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

Fratellanza

Shamal was not happy in the slightest when I woke up. I had an IV and an oxygen mask on my mouth.

"You're not leaving this hospital for at least a week." I rolled my eyes. "I don't care if you like it or not Luciana, you should have come to me when you noticed something wasn't right. Don't give me a shitty excuse like 'I thought it was a cold' because I told you to tell me anything you noticed! You were unconscious for a day and I don't want to deal with that moody guy again!"

"Kyoya?" I muttered weakly.

"Yes him! Schlang and Reborn had to convince him not to come in."

"Do...did you call my brother?"

"No, but given the Ceremony in a couple of days, he'll know. I doubt you can even go." I frowned.

"I have to," I croaked, trying to sit.

"Unless it's a question of life or death, you're not going anywhere. You don't realize the gravity of your condition Luciana."

"What is it?"

"Your kidneys. They're not doing great." I blinked in confusion at Reborn, standing next to my feet with a grim look. "Whatever it was you've taken before taking the hit in Tsuna's place, your kidneys didn't like it at all."

"Do I...Do I need a transplant or something?" I asked, panicking a little. I wasn't an expert, but organ transplants between family members were the best ones and if I could keep Xanxus far from my health issues, it would be for the best.

"Not yet. You'll have a change of diet, with less proteins, sodium and lipids, consume less liquids and then have medication if the diet isn't enough."

I stared at him in shock. I knew I was to die young, that my body would get weaker and weaker depending on what I would do but...I never felt my degenerative condition more than now. My fingers creased the sheet on my body.

"Luciana," Reborn said, jumping on my chest. "You're going to obey and stay in the hospital."

"Is it critical?"

"Not yet," Shamal informed me. "Most likely, you passed out because your kidneys finally eliminated all of the serum you injected yourself."

"Katryna took a blood sample from you in the future. She saw your kidneys were struggling with the serum and it was one of the main thing she wrote in the report she asked me to give Shamal."

"All of your organs took a hit, your lungs and your kidneys more than the rest. I still have tests to run."

He left but I heard his voice and others in the hallway.

Tsunayoshi and Takeshi coming in view felt refreshing.

"How are you feeling?" the Rain asked me worryingly.

"I've been better," I replied quietly. "You?" Takeshi elbowed Tsunayoshi.

"I've...I told the Ninth I didn't want the Vongolas." I didn't say anything. "Senpai?"

"I can't blame you. However, you're aware that people know you're supposed to be the Tenth? It means even if you don't become the Tenth, you won't be left alone. A Boss with no heir is better than one with an heir who just turned down the position." He looked down, clenching his fist.

Takeshi threw his arm around his shoulders.

"We're not here to talk about this but to cheer Ana up!" He pulled a bag of lollipops from his school bag but Reborn stole them.

"Bakana is going to be on a strict diet."

"But she can have one!" Reborn kicked Takeshi in the head.

"No."

"Heh...can I see the flavors at least?" Reborn stared at me. "The shape? Let me smell them."

"No." I sighed.

In the late afternoon, they removed my IV and allowed me to walk around the hospital, which I did after my great, wonderful, tasteless dinner. However, as I was going back to my room, something, or more like someone ran past me.

I was pretty sure it was Tsunayoshi.

I followed him as quickly as I could and froze at the number of people waiting in front of the emergency room.

Reborn arrived and the Shimons left. I sat in one of the chair against the wall. I listened to them, and to Tsunayoshi saying they would go to the Ceremony tomorrow. The only thing in my mind was...was how it was Takeshi in ER right now, fighting for his life because he was attacked at school.

Kyoya would not like that.

Still...once Takeshi's dad was there, panicked and crazy worried for his son like any parent would be, the doctors said it was very unlikely for Takeshi to ever walk again.

It was my cue to go back to my room. I immediately picked up my phone and dialed Iemitsu's number.

"Luciana?"

"Yamamoto Takeshi has been attacked by whoever killed the Giegues and will not walk ever again. CEDEF is an intelligence organization. I don't know how, but get Byakuran in Namimori. Now."

"I get the situation is bad but is Byaku..."

"Tell him it's me asking him for a favor. Maybe he will do it if it's me. Just get him on a plane and in Namimori asap, we need his medical knowledge."

"I'll see what I can do bu..."

"Thanks." I hung up on him and turned around, Tsunayoshi at the doorstep.

"I know you're not in the best health condition right now but..."

"I'll be here tomorrow," I cut him off. "I'll steal one of Shamal's mosquitoes if I have to."

"Thank you."

"And if I don't agree?" I looked down at Reborn coldly. He frowned. "Luciana."

"I'm going, I don't care what you might say."

Tsunayoshi, Takeshi and Kyoya. They were the three people I would protect with my life in this new tenth generation. I wouldn't let history repeat itself.

Over my dead, cold body.

"You won't back down?" I shook my head firmly and he sighed, his fedora hiding his face. "I do not agree with this, but there's no talking possible with you right now. Don't act recklessly."

At the moment, I couldn't care less about what he was saying. I found Shamal and harassed him. I had to bring up the fact I was fully aware of my condition but still in full possession of my faculties to make that choice. He complained about it, but he made one of his mosquitoes bite me. It would act like steroids basically, boosting my entire body for a limited amount of time. My flames were not completely, entirely back yet, but I would be able to move.

The next day, as Tsunayoshi and his crew were all going toward the castle rented for the occasion on the outskirt of Namimori, I drifted apart from their group to go into hiding. I was wearing dark skinny jeans, skin-tight black shirt, a jacket over it, dark boots and my guns on each side of my thighs. The Ninth had let me see a map of the castle. There was only one wall in the Ceremony room leading outside.

With the state of my flames, using my gun would be unsafe, too unstable. I had not really had any training with my new gun or ring and my Cloud Flames were not good enough at the moment. It would be illusions and hand-to-hand combat, like in the good old days.

I waited for maybe half an hour before the wall I was watching exploded. I got up from the branch I was on, hidden in illusions. From the rubles and dust came the Shimons. That good old Coyote was following them and his old age did not help him because he was seen quickly.

I sprung into action and got him out of the ice shards coming his way.

"Who's that!?" Koyo screamed in shock.

"Whoever it is I'm taking care of it," the bitch said with confidence. Enma shot her a look.

"Catch up quickly." They started to leave and I dispelled my illusions. Adelheid didn't look impressed.

"I see. Don Cavallone's younger sister and the previous Tenth Candidate's Cloud Guardian." I had a name. "You won't last long."

"Old man, get an ambulance, I'll need it," I whispered to him, sliding my foot back.

I knew I was making a mistake, fighting in my state and in the current situation. I knew that but…

They were responsible for Takeshi. Tsunayoshi and the others must have lost inside. If I could take down one of them I could die happy.

I would die happily if it meant finally succeeding today where I failed Federico and Leo two years ago. I kicked Coyote away when another round of shards of ice appeared in thin air, a light blue flames on her forehead. I stared at them coldly when they came my way.

They were...the speed of Reborn's bullets, or less, but training with him and Fon trained my eyes with speed.

I ran to them and jumped above them, using the top range to jump higher in the air. She didn't waste time to throw another round at me. I took a deep breath, my Mist ring lighting up to help me with the shape. With Flames of Wrath in each of my hands, I used the technique Fon had been teaching for some time now.

The Exploding Lotus Kempo.

A Chinese Dragon came out of my hands, made of Flames of Wrath, and it destroyed the ice coming my way and crashed where she was. I hid in my illusions again while she was busy dodging, landed and ran at her. She barely blinked that my hand was in front of her face, burning and close enough for her to feel the heat. She widened her eyes in shock and I was satisfied to see pure fear in her eyes. Fear of death or fear of me and probably my coldest, deadliest glare, I couldn't say.

I was going for the kill and her pretty head would pop like one of Pennywise's balloon.

I never touched her because her friend came. The one with the hat and glasses. He pushed her away, his weapon, a glove with things looking like claws, stuck in my forearm. I looked at my blood, unfazed, and tried to grab his hand but he jumped away.

"Wait Julie, she's different than the rest of the Vongolas! She's dangerous!" Adelheid yelled at him, getting her composure back.

"What, she impressed you or something?"

"No but..."

"The difference trash," I started coldly, "is that I'm not some dumb kid. I'm going for the kill."

"Adelheid, go." She pursed her lips and did. The smirk Julie had on his lips dropped. "Flame of Wrath? Surprising." I narrowed my eyes at him. "I guess you're Secondo's illegitimate descendant. How funny who you look like though."

"Funny how now I have you in front of me, I finally realize you were the one spying in the forest." I ran at him, flames covering my hands. He felt strangely familiar though, and what he said…

Who I looked like?

I widened my eyes when I had a scythe in my stomach. I spat blood, still unfazed. He frowned at that.

"It's supposed to hurt."

"Things stopped hurting eleven years ago, melon head. Or pineapple." His eyebrow twitched. "Nobody but Primo and his Guardians would immediately see I looked like this Lux." He seemed surprised.

"Nufufu~," he giggled, "you're smart girl! Too bad I'm going to kill you like I killed her!"

"No need." He removed his scythe and I fell, unable to move.

I wouldn't even be able to tell anyone who the bad guy was. I didn't know how he was still alive and how he came in the equation, but he was the bad guy.

He just said he had killed Alaude's childhood friend.

As I passed out, I couldn't help but think my blood was warm around me.

"Am I dead?" Mukuro rolled his eyes.

"You know, when I see you in your subconscious it doesn't always mean you're about to die." I raised a brow. "Even if you're in surgery. Again. I told you to stop getting too involved with Sawada Tsunayoshi, didn't I?' I averted my eyes. He sighed. "But you didn't really do it for him or Yamamoto Takeshi, did you?"

"Just let me die."

"Do you really want to die?" I pursed my lips.

I did not. I didn't want to die but...it just seemed so much easier to just stop and rest.

"It's Daemon Spade's doing." Mukuro shot me a curious look. "I don't know what's the story behind the Shimons and him, but he possessed one of them, or killed him and took his appearance."

"Wasn't he supposed to be in the Mist Ring?" I shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe some of his Mist Flames were in the ring and enough for him to stay connected to it. The question is how he can still be alive though."

"It's probably the reason why I can't get a hold of Chrome, again." He was not happy about it.

"For what it's worth, you're better than this guy." He smirked smugly.

"Kufufu well of co..."

"I mean, your hair color is cooler and the pineapple shape is more distinctive." There was a dead silence.

"I'm going to cut your tongue off."

"Wow, scary." He scoffed. "How's Vendicare?"

"Watery and silent. Boring."

"Do you know how long I'm going to stay unconscious?"

"I don't, but you seem to be more stable than in Russia." He looked up at the fake night sky, stars shining in it. My mind scape was basically a clearing with a rock in the middle of it, a pound next to some trees. Mukuro was sitting on the rock and I was laying down in the grass in the opposite way. "So Romain was alive."

"Yeah." Was he already in contact with the Vindice? "He resents me and will try to kill me apparently. I thought we were the only survivors."

"Obviously we weren't. It's possible an Estraneo grabbed him when you started to wreck the place as he was the most advanced subject."

"Can you believe it will be twelve years soon since that hell?"

"...I have to admit the lab you destroyed was different than the other one." I turned my eyes to him. "It was more flame-based. The other one focused more on the human physiology and how to change it."

"Equally inhuman trash," I spat. The lab I was in...it was run by my father. All of the Estraneos' labs actually, except if he only took care of the financial aspect of the experimentation.

"Ana."

"Hum?"

"Don't die already." I stared at the sky, pursing my lips.

"You'd cry?"

"Humph, I wouldn't go that far." I stuck my tongue at him. "You're quite good at keeping the skylark at bay."

"Oh don't worry, I would never get in-between you two and your blossoming love. Watch out for Arro though."

"You punched Sawada," Squalo repeated once again, sitting next to his cousin in the hospital.

"What are you still doing here?"

"I'm not going back in Italy until I know the brat's alright."

"Keep it in your pants pedophile." Squalo blushed a bright red.

"Vooiii the Boss would kill me on the spot! That's all!"

"Right..." Arro sighed deeply. "Sawada had it coming. He can't call these bastards his friends when they sent Yamamoto to ER, just like Lulu."

"Was she really angry during the Sky fight?"

"Yeah, she was."

Dino was a nervous mess, Romario not trying to tell him anything. He was in the same state that he was in in Russia.

Unknown to them, once Luciana was out of surgery, out of danger even if her body was recovering at a pace way too slow and that she would remain unconscious for some hours, Hibari slipped into her room.

The following evening, Squalo and Arro almost attacked the teenage boy in front of them. He was surrounded by CEDEF members and smiling.

"That's not a nice welcome."

"How can we welcome you nicely Byakuran!?" Byakuran blinked innocently.

"But Lucia-chan asked for me! Something about Yamamoto-kun being wounded." Dino stomped between the silver-heads and grabbed Byakuran by his shirt with a dark, desperate look in his eyes.

"My sister, can you do something for my sister as well?" Byakuran frowned.

"She got injured again." Dino nodded. "Sure, I owe her that."

"Wait Cavallone you can't..."

"It's none of your business Squalo!" Dino replied angrily.

At the corner of a wall, in another hallway, two people were watching the scene, eyes glued to Arro.

"I understood Luciana isn't doing great, but is the new guy really a bad guy? He doesn't seem like one," the girl said.

"It seems like there's history between them," the redhead replied. "Zelia, I don't think we should bring up our problems with Arro right no..."

"When Jeremiah!? That bastard left without a word and never called because of..." She gritted her teeth. "What's so great about that Luciana chick?"

"Jealousy doesn't look good on you. What I mean is the Vongolas are in the midst of troubles and somehow Arro is involved with them. Have you seen the long-haired one? I'm sure it's Arro's cousin."

"He is." The Americans froze and looked up at their friend, not staring at them and said cousin, who had dragged him to them.

"Deal with your friends," he told Arro before walking away.

I opened my eyes slowly. The curtains were closed, a thin glare of light peeking through. I looked toward it. It was the moonlight.

"Yo!" I blinked at the grinning Takeshi, standing on his own two legs, fully clothed.

"Takeshi? You're...alright?" He nodded.

"Yeah, thanks for making Byakuran come!"

"It's nothing." I sat up with no problem.

Actually...I felt pretty good. I felt better than the last time I was in the hospital.

I turned my head abruptly when I heard a bag popping. Byakuran was sitting in a chair, a bag of marshmallows in his hands. Empty bags were at his feet.

"I'm going to catch up with the guys, apparently they went on an island to stop the Shimons? That's a surprise!" His eyes became harsher for a second. "Really, I wasn't expecting it."

"About that..." I started, keeping an eye on Byakuran who was happily munching on his sweets. "Do you remember Daemon Spade?"

"Primo's Guardian who toyed with Chrome?"

"Yeah...I don't know how or the full situation, but he's possessing that Katou Julie. And I'm sure of what I'm saying, it's..." He raised his hand to stop me.

"I believe you Ana, no need to explain in full details! I'm going to meet up with the guys and tell them. I'm trusting you on this, and if you're wrong, then we'll get to the bottom of this." He showed me the necklace he had around his neck. "Leave it to us! Your job is to rest." I bit the inside of my cheek, a part of me wanting to tag along to know the full story.

"Okay, I'll leave it to you. Save their sorry asses and have a grand entrance." I raised my hand and we high-fived.

"Dino-san told me to tell him when I was ready, see you later!" He left.

I sighed. A part of me wanted to tag along, but the main part of me knew very well it was no longer my place. It was not my fight.

My fight was my health. I acted recklessly, purely based on anger and past failures I wanted to fix. In the end, even if I knew there was Deamon Spade involved, I couldn't stop them.

"Are you done putting your life on the line like that Lucia-chan?" I turned my eyes to Byakuran.

"Thanks for coming."

"Well you asked for me, how could I refuse?" His grin fell quickly. "To be honest, I was half expecting you to be in the hospital anyway."

"You have all of your memories? Future and parallel worlds?"

"Yeah. I had some knowledge before, or strong intuitions, but then during the earthquake everything came at once. It was disturbing for a second."

"I see. What did you do to me?"

"A little magic here, some science there~." I deadpanned at him and he sighed. "Really, you're no fun right now. I managed to get your Flame-level and overall physical abilities back to normal and healed the side effect the Trident Mosquito had. You'll have to be careful of your kidneys though. As for the stab wound, it won't even leave a scar and it will be as if nothing happened, as if your spine had suffered nothing!"

"I see." I tilted my head. "You're different."

"Is it bad?"

"No, if it means you won't die this time around it's good I guess." He gazed at me seriously. "I'm not crying for you again." He stayed quiet and got up.

"I have to go, my escort will grow impatient otherwise."

"Okay." He closed the door quietly behind him and I closed my eyes.

Dino would scream at me, I knew it. Alaric as well, Arro too, Shamal would handcuff me to the bed or just give up. They would all be right to do any of those things.

I hardly saw how I could justify my actions.

I was sitting on the edge of my bed, my feet grazing the cold floor. Dino was in front of me, staring at me in anger. I raised a hand to my now red cheek without saying a word, my eyes wider than usual.

Dino had slapped me. I couldn't remember if he had ever slapped me before, but he just had. My mouth was as dry as a desert, no word coming to my mind. I could only stare in silence as my brother crouched on the floor, his face in his hands.

"Dino..."

"Don't speak, I don't want to hear you right now." I bit the inside of my cheek as he got up and sat down in the chair next to the bed. "Do you even think before acting?"

"I'm sorry."

"Well being sorry doesn't solve anything Luciana!" he snapped at me, eyes full of anger. I looked down. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" I flinched a little. He never really screamed at me either. "You're lucky to even be alive!"

"I know," I whispered quietly.

"You know what's the worst? It's that I can't even scream at the one who's truly responsible because he's been dead for two years!" I shot him an offended look.

"Don't bring Federico or even Leo into this!"

"Why not? I'm sure it's one of the last things he told you that pushed you to do that." I opened my mouth. "But ultimately, I don't picture him as a guy who would have asked of you to sacrifice your life like that, so you've mixed his words with your guilt and your desire to do better than last time, didn't you?"

"How...how did you..."

"You're my sister, I know you! I asked Reborn why he would let you go and do you know what he told me? He told me you had the exact same look in your eyes than after their deaths! You don't need to be a genius to understand what went through that stupid head of yours! And I doubt you were in the best spirit since everything that happened in the Future as well! If you want to die so much then just say so!"

"I don't want to die!" I screamed back at him. I was fighting the tears building up in my eyes as much as I could. Federico and Leo...everything was coming back to me, Leo falling dead at Federico's feet, Federico pushing me with fatal wounds on him… "I just...I just thought this time I could protect them or at least do something!"

"Luciana, I know where you're coming from but you're not Tsuna's Guardian. It's not your job. Even if you had something to do with the Mare Rings, you were already too involved for my taste in the Future against Byakuran. If you keep acting like that, I'll force you to come home."

"I know. I...I know it's not good for myself how I'm behaving, but I...I feel like I'd fail Federico and Leo again if I don't stay close to them..." My brother sighed and sat down next to me. He wrapped his arms around me and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"I think they would feel more guilty than anything if they knew you couldn't move on entirely." I nodded and sniffed. "Don't you want to go home with me?"

"Not yet. Maybe in a year or two but...not yet."

"If your health gets too bad I'm not giving you a choice."

"Shamal told you about my kidneys?" I felt him nodding stiffly. "Sorry, I didn't want to tell you until all of the medical exams were done."

"What was this serum you used?" I pursed my lips.

"An activator. I...I took a hit for Tsunayoshi. In the heart." He tensed. "I blacked out and when I woke up, I had no wound, just blood all around me. I'm sure I died for a few seconds but the serum activated what's already in my body and healed me."

"I see." He hugged me tighter. "I see." I returned his hug. "Luciana, can you...no, huh...just remember you're the only family I have left." I raised my head to look at him. "I know you're slowly discovering stuff about your biological family and that now Xanxus' here but...you're the only family I have left since Dad died so..."

"Leaving you alone was never my idea." He scratched the back of his head and I buried my face in his shirt. "Never. You're home. I love you." He sighed in relief and buried his face in my hair.

"I love you too."

Fratellanza

Thanks for reading this chapter! Thanks to tenimyuohtori for their review!

Bye!