The car was completely silent. The teens didn't really know how to react. They thought they knew Shiori, but she became a mystery overnight. It was strange. She didn't act like people that have been in the mafia for years. Even Gokudera wouldn't have noticed. She acted like a normal high school student. "So, she saved you guys from killing yourselves." Lussuria was the first to speak.

"That's right. We're not allowed to kill ourselves, so we all had plans to make our deaths look like an enemy murdered us." Tsuna couldn't believe what he was hearing. It even shocked the other teens in the car.

"How long ago was this?" Reborn asked.

"It was around nine or ten years ago. I believe the miss was around eight at the time."

"How would someone that young say something like that? It seems like only an adult would call the world evil." Yamamoto said with sound logic. Reborn noticed that as well. The driver stopped smiling.

"I wasn't aware you had no knowledge of the incident."

"And it stays that way." Xanxus threatened.

"Of course." Tsuna wanted to question about the incident, but since Reborn said nothing, he followed in suit. He didn't want the Varia to hurt him. The car stopped after a while. "We're here." When they all stepped out, they noticed the large number of cars and then the huge gothic church.

"There's a lot of people." Tsuna mentioned.

"It's a funeral fit for a king. What else did you expect?" The driver said after he got out of the car. Men and women were all dressed in clothing fit for royalty. It showed their status. Syoko and Kaoru walked over to the group.

"Xanxus." Everyone stared at them. "I want to thank you for coming. I'd like to have a word with you in private. Kaoru, be a dear and escort the rest inside."

"Yes, mother." The woman took Xanxus away. "This way." The Varia followed Kaoru while the rest followed behind a few feet.

"Why do I feel uneasy?" Tsuna asked Reborn.

"You're in the presence of Japan's most dangerous men and women. Plus, as the new Vongola Decimo, you'll probably be introduced to everyone as such. They'll be scaling you up for size."

"Even at a funeral?"

"Even here." The teens saw a group that looked to be around their age.

"Do you think those are assassins too?" Yamamoto asked.

"I don't know."

"Those are Shiori's old classmates." Kaoru answered.

"What are they doing here?"

"They're here to support Shiori and say goodbye to her father."

"Was Shiori's father important?"

"In the big picture, he's insignificant. However, because he's Shiori's father, he'll be treated as an honorary member." Inside, the church was decorated with gold statues and intricate details on the walls. The floors were made of black marble, and the windows were multicolored glass. A pure white casket was in the front of the room. It was the most beautiful place they've ever seen.

"Nikita really went out for this." They followed Kaoru to a row. "These are your seats."

Nono was in the row ahead of the Varia and Tsuna and his guardians. Reborn noticed and walked over. "How are you feeling, Nono?"

"I'm a lot better."

"How long have you known about Shiori?"

"It's been a while. For now, we won't talk. There's an important meeting after the funeral we have to attend."

"We?"

"Me, the Varia, and Tsuna and his guardians. Nikita wants to discuss a few things."

"Should I tell them now?"

"No."

"Got it."

"You know, Shiori has been like a daughter to me the second I met her. She has this air around her that I instantly took a liking to."

"I noticed it as well. She carries this mysterious air around her that is hard to pinpoint what it really is." Nono chuckled.

"I see she can stump even you. I'm glad she found her place with us."

"Are you worried about Xanxus possibly attacking her out of anger?" He shook his head at Reborn.

"That would never happen. There's no way he'd ever hurt Shiori."

"What do you see for her future as the Varia's cloud guardian?" Nono smiled.

"It may be selfish of me, but I wish to see her and Xanxus marry in the future."

"I heard she's in a relationship."

"That is false unless no one told me."

"I thought so, but she made a good argument, and everything seemed sound."

Nikita brought me over to Yuko's grave. There was a hole ready for dad's casket. I already saw how extravagant the church looked like. Every one of Nikita's men walked to me and gave me their condolences. Some left to complete missions they were already preassigned. Xanxus saw us and walked over. Nikita turned to face Xanxus.

"I'm glad to see you made it." He nodded in response. She turned to me. "As you see, we already made a spot for him next to Yuko. Family sticks together, even in death. When you're ready, Shiori, we'll start." Nikita went inside the church. Xanxus walked up to me.

"Will you be okay?" He asked.

"I won't be fine for a while."

"Take your time. No one is rushing you to get over this."

"I know." I never wanted this day to come. I never thought it would. I always thought it'd be me in the casket. Never in a million years would I have seen my dad in a casket. I let out a sigh.

"Are you ready?"

"I'm ready."

"There's nothing to worry about. We're here to support you."

"Thank you, Xanxus."

Before entering the church, I took a deep breath. All the seats were filled with people from all over Japan. Sister Eva was there in the corner. She was close to Yuko. They'd never call each other best friends, but I viewed them as such. They always drank and killed random people together. She saw me and nodded in acknowledgement.

I walked all the way to the front and stood next to Nikita who was on my right. Xanxus and Timoteo were to my left. The service immediately started. I hung my head low and payed attention to my feet. I didn't want to listen. Timoteo held my hand and looked up at me. The priest started to sing a chant that wished the deceased into the afterlife and they be brought to a place with no pain, where they'd be happy for eternity. I hope dad will be happy. He suffered too much because of my selfishness. After the chanting was done, everyone was instructed to put a flower in the coffin. One by one, people went up and placed a flower in dad's coffin and then walked to me, bowing in respect. It started with the ones in the back and would end with me being the last one. Most of the people that went up were silent, but some did say a few words. Kazuma went up and put a flower in before walking to me.

"Here." He held a tape recorder in his hand. "I found this in Kanade's things."

"Thank you, Kazuma." Tsubasa was the next person to see me. She held my hands tightly. I could tell she was being strong for me. She was naturally a crybaby. I'm a little surprised she wasn't tearing up.

"I'm sure Kanade will keep him company."

"I'm sure she will." She smiled sadly before leaving. Then, the rest of my classmates went through. Some of the higher ups went through and handed me small envelopes. Nikita held onto them for me. They were filled with money. I didn't need it, but it was tradition.

Then, Dino and some of his men went through. Dino stopped at me and handed me a candy bar. "Huh?" I was genuinely confused.

"This one is your favorite, right? I thought it'd help you."

"Thank you, Dino." Timoteo chuckled quietly. Then, Tsuna and his guardians went up. All but Kyoya was there for obvious reasons. They each bowed and went by. Tsuna looked me in the eyes. Reborn was on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry about your father, Shiori."

"Thank you, Tsuna."

"Say something more boss like, Tsuna. You are her boss." Reborn commented quietly. Xanxus grunted, making Tsuna paled.

"You were knocked out during that conversation." I reminded him. He clicked his tongue. "Yes, you're still my boss, but Tsuna is the big boss and I don't care what you think." Xanxus kept quiet. Timoteo quietly chuckled.

"I'm surprised you can understand him." Reborn said with a smile.

"It's not that hard." The two went and sat down. This time, the yakuza went up. Syoko and Kaoru walked up to father.

"Your little girl has grown up. She was always an awkward child that could never speak up for anything even when she'd be hungry. Despite all the hardships she faced, you stayed with her until the bitter end. I thank you for that. Not many would, not many did. We'll all watch out for her and pray for her safety." The two walked to me with smiles. "Here." She took the ribbon out of my hair and put in a clip, moving my bangs to the side.

"Huh?"

"It's every mother's wish to have a daughter. At least, it was mine. You're the daughter I could never have. Your presence has an everlasting affect. It's even stronger now. The pin I gave you belonged to my great grandmother and has been passed through generations to our daughters."

"Why are you giving this to me and not Kaoru's future wife?"

"You're my daughter. I hope you pass it along to your own daughter whether she's blood or not." I stared at her with shock.

"I will."

"See, Kaoru? I knew the pin would be the better gift."

"Mother…" The two sat down, bickering to each other. The Varia were next after the yakuza went through. Bel and Mammon went to dad.

"We'll try to keep her out of trouble. Though, trouble always finds her."

"We'll make sure she's fed properly and given her quiet time."

"That'll cost a fortune, Mammon." Bel responded.

"I'll make an exception for her." Bel walked over with Mammon on his shoulder.

"I call first mission with you." Xanxus glared at Bel while a silent 'voi' was heard. Levi was at the casket and saluted.

"I'll protect her with my life." He walked over and patted the top of my head before sitting down. That was odd, but it was Levi. Lussuria walked to dad.

"Thank you for giving Shiori her heart of gold. I'll make sure she sees herself in the same light we see her. You don't have to worry about her wellbeing anymore. It's our job." Lussuria walked over to me. "I have your room all set and decorated."

"Already?"

"Your uniforms will be waiting for you at home."

I was a little perplexed and was even starting to feel emotional over the words everyone was saying. It wasn't needed, but they still said something. Squalo went up to dad and placed the flower in. "You didn't deserve this. This wasn't part of the plan. You were supposed to live with Shiori in Italy with us. At least you won't have to suffer anymore. I won't break my promise. I'll take care of her no matter what." Squalo's words made my eyes burn. He walked over. "Don't cry on me." He handed me a candy bar like Dino.

"I lied to Dino. I know this one is your favorite." He smirked at Dino and then glared at Bel. "And your first mission is with me. There's no way the boss will send you with anyone but me. He trusts me more."

"Trash." Squalo ignored Xanxus.

"See? The boss agrees."

"Don't make me kill you." Xanxus threatened.

"You're digging your own grave, Squalo. Sit down." He sat down. Only a couple of people were left. Xanxus was next. He placed the flower in the casket.

"Thank you for trusting me with Shiori." He went back to where he stood. He didn't need to say anything to me. What he said to dad was enough for me. Timoteo went up with Coyote's assistance. Both placed a flower.

"I know what it's like to lose a parent. I know what it's like to lose a child. Both are painful. I wouldn't want to die knowing there was no one looking out for my child. That's why I went to visit you in the hospital without Shiori knowing. I needed to vow to you, father to father, man to man, that I'd take in Shiori as my own. I know I'll never replace you and I don't want to, but I'll be someone who can help her navigate through hard times, someone who can be a father figure to her. You've done all you can for her. It's our turn. She's already done things to change everyone's lives. She might be strong and a genius, but above all else, she's a gentle cloud that heals others through understanding. Rest peacefully." Nikita nudged my arm. I looked up at her.

"It's okay to let it out once in a while, you know. This isn't the time to be strong. I don't want you to be."

"Nikita…" Timoteo and Coyote went back to their place. Nikita went up and placed her flower.

"I won't be able to protect her anymore. She's finally making decisions for herself and not for the sake of normalcy. We were all worried she was being brainwashed. I know you'd have the same worry. I put her through a lot of tests to see if she was ready. She made it clear that she's ready to let go of my hand. She finally found her place." She took a deep breath. "I never thought the day would come. It's a bittersweet feeling." She turned her back. "Rest in peace, comrade."

I walked up to the casket with shaky hands. I looked at Nikita with worry. She immediately understood and turned her back to me. This signaled everyone to do the same until everyone's backs were facing me. I looked inside and saw dad. He looked so peaceful. I've never seen him like this before. He was always stressed about something whether that was about work or me. I knew this was my fault. I wanted to feel horrible.

"I'm sorry, dad. It's my fault. I know you wouldn't want me to say that, but I need to or else I'll go crazy. I do have your bad habit of opening my mouth all the time and saying things despite the consequences. I'm just glad you're not suffering. I hated seeing you in the hospital. I hated feeling useless. I knew I couldn't help you no matter what I did. There are things I want to say, but I'd be here for days. I already said the important words anyway." I bit my lip and took a deep breath. "You know, there were only two wishes I wanted to come true. I didn't want you to be in any pain and I wanted to hear your voice one last time. I got both, but you were in so much pain when you woke up. That's why…that's why I was alright with letting you go. I'm sure you'll be able to see Kanade and Yuko. They'll teach you how to stalk me."

I tried to place the flower in, but I couldn't. "Why is this so difficult? I can't move my arm." Tears were coming to my eyes. I was doing so good in holding it all in. I held my mouth and took a step back before falling onto my knees. Cigarette smoke filled my lungs. I coughed softly. The small cough was enough for me to let out all my sorrows. I sobbed where I was, not caring about anything anymore. From the smell, I knew Nikita was the one to light her cigar. It was one of the few she smoked that bothered my lungs. She did this on purpose. She knew telling me to break down wouldn't work, so she did the next best thing. It worked. I wanted to stop crying, but I couldn't. No matter what I thought of, nothing worked. I felt empty knowing I'd never see my dad again. It was a numbing feeling. There was nothing I could do to save him anymore. I did all that I could to protect him and it wasn't enough. Maybe I am destined to only cause destruction. I can't save anyone with my hands. I only know how to destroy whatever I touch.

"That's not true, Shiori." Everyone heard a single gunshot. Everyone looked around in panic.

"Huh?" I turned and saw Nikita hovering over me. "Nikita?"

"Those assassins can't aim for shit." She grumbled.

"Assassins?"

Nono saw how Nikita lit a cigar but didn't even put it to her mouth. He heard Shiori's coughs turn into sobs. Xanxus almost left if it wasn't for Nikita. "Don't go."

"Why not?"

"She needs to do this." Nikita saw a glimmer in the distance from a window. She looked at her right hand and he nodded. He then gave silent orders to others. Shiori's old classmates were being escorted to another room to wait. They had no choice.

"Is everything alright, Nikita?" Nono asked.

"This doesn't concern the Vongola."

"They're aiming at Shiori. It is our concern."

"Out of all the days to attack, they had to pick this day." Nikita grumbled under her breath before putting her cigar out. "Xanxus." He looked at Nikita. "Make sure she doesn't lose control."

"Got it."

Nikita used to be a sniper herself and knew the limited sight they had when it came to aiming. Thanks to that experience, she knew the sniper was aiming for Shiori. There was going to be a war. Nikita turned to see how devastated Shiori looked. She walked over and hugged Shiori's shoulders. "That's not true, Shiori." Nikita always knew what Shiori was thinking when she was at her worst. They were the same thoughts Nikita used to have. The bullet entered Nikita's right shoulder. Nikita didn't care about her own wellbeing. Shiori needed a moment to be human. It's not often she'll allow herself to be like this after all.

"Huh?" Shiori looked at Nikita with red, swollen eyes. "Nikita?"

Nikita smiled and placed her hand on top of my head. "As long as I'm with you, I won't let anyone hurt you."

"What's going on?"

"Shh." I was silenced. Nikita's head dropped onto my shoulder. The door to the church opened. Men with every type of weapon ran in and pointed their barrels at us.

"I thought she'd go down with more of a fight." No one dared to move. "Now, as long as you give us the girl, we won't cause you nice folks any trouble."

"Nikita?" She didn't answer. Panic was setting in. Something poked my stomach. I looked down and saw a gun. It was Nikita's.

"You know what to do. Bastard got my bad shoulder. Dammit." I took it with a shaky breath.

"Shiori." I looked over at Syoko. She was smiling gently. "What happens when someone hurts the people you love?"

"The ones I love?" I looked down and saw that Nikita's eyes were closed. I put her on the ground and stood up. I still had the flower in my hand. I turned to dad and placed it inside. "I can't protect you anymore, but I can still protect others, I can save them. That's why Kanade kept me alive." Sister Eva got out a gun of her own with a wicked smile. She was always ready for battle.

"I heard monsters weren't able to love." I closed dad's casket and turned to face the enemy who spoke. Tsuna looked at me with worry. Him and his guardians were the only ones worried about me.

"Why do birds fly?" I asked the man.

"They fly so they can eat." I aimed and without hesitation, shot his thigh. He screamed in pain as the others pointed their guns at me. Slowly, the other men were stepping back.

"Why do birds fly?" I questioned again. His scream was my answer. I shot the hand that was holding his leg. "Why do birds fly?"

"I don't know!" I took a shaky breath and aimed for his head. He gasped and looked up at me. "You're…" I didn't give him enough time to even finish the sentence. I pulled the trigger. He instantly died. The others kept their aim on me from afar. They were clearly on their toes after finding out who I am.

"Don't leave a single one alive! Kill them all!" Nikita demanded from her spot on the ground. Everyone in the room roared with anger and proceeded to chase the group outside.

"Don't they look familiar, Kaoru?" Syoko questioned.

"It's about time they came out of hiding. I've been itching to slaughter them." Kaoru got his sword out. Sister Eva walked to my side with an automatic rifle in her hands.

"Are they the ones, Shiori?" She asked dangerously. Everyone looked at me for my answer.

"Yes. They're the ones that broke me."

"I'll make you all suffer for what you bastards did to Shiori! I'll put extra bullets in their skulls for you, Yuko!" I couldn't help but smile.

"Yuko would make their deaths an extremely painful one. I hope everyone participating follows in my sister's footsteps."