koro's eyes flickered to the sound. There, a few meters away from them were the Kokuyo land gang. Does it mean Mukuro's here? Yucca wondered, a bit excited at the idea to meet the man face to face instead of their respective mindscapes.

The cloud's eyes passed from member to member until it settled on Mukuro's figure. He had to admit he was surprised for not having sensed the male earlier. Perhaps he was too engrossed in the vegetation to care for his surrounding. Purple met heterochromatic eyes, and the two men couldn't help the grin from creeping up their face.

Truly, meeting face to face, inside a mindscape or by an intermediary of any sort wasn't the same. In strange sync, both males began to laugh, their comrades stared at them doubtfully. They knew the two weren't exactly right in their head, but this was strange nonetheless.

Bel's voice broke the oddly harmonious atmosphere both males were in. "Isn't that him?" He asked, pointing at the river in front of them.

Both groups' heads snapped towards the direction Belphegor was indicating. It was a small stream, with rocks sprawled a bit everywhere. Their eyes wandered for a second before settling on an oddly big apple in the middle of the current.

The apple, a beautifully big and appetizing red apple stood up from its crouching position. Yucca had to refrain himself from drolling at the appetizing sigh.

"An apple head now," Belphegor muttered in mild disbelief, his laugh dropping at his surprise. Although it's true he forced the kid to wear a frog hat in the future, he didn't remember the boy being so eccentric when they first met, not to the point where he would wear fruit headwear on a daily basis.

Koro didn't pay Bel's remark and the following ones any attention. Solely focused on the kid in front of him he stared as Fran went into the water. The boy seemed to be talking to himself, creating his journey and recalling his older games.

Koro's expression softened, Fran really acted his age. It was comforting when all the experiences he had with teens were everything but "normal." He didn't dislike them, all the children, Enma, Kyoya, Chrome the others and his ex-students also had their "normal" moments, but it wasn't as touching as Fran's. To Yucca at least. He paused, he shouldn't be thinking about them, not now at least.

He wasn't sure when it started, but it seemed he developed a soft spot for children. His days in Kunugigaoka never seemed so nostalgic and pleasant before. They never brought up such discomfort in his gut too.

The white head's reminiscence was cut off by Fran's abrupt action. "I sense some people," Yucca heard before the kid turned around, at least he's aware of his surrounding, a questioning hum escaped the boy's lips at the sight of the two groups. From the corner of his eyes, Koro saw Mukuro and Belphegor greeting (more or less) the kid, both wore a grin. 

Purple eyes flickered back to Fran. He didn't hear what he said, but the boy rubbed his eyes before staring back at them, his face as blank as before. "I'm seeing fairies," silence fell on the two groups. Strangely enough, Fran was undeterred and started some dance to chase them away, "Onbu Rakokko Donbura Kokko," he sang, "fairies go away." Maybe not so aware.

Koro had to restrain himself from laughing, the kid did it with so much... blankness it became ridiculous. Although he had to wonder whether or not the kid was mocking them. After all, they presumably met already in the future. The thought made the cloud's smile a bit strained, he was sure in his old body his face would have turned red, maybe black already. Cries of anger came from Yucca's colleagues, and he was positive by now that the kid probably was mocking them.

"Nyrufufu, it doesn't pain me to say that your pupil is as annoying as you," Koro stated, his eyes flickering to Mukuro's smug figure. How he understood the hatred half of his soul created for the illusionist at that moment.

"Kufufu, don't be mad Koro-kun," Mukuro taunted, "You people from the Varia have hidden your presence too much," he said matter of factly before raising his head. "Fran it's me! You remember your master right?" He asked smugly as he saw the Varia fuming from the corner of his eyes.

Fran's dance suddenly stopped, his green eyes staring straight at Mukuro. "I'm surprised," the boy said blandly, enticing a proud laugh from the illusionist. "That on this mountain there would be a pineapple fairy."

Koro's face cracked as he saw Mukuro's grin falter at the boy's remark. It was the Varia's turn to mock the illusionist. "Fufu, presence right, Mukuro?"

"Ah!" Fran's voice brought the calm back, and Yucca had to admit how submissive both groups seemed to kid's every word. Stopping and reacting every time he opened his mouth. It was impressive when you looked at it this way. "I recognize the long-haired one," he declared, making Squalo nod in satisfaction. "Rather, I know everyone with him, you're all one team," he stated in realization. Wait.

Koro had to stop the bad feeling from wheeling up inside of him, this development seemed way too convenient. What's more, he wasn't part of the Varia in the future, and he didn't think Fran knew everything about how he came to join the Millefiore, or how he was one of the Varia officers at some point. The statement definitely was suspicious. Bracing himself for the impact, Koro took a deep breath.

"You guys are tooth decay fungi!" The green-haired boy exclaimed blankly before grimacing and going back to his exorcism.

Squalo and Bel exploded. Mukuro's case didn't help, chase to kill Fran began.

::

Fran sat in the water, Mukuro's trident and Squalo's sword aimed at him as Kakimoto Chikusa stood in the middle.

Yucca stumbled to them, his footing in the stream a bit unstable as he decided to opt to jump from rock to rock instead. "Now now, let us all calm down shall we, Fran-chan is only a kid," he tried to soothe, a sense of responsibility springing into him as he remembered how old he was compared to all of them. My, he felt like Luss.

Fran, perhaps sensing his salvation, or so Koro liked to interpret it, turned to stare at Yucca before nodding. "That's right, listen to the white cheese fairy. If there's someone to blame it's him."

Koro felt himself being shot by arrows at the insult and how the blame was put on him. Why couldn't a kid he met be normal damnit! "H-how so?" He stammered out, still a bit wounded by the statement.

Fran tilted his head. "Well, the reason why I can't 'recognize' the fairy and fungus. It's because a piece of cheese made me lose my memories?" he stated in a questioning tone as he stared at Yucca waiting for his approval.

Koro gazed at the kid for a few seconds in mild pity, disbelief, and tiredness. He nodded before instinctively patting Fran's head. "Right, it's my fault," he muttered. "But the cheese fairy is not me..."

Fran looked at the man tilting his head. "Then who? You have white hair," he said matter of factly. "You obviously are the white cheese fair-."

"No!" Koro cut him off. He was an octopus, an alien even in his past life. But never would he become a cheese fairy, it was far too much. Seeing the child gazing at him questioningly, the ex-God of Death cleared his throat before continuing. "The white cheese fairy is... my brother. Right, it's my brother," he affirmed with a smile.

Fran didn't answer, blankly staring at Koro's smiling facade. "Ah."

The answer was so, anticlimactic.

In the background, as Koro started to wonder how exactly he came to have a white cheese fairy as a brother, he could hear the Varia and Kokuyo land gang fighting to give the other custody of Fran.

His enthusiasm to meet Fran died so fast Koro had to wonder why he was so excited to meet the boy in the first place. 

At least it was a nice change of scenery.

About Fran's background. Except for the fact that he lives in the Jura with his grandma, everything was made up. From his "full name" to the grandma's, and the reason why he lives with her, everything comes from my imagination and isn't Canon.

Thanks for reading, until next time^^