Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Fuuta and the Ranking Planet

When Fuuta was born, there were no kindly nurses and beaming parents to welcome him into the world. A barren landscape that would not look out of place in a science-fiction novel was all he saw when he first opened his eyes.

"Hello," a voice suddenly spoke into his ear. Startled, he looked around, but could not find the source of the voice.

"Your name is Fuuta de la Stella," the voice went on. "I am the spirit of the Ranking Planet."

The infant Fuuta gurgled, his way of saying "Ranking Planet?"

"Correct. This place will be your childhood home. You will learn many things, the first of which is, of course, how to make rankings with the help of your book."

An enormous book appeared out of thin air. Fuuta looked at it curiously. The voice spoke again, gentler this time. "You have a long journey ahead of you, but for now, rest."

Fuuta's eyes slowly slid shut, and he slept. When he woke, the book lay open, its blank pages calling out to him. "Your first lesson begins now," the voice said. "Turn to the cover page. You can start from there."

Obediently, Fuuta did as he was told, but he peered at his surroundings, hoping to locate where the voice was coming from once and for all. His young, delicate mind did not perceive any threats and he felt nothing more than a child's natural fascination with his environment.

"I am all around you," the voice informed him. "You may call me Mother or Father, even both, if you prefer. In fact, you may call me anything you like. More importantly, you must understand your responsibilities. You have been given life by the Ranking Planet, thus you must learn how to carry out your duties as its representative."

Fuuta was silent. He felt puzzled, but the spirit of the Ranking Planet seemed friendly enough.

There was a sigh. "You do not understand. Well, no matter. With my guidance and instruction, you will learn all you need to know soon enough."

Fuuta gurgled happily in agreement.

The voice sounded amused. "Very well, then. Let's begin."

Over the years, Fuuta familiarised himself with the Ranking Book and using it became second nature to him. Mysterious creatures came to him every day and gave him food, a sufficiently nutritious diet which nurtured him into a healthy child. As for playtime, he was content with what he had, the craters that pockmarked the ground and the strobing lights in the atmosphere. For years, he lived in peace, and the thought of anything beyond the Ranking Planet never occurred to him. However, this blissfully ignorant existence was not to last.

One day, the planet's spirit said to him: "You have studied enough. Now is the time for you to go to Earth."

"Earth?" Fuuta repeated warily.

"Yes, Earth," the voice confirmed. "You are to help humans with your ranking ability. Specifically, you will assist the Mafia."

Fuuta looked at his feet. He didn't want to leave his planet. Although he had been educated about humans and their ways, he had never entertained the notion of mingling with them. But if the Ranking Planet wanted him to, he would. Suppressing a sigh, he asked: "When do I leave?"

"Soon," the voice answered vaguely. "You will be informed beforehand."

A few days later, Fuuta was perusing his book when a strong wind suddenly swept towards him. The ground started to glow. "It is time," the voice boomed. "Hold on to the Ranking Book."

The wind became a violent gale. Fuuta tucked his book under an arm and, raising his voice to make himself heard over the din of the gale, asked: "Will I come back here again?"

"No." The Ranking Planet's spirit sounded wistful. "Earth is your home now. You will still be able to communicate with me, though."

"I suppose that's fine by me," Fuuta said hesitantly.

"You will be all right. Don't worry." The voice now sounded happy. "Farewell, Fuuta de la Stella. Never forget where you come from and all that you stand for."

"I won't forget," Fuuta promised as his fringe fell over his eyes, obscuring his vision and preventing him from getting a final glimpse of his planet. He was tossed about like a leaf in the wind, until the gale abruptly ceased and he found himself lying in a patch of sunlit grass. Awkwardly, he raised himself to a sitting position and looked around, getting his bearings.

He had landed in what the humans called a _park_, with playgrounds, trees, dogs straining on their leashes and whatnot. Slowly climbing to his feet, Fuuta recalled various terms he had learned while being taught about humankind. _Man. Woman. Child. Path. Enjoyment. Nature. Relaxation._ He was unnerved by all the people around him after living in isolation since birth, and tried to calm himself by reading the writing on a nearby signboard.

"Na…mi…mo…ri…Park," he read out loud, tentatively letting the syllables roll off his tongue. Having identified his location, Fuuta felt better and decided to explore his new surroundings. As he wandered through Namimori, it wasn't long before Tsuna barrelled into his life with all the force of a fourteen-year-old boy who has been shot by a Dying Will bullet, and the reader may be tempted to assume that Fuuta lived happily ever after.

Well, not quite. Fuuta was eventually captured by one Mukuro Rokudo, a vengeful criminal who wanted to destroy the Mafia and consequently the world. Although Mukuro didn't physically harm him, the Vow of Silence robbed Fuuta of his connection with his planet. Once he was released, he laid the Ranking Book carefully on a desk in Tsuna's home and, after checking that the weather was clear, tried to rank the objects in Tsuna's house according to size.

Nothing. No answer came.

Despairing, Fuuta tried many other test subjects. The lengths of the streets in Namimori. The durability of the household appliances Nana bought. The strength of Tsuna's Guardians.

Still nothing. The spirit of the Ranking Planet no longer spoke to him. Unbidden, the voice that had guided him through the first decade of his life murmured in his memory, "Earth is your home now."

Fuuta smiled sadly, sold his precious book to the Cavallone and walked away.


End file.

Katekyo Hitman Reborn!