Disclaimer: I own the OCs, the rest is Akira Amano's work.
Fratellanza
I had been training with Kyoya, basically getting used to my Cloud ring and how to not use too much with my gun, when Arro entered the room. He was uncomfortable, and me standing in front of him, hands on my hips and a frown on my face, just staring at him was making it worse. He pulled on his collar, looking at Kyoya for help.
"Kyoya?" I shot Kyoya a look above my shoulder.
"So you are friends now! He grew on you too, didn't he?" Kyoya just looked away. "Anyway, Arro..."
"Don't hit me again!" I smiled faintly.
"I'm good now." I looked up at him, blue eyes still wary of me, and I chuckled. "It's so weird to see you older. We've always been on the same level and now I'm far behind."
"Ten years behind," Kyoya felt the need to add. My brow twitched and I was engulfed in a warm embrace.
"Lulu, you're lucky to be cute otherwise I would resent you." I snickered. "Yep, the cuteness hides the evil and the horns." The hug was cut shot by Kyoya growling behind us. "Sorry, sorry, I'll stop being 'indecent'." The arms around me were gone in an instant and I rolled my eyes.
Stupid Kyoya.
"By the way Arro, I suppose you're like the ring and Box Weapons expert around here?" He scratched the back of his neck.
"Kind of. Sawada, Gokudera and Yamamoto already came to me to ask information." I nodded. Good. After all, Arro saw these things coming to life. "Why?"
"Where are Kyoko's and Haru's rings?" He blinked in confusion. "If I was around and important, then one way or another, they got rings to at least protect themselves." There was nothing for a couple of seconds and Arro burst into laughter.
"You got that right!" I waited for him to be done with laughing and he took a deep breath. "The Kyoko and Haru of this era agreed to give them to me for a while until the Millefiore crisis is over."
"Who gave such a stupid or..." His stupid grin answered me.
"You didn't want them to go straight into the fight, at least that's what you told me."
"Giving them to the girls of my time would be stupid, but at least...they deserve to know."
"They do, but it's not up to you." I pursed my lips and turned to Kyoya, who was observing us.
"Hey, if Tsunayoshi has to get into his future self's shoes, what about me?" He frowned. "Do I have to do the same?"
"No," he replied darkly. Arro cleared up his throat.
"Actually it would be a great help, this Sawada is still young and you're more..."
"No," Kyoya stressed, glaring at my best friend. He sighed and grabbed Kyoya by his sleeve. "Let go."
"Lulu, get back at Flame control training, I need to have a word with him!" He shut the door behind them, leaving me in one of the training room on Kyoya's side of the base. I did train for a few minutes, but Arro raising his voice made me stop.
I crawled closer to the door.
I couldn't hear every word, but I knew Kyoya was angry, Arro was getting angry and they were not agreeing on something.
"Bakana will act as her older would if she was here, end of discussion." I heard Reborn say strictly.
I jumped on my feet and went back to training when the door was opened.
Kyoya did not look happy at all. Reborn smirked at me.
He knew I was eavesdropping, didn't he?
"How is it going?"
"It is going. Flame control is nothing new to me." He nodded.
"Good. Hibari will take care of the Cloud Flames, I will take care of training you with your gun." I blinked in confusion. "In this era, I took you away for a couple of years for training. Arroganza came as well."
"Really?"
"We don't have as much time, but I'll get you ready. It will have nothing to do with the training you received from me so far." He turned to Arro, who was muffling a laugh. "You'll take care of Yamamoto. I don't care about any issues you may have with him, you're the best option for a tutor for him, as a swordsman and as a student of mine. Don't disappoint me." Then, it was Kyoya's turn. "You won't mind taking care of Tsuna as well, will you?" He closed his eyes.
"Alright."
I was exhausted once we were done for the day. As I walked through the hallways, I saw Tsunayoshi, with Bianchi, Haru and I-Pin. There was...a bad smell in the air…
I pinched my nose and Bianchi noticed me.
"Luciana!" she exclaimed with a big smile. Huh? I wasn't close to her at all.
"It stinks, I'm leaving."
I wanted a good, long bath.
"Heh? I have the day off?"
"Hn."
"Is it really okay?"
"If you overuse your Flames, everything we did so far will have the opposite effect." He wasn't wrong about that.
"I can do what I want?"
"As long as you don't go outside." I pouted and he narrowed his eyes. "Especially to buy cigarettes." I glared.
"You said I could get what I wanted."
"Not something ruining your health." I glared harder and turned around, slamming the sliding door behind me.
I needed nicotine. I managed to steal some from Hayato but Kyoya saw it, I was smoking in his 'garden' anyway, and hit me with his tonfa. I dodged the first one.
I didn't see the second one coming though.
I kept insulting him as I made my way through the Vongola base.
"How is it going? Can you fix it?" I heard a male voice ask. I stopped near the open door of the room and leaned my head to have a peek.
"Well, according to the wiring diagram, I made a wiring error close to the Namimori shopping center." Hum...I looked up at the screens. One of them was black.
The guy though…
"Luciana-sama!" That was weird. I waved and joined them completely.
"Luciana-nee!" I blinked at the guy and gaped a little.
"Fuuta?" He nodded enthusiastically. "Damn you grew up a lot."
"I know," he replied with a smile. "Shall I go fix it Giannini-san?"
"Well it's..."
"Don't worry, I know how not to be seen." I raised my hand.
"Can I come?" It got me their attention. "I need to go outside. I know how not to be seen as well."
"If you're volunteering to go as well..." Giannini trailed off. "Fine, would you mind purchasing some things for me?"
Shortly after, I was leaving the base with Fuuta, sunglasses and a black hoodie on, some cash in my pocket. The Future was stressful, I smoked if I wanted to.
I took a deep breath of fresh air once outside.
"You haven't been outside since you've arrived, have you?" Fuuta asked me and I nodded.
"And Italy wasn't the best place to begin with in this time." His smile was more strained.
"I can imagine." We walked in silence for a few minutes in the woods. "Tsuna-nii's death was terrible for everyone. The Luciana-nee of this time told Bianchi-nee and I to keep doing what he ordered us to do but...she was struggling with so many responsibilities. It's almost as if she was taking this personally." With the Mare ring having chosen me as a potential suitor...if she refused knowing what Byakuran could do, it was guilt. "When CEDEF fell, it was as if the last string was broken."
"Who's leading now?"
"No one and everyone at the same time. Of course, the heads of the Alliance like Dino-nii and the Guardians still have authority but...it's hard." We reached Namimori. "You came to buy cigarettes, didn't you?" I smirked at him.
"You saw right through it?" He chuckled.
"Kind of I guess. Luciana-nee is ranked fifth out of one thousand three hundred and eight people for always trying to get something out of every situations." I snickered.
"Sounds like me."
The shopping district was crowded. I looked around like a tourist, trying to spot any changes the past ten years brought. Apart from some new shops and shops I knew now absent, nothing had really changed.
I quickly bought a pack of cigarettes and went back to Fuuta, who was busy fixing the wiring issue. He seemed frustrated.
"Fuuta?"
"Did you sense him?" he asked me without looking back.
"Sense who?"
"Lambo followed us and got kidnapped." Wh...I was gone for five minutes and...how did I not sense the brat? "He's leaving a trail of grape candy behind and...what are you doing!?"
"Fix the problem, I'll get the stupid brat back and make him wish he never followed us," I replied coolly, seeing said purple candy.
I followed the trail, like Hop-o'-My-Thumb would. I was not running or anything. Actually, a part of me wished for Lambo to annoy the guy to death because I never signed to babysit some bratty kid.
I finished my walk near the riverbank. Lambo was on the bank, held by an ugly guy.
"Lambo," I called him calmly and they turned toward me.
"Ha Luciana!" the kid greeted me.
"Oh you're already here! I'm Giaggiolo from the Millefiore Family! If you don't want this kid to get hurt, tell me where your base is!"
"What a stupid trash you must be for declining your identity like that." From the corner of my eyes, I saw Fuuta running toward me with Tsunayoshi.
"You little..." He lit up his ring, and I did the same. His Cloud tornado was there for barely a second as Cloud literally sucked in all of the flames. "What!?" I grabbed my gun and shot a purple bullet to his wrist, making him drop Lambo. Cloud grabbed Lambo by biting his mid section and brought him to Tsunayoshi.
I sighed and slid down the grass. He tried to run away but Kyoya got him bef…
Huh? Kyoya? Outside?
I was in deep shit.
"Senpai? Are you alright?" Tsunayoshi asked me, Cloud swaying by his side. He went back inside his box.
"Too much flames absorbed at once?" I muttered to myself, looking at the box in my hand. "And yes, I'm fine. I fought others his caliber on my way here when I escaped." He sighed in relief.
"It's your Box Weapon then? You...you really joined the VARIA?" I put the box in my pocket.
"It seems so, but I doubt it was to gently obey my brother. Maybe I was monitoring the..." I stopped talking when I felt the dangerous, furious dark aura behind me. Tsunayoshi's terrified eyes and him stepping back made me gulp. "Kyoy..." His tonfa hit my back harshly and I made a step forward with a growl.
The jerk grabbed my wrist and threw me on his shoulder like a potato sack, his arm around my legs.
"Kyoya! What do you think you're doing!?"
"Making sure you won't run away before I bite you to death." He turned around and started leaving. Tsunayoshi was scared for me, obviously, Lambo didn't understand and Fuuta...was he smiling at Kyoya's stupid antics?
Hopefully for me and the little dignity I had left, he put me down rather quickly. It didn't mean he didn't hold me at all as my wrist was still in his death grip. It was very quiet until we reached his base, but once inside, he basically threw me in the room and I fell from the force he used.
"Alright, before you say anything, I was going to stay inside, but I overheard them talking, and Fuuta's not a fighter so..."
"You disobeyed me." I frowned.
"Me seizing an opportunity is nothing new Kyoya, and I may be from the past but I don't owe you any obedience, you're not my brother, father or boyfriend. Actually, I wouldn't owe obedience to the last one either, it's not the Middle-Age anymore." His gaze was...unreadable. I knew it was a bad one, but that was it.
"What would you have done if you had had problems because of your health?" I froze for a second. That… "You're not in your time, Namimori is no longer protected from anything like it is in your time. You couldn't be left alone before and you definitely can't be left alone now."
"You think I don't know what my body can and can't handle? I know I can't take inconsiderate risks right now, but even if I took advantage of the situation, Fuuta was still at risks!"
"You'll fight all you want later on, but for now it's training only."
"I wasn't picking a fight and you know it," I replied coldly. His eyes narrowed by a millimeter. "You're underestimating me."
"And you're overestimating your abilities." I gritted my teeth.
"You don't trust me to take care of myself?"
"In the current situation: no." I was taken back, a slight pang at my heart hurting me.
He scoffed at my reaction and walked briskly past me to go in his room. I did the same a few seconds later and just sat on my bed.
Was it me going outside or did something happen to him for Kyoya not to trust me? Even in the case he was worried, who did he think he was to treat me as a child or as if he had any rights to be so intrusive? It hurt to hear him say he didn't trust me but…
Damn, something must have happened.
"Where are we going?" I asked Kyoya as we walked past the usual training room we used.
"You'll see." Hum, still pissed at me.
We entered the Vongola base and as we got closer to a door, I could hear faint voices behind it. Right before entering, Kyoya pulled a box from his pocket and lit up his ring, his hedgehog going straight at Tsunayoshi once we were in the room. Tsunayoshi flew to the top of the wall and used his own flames to stop the bright purple ones of Kyoya's Box Weapon.
Talking about Kyoya, the guy walked casually in the room as if he owned it.
Not gonna lie, he had always known how to make an entrance. He...was pretty cool, even I had to give him that.
I followed him, keeping some distance as I felt there would be a fight soon.
"If you lose focus, you'll die," Kyoya's cold voice stated calmly. "I'm going to pry open your capacities." His hair was being blown softly by the air created by the clash of flames.
Damn, yeah older Kyoya was hot, I couldn't deny it, but these stupid hormones of mine were making me lose focus!
Fuuta and Lambo arrived behind me. They talked briefly, the others did as well but I just walked up to Reborn who silently jumped on my shoulder to sit on it, my eyes glued to Tsunayoshi. He pushed the animal back a little, and after a long while he finally froze it.
I didn't want my Cloud to end up like that.
Against all odds, purple clouds starting to spread and surrounded Tsunayoshi, who couldn't match his technique with the speed of the clouds. He ended up in a ball covered in spikes, which fell, or more like crashed, in the ground.
"It's only natural for the weak to die and return to the dirt," Kyoya said casually.
"What!?" Hayato replied angrily.
"Is he serious?" Takeshi muttered with incredulous eyes. "Hibari, do you want to kill Tsuna?" Kyoya looked at them.
"While I may have a reason to kill Sawada Tsunayoshi, I certainly have no reason to let him live." Huh...was it just me and it didn't make any sense?
"Anyway, it's time to start your training." They both turned to Reborn and I after the Arcobaleno's order, and blinked at my sight.
I didn't miss how Takeshi seemed to wince almost.
"But Reborn-san..."
"Reborn's right, there's nothing you can do for Sawada," Arro pipped up, arms crossed over his chest, a katana strapped to his shoulder. "Yamamoto, we're going."
"Hayato," Bianchi almost purred as she took her brother's face between her hands. "It's time for us to start as well." They started to leave.
"Bakana." I nodded and turned around. "Did you bring Federico's gun as well?"
"Yes, why?"
"From what I gathered, the Luciana of this time used it with bullets similar to Xanxus'. Although, the difference of power between yours and his Flames made the result drastically different." I hummed in thoughts. Nothing surprising in there.
Once we were in a room on one of the lowest level of the base, Reborn jumped down.
"Up until now, I've trained you so you would have the best aim possible, which you do after years of practice with Lal and I." Yep, I could touch anything even if it was moving, up to a certain distance of course, but still. I never really used my gun in big fights though because it was in hand-to-hand combat I could use my Flame of Wrath and since it was what got me out of a lot of life threatening situations as a kid, I...had troubles not to immediately rely on it. Reborn knew that and was actively trying to get me into situation where I needed my gun though.
You bet he didn't want to lose to Fon.
"Now, it's all about you learning how to mix gun skills with martial arts and illusions. You will also learn how to use your other gun and your Flame of Wrath in it without draining yourself from all your flames." He pursed his lips, Leon already in his gun shape. "Of course, I won't forget adding weights." I raised a fist weakly.
"Yeah..." He smirked.
"Let's start then."
However, for the following ten minutes, I could see he wasn't into it.
"Reborn, you're not focusing on me at all!" I whined childishly, which made him drop his gun.
"You noticed?" I twitched slightly.
"Of course I did, I've known you for years." He chuckled under his breath and I rolled my eyes.
"Come on Bakana, let's see how Dame-Tsuna is doing."
Needless to say, I was impressed at Tsunayoshi leveling up and accessing a purer Flame. I was glad to see him, little by little, honoring Federico's will.
Afterward was Hell with Reborn, but it was a victory getting out of his training alive. I mean, he was clearly training me as a hitman and the short amount of time we had made it ten times more intensive.
Dino and Tsunayoshi had it easy, these fuckers.
Alternating between Reborn's spartan training and Kyoya's ruthless training with my Cloud Flames was...interesting.
It was awful and terrifying, me fearing for my life at any second where I lost focus, but it was also productive and very efficient. Thanks to Kyoya's teaching, I could control my Cloud bullets once divided more easily, more efficiently. Reborn's training forcing me to go from illusions, to gun, to hand-to-hand, to Cloud, was helping me getting a better hang of the potential of Cloud Flames against Kyoya.
The big thing was...technically, from Reborn's point of view, as my Cloud Flame was my Sky Flame, I could, potentially I repeat, try to use them together or mix them a little bit. The thing was...I couldn't do it because my ring was a Cloud ring and I couldn't use Cloud Flames with my bare hands.
But I was progressing.
Hum? Lambo was just done with his bath apparently.
"There were a lot of boobies!" he yelled as I stopped behind him. I raised my head at the embarrassed teenagers that were Tsunayoshi and Takeshi. They saw me, my brow twitched when their eyes dropped to my chest area and they blushed even more.
"Seriously guys?" I asked them with a frown, my hands on my hips. "Perverts."
"It's not that at all senpai!" Tsunayoshi exclaimed with red cheeks and wide eyes. I pointed my finger at him.
"You watched me changing." Takeshi perked up at that and shot a quizzical look at his friend, who blushed even harder if possible.
"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"
"Seriously Tsuna?" the Rain asked him. I took advantage of their attention no longer being on me to walk up to them.
Then, I slapped Takeshi on the head. He cradled his head and shot me a shocked look.
"But why?" I glared at me.
"You think I didn't notice how you were avoiding me?" He shrunk back a little. "You're an idiot to feel guilty for something you didn't do. If anything, it's something that will not happen here, right? Then stop feeling guilty. It was an order from her anyway, your future self couldn't not obey the External Advisor." He rubbed his head with a frown.
"So I heard but...it's just..."
"You didn't leave me behind." He blinked at me and nodded slowly.
"Yeah...I didn't..."
"And you'll have my back even if I don't want to, isn't that what you said?" His eyes lit up and he stood up.
"You're right." Tsunayoshi appeared next to us, eyeing my face.
"Hibari-san?" My shoulders dropped and I sighed.
"I mean, I'm getting better but it's still not enough." I stretched out my arms above me, my spine cracking. "I'm going to see Arro."
I found him quickly, in Kyoya's base.
"Tsunayoshi and Takeshi are perverted teenage boys," I stated as I entered the room, Tetsuya watching the two idiots bickering.
Well, as much as these two 'bickered'.
"They're teenage boys then," Arro replied and I scoffed, sitting down. Him and Kyoya both had cups in front of them. I pointed at it.
"Can I have some?"
"No," Kyoya denied me immediately. I puffed my cheeks.
"It's sake Lulu, you're underage."
"It's the Mafia."
"Still underage," Arro insisted with a grin. Unlike the first time I saw him, he seemed...better. There was still something missing from the Arro I knew and loved but...it was better. "How is training going?" I gave him a thumbs-up and his grin turned nervous. "So...you really want to fight on the front line?" I frowned.
"Well yeah, duh."
"But...Byakuran has a weird interest in you, wouldn't it be safer if you...you know, stayed here?"
Then, two things hit me. First, it seemed like Arro knew absolutely nothing about the Mare Ring and why Byakuran was interested in me. Then, he...knew me, he knew me very well yet he wanted me to stay behind.
He was powerless and didn't want to let me fight.
"I'm fighting. I don't know where, I don't know when, but I'm getting back in my timeline and I'll fight for it." A small smirk crept up Kyoya's face as he took hold of his cup and lifted it to his lips. Arro's grin fell and a grim look took place on his face.
"Luciana, reconsider it. Your future self didn't…"
"I'm not her," I interrupted him coldly, my Flame of Wrath burning in my outstretched hand. "I still have this and Byakuran's an annoying trash." Arro turned his eyes to Kyoya, pleading for back up. The Japanese put down his cup.
"The baby and I are training her," he simply reminded him.
"So you don't want her to act as the External Advisor but sending her in a fight that's not hers is fine!?" Kyoya looked coldly at him.
"You're mistaken Arroganza." I pursed my lips. Kyoya...used Arro's full name. "It is her fight. I did not want her to act as the External Advisor because the way the Vongolas or CEDEF are for now is none of her business and would put even more pressure on her than there already is." I widened my eyes a little.
That...was why?
"I have never intended to keep her from fighting. It would be a waste of time on my side anyway." He got that right. Arro narrowed his eyes at me.
"Luciana, please..."
"No, you won't make me change my mind Arro." He stormed off a second after.
"Arro-san!" Tetsuya called after him. "Kyo-san, I will go make sure he doesn't do anything."
"Hn." Tetsuya left in a heartbeat, closing the door silently behind him.
"Thanks," I thanked Kyoya, who didn't look at me. "And thanks for...explaining..." He shot me an annoyed look.
"Wasn't it obvious?" I shook my head.
"I'm not a mind reader." He 'hn-ed' me and I rolled my eyes. "We're cool now?"
"Because you were still angry about yesterday?"
"You were too!" He raised a brow. "I mean you...cold…"
"It's how I am Ann'." I felt my cheeks heating up. "I just heard things from someone I am not fond of." I raised a brow and the annoyance in his eyes told me what I wanted to know.
"Is he okay? Mukuro I mean." He pursed his lips.
"True to himself I guess." I nodded to myself. It was good.
"And what about the people from Italy? Dino, Xanxus, Rick, Fran, Romain?" He turned his head to me so fast I thought he would break his neck.
"You met that French man?" I blinked in confusion.
"Yeah...I was surprised when Fran told me he was my Cloud but..." A soft smile spread onto my lips. "I want to find him now." Kyoya growled. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me on his lap. Or more like in the empty space between his crossed legs and a possessive arm was wrapped around my waist, my chin now on a broad shoulder. "Kyoya?"
"I don't approve of this man," he growled once again, but in my ear. I rolled my eyes, ignoring my stupid heart beating a hundred miles an hour.
"It's been ten years for you, you must be over this now." I hugged him back, patting his back. "And as I predicted, we're more equals than subordinate and boss in this era, right?"
"Hn." I started to be embarrassed by Kyoya hugging me though. "They're fine."
"Fran as well?"
"Rokudo Mukuro and Alaric trained him, it would be an embarrassment if he wasn't."
"Now I get why he's that good." I escaped Kyoya's embrace and stood up on my feet. "I think I'll go training again a little bit."
Tsunayoshi and his crew could take a break if they wished, I had to make sure I could have their back no matter what.
Even if it meant training harder than them.
Fratellanza
Thanks for reading this chapter! Thanks to AutumnBee124, RoLouA, Maistyria, TranquilRain11 and for their reviews! Yeah, Luciana's pretty dense, it's just how she is!
Bye!