The next few hours, I told Kanade everything. How mom betrayed me, how dad died, and what had happened since I left Japan. She was visibly distraught. In turn, she told me of the adventures she's been on and how I was in her reality. According to her, I never changed from middle school.

"I guess it was a good thing I died. You turned out to be an amazing person, Shiori." Kanade said sadly.

"I was never amazing. I'm still not. Without you, I grew to resent the world. I gave into my desires to kill and almost went insane if Xanxus didn't save me. I only seem amazing to you because I suffered. It was thanks to everyone helping me overcome my past, I can look at it with my head held high. Sure, there are things I don't know, but I know enough to accept it wasn't my fault. I suffered because the world is cruel. At first, I stayed strong to survive just to survive. Then, I had a goal of leaving Japan to be with the Varia. I'm still unsure of what it means to truly love someone, to trust anyone no matter how close they are. My words can never explain my feelings and the only way I know how to show my feelings is either hurting or killing someone. It's the only way I know how to reach out to others."

Kanade looked at me with a mixture of emotions ranging from conflict to confusion. She was soaking everything in, waiting for me to finish. "I knew I loved you, Kanade. Losing you was one of the worst moments of my life. So, please never say I'm better without you. Maybe the me you knew was weak, but I allowed myself to be weak because I had people much stronger around me. I had no reason to become strong."

Kanade stood up and ran to my side. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders. "Shiori…" She kept saying my name over and over, petting my head lovingly. Her sobs were quiet, but I still heard them. I held her as close as possible. "I felt like I died when Byakuran paraded around with your corpse. He mocked the entirety of the Vongola. He mocked my world. There was no one angrier than me. That wretched man killed you because of your unstable flame. You were too dangerous to leave around. We all knew you were a ticking time bomb but we still selfishly wanted you to live beside us. It would be too cruel to leave you behind." Kanade said in a shaky voice. "I won't ever leave you alone while you're here. I'll always be by your side until you leave. I won't let you die a second time. I refuse to let it happen a second time."

"I won't die, Kanade. I'm stronger than you all think. I always was." She looked down at my smiling face. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She was still grieving my death.

"You've never said something and meant it like this before. I feel like you're the version you always wanted to be. You were just scared."

"I was always scared. I still am sometimes, but I don't have anything to fear. I have a lot of people around me that'll support me. I'm honestly surprised the world isn't on fire." She laughed quietly and touched our foreheads together.

"Trust me, he tried his best. Even he has his limits."

"I know those limits quite well. Is he still an idiot?"

"He's even more of an idiot without you. He even admitted it."

"I'll straighten him up."

"I have no doubt you'll bring the old Xanxus back."

Reborn was the first person in the kitchen once morning came. He saw two cups of tea hardly drunk from. Kanade and Shiori must have found each other. "I'm sorry, Reborn." Bianchi said.

"Don't be. Shiori is a strong cloud. She'll always do what she pleases without endangering herself or others. Besides, I think it was good for them to talk." After all, Reborn heard the conversation. The two girls lived different lives. While the present Shiori suffered and clawed her way out of hell, the other Shiori didn't need to because she was around strong people to support her. After breakfast, there was an attack by one of the wreaths. When Tsuna and the group evacuated, an explosion was heard. Tsuna looked around and panicked. Shiori was missing.

"S-" Reborn stopped Tsuna from speaking.

"Do not utter her name, Tsuna. She'll be fine. She's strong. Remember the funeral? For all we know, the explosion was caused by her. We need to go before we get caught up. Squalo is still there. Kanade is there. You have three Varia officers. They can take care of the threat."

Squalo didn't know if he could take care of Zakuro by himself. All he knew was he needed to make enough time to let Elizabeth escape. He refused to let her die. On his knees, he felt his energy deplete. Where the hell was Kanade? They heard heels click against the floor. Kanade didn't wear heels. Who was here? Was it another one of Byakuran men? Zakuro held his hand out to kill Squalo. He closed his eyes, unable to move a muscle. His body was spent. Zakuro's head was kicked into the wall, instantly knocking him out.

"You really are stronger!" That was Kanade. Who was she talking to?

"Less talk and more escaping, Kanade." The dust settled enough for him to see. His eyes widened.

"S-Shiori…" She looked at him and smiled.

"I'm here to save the day."

"But…"

"This Shiori is a different breed! She's a monster!" Kanade picked Squalo up and they left.

"Where's Elizabeth?" Shiori asked.

"She should be up ahead. I had her run away." Squalo kept staring at Shiori. It was surreal to see the younger version of her. An explosion was heard from the warehouse.

"Looks like someone woke up. What should we do, Shiori?"

"We keep going." Unfortunately, more of Byakuran's men were in their way.

"We're going to die." Squalo muttered. Shiori took the bow she carried and in her hand was a single arrow made of cloud flames. She stopped for a second to load the bow. When she let go, the arrow disappeared. The enemies were all screaming as multiple arrows shot at them.

"What the hell?" Kanade questioned with shock. Shiori chuckled, obviously proud of herself.

"That's just one of my specialties."

"Auntie! Uncle!" Elizabeth called out. She drastically changed. She was a beautiful young woman that held grace even under distress. "Wait! Mama?!" We stopped running. Elizabeth kept staring at me. She immediately hugged me.

"We're safe for now. I don't sense any of them." Kanade said. I carefully wrapped my arms around the crying teen.

"It's strange to see you all grown. You're even more beautiful than I thought you'd look like."

"M-mama!"

"Hush. If you cry louder, you'll attract the enemy." She calmed down and let go of me. Her and Squalo kept staring.

"You look different." Elizabeth commented.

"Let me explain! We had a long conversation last night. The Shiori in front of us right now lived an entirely different life than the Shiori we knew."

"What's the difference?" Squalo asked.

With a large smile, Kanade boasted, "I died!" I sighed as the two stared with disbelief.

"I thought you'd change to be more serious, Kanade." I scolded.

"I did. I just want to relish being with you. It brings back some security."

"The same for me." The four of us found an abandoned house. While Kanade and Elizabeth went to get food, I stayed behind to take care of Squalo's wounds.

"What's it like in your world?" He asked.

"You'll have to be specific."

"Are you with the Varia?"

"I have been officially for a few months. It seems like no matter what life I led, I always ended up there."

"What about Xanxus?"

"Yes, I'm bound to marry him by the end of the year. Idiot sprung it up on me after one of the parties. Part of me believed he was drunk but he definitely wasn't."

"Already? You two didn't marry until five years ago." I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm going to put this under one of the inconsistencies because of Kanade."

"Doesn't it hurt to see her?"

"I thought it would be, but I ended up being too fascinated with her life. Just seeing her smile brought a lot of comfort. I'd like to think she feels the same about me." Squalo looked disturbed until he relaxed.

"You know, this side you're showing right now is a side you only showed Xanxus. That's probably what took him that long to marry you. He took things slow because you were fragile. When I saw how you were, I thought I was dreaming. It was strange. It's even stranger seeing a younger version of you like this." I finished wrapping his wounds and sat across the table from him.

"How… did everyone take my death?"

"Poorly. I've never seen a bunch of assassins so eager to get revenge. Hell, boss tried to burn the world down. Kanade joined in destroying everything she could get her hands on. Elizabeth cried for weeks. Those three are still hurting. The rest of us knew we couldn't prevent it. I think you knew you were going to die." He said quietly. He was refusing any eye contact.

"Why do you say that?"

"You were becoming distant and had a lot of meetings with Tsuna. When you left, you had a look of determination mixed with sadness. We wanted to go with you, but we were all frozen in place. It's hard to explain."

"That makes sense."

"What?!" He finally made eye contact with me.

"There's a will I left behind only I can open. The contents in it are a regular will with a hidden message."

"You had a cipher?" I nodded with a smile.

"Your Shiori and Tsuna knew there was a universe where I was the strongest version of myself. Everyone knew Tsuna and I had made an agreement. We died and then the younger, stronger versions of ourselves came here."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I can't. It just sounds like something I'd come up with. If one version of me can die to get rid of a threat, I'd be happy to be that sacrifice."

"Even though you let us suffer?" I kept smiling.

"Yes!" He slammed the table in frustration.

"Why?! That's selfish!"

"Squalo, did I ever tell you about the Tokyo incident?"

"No. You didn't even tell Xanxus. It was the only piece of information you and Kanade kept to yourselves."

"I was kidnapped, sold, tortured, and experimented on. My entire body is scarred. I'm selfish to have killed everyone because I wanted to live. It's my natural instinct to be selfish. However, if everyone still lives by the time all of this ends, then the plan was successful. Everyone can live for another day."

"Even if you left us?"

"Even so. I can't be certain that if I didn't die, you'd all be alive. Elizabeth could have taken my place. Even Xanxus. If I could make it so they'd never die by Byakuran's hands, I'd gladly kill myself over and over until my existence is erased completely." He was stunned into silence. I'm sure it was more than enough to take in. The Tokyo incident was something I never disclosed to them. Did I not trust them enough or did they not care? Maybe I just never got over it.

"A lot makes sense. If he was here, he'd smack you." Squalo said with a huff.

"I can assure you he wouldn't. When I told him, he vowed to kill anyone that tries to kill me." He smiled.

"It would be what he'd do." Squalo then put something on the table. It was a purple box. I remembered Tsuna having one with an orange color. "This was yours. We don't know what's inside. You never used it." I took it and felt my heart clench. What was this? "If you put your flame into it, it'll release whatever is inside. It's a familiar of some sort with cloud flames. Apparently, it was too powerful for you to handle. Using your flame was something that'd kill you which is why you never used the box."

"Why do you have it?"

"It's something to remember you by. You always had it with you. Even if you couldn't use it, that thing made you feel safe." I concentrated on the box. I could feel power radiating off it. There was even a strange chirp. It felt like what others felt around me. At least, it'd be how they'd describe it. No wonder I was attacked. Just holding this made me feel protected. I'm surprised Xanxus didn't have this instead of Squalo. He'd be the one that would need it the most.

"I think I know what's inside." I spoke quietly.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Do you mind if I keep it on me?"

"It was yours to begin with." I put it in my jacket pocket. I'll keep it safe for now until I leave.

That night, Squalo couldn't sleep. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't. His mind was on Shiori. Xanxus isn't going to like it if he sees she's here. He already suffered enough. Why did those brats even bring Shiori to begin with? Sure, she was strong, but that didn't matter to him. It wouldn't matter to anyone in the Varia. Even though she said she was strong, it didn't make him feel better. Their version of Shiori is a completely different person. Was it wrong to see them as the same despite their differences? He hasn't been this confused in years. Elizabeth will surely go back mourning her when she leaves. Kanade walked downstairs.

"You're worried." She stated.

"Aren't you?"

"I'm not."

"You know what'll happen when she leaves. We'll all go back to that place." They'd all mourn her again.

"Not this time, Squalo." Kanade sat next to Squalo. "She's quite different from our Shiori."

"She's like another person."

"I think this is the Shiori only Xanxus knew."

"I don't get it. Why are they so different?" Squalo asked, hunching over.

"We held her back." Squalo straightened up and stared at Kanade with disbelief. They never once held her back. They gave her every opportunity for everything. "Our Shiori never had to get strong because we were always there. She had so many strong people around her that made her feel safe. In her mind, there was no need. This Shiori… was always alone. This Shiori went through the Tokyo Incident by herself. She told me details and it's a little different than what our Shiori told me. Instead of just killing the people experimenting on her, this Shiori killed everyone she could see. Both went through intense training under Nikita after being found. Also, the past Nikita never threatened Shiori to become the next in line. She gave Shiori to the Vongola to help her with her flame."

"Really? Nikita was always on my shit list. I guess that one isn't so bad."

"After recovering, she met me. The two of us followed through on our plan."

"What plan?" Kanade let out a shaky laugh.

"That's right. We never told anyone." She stared at the floor with a sad smile. "We were going to jump off the roof to kill ourselves in middle school. We chickened out even before we got to the roof. Yet… this Shiori and my other self jumped. I died protecting her. Shiori lived but was broken. It took her a long time to recover. She became empty even after her body healed. Nikita took Shiori under her wing again. She then moved to Namimori where a family declared war on her. As of a result, her mom abandoned her and her dad was killed by them. It doesn't matter what world she's in, she always suffers. This Shiori went through a different kind of hell, a worse hell than ours. That's what made her so strong. She only met the Varia almost two years ago."

"Where the Varia met our Shiori years before." Kanade nodded.

"I wonder if there's a world where she never experienced pain."

"I'd like to think so. Though, if there is a world like that, would she and Xanxus ever meet?" Kanade wondered aloud.

"Maybe not. I'd like to think they would. Maybe he wouldn't be in the Vongola." The two laughed quietly. There was no way Xanxus would ever not be in the mafia.

"Squalo, I'd like for you to trust this Shiori. I'm having a hard time myself, but she's a lot stronger than ours. This Shiori is what ours wanted to become. We saw it ourselves earlier today. She took out a large group of Byakuran's men with a single move and that was only one of her tricks."

"I'll do my best. It's hard after knowing her for over fifteen years."

"I knew her longer. It'll be harder for me. I'm just here to be by her side until the end."

The next day, Squalo got word of attacks by Byakuran everywhere. Things have gotten complicated so fast. "What are you thinking, mama?" Elizabeth asked me.

"I'm thinking about the battle."

"Don't go fight!" She started panicking.

"I'll be fine. I have my bow and the box."

"What good can a bow do? Plus, you've never been able to use the box." She pointed out.

"The bow was a gift from Vongola ottava herself." The three choked on their breakfast.

"What?!"

"Yeah! There was a welcome party for me where a family tried to kill the Vongola. As a result, I found the room where the Vongola's don's weapons were and was drawn towards the bow. Xanxus was also poisoned and incapacitated for a whole two weeks."

"I smell blackmail. What did he do while incapacitated?" Kanade asked mischievously.

"He made me take care of him. He also ordered me to give him a bath and called me pathetic when I declined. Usually, there's no malice behind it, but the meds he was on made him mean it."

"Papa called you pathetic?"

"He did! If I could cut up bodies, I could give him a bath. That was his logic." I could tell this was actually entertaining the three. The interactions between me and my Xanxus were probably a lot different and had more humor to it.

"What happened after? Did you hit him? Leave him?" Kanade urged.

"I left and said I only know how to cut bodies up."

"Did you…" Squalo said, squinting his eyes.

"I threatened to cut it."

"This has to be a dream! I always dreamed of Shiori having one hell of a backbone!" Kanade was the only one happy about this.

"And the box?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm not sure what's inside. Knowing me, I have an idea."

"Do you have control of your flame?" Squalo asked.

"I have control, but it backfires on my body. So, I have to be careful. Using the bow somehow helps take away most of the recoil on my body. However, it weakens the effect of my flame."

"Well, let's get a move on. Levi sent me a message. They just landed in Japan and are on their way to assist." Squalo said seriously. It made me nervous. What would the rest think of me?

"Actually, there's our Shiori. Don't worry." Kanade said softly.

"I'll try not to. Elizabeth, I suggest you stay back."

"Why?"

"Your role on the battlefield is giving support. With your abilities, you can communicate with everyone to guide people to safety."

"You said the same thing years ago. Fine. I'll go meet up with other Vongola members while you three take care of the threat."

"Squalo should go with you." I said.

"VOI!" He yelled before hunching over.

"See? Your wounds are too much. You'll die. Plus, you can at least protect Elizabeth for me."

"Fine."

"Kanade and I will meet with the rest. I just need my flame to enter their body."

"What happens then?" He asked.

"Boom. What was the flame your Shiori had?" I asked them.

"You just had a cloud flame. It was just unstable and attacked your body."

"I see. That's a bit different."

"Do you not have a cloud flame?" Kanade asked.

"I do. Nono named it for me. It's classified as a flame of wrath cloud edition." Their eyes widened.

"Like papa?!"

"Like him. My flame is a combination of storm and cloud which makes a bomb. It's quite effective. The only one my flame won't kill is Xanxus. His flame of wrath cancels mine out."

"Amazing! You really are a monster!"

"I'd rather not be called that, Kanade. It hits a sore spot."

"Sorry. I'll call you a goddess of war." I sighed. Only Kanade would call me that.

"Kanade, please don't ever call me anything other than my name. It's embarrassing for both of us."

Once Squalo and Elizabeth left, Kanade and I left to where the battle was taking place. We were anxious. She grabbed my hand and held it tightly. I squeezed just as hard. It was our way of making each other feel better. The worst part was I couldn't feel Xanxus.

"Everything will be fine. He'll be fine. He told me he wouldn't do anything stupid because he'd leave Elizabeth alone."

"I'm relieved but that won't stop the enemy from trying their hardest to kill him."

"Shiori, he's too angry to die. You said it yourself." I smiled. That is something I've said multiple times, but it was only said because I was worried.

"Is there a way to get there faster? I just…" She let go and took out her own box. Hers was blue. The ring she had on lit up with a rain flame.

"It's been a while since I've had to use this. I'll make it an exception because it's you." Once she put the flame inside the hole, the box opened up, shining brightly. In front of us was a motorcycle.

"Huh?"

"It's usually an animal familiar, but I wanted mine to be a motorcycle because it's cooler. Let's go, Shiori!"