Title: Our Bloodstained Bonds

Author: x Artemisia x

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, only the story and my oc

A/N:

Transitionary chapter /o/

Skyla15699: Thank you / LOL YES. YES THEY DID 8D

Shanagi95: xDDD herp derp… I don't blame you ;u; b

Chapter Thirteen: Masquerade Ball Part I

"…Hah…" With a vacant expression on her face, Luna absently stacked the papers on the desk, her mind still stuck on the events of the previous night. As predicted, when she had gone to wake him up this morning, he acted as though nothing had ever happened last night, which, she supposed, nothing actually did happen… There was no reason to dwell on such things, but she had to wonder then; why? What was the point of all of it? Was it merely impulsive drunk behavior? Sighing softly, the whitenette gently shook her head and cleared her thoughts. Standing up now that she had finally finished with her task, sky hues flickered around the room before landing on the clock. Ah… it's almost noon… meaning she had less than half an hour to make Xanxus' steak.

Quickly gathering her things, she left the room and turned left before stopping in her tracks. Suddenly, the hallway seemed so unfamiliar and foreign to her. Where was the kitchen again…? Furrowing her brows in thought, Luna stood there for a few moments before remembering. Turning around, she headed right and then took the next left. Finding the kitchen, she felt both relieved and uneasy. How many times had she walked the same path? More than enough to remember… Maybe I'm just tired… She rationalized. With a mental shrug, she slipped inside and greeted those she passed by on the way to her station.

"Good morning Vincent… Ariel…. Ca—?" Stopping in mid-sentence, Luna found she couldn't remember the man's name despite greeting him each and every morning, this morning included. …Ca… Cain…? No… Ca… Caleb! "Morning Caleb." Smiling apologetically at him, she hurried to her station, a bewildered expression on her face. What's wrong with me today? She wondered silently. Shaking her head, Luna poured out two pills that were meant for her memory and dry swallowed them before she started on the Varia Boss' steak.

Grabbing a twelve ounce sirloin steak, she decided to make it a bit more simple today after all the crap he probably ate and drank yesterday. With black peppercorn and sea salt seasoning, Luna practically threw it onto the grill, satisfied at the sizzling sounds it made the moment it contacted the hot surface. On the side she prepared a rice pilaf and mixed vegetables. Once everything was done, she stuck it on a oval dinner plate, added some garnish and placed it on a trolley. Selecting a vintage red wine to accompany the meal, she assembled everything on the cart and turned to leave.

"My, you're becoming quite the chef." Vincent laughed upon peeking at her dish.

Smiling at him, Luna shrugged, "Having to cook for Xanxus does that to you I guess… He won't eat it if it doesn't look nice or if it doesn't suit his tastes…" She said upon remember the one time when he literally swept the plate off the table so that it shattered on the floor, food and all. It was one of the few times she had done something wrong, and upon seeing him react so aggressively, had decided to learn from her mistakes. With a nod to the man, Luna wheeled the man's meal from the room and started walking to the dining room, earlier unease forgotten. Upon entering, Luna felt an eyebrow raise at how quiet it was. It seemed like most or all of the Varia officers had serious hangovers, most apparently seen as Squalo's head was down on the table and an empty glass of water in his hand.

Suppressing a laugh, she made her way over to Xanxus and slid the plate in front of him before placing the bottle of wine by his cup. She had long since refused to pour it for him, retorting to his glare that she wasn't his servant and that he should be satisfied that she was even making his steak for him. Sliding into her seat to the right of him – Squalo being on the left – Luna beamed at her own lunch, a pulled pork sandwich with fries and coslaw, and dug in happily. Halfway through lunch, Xanxus finally spoke.

"Woman. You're going out tonight."

Turning to look at him curiously, she continued to stare until he made an irritated noise and explained, "We're going to the Luciano Manor tonight."

"…why…?" Up till now, she had never even heard of such a family.

Shooting a glare at her, he growled, "To see if they're a fucking threat or not. It's your job isn't it?"

"Ah." Though she was surprised. If it really was her job, why hadn't she been notified of anything? Deep in thought the whitenette poked her food around, wondering whether this position was just for show or not, because as it seemed now, she hadn't been informed of anything to do with the family or their affairs.

"…Hmm…" On her bed laid a pile of discarded dresses, having been thrown there when Luna decided it probably wasn't going to suit the occasion. For once in her life, she wished she had Lussuria's sense of fashion. Maybe I should just go ask him after all… Despite trying to put something together for herself, it always looked wrong in the end, as if something was out of place. Perhaps it was the fault of her pendant which she refused to take off. It was something she wanted to wear no matter what, oddly enough. Shaking her head with a small smile, Luna dropped the dress she was currently holding up to herself onto the ground before maneuvering out of the room to find the sun guardian. Walking down the halls, her mind began to wander and the whitenette couldn't help but seriously think about her position in the Vongola. Absently twisting the ring on her finger, she repeated the words the Cervello had spoken to her that day. I stand alone… Independent of both the Varia and the Vongola… But I have to watch over both? …How am I supposed to do that when I don't even know what's going on…?

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Luna rounded a corner, too absorbed in her thoughts to notice a figure coming from the opposite direction. It wasn't until she slammed into said person did she snap back to reality. "Wagh!" Rubbing her forehead, the amnesic frowned and stepped back, and apology on her lips as she tried to discern who it was. The long silver hair that tickled her face as she stepped back was a big give away, but before she could say anything, he was already yelling.

"VOIIII WATCH IT WOMAN!" Squalo growled as he stepped back. "USE YOUR EYES."

Grimacing at the volume of his voice, she tugged his hair and pressed a finger to her lips. "Shhhh, there's no need to yell Squalo…" However, this seemed to have the opposite effect, and the Varia captain was about to complain about her treatment of his hair when a finger was pressed to his lips. "Shhh please. I'm trying to think here…"

Seeing the expression on his face made Luna laugh a bit before she drew her hand back, a warm smile on her face. "You know I can hear you just fine Squalo." Grumbling, said man muttered an 'I know' before he sidestepped her. "Do your thinking elsewhere." As he started to leave, Luna peered after him with a strange expression in her eyes, hesitating for a moment before calling out to the man. "Hey… Can I ask you something?"

"…You just did."

Pouting, she mock glared at him before sighing, suddenly unsure of whether this was such a good idea or not. After a few moments of silence, a tick mark appeared on Squalo's forehead. "Out with it woman!"

"…Erm… What am I even supposed to do as the Snow Guardian?" Tentatively raising her gaze to meet the silver haired man's, Luna's brows were furrowed in genuine worry and confusion.

"How the fuck am I supposed to know?" He deadpanned.

Urk… "Right then…" Turning to leave, Luna stopped when she heard Squalo's voice.

"That's something you have to figure out yourself. It's not something that can be told to you by anyone. I mean, the position you hold means you can do whatever the fuck you like and we have to accept it!" He scowled and crossed his arms. "Get involved. Learn the shit you need to and don't expect anyone to baby you and tell you things."

Silence fell between them after that, allowing Luna to process what he had said. How…very true… A new understanding settled over her, and she felt strangely relieved. About to thank the man, the whitenette was cut off once more by his outburst.

"…NOW STOP BOTHERING ME. I HAVE A FUCKING HANGOVER." Turning on his heel, the rain guardian began to stomp off, muttering profanities under his breath as he did.

"Pfft…" Shaking her head, Luna ran after him and grabbed his hair once more in order to stop him. Tugging it to get his attention, he whipped around to glare at her, a murderous expression on his face. "WHAT PART OF—" This time, Luna cut him off as she pressed her hand to his forehead and let a cold sensation spread through it. Smiling, she chimed, "Thank you Squalo."

Making a noise of contentment as the throbbing was temporarily soothed, he huffed. "Of course." The two stayed like that for a little while longer before footsteps sounded through the hall. Jumping away from her, the Varia captain quickly collected himself and hastily walked past her, a barely audible 'thanks' leaving his lips as he did. Making a small noise of acknowledgement, Luna turned away, about to proceed to her destination when she stopped. …Where was I going?

With a puzzled expression on her face, Luna shook her head, her brows furrowed as she tried to recall. When she came up with nothing five minutes later, the amnesic let out a frustrated sigh before reluctantly returning to her room, hoping she'd remember soon. Sure enough, the moment she stepped inside her room with clothes strewn everywhere, her memory was triggered and she groaned before leaving again and going straight to Lussuria's room.

Five hours of trying dresses, accessories, and shoes on later, Luna, with Lussuria's help, had finally found a decent outfit to wear. In her opinion, the only reason it took so long was because Lussuria kept mumbling something about how she had to match… In the end, it was decided that Luna would be wearing a red, strapless, fishtail dress, and a pair of black strappy heels. Her hair was piled up into an elegant up do with curled strands left loose to frame her face and a jeweled flower hairpiece to match the dress.

"Oh it's perfect~ You'll match fabulously!" Lussuria gushed happily as he stepped back from his work and nodded with approval. "Now take this and off you go~ I'll be right down once I change." Shoving an earpiece into her hand and then shooing her from the room, Luna stared blankly at the closed door for a few moments, an unspoken question on her lips. Who am I matching?

With a shake of her head, the whitenette sighed and turned away, attaching the small device to her ear before descending the stairs, every ounce of brain power going towards not tripping over her dress or stumbling down the stairs because of her heels. This is torture… She grumbled silently.

"Keep your head up woman." A voice growled from below. Jumping slightly, Luna whipped her head up to find Xanxus standing at the bottom of the staircase, an irritated look on his face and… in a suit? Staring at him, she wondered if this is what Lussuria meant by 'matching'. The Varia Boss was wearing a black suit with a red vest and accents. Though his tie should have been up against his neck and the buttons buttoned, he opted to keep it loosened and the top three buttons undone. Her eyes only left him when she heard that insufferable voice from beside him.

"How dare you make the boss wait puttana." Levi snarled.

Sky hues flickered to him for a split second before sliding away as though she had never seen him before. Ignoring his words, she glanced around, and noted that both Levi and Belphegor were wearing suits. "I take it everyone's coming then…" she murmured. Her speculation was further confirmed when she spotted Squalo leaned against the door frame, an unpleasant expression on his face as he struggled with his tie. "Stupid fucking piece of cloth…" he muttered under his breath.

The sight made her smile a bit, though she didn't comment. Reaching the bottom, Luna peered up at Xanxus who glowered down at her in response. "Your buttons."

"Like hell if I'm going to strangle myself." He snorted.

Fair enough… She thought and shrugged. "Fine fine…" Leaning to the side to look past the sky guardian she called out to the shark, "Need help?"

"LIKE HELL I DO." He yelled in response. Though after another failed attempt and a long string of profanities, Squalo offered no resistance or complaint when the whitenette went over to him and silently tied his tie for him. "There." Stepping back, she nodded in satisfaction just before Lussuria came charging down the stairs. "Let's go go go~ Wouldn't want to be late now would we?" He chimed before flying out the door.

"Right then…" Following after the sun guardian, Luna exited the mansion and stepped inside the limo. Sorta makes you forget you're in the mafia at these times… The 'sorta' was probably because she had a gun strapped to her left calf and several daggers strapped to her right. Safety first I suppose…Luna drifted out of her reverie once everyone had piled into the limousine. Once they started driving, Squalo launched into what their plan would be.

"We've received intel that the Lucianos are planning to betray us so we're there to see if it's true." Grinning, he continued, "There have also been rumours that a deal might be happening tonight between them and a rival family; which family that is, is still unknown." As the Varia Captain said this, he shot an uneasy glance at Xanxus who glared back at him.

"Why didn't you find out scum."

"Because no one knows except the head." He grumbled in response.

"Che. Pathetic." Turning away, Xanxus closed his eyes and leaned back into his seat with crossed arms. Squalo took that as the cue to continue and began divvying up the jobs. Mammon and himself were to sneak into the meeting, Mammon using illusions to disguise them both (hence why he wasn't wearing a suit in the first place). Levi and Lussuria were to be hanging around in the vicinity should anything go wrong. Bel would be on the floor talking to others to see if what the rumours said were true, and Xanxus and Luna would do the same, and if it came to it, as Xanxus so eloquently put it, they would 'reassert their fucking authority.'

Clearing his throat, Squalo added one last bit, "And since they didn't exactly invite us… We're going disguised." Opening up a bag, he tossed masks at everyone. "It's perfect since it's a masquerade ball anyways."

"What about invitations…?" Luna asked worriedly as she tied the mask around her head. To that, Squalo snorted, "They're so sure of their network that they think the only people who know about this are allies, so anyone who comes must be 'safe.' They won't bother asking names either since it's a masquerade ball, and the mystery what the whole damn thing's about."

"Alright then…"

Nodding, the rain guardian turned back to the illusionist, "Mammon, alter some of our characteristics so it's not obvious who we are."

"Mu… this is going to cost you." But the baby did it regardless the moment Xanxus aimed his glare at the Arcobaleno.

"If it turns out they're traitors, we're going to wipe out their trash of a family." Xanxus concluded.

They arrived not a moment later, and immediately, everyone snapped to attention. Mammon cloaked himself in illusions, making it as though he were invisible, and at the same time altering minor characteristics of all the Varia members – tone and pitch of voice, hair colour, hair length, etc.

As everyone exited the limo, Luna struggled a bit due to the length of her dress and silently cursed it. Much to her surprise, a hand was extended to her, and she took it without a second thought, thinking it to be Lussuria. Looking up to thank the sun guardian, the words died in her throat upon realizing it was Xanxus. "What's with the look woman? I'm supposed to be your fucking escort. Deal with it." He growled under his breath. Smiling softly, she suppressed a laugh before stepping out.

She never really paid attention before – or maybe it was because she never held his hand before – but it was so much bigger than hers, incredibly warm, and oh so familiar... Then again, that was probably because one, he was a man, two, he shot fireballs from his hands, and three, because she knew them from before losing her memories… Giving said hand a light squeeze, Luna took a deep breath and held her head up, hoping to exude an air of confidence as they walked inside.

At the door, they were greeted by two masked butlers who bowed and with a flourish of their arms welcomed them inside. "Welcome to the Luciano estate, we hope you enjoy your evening here." Stepping aside so they could pass, Xanxus and Luna walked inside. Music, chatter, and pleasant aromas immediately assaulted her senses, and she found herself excited, despite knowing she wasn't here for pleasure.

"Everyone ready?" Said Squalo's unmistakenable voice in her ear. "Mm…" Along with her were five other sounds of approval and after a second of silence, the shark spoke again, giving everyone the okay to start. Here we go… Luna thought nervously. For the Luciano family's sake, she really hoped they weren't planning to betray the Vongola.

R&R please~ They help keep me motivated x'DDD /dies