#brigio

"No! I mean, hurting you,... killing you,... that's just,... wrong. You're innocent. Bucciarati knows that. Fugo, as well. I do, as well. And I'm sure Narancia only ever acts on instinct. He doesn't mean any harm. But, Abbacchio,... he's too, ah,... straightforward. What I mean is, he follows orders right down to a - " And before he could let slip something that shouldn't be said, he waved a hand and chuckled. "You know what? Don't listen to me. As long as you're with Bucciarati, you'll be fine." He smiled, and seeing the girls emerge from the kitchen, he said, "Have fun with Bucciarati tomorrow, okay?" And with a mischievous little whisper, he added, "And make sure you're safe, okay? You know, with -

"You know what? Don't listen to me. As long as you're with Bucciarati, you'll be fine." He smiled, and seeing the girls emerge from the kitchen, he said, "Have fun with Bucciarati tomorrow, okay?" And with a mischievous little whisper, he added, "And make sure you're safe, okay? You know, with - "

Mista's words still rang as clearly as bells that sunny Saturday morning as Aria prepared for the festival. Looking at the items that Bria and Trish gave her, then at herself at the mirror, she couldn't think of anything else other than what the gunslinger said.

What did he mean by those words?

"What I mean is, he follows orders right down to a - "

Orders. That was the word.

Was Abbacchio, and the entirety of Bruno's team for that matter, given the order to kill her should the Queen run amok?

And speaking of orders given to the team, she could only think of one person who could possibly do that.

Giorno Giovanna.

Closing her eyes shut for a moment, Aria rubbed her cheeks, harshly reminding herself that Giorno would never do such a thing. After all, he and Bria have given her more than enough to start a new life. A new home, a fresh new environment. A place to heal and meditate.

A chance to be with someone who truly cared for her more than anything,...

Just like that, the young pianist mind's playful thoughts automatically drifted to the man who invited her to the little Fête.

Going back to the least mortifying act of dressing and dolling up for the small event, Aria reminded herself of the good things that Bruno Bucciarati has done for her. How he managed to expel the dark thoughts, even the malicious whispers and threats of the Queen, off her wreckage of a mind still remained a mystery to her. With him around, she felt safer. Warmer. Every second she spent with him felt truly precious to her.

He saved her. And that's all that matters.

And now,...

She left her doubts and not so cheerful thoughts for a while, picked up her reticule, and made her way downstairs to the sun room where the grand piano stood. Slowly, her fingers glided against the smooth wooden surface of the instrument, her mind going back to those times she practiced with her parents.

She would never, ever, forget this day.

And somehow, she found it so hard to move on from that painful experience, as well.

But, it was not the time to weep.

Her heart still mourning for that loss, she left the room and made her way outside where the Capo waited.

***

The small Procida music festival, as Aria put it, felt like the actual thing that takes place during summer. Indeed, there were booths, people from different places, street musicians, there even was a wonderful parade. Everything was there, except,...

"You know,... " she began, not taking her eyes off the violinist playing Beethoven's Summer sonata at the other side of the road. "My parents used to bring me to festivals like these. The summer music festival was their favorite."

"I see." The Capo answered, his eyes only ever focused on the female pianist. "It's actually only my second time attending a festival such as this one."

"Oh!" Looking at Bruno, Aria asked, "It's so close to your hometown. I mean - ! If I live close, I'd be going every time. And no one can stop me."

"Haha, I'm sure no one could." The Capo smiled, casually brushing a stray bit of popcorn off her cheek. "So, I assume you've been to all sorts of festivities like these when you were still in Genova."

"You bet. And I got lost on my first time attending one."

"You're kidding."

Aria chuckled a bit nervously, still feeling stupid because of that particular memory. "I wish. It was a really big event. With such colorful floats and all sorts of pleasant sounds coming from all over the place. It was overwhelming. I got so distracted listening to a couple of singers that, suddenly, I wasn't holding mom's hand. Everywhere I look, there were only strange faces around. No mom, no dad. Only tall people in colorful clothes. I felt so,... lonely."

"What happened? How did you find them?"

"I didn't! Someone did, I forgot who - " Her mind going back to that part, she slowly recalled how the scene played out. And remembering every detail of it felt like emerging from a really dark tunnel of crisscrossed and misshapen pictures. "Someone found me! A boy! Only a bit taller than I was. He was with his mom and dad! They led me back to my worried parents!"

"Wait." Bruno interjected. "You're saying,... a boy,... found you,... "

"Yeah." Aria mused as she looked at Bruno's eyes, and suddenly, she was reminded of something else about the boy who found her that day. "Come to think of it, I do remember he has the bluest eyes I have ever seen! So blue, it reminds me of both the sky and the ocean. I just know because I remember pestering my parents about going to the beach afterwards because of it."

"A boy,... with blue eyes?" The Capo repeated with such a mysterious tone, a raised eyebrow, and a grin, as if the whole fiasco about little Aria getting lost in the crowd amused him.

But, Aria herself missed all of these telltale signs, as she was still busy recalling everything that happened that day.

And Bruno? He remembered everything. He remembered every single detail as if it only happened yesterday.

"Do tell me, dear." Began the Capo, a brilliant idea just hatching in his head. "Was it the summer of 19 - ?"

An ugly hiss, almost accompanied with an awful curse that Aria couldn't hear due to all the noise and bustle of the festival, escaped Bruno's lips as he felt his phone vibrating from his pocket. Reluctantly, he took the device, and was surprised to see Guido Mista's name blaring almost bluntly on the screen like a butcher on Judgment Day.

"You must answer it." The girl told him with a simple smile as she licked the caramel flavor off her fingers. Noticing the worried look on the Capo's face, she added, "I'll be fine, Bruno. I promise."

Forcing a quite acceptable smile, he planted a kiss on Aria's forehead, stood up from the bench, and answered the phone. Turning away from her and walking a safe distance from her, he cleared his throat and answered, "Mista, how can I - ?"

"Giorno." That simple word made Bruno's heart escalate to an almost abnormal beat. And it only meant one thing,... "Bucciarati, he is coming! He is coming for Aria."

Blissfully unaware of what's happening, and the potential threat on her own life, Aria watched the street performance with a smile. Bruno had done it once again. She's,... actually smiling. She’s enjoying the festival.

It’s because of him.

If only this moment could last forever,...

"Miss! Miss!"

Aria turned just in time to see a young girl with grease on her face tugging impatiently at the hem of her dress. Suddenly, it reminded her of her pint – sized self when she got lost on that festival, on that summer of 1986.

Oh, hey are you lost?

"Oh, hey." Aria said, remembering those words uttered by that boy with the beautiful ocean blue eyes. "Are you lost?"

"He told me to give this to you!" The girl simply told her, shoving a slightly crumpled piece of paper to her hand.

"O - kay,... " Shaking her head, an amused smile on her face, she slowly unfurled the paper, careful not to rip the slightly damp edges. "So, will you tell me who sent this - ?"

All of a sudden, it seemed as though all the noise has been sucked into the void. All the colors of the surroundings, of the sky, of the colorful floats, of the booths, of the people, vanished, leaving behind a menacing trail that made her blood run cold.

On that note, on that simple, innocent looking letter, the words glared at her, like sunlight burning her irises.

Like furnace melting away the skin of her hands.

I know who killed your parents

Aria looked up from the letter, wanting to face the girl who gave her the accursed piece of paper. However, she was nowhere to be found.

Standing up and looking all over the place, with all the colors and all the noise going back, making her eardrums ring and her eyes sting, she clutched the letter and went looking for the girl.

There! Right there! Aria saw her running towards that corner. She ran after her, bumping against innocent festival goers and almost getting herself hurt. She turned around the corner, and saw nothing. Her eyesight darted towards the other end of the street, and there! She saw her again! This time, she was squeezing herself into the massive crowd of people watching the parade.

"Hey! Wait!" Aria desperately called but, people were just bumping into her, not even caring when they stepped on her feet and shoved her aside. Getting more and more anxious, her stress levels rapidly escalating, she braced herself and went after the girl. She followed that trail, ignoring the complaints of the people she pushed just to get through. And when she finally got through the crowd, she found herself stuck in the middle of it all.

Everywhere she looked, their smiling faces threatened her. They looked fake. They were like masks worn by killers. And their laughter seemed to mock her entire existence. The wild colors and wide variety of hues made her eyes hurt, and the noise made her head hurt so, so much.

Trying to get things under control, she covered her ears and closed her eyes, fervently wishing for everything to go back to normal.

Desperately praying for Bruno to come and save her, and tell her that everything would be fine,...

"I know who killed them. I know."

That voice,...

Amidst all the noise that barged into her throbbing eardrums and head, she heard it.

And it sounded so much like a malicious hiss.

That voice,… she knew that voice.

"I,... know."

"Please,... " Aria begged, feeling her restraint finally breaking. " ... stop."

***

A few moments earlier,...

"Now, let's not rush into things. I know he's suspicious but, listen to me very, very carefully, Ris." Melone reasoned, all the while keeping up with the leader of their small intel squad that Giorno put together in a short span of time.

"I thought I have warned you about calling me by that name." Risotto Nero's sideways glance was enough to make the purple - haired man yield.

"Yes! I mean, Risotto." Melone corrected himself as he nearly avoided an elderly couple enjoying the festival. "You've seen him and what he hides! He may be another filth of Passione but, he isn't the man you are looking for!"

"I know." The tall Capo stopped walking. Facing Melone, he firmly added, "I know what I saw. And I know what he is capable of."

"But, Sarastro is just a dirty old man, Risotto. And I mean it in both ways! He is - "

All of a sudden, a cry of agony pierced their ears. On full alert, the two men followed the sound of the unfolding chaos, and right in the middle of the road, where the parade was currently taking place, they found a girl crouched on the ground, covering her ears, her eyes firmly shut, as if she's keeping something at bay.

Except that it had already broken loose, and took down several parade dancers within the girl's immediate vicinity.

The thing that did exactly that, the thing that the girl seemed so afraid of, stood right before them. A tall, dark woman clad from head to toe in black, her crown of withered thorns and silver adorning her noble head.

And in her wake, the fate of the people of Procida rested at the Queen's mercy.

***

***

I would like to thank @mrsgiovanna for once again allowing me to include her sweet, beautiful Bri 😍😍😍❤❤❤