Disclaimer: I own the OCs, the rest is Akira Amano's work.

Fratellanza

I didn't sleep very well. Arro had convinced Dino and his Boss to let him stay at our place for two weeks so that I had a 'moral support'. Still, I had nightmares and thus, dark circles because I couldn't fall back asleep. Was Dino worried? Yeah. Did it change anything? No. I was grieving. I was on auto-pilot, even when I was hanging out with Arro in the mansion or outside. He was annoyed with my attitude, I knew it, but I couldn't bring myself to think of anything else than Federico and Leo.

There was like a huge hole in my soul.

My behavior was annoying two people I loved, because that stupid Arro grew on me and definitely was my friend, and I hated myself for this. God how I hated being a true annoyance to people I loved.

So, after diner, I went to the stalls.

"Hey beautiful," I whispered to the black horse. He neighed quietly as I got him out of his stalls and saddled him. It had been a while since I rode a horse, but it reminded me of Dad. He was the one who taught me and I treasured these father children bonding times, as Dino would be with us.

I welcomed the wind lashing at my face with relief.

"Ciaossu!" I looked down at Ebony's head. Reborn was sitting on it.

"What do you want Reborn?"

"You should thank me really, or Dino would have sent a search party for you," he replied with a pout. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever."

Ebony galloped in the woods, until I stopped him near a pond. I got down the horse and sat next to the water, Reborn settling down next to me. The first star was already in the sky and I felt the cold November breeze on me, but didn't care.

"So, what do you want?"

"No one should be left alone when they lose their Family." I scoffed.

"Right." I clenched my fists. "It's my fault."

"No, with the information we have, it is clear that you coming back was the best outcome possible."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better!?" I spat at him, but he didn't flinch.

"It's normal to feel guilty."

"What would you know about that?"

"You're not the only one to have lost your Sky," he told me more coldly. I looked down at him. "The Sky Arcobaleno is cursed with a short life span unlike the rest of us. You saw Aria at this party, she was not a baby like Fon or I." I kept my mouth shut. How could I reply anything to Reborn after this? He never talked about the Arcobalenos. Nobody asked him but I was pretty sure he would just find a way to dodge the bullet. "Eventually, you learn to deal with your guilt, even if it has no reason to be here to begin with, and keep on living." I averted my eyes to the surface of the water.

Guilt huh...yeah, that atrocious feeling twisting my stomach was guilt.

"Why did you accept to become his Guardian?" Reborn asked me. "Dino didn't understand either, nobody did."

"He was one of the only persons to be honest with me."

"He told you you had a biological brother, didn't he?" I remained quiet. "Luciana?" I set my eyes on him, filled with distrust and he frowned.

"Aren't you just going to tell the Ninth what I tell you?"

"Why would you think that?" I smirked wryly.

"I spent ten months as a Vongola Guardian, I heard a lot of things. This includes the number one hitman Reborn being an old friend of the Ninth and almost his lapdog." He did not like that comparison because his eyes turned cold.

"And you believe that?" I shrugged.

"I don't know, nobody told me I had to join the CEDEF." I smirked once again. "And I'm pretty sure other things are hidden from me, things that would make me see people differently."

"You're not wrong about that. What did Federico do?" I sighed.

"He told me I had a biological brother, like you said." I confessed quietly. "Half-brother."

"Xanxus isn't your half-brother but your brother Luciana." I didn't even widen my eyes. I barely raised a brow at him. "I've had my doubts for years, Federico telling you this just confirmed them."

"Why wouldn't he be my half-brother?"

"Because you both have red eyes whereas your mother has green eyes." Now I widened my eyes. What the… "As I said, I've had my doubts for years. After experiencing the worst side of the Mafia when you were a child, I wanted to make sure you wouldn't take the wrong path and looked deeper into it. I don't know who your father is, but I know your mother's identity." I bit the inside of my cheek.

I knew I had to have had a mother to be here today but...it was different to know she was alive and that I could know who she was just by asking Reborn.

"I...I'm not sure I want to know now." He nodded. "But for Xanxus..."

"I won't say a word to the Ninth." I looked back at the water.

"Why the interest in me Reborn?"

"Because you remind me of myself." I stared at him in disbelief. "The me of a long, long time ago. Before I was an Arcobaleno." Then, quietly he added. "Before I became Reborn."

He jumped back on Ebony and I followed him. As I rode back to the mansion, I could only think about how 'Reborn' was a weird name to give a child anyway.

"Reborn, it takes time? To get better?"

"Well, it depends. For now, see what you still have and cherish them. And cherish the training I will provide you."

For the rest of Arro's stay, I made a point of showing I was thankful. He noticed and I ended up going to Chicago with him for a week, Dino following.

It was nice and it kept my mind out of nasty thoughts.

Going back to CEDEF was weird. Everybody would look at me, and when I turned around they were minding their ow business. Iemitsu treated me the same way as always, even if now his kid, Tsunayoshi, was the last candidate to become the Decimo.

The thing was, Iemitsu had made a point of keeping his family away from the Mafia. His son had no idea of where he came from or what his father did for a living.

Were the Vongolas doomed? Yeah, probably yeah. They were screwed, unlike the Cavallones, now the third Family of the Vongola Alliance. Dino had a thing for management and Reborn brought this to the surface. It was because of this Dino finally told me there had been money issues for years that Dad had not managed to fix before he died.

"I mean, it's not I don't want to know what kind of person she is but..." I said, pacing in front of Dad's grave. "But it feels wrong to see her when I know I have a biological sibling you know." I stopped, my hands on my hips. "I...I guess it's okay just to ask Reborn though."

And the day Xanxus was freed we could just go see her together, right?

"Reborn!" I shouted as I ran back in the manor. I dived forward when he shot at me, destroying the vase behind me.

"Nice reflex." He landed in front of me, Leon going back on his hat. "What do you want? I told you I won't give you special bullets until you get better at shooting." I waved him off.

"I know that, even if I know you don't want to give them to me because with my Cloud Flame I will imitate your Chaos Shot easily." I raised my hands in front of me when his finger was at Leon. "Okay, okay, never mind. I just...want to know...about her you know?" He seemed surprise.

"Are you sure?" I nodded.

"I need to know, one day or another."

"Fine. Do we include Dino in this?" I pursed my lips and shook my head.

"Not for now please." I got up and we went to my room. He sat on my bed as I took the chair at my desk and pushed it in front of Reborn before sitting down. "So?"

"Well, you were born on May, 7th 1991 in Latina, near Rome, in a very poor neighborhood. It seems that Xanxus, contrary to you, has had his flame ever since he was born. Poverty drove your mother a little bit insane and she convinced herself the Ninth was the father." Huh, that fit Federico's story.

"I see. She...she's still alive then?" He nodded and I frowned, my eyes becoming cold. I grabbed my gun, a beautiful Desert Eagle, in mat black with a purple grip, and aimed at the door. It was opened by an embarrassed Dino. "The fuck?"

"Sorry, I overheard your conversation?" I sighed and put down my weapon. "So...you want to know about your birth family?"

"You could say that." I turned back to Reborn. Dino wouldn't budge from my room, I knew it. "You said she was mentally ill or something?"

"Yeah." I pursed my lips. I wanted to know more about the circumstances that put me between the Estraneos' hands but...she wouldn't be able to give me answers if she was not okay in her head.

"Dino, would you do me a favor?" He nodded. "Could you put her in a mental institute under heavy surveillance? I want to know more, but it will be pointless to ask her anything if she isn't fine. Damn, take her by force, drug her or whatever." Dino stared at me strangely but nodded anyway.

"Sure. Yeah I'll do that. By the way, what's that ring you have on your finger since we came back from Chicago?" I blinked and looked down at my right ring finger. It was a silver ring with an indigo stone, much like Arro's, except the stone on his was blue. "I heard his Family had found something about flames and rings, is that...?" I made a fist of my right hand, focused a little and a small indigo flame came out of the stone. Like Arro told me, it was all about will. "Wow. It makes your illusion better?" I nodded.

"I wanted a Cloud one, but he told me a Mist one should do for now as rings aren't known yet." I turned off the flame. "But Federico had told me about it too. I managed to lit my Vongola Ring. He was surprised I did it on the first try, but I just had to think of the Mafia and how I wanted to kill a bunch of them and the flame was the...what's with that face Dino?" His frown disappeared, but there was still something weird in his eyes.

"Nothing, it's nothing. I have some work to do." He left my room quickly and I shot a questioning look at Reborn. He shrugged.

"I don't know either Bakana. I wanted to know, does the VARIA know about you and Xanxus?" I crossed my arms on my chest.

"Superbi does, but he doesn't know I do. I don't think the others know anything." I jumped on my feet.

"Let's keep it that way for now. I feel a storm coming with this problem sooner or later."

"Yeah...you think that the day I meet him, it won't be pretty?"

"What I hope is that he won't force you into the VARIA. He wasn't...the most pleasant man to be around." He left my room too.

It wasn't as if I would join those trash anyway.

I closed my eyes when I felt like a pull around my necklace. I smirked at Mukuro when I saw him.

"Oh my, you've changed." I raised a brow.

"How so?"

"You seem colder." I chuckled bitterly.

"Do I? It doesn't matter anyway, good people die before they can make changes, might as well stop giving a fuck about it."

"Kufufufu, if you say so. Well, I wanted to check on you."

"I'm good." His eyes clearly didn't believe me, but he kept going.

"Well then, would you do something for me?" I shrugged. "I will escape Vindice soon, help me."

"How soon?"

"More than a year from now, but I want to make sure now I can count on you." I looked down at the ground. I didn't want anything I did to fall on Dino's shoulders later on, or even Iemitsu's for that matter.

But that was Mukuro asking. He wouldn't ask if he wasn't sure he needed help.

Worst case scenario possible, we would all go to Vindice. But that was Mukuro. If it wasn't for him I'd be dead by now.

"Tell me when you're ready." He seemed surprised.

"Oya, I though it would take more convincing on my part." I shrugged.

"I'll make sure they know it was my doing and not anyone else. No way I'm letting Dino pay for what I do."

Much like Dino, he looked at me weirdly before leaving my mind.

Once I was back in my room, I pulled a box from under my desk and sighed. In his will, Federico let me have his white Desert Eagle with the golden Vongola crest where the barrel and the grip of the gun met. He also gave me a box of letters.

All of them were for Xanxus. One of them, the most recent one I think, had an 'open me first' written in red on it.

I sighed.

How did he want me to give this to Xanxus anyway?

What a drag.

It was not surprising for me to be summoned in Iemitsu's office. It was surprising to see the Ninth in his chair and Iemitsu standing next to him though. I looked down at my clothes. Quickly, I rearranged my tie, which was not right.

"Hello." The Ninth attempted to smile warmly at me, to put me at ease, but I wanted to punch him instead. It wasn't as if he was my biggest fan ever I think.

"Your tie was fine Luciana." I snorted in disdain.

"I'm a maniac when things aren't right." The Ninth cleared his throat, Iemitsu standing stiff next to him.

"As you know, today my only remaining successor is Iemitsu's son, Tsunayoshi. He is currently a twelve year-old boy with no experience with the Mafia." I shot a quick look at Iemitsu, who didn't let any transpire.

"I have heard of him before." The Ninth nodded.

"This has been agreed between Iemitsu and I. In a few months, I will send Reborn in Namimori to tutor Tsunayoshi. However, beforehand Iemitsu will send one of his men in Namimori to...bodyguard his son and select a few potential Guardians." I nodded curtly.

"As I am only two years older than him, I can be his 'senpai'?"

"That's right," Iemitsu agreed. "The school year starts in April in Japan, Tsuna will enter middle-school. You've graduated high school last June, but the school programs are not the same so it would be easy for you to be put in the class above him." I frowned at my Boss.

"With honors Iemitsu. With fucking honors." He laughed and scratched the back of his head.

"With honors, of course!" Who knew, Reborn knew exactly how to make me work enough for me to graduate Mafia School at fourteen, basically two years after Dino.

What could I say, I was the smart one.

That picture of me on my graduation day with Dino, Reborn, Leo and Federico was proudly on my bedroom wall.

"And, if possible, I would like you to become Tsunayoshi's Cloud Guardian." I glared at the Ninth.

"Fuck off." Iemitsu glared at me, but I ignored it. "I was Federico's, don't try to transfer me to someone else. I'll find a Cloud myself, but I won't be his Cloud." He smiled and I felt something slowly breaking inside of me. Probably my patience.

"I see. Iemitsu will give you the details later."

I was dismissed.

"Japan?" Dino repeated, Sawada Iemitsu sitting in front of him, Reborn on his side on his desk.

"Luciana is not in the best mental shape right now, it would not be a smart move to send her so far from what she knows," Reborn told them, eyeing his student.

"Namimori is a pretty town, it is calm too. And every young people should experience living abroad!" Iemitsu retorted with a goofy grin.

"I agree," Dino said firmly, surprising the other two. "A change of scenery can do her some good."

"Dino..." Dino glared at his tutor.

"You want to train her, fine. But not now Reborn. I'm her older brother, I still make decisions. How did she take this order?" Iemitsu pursed his lips, looking at the ceiling.

"Surprisingly better than expected. The Ninth seemed to expect her reaction though." The Japanese man got up and shook Dino's hand. "On this note, I have to leave. Thanks for receiving me."

"Goodbye Iemitsu." Once he was out of the room, Reborn walked in front of his student with a serious face. Dino sighed. "Italy is filled with bad memories. She won't be able to move on if she's surrounded by them."

"So you're sending your not even fifteen year-old sister on the other side of the world alone."

"Yes, and don't try to change my mind Reborn. We're not blood related, but she is my sister. I'm her guardian." Dino rose from his chair. "I'll have a talk with her."

As he walked through the hallways to reach his sister's door, he could not help but think it was the best decision. Luciana's eyes had started to darken once she came back from Russia, and by now he could see the hitman's in her coming to the surface. She showed a total lack of caring when she said she would kill people. In a way, as Reborn had taken an interest in training her as a hitman, he was not totally surprised, but the change had been too fast to be a good sign.

A small part of him wondered if her wish to learn to fight to defend herself had not changed. A small part of him wondered if in a part of her mind, she had not wanted power to make the Estraneos pay.

He knocked on her door. He also had to tell her why she was adopted exactly. Their father never swallowed that pill completely as she was completely lost when it came to human interactions when they adopted her, but it was his job, now that she was old enough, to tell her.

"I'm not in there," a girl voice told him flatly. He turned around to see his sister next to him, a lollipop in her mouth. "You need something? Because I just talked with Iemitsu as he was leaving. You agreed quite easily apparently."

"So did you I heard." They stared at each other in silence, until Luciana took her candy out of her mouth.

"Sorry." Dino blinked and raised his brows in confusion. "You're acting weird around me, sorry if I did something wrong." He sighed and ruffled her still long raven hair. Her hair had never really changed. Reaching the middle of her hair, straight and bangs, locks at the middle falling between her eyes. She also had two longer locks of hair framing her face, longer than her bangs but shorter than the rest. All of this made her ruby eyes popping out even more.

"It's nothing. Let's go in your room, I want to talk to you." Once they were sitting on her bed, crossed legs in front of each other, Dino rubbed the back of his head, under his sister's patient gaze.

She was always patient with him, just like she always made sure to keep the damages his clumsiness caused to a minimum.

Dino's weird.

"You're weird." He laughed nervously. "If you don't want me to go to Japan..."

"No! No, I want you to go to Japan, Italy is filled with bad memories and I think you need fresh air away from the country for some time." I smiled faintly.

"Agree." He sighed in relief. "I'll miss you though."

"I hope so!" I chuckled and his face became serious. "However, before you leave I want to confess something. About your adoption." I frowned. "Just...I love you, you're my sister no matter what. And you were Dad's daughter and he loved both of us equally." My frown deepened. "Do you...remember your first month here? Before you were adopted?"

"Yeah. I was in 'captivity'. Great captivity though. Very welcoming. Five stars."

"Yeah...well, Reborn had contacted the Vongolas. Most of the Estraneos and their test subjects died a long time ago, and because of their inhuman experiences, if a test subject was to be found..." I clenched my fists.

"You adopted me to keep an eye on me? Because I'm a...a freak?" Dino widened his eyes and grabbed my shoulders, his nails digging in my sweater.

"You're not a freak Luciana! And...and in a way yes, because the Vongola didn't want you in the nature, but you were alone and that Alaric left you with us because you needed attention. It's...fuck, I'm sorry." I blinked. Dino...cursed? "Dad and I love you nonetheless, we're family. The Vongolas...I mean, I've known them all of my life but I've always despised how they treated you. We didn't have a choice but to let you join the CEDEF or they would have taken you away and..." I put a finger on his lips.

"I get it Dino, it was too risky for them to let me out of their radar. You weren't even the Boss, it's not your fault." His gaze became sad and he sniffed.

"An..."

"You consider me as your sister, right?" He nodded firmly. "Then that's all I need."

I would ignore the lump in my throat, the burn in my eyes. They loved me nonetheless.

Even if in the end, I would always be an Estraneo guinea pig to the Mafia. I would always be that. I would always be a street rat turned into a freak.

"Was that all?"

"Heh...the most important. I...I just didn't want to keep that for me anymore. We'll look over apartments together and I'll go with you to help settle down, 'kay?" I nodded. "Just...I know now I'm the Boss and you're in CEDEF we don't spend as much time together as before but...it's easy to follow the wrong path in our world, so if you start having doubts, just call me. I'll come right away."

"Thanks bro." His smile was warm and relieved when he left my room. Mine fell the moment my door was closed.

I lied in a way. I wouldn't call Dino, I would make sure he wouldn't be blamed for my actions. I had already accepted to help Mukuro escape the Vindice prison anyway. Knowing that outside of Dino and Dad, I was merely an Estraneo freak just made this anger stronger.

I looked at my hand as my flame appeared, warm and making me safe as always. The Mafia didn't even see me as a human being, did it? That fucking Timoteo...the more I learned about everything, the more I learned he…

Tch, trash, all of them. Federico and Leo looked at me as one of them, but now they were gone. Arro...had no idea I had been between Estraneos' hands, and Dino just told me I was his sister and Dad loved me.

The others?

I was an Estraneo trash.

I chuckled dryly. When I came here, I naively trusted everyone. I seriously thought they were thinking about my well being and all but...Be it Iemitsu, Reborn, even Fon…

Weren't they just trying to keep me in line so that I didn't try to get my revenge over the Mafia?

How stupid I was. I knew the Mafia was full of trash. Dino was an exception, but I stupidly extended this exception to anyone he knew.

Yet, I had mixed feelings over Reborn. He searched for my birth mother, but still had that weird interest in me.

I sighed.

I couldn't trust him either.

I wasn't sure if I could trust Dino for absolutely everything.

The only one I could really trust was me. It didn't mean I wouldn't die for my stupid big brother, but I wouldn't tell him everything. Anyway, Dad had asked me to have his back. If I told him about my problems like with that Giegue, I would put him in danger.

It was better to keep that for myself.

I would deal with it on my own.

I would often steal Dino's breakfast, a bad habit I picked from living with Reborn for so long. However, I didn't notice how his morning waffle was purple. He did and grabbed his phone right away to call Shamal as a girl with pink hair was so happy to see me eating her food.

Funny thing was, when I got better, Shamal was in no state to...do anything actually. Apparently, hitting on the girl, Bianchi from what I was told, whereas she was enamored with Reborn, and damn if that wasn't pedophilia I didn't know what it was, had not been my doctor's best decision.

But when did he take good decisions when it was about women?

In any case, Bianchi threatened me to kill me if I tried to take Reborn away from her. I deadpanned at her, told her I was more into people my age, but she kept eyeing me in suspicion.

"This one seems nice. Two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen connected to the living room," I told my brother, staring at his computer screen in his study.

"It's only a fifteen-minute walk from that middle-school, and it's close to the town center where there are all of the shops. The building is pretty secured too, with a badge and an intercom. It's on the top floor too, with an elevator...Okay, I'm buying it!" I kept him from using the mouse.

"Hold it Croesus! You can just rent it!" Dino stared at me a shook his head.

"You still have much to learn baby sis'." My eyes twitched. "Once you're done in Japan, I can rent it. It's ideally placed, I'll get a lot of money out of it." I parted my lips in awe and he smirked smugly. "What, I did get the Cavallones out of financial troubles and made it the third Family of the Alliance, I wouldn't have been able to do that if I didn't know a good deal when I see one." He wrinkled his nose. "Although...on the other hand I always think about a way to make money out of anything. You could get a lot of money if you sold all of those hats of yours." I glared at him.

"Touch one of my hat and you're dead meat brother."

"They're expensive hats and you don't even wear them."

"I do and they're quality hats!" He looked at me in mirth, enjoying picking on me.

"You never do!" I growled and left his study.

The next day, I had around thirty hats piled up on each others on my head.

Dino laughed.

Reborn sipped his espresso with a smirk.

I felt like a ten-year-old throwing a tantrum.

I looked at all of the bags scattered around my room. It was a lot. I stretched out my arms above my head, sighing in relief when I heard my spine cracking. I wouldn't say 'no' to an Early Grey tea now. But before, I went on my balcony, enjoying the fresh February wind. I was leaving the next day with Dino and started school next week. Iemitsu had dealt with all of the paperwork with Dino.

I leaned on the railing, my eyes staring at the naked trees of the woods surrounding the mansion. I went back inside and ran to Dino's study. He raised a brow at me from his paper.

"I'll go for a stroll with Ebony, same place as usual. I have my phone with me." He nodded.

"Take a coat, it's cold." I grinned at him.

"Yes Dad!"

I ran outside, my coat and boots on and Ebony was more than happy gallop among the wet dead leaves. The snow had melted quickly after all. Once we reached the pound, I jumped on the ground and patted my horse in his head.

I wouldn't be home for a while. I only knew Japan from mangas, how different was it in real life? Oh! I could make curry though!

I frowned and turned around, ready to fight but widened my eyes at the man in front of me. His hair was still purple, but tied in a low ponytail that reached his chest as it was resting on his shoulder, short locks framing his face and his golden eyes.

Golden eyes.

"I had no idea how to approach you without shocking you too much Miss."

"Alaric?" I whispered faintly. He looked...adult. In my memories, he was a teenager. But in my memories, I was a six-year-old brat. I was almost fifteen so...he should be twenty-five this year. He was ten years older than me. Although, he was wearing a clearly expensive suit, totally different from his clothes back then. "You're not working with Simon anymore."

"It's...a long story and I won't bother you with that." He looked at me up and down and smiled faintly. "I had a good hunch after all, leaving you here was better than the Vongolas." I narrowed my eyes.

"You know about...him?" He nodded.

"I do. I didn't trust the Vongola Ninth with you." I pursed my lips. I couldn't really say he wasn't right.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing in particular. I just wanted to check on you in person before you leave the country." I frowned. 'In person'? "Oh, he has not told you then?"

"Who?"

"The hitman teaching Don Cavallone." I blinked. Reborn had been in contact with Alaric all these years? "I can't blame him though, I did ask him not to tell you about it. I just assumed he would do what he wanted."

"Sounds like Reborn." Reborn told me I reminded him of his old self...maybe we shared similitude in our pasts and wanted me to shield me from some stuff?

I smirked.

That was Reborn. As if he would shield me, he threw Dino against a bear back in the days after all.

I raised my brows at Alaric's golden eyes staring at me.

"Something else?"

"Just be careful of what Rokudo Mukuro asks you to do." I scowled at him. "Although his distasteful illusions are somewhat good," I sweat dropped. Was he like that before? "Be smart enough to consider your actions and their consequences."

"The fuck do you know about Mukuro and I?" He closed his eyes.

"Enough to know you would risk your safety for him. However, I can't keep you from doing it. After all, it's through choices and mistakes one grows."

"So it's a mistake?" He smirked faintly.

"Do you think it's a mistake?" I looked down as his eyes were back on me. "Just be sure to always get something good from your choices." On this note, he left.

Needless to say, the moment I was in my new apartment in Namimori and Dino had left back for Italy, I was not in the best mood ever.

Fratellanza

Thanks for reading this chapter!