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

Fratellanza

Growing up was something everybody had to go through at some point in their lives. It was symbolized differently, through different obstacles crossed and through what we learned, what we were taught, what we were doing, the decisions we made.

Good or bad, big decisions would make you grow.

And as you grow up, people come and go in your life. You learned from them. Some people would stick around for the rest of your life, while others would be here for a limited amount of time just to teach you things. Of course, you never realize this when you're with them, and sometimes you think they will be with you forever.

I smirked sarcastically.

It was how life went, at first people leaving your life hurt but eventually, you move on.

Life didn't wait for you to get over people.

"Ana," Dino said through the door, "we're almost there."

"Got it," I replied blankly, sitting up on my bed.

The pitch caused by waves had finally calmed down. I shot a look at my reflection in the mirror. My hair grew back down to my chest, my old bangs completely drowned with the rest of my hair. However, my black roots were visible, contrasting with the electric blue I had going on at the moment.

The tattoo I had on my collarbone was visible due to the thin strip of my slinky black tank top and oversize dressed shirt I stole from Xanxus over it. The sleeves were rolled up to my elbows, leaving the several bangles I had on my right wrist visible. My blue jeans were ripped at the thighs and my bootlaces were not tied, I just stuffed them inside the combat boots I had.

I quickly grabbed my mascara and put some on my lashes, careful not to mess up because of the boat. My plum lipstick was still on, but I added some.

My eyes dropped to the pendant on my chest. The ruby shone faintly when a gleam of the sun slipped through the closed curtain. It was just a teardrop-shaped ruby pendant with a small circular diamond above it on a white golden chain.

Xanxus' birthday present for my eighteenth birthday. He was sick of seeing the old, metal with rusty edges necklace around my neck. He had money, he could get me a better was what he said. He did.

I still had the old one though, always in my pocket. I had it for so long, I felt naked without it.

I grabbed my bag and laptop before exiting the cabin. Dino was already on the deck so I joined him, pulling my black beanie down so that it didn't move.

"Hey sis', look at that!" He pointed at the island we were approaching. I raised an impressed brow.

For something built in what, four years or something? It was impressive.

I could see a few skyscrapers from where I was.

"Apparently it's a modern university city but still very Italian looking."

"But 'Italian looking' means old looking. Well...Europe you know."

"I know, but they need modernity for their research. Are you excited?"

"Kind of yes," I told him with a nod. "Hopefully it will be more challenging than I remember Mafia School to be." He laughed and put his arm around my shoulders.

"At least you can pick what you're studying!" He looked at me with a proud glint in his eyes. "I can't believe my baby sister is going to university!"

"Is it really that hard to believe?"

"Well...I don't know, you don't really need it but it makes me happy you want to experience it." I took the pamphlet there was in his hand.

"They sold their stuff quite well."

It was September 2009, I was eighteen and about to start my first year of university.

After we went back from the Future, Basil mentioned it. A bigger version of Mafia School was in construction. It was true in a way.

I looked at the pamphlet. It was a university city made for Mafia people. There were classes specially made for Mafia subjects but also many regular ones, to have the knowledge you need to be successful in your Mafia life. It was also the new research center for Dying Will Flames and Box Weapons and everything related to it.

Arro told me Verde would work there from now on.

Anyway, there were five different 'Universities' in that city. They were oriented toward certain subjects, even if all of them touched all subjects, but the 'rank' of the school differed. Depending on your Family's state, wealth and reputation, you would get in a particular school.

Well, it wasn't entirely right. It depended on your 'sponsor'.

We were sent there to get better, it was an investment, so students had sponsors. Although Iemitsu could have been a good choice as he allowed me to take a year off to study, Dino being my brother, he was my official sponsor. Said sponsors were or the Family you belonged to, or a relative of yours.

Then, once you had a sponsor, they enrolled you in the entrance exam.

Damn was it a tough one.

First of all, for the first time in my life my Mafia School diploma was useful. If you had one, proof you were Mafia educated, you skipped the written exam solely based on the Mafia itself. If Tsunayoshi were to go there, he would need to take that exam unless Reborn made him take an exam equivalent to the one I had when I was fourteen.

After this, you had contextual exams related to the Mafia, but also your own way of dealing with various situations. Then, there were fighting exams. Of course, if you skipped the first exam, you would get more easily in a school because it was the Mafia, fairness was a total stranger. You get here first, you get a spot.

The jury would take your result and your sponsor into account before accepting you in a school.

I was accepted in the Università della Eccellenza, the best one out of the five. It wasn't a surprise, Reborn had been making me take correspondence exams to get me ready and the fighting part was not what I had been worrying about.

I would go to the dorm of that school, which on the paper seemed pretty nice.

The slogan though… 'Let us shape the spirits of the new generation!' It was like Mafia School, a neutral place where many Families invested in. They were also hoping to get new alliances and deals through us.

"What did you sign for again?" I sighed.

"I told you already. Law and Mafia Law, German, Mafia History in America, Asia and Europe with some introduction classes about African and Oceanian Mafia History."

"You're gonna be busy!" I nodded. I already knew a lot about European Mafia History through Reborn and CEDEF, but I was hoping to know more about Spanish History in particular. "You know...I talked to Tsuna the other day, it seems like high-school is hitting them hard." I scowled a little.

"Hn." He sighed.

I wasn't fond of talking about Namimori.

Not anymore.

In November last year, I packed my bags and moved back to Italy for good, leaving my apartment. Why did I leave when...you know...I had a thing going on with Ky...Kyoya?

Relationship issues, it didn't work out and as I was homesick, I flew back home. I only told Alaric, Reborn and Tsunayoshi, who helped me packing. Of course there were more people once at the airport, but the goodbyes were short and I was on a plane.

Iemitsu had told me he would like it if I could go to the VARIA for a few months to evaluate them and their behavior, so after a few days with Dino, then at CEDEF, I was at the VARIA HQ with a brand new ring on my finger, Cloud hating it for some reason.

I would skip the few months I dated Superbi because Arro was still traumatized by this.

Mukuro was still laughing at the fact I went from a bird to a shark.

I saw the Tenth Generation at my eighteenth birthday party though. It was their first time in Italy and they stayed at home. I had caught a glimpse of Kyoya during the party, but only for a second.

It was...awkward anyway. Our birthdays were only two days apart and...when a girl turned eighteen in the Mafia, and me being Dino's sister, a lot of men present were there to...get me.

Romantically speaking, because a marriage would be good for their Family.

The boat came to a stop in the harbor.

The city was built on an inhabited island in the Mediterranean sea, between Italy and Spain. Apparently, there was close to a five-hundreds thousand people here. Not all of them were Mafiosi, of course, but just construction workers and any essential workers who had been silenced by the omertà and chose to remain here.

After all, the Italian government also participated in this and it was strange.

The only way to reach the island was to take the boat from Palermo, Naples, Corsica or Marseilles. There were many people already at the harbor. Dino and Romario left the boat with me The sun was shining brightly.

"Let's get your registration finalized Ana," Dino told me. I nodded.

We waited in line for a few minutes, people whispering among themselves about Dino. I looked up at him but he was happily ignoring them.

Everything became quiet out of sudden. I leaned on my right to look back at the entrance but went back to my previous position, hiding in front of Romario.

"Xanxus?" I nodded.

"He's not fond of me dying my hair and I don't think I've seen him for a month and a half, so he doesn't know about the blue situation."

"Hey stay in line!" someone yelled. Soon after, I was forcefully turned around.

"Arro, you survived the trip!" He looked borderline depressed though.

"How do you deal with this guy!?" Xanxus was next to my best friend a second after. He hit Arro on the head with the side of his hand.

I screamed at him for treating him badly once. He stopped calling him 'trash' and hit too hard because he didn't want his dear baby sister to be mad at him, and really Arro did save my life a few times.

Superbi was pissed that Arro was better treated than he was.

"You're drawing too much attention De Luca." He frowned at me. "What did I fucking say about dying your hair?"

"I'm eighteen and I don't live under your roof anymore." He grabbed the top of my head.

"Say that again I dare you," he hissed. He got rid of the raccoon tail and let his hair grow. There was an awkward stage where it was not harmonious on the whole head but now he looked like his TYL self. The hair was still shorter though.

"I'm eighteen and I don't live under your roof anymore." He hit me the same way he hit Arro. "And thanks to you there's attention on all of us."

"It's his fault." Arro gaped at Xanxus' accusation.

"Excuse me, I'm not the one who silenced the whole room when I walked in!"

"It's our turn," Dino told me. I nodded.

"See you at the dorms."

I got a beautiful resident cart, Dino and Romario having visitor cards.

I looked around in awe once we were done with this. It looked exactly like an Italian town, with a few skyscrapers in the distance but overall, there were not many very high buildings. They used the same designs there had been in the past five centuries, the walls of the buildings in light brown or beige shades. I had read the campuses were mainly car-free, but to go from one university campus to another, or to go in town, there were buses and streetcar lines.

"Did I get my driving license for nothing?" I wondered lightly.

"We have to go to your university to finalize everything Princess, and then the dorms."

"Okay, let's see..." my brother mumbled, unfolding the map of the city he was given.

Once everything settled, and to my despair my uniform jacket in hands, we went to the dorms. There was a cafeteria on the first floor and just five rooms per floor. It was a high building with seven floors.

The room was spacious with a nice bathroom and a corner with a mini-fridge and a micro-wave. While Dino and Romario were looking around, I went to the big window near the bed. I had a beautiful view of the city and I could even see the sea in the distance.

"You'll be alright here Ana?" I shrugged.

"I feel like this room alone is bigger than my apartment in Japan." He nodded.

"I kind of feel the same." I took my phone when it vibrated.

"Arro's room 404." I was in the 203, on the second floor, so Arro was on the fourth one. "Seriously though, I wonder what happened during their trip."

"Huh...Xanxus was very close to rip Arro's heart out because he must have been annoying on purpose, but had to control himself because of you?" Dino suggested.

"Yeah that seems logical." We left my room, locking it behind and went to Arro's.

"I see a grade below 'A-' or whatever the equivalent is in their grading system and I'll send the shark trash to deal with you De Luca," my brother stated coldly, a heated glare on my best friend who was sitting on his bed.

He saw me, sprinted and used me as a meat shield between him and Xanxus.

"I'd like to know what my client has done," I said professionally.

"You're taking Law classes, you're not a fucking lawyer." I stuck my tongue at him.

"By the way Lulu, you have all of you cards?" I nodded and showed him.

There was my resident card, the dorms card to get inside, my student card stating which university I was going to and my public transportation card.

"You'll be okay in public transportation?" Dino asked me worriedly. I nodded.

"I think so, and I can always rent a bike or walk." Xanxus pulled on my hair. "Stop it!"

"It's ugly." I looked at him and bared my teeth.

"Except for black it's ugly to you anyway."

"What's that lipstick? It stands out too much." I rolled my eyes and ignored him. "Luciana."

"If she likes it you should let her do as she wants to," Dino pipped up, unfazed by Xanxus' glare.

"Shut up trash, you don't care about her walking around like a fucking clown but I do."

"I'm allowed to express myself through my hair, clothes or makeup," I reminded him.

"You have a tattoo I didn't approve of already." I frowned. I liked my tattoo of the word 'hope' in Mandarin characters on my right collarbone.

"You have tattoos as well!" I replied in his face. He frowned and we gave each other dirty looks for long seconds without wavering.

They left later in the afternoon, Dino giving me a tight hug while Xanxus was more reserved, ruffling my hair. He gave Arro a scornful look and left.

Now, against all odds and to Superbi's shock, Xanxus didn't hate Arro. He just thought he was a bad influence on me when we were together for too long. I couldn't really blame him because...Arro was proud of saying he could get me to do the dumbest shit and it was true.

"So, should we go explore a little?" Arro asked me before dinner.

"Sure."

"Let's have a drink as well! I mean, we didn't even have a drink at your birthday party when I'm legally allowed to drink in most of the world." I shrugged.

"On my birthday I went to dinner with Xanxus and Dino. Xanxus really wanted me to have my first drink with him but I didn't really liked it. Too bitter."

"So that's why you were still with your juice at your party." I locked my door and we left the building.

I was pretty sure Arro was done growing now because he was as tall as his TYL self, so something like fourteen centimeters taller than me? I was pretty sure he was a little bit taller than Dino as well and my brother was 1.83-meter tall so…

"Didn't you say Jeremiah and Zelia would be here as well?" He nodded enthusiastically when we entered a pizzeria.

"Yeah, they should be in Naples right now and here tomorrow!" We sat down. "I can't wait for us to hang out and party together! I mean, you never really hung out with my friends and everything." I opened my mouth. "You coming to Chicago with Fon doesn't count."

"I'm guessing you and your dear Zelia are still on Cloud 9?" I almost rolled my eyes when he grinned like a lovesick puppy.

I wasn't that surprised when he told me they were dating last year.

He ordered a pint of beer for me.

"Let's toast!" he suddenly said, raising his pint of beer so fast it spilled a little on the table. I imitated him.

"To what?"

"To our youth and university year and finally having a break from all that shit!" We clinked our pint together and took gulps from the beer.

I really struggled with the bitterness of alcohol.

We were toasting yet I knew I wasn't there just to play student. I was sure Xanxus told Arro as well.

There was something wrong with that city and we'd get to the bottom of it. With the number of Mafia Families sending their protegees here...there was no way it was just a normal university city for the Mafia.

Especially when the government was involved.

Especially knowing that to be on the same level as everyone else, we were not allowed to use our weapons and couldn't use flames either unless we were allowed to.

It seemed more like a trap than a college experience.

"Concerning your request Luciana."

"My work Ferrari?"

"Close, your year-long break to try university!" I sighed deeply.

"What about it?"

"Do you remember Basil telling you the Mafia was building a university version of Mafia School with the help of the Italian government?"

"It does sound familiar."

"It opens in September. I want you to go. You're free to pick the classes you want." I frowned and folded my arms.

"Okay, what's the deal Boss?"

"Well, you know how universities are also research centers?" I nodded. "Guess where the new Mafia Dying Will Flame research center will be?"

"That new Mafia University!" I exclaimed, pointing my finger at him. He imitated me.

"Precisely!" We both cleared our throats to be serious again. "Anyway, Dying Will Flames are under the omertà, it's our biggest secret. The government being involved is not a good omen."

"Hyper Intuition?" He nodded grimly.

"It is a neutral place, so it was decided no students would be able to use flames. Apparently, they created a device that would place the island in a field force where Dying Will Flames cannot be used or something unless you have a dispensation. I don't like that."

"So you want me to investigate on that research center?" He nodded.

"It would be year-long infiltration. I think you know how disastrous it would be if governments were to know about flames." I pursed my lips.

They were good at waging wars for shitty reasons and killing more civilians than the Mafia did, so with powers such as flames…

It would be the apocalypse.

"Didn't all the Families invest some money in that place like it is the case for Mafia Schools around the world?"

"I know what you're thinking and yes, the Vongola did as well. I think in the Alliance, only Dino refused because he thought it was safer to keep Dying Will Flames more hidden for a while longer." I took the file he was handing me and opened it.

"My brother's smart, Dying Will Flames have a huge destructive power and could make countless of victims if used by the wrong people," I replied, reading through the file. "Who's Cosimo Lentini?"

"I guess you wouldn't remember..." I looked at him in confusion. "He's one of the Ninth's most trusted men and advisor, and he convinced him investing in that project would be a good idea. He's in charge of the Northern HQ, the one which helped you after Federico and Leo were killed." I frowned and closed the file.

"I don't remember."

"It's okay...you had other things on your mind." There was a pause. Iemitsu seemed to want to add something. "I do not particularly like him."

"How so?"

"He's old school Mafia. It's...please don't take it the wrong way Luciana."

"Okay…?"

"He's probably Xanxus' biggest support." He didn't need to explain support for what.

He would love it if my brother were the Decimo.

"I see." I pursed my lips. "I love my brother but he's not the kind of Boss I'd support, so that Lentini guy...I don't like him. How does he feel about Tsunayoshi?" My Boss sighed deeply, leaning his chin in the palm of his hand.

"Not a fan of him and what the Ninth wants for the future of the Vongolas. Tsuna will do great but for now...not many people in the Family is fond of the idea of the Vongola radically changing."

"It will be a tough few years at the beginning."

"Which is why I'd need you to check on them all every once in a while, but it's a conversation for another time." I nodded.

"So I'm going back to school?"

"Yes. I'll arrange everything with Dino and Xanxus so that you can quit the VARIA without any problem."

"Meh, I have the Boss wrapped around my finger."

I stared at the city through my window. It was dark outside, but there were still lights and life down there. Starting tomorrow there would be even more.

I squashed my cigarette butt in my ashtray. I looked down at my ring and tried to light them up. Nothing. Yet, I could feel Cloud and Hugin inside, probably frustrated to be stuck in my Leon Ring for so long. I spent way more time with them when I was in the VARIA during my training sessions with Xanxus. I liked having them out often even if using flames was not necessarily something I should do. All of this to say, Cloud bit me when I told them they'd be unable to go out for a while.

I went through the file I had once again before putting it in a drawer. I closed my window once the smell of cigarette was gone from my room and plopped down on my bed. I raised my hand and stared at the two rings on it, my Mare Ring safely tucked away.

Starting tomorrow I'd go to university. I wished I could be excited about it like many eighteen year-old were but...I couldn't.

Starting tomorrow I'd go to university. Starting tomorrow my new mission would officially begin.

Find what's laying underneath this Mafia university city.

Fratellanza

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Bye!