"As my time comes to a close, I am reminded of all of my past failures but there is one thing I regret the most. Skull. I know he will never forgive me for the curse. I know my daughter will never forgive him, but Aria, my darling light you should. I made many mistakes, but Skull was always the one to suffer the consequences.

Uncle Kawahira had always insisted that no matter what Skull De Mort must be the Cloud Arcobaleno. He insists that I must not let on that Skull's charade is just that, a charade. It's for the greater good, and I know it is but how can I doom him to the curse knowing what he has gone through?

Skull told the others he doesn't remember his past. That he woke up in a hospital with no knowledge of who he was. It's a lie. They can't see it even though it was written on his face. I thought Fon or Reborn would question it, but they fell for it hook line and sinker. I worry about their arrogance, but the look Skull shot me told me more than words could that he knows that I know he's lying.

I could have spoken up, and I wish I had. I saw two timelines in that moment. A timeline where Skull would heal and be happy. A timeline that would see all of them happy and bonded under one Sky. The problem is that Sky would not be me, and I am a selfish creature. I wanted them as mine. I could place the blame at Uncles feet, and for a long time I did. I refused to acknowledge that it had been my decision. I did what I had too. For the Greater good.

For the Greater Good. I can see the look of loathing on Skull's face after they were cursed when I said those four words. Those were the words HE used for what he did to Skull. Leaving him with child abusers was for the greater good. Forcing him into dangerous and impossible situations since he was a small kid, was for the greater good. Forcing him to have his mind raped repeatedly by a man who hated him was for the greater good.

Paying his friends to be his friends was for the greater good. Stealing from him. Imprisoning him once his usefulness was at an end, it was for the greater good. No, Aria my dear child. I deserve every bit of loathing Skull has for me. I should have told him, let him make up his own mind about the curse. I should have told them he was lying. Let them help him, set them on the path of being happy and ignored Uncle's insistence on Skull being the Cloud.

He hates me, and I deserve that hatred."

Silence followed the last word as Yuni closed the book with an audible thud. She was well aware that Skull might despise her for this, and like her Nonna she would deserve it but she also knew it would kick start what she had seen. The only way Skull would be able to heal and be happy. The only way for all of the Arcobaleno's to be happy, and really while they may argue she was an Arcobaleno, the Sky to be exact, she knew better. She was not their sky; she had never been their sky. She was going to do what her Nonna should have done forty years ago and let them go.

"Why was Checkerface insistent that Skull be the Cloud?" Fon asked, his head tilted slightly, his sharp eyes boring into Yuni and she barely withheld a shudder. Being under his gaze had always been uncomfortable. Most people failed time and again to understand just how dangerous the man was.

"Skull was the only one of you who's place was never questioned. Uncle Kawahira had insisted on him from the first time he saw him. All of you could have been changed for someone else, there was always a few who were just as powerful, even if they didn't have the same reputation. That you were picked was luck of the draw, but Skull's place was set." She stated, her mouth dry.

"That didn't answer my question." Fon's voice was deceptively light as he took a sip of his tea.

"I don't know." She lied after a moment, only to flinch as those cold eyes bore into her.

"There were others who were powerful, others who were raised Mafia but none of them ever came close to Skull's own power. He hides it in plain sight. Eyes and hair the color of his flames, the makeup that doesn't come off even in the rain. He uses his flames constantly, and often for more than one thing at a time. To have that much flames at his disposal…" She trailed off seeing the others still as they began to comprehend just how much flames Skull had to have.

Not even Reborn constantly used his flames and when he did use them it was always with his own limitations in mind. It wouldn't do after all to get himself killed because of Flame depletion.

"You said he was broken Kora." Colonnello stated, his fists clenched and unclenched for a moment.

"Nonna wrote about it." She agreed with a nod.

"Why don't you tell us about it?" Reborn phrased it as a question but none of them were stupid enough to believe it was. His eyes were glowing with his flames even as he moved his fedora to cover the telltale of his eyes.

"I don't know all of it. I can't see the past. I only know what Nonna wrote." She stated after a moment, looking small as she stared at them. She waited for them to acknowledge the truth of her words before continuing.

"Skull wasn't always Skull he took the name Skull De Mort to mock the man he hated most. A psychopath who went by Voldemort." She began only to be interrupted.

"Your partially right. I did take the name to mock him, but he isn't the person I hated most." Yuni jumped as she looked wide eyed at the doorway where a very angry Skull stood leaning against the door frame, his fists clenched as he looked around at those present.

"Oh, I hated him. Don't get me wrong he killed my parents. He killed a number of my friends, he tried to kill me, but he doesn't even hit the top ten of people I hate most. Not that the top ten are still alive. In fact, I'm not even sure he hits the top twenty. Do you want to know the top Ten?"

Skull didn't even wait for a nod, his eyes sparking in a way that had Fon's interest. For the first time Skull looked feminine, and dangerous. Perhaps it was the missing piercings, the way he stood, the wild look in those purple eyes, but Fon wasn't looking at the same person he had known and yet not known for the past forty odd years, but someone else entirely.

"Let's see, Dumbledore is number one. He's dead of course, wish I could say I killed him but sadly it wasn't me. Snape, the bastard may he rot in hell. Would be number two. Bellatrix, she killed my godfather right in front of me. Lovely woman. She would claim the third spot. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny can each claim spots four, five, and six and you can put them all in their own order and still be right. I hate them equally. Traitors that they were. Luce is holder of the next spot. Enough said there, I think. Peter Pettigrew, he set my parents up to be killed is number nine, and Vernon Dursley would be number ten. Lovely man that he was, beating on young girls just because he could."

Before the others could question him, he tapped his finger to his lips with faux concentration. "His wife and son hold eleven and twelve respectively. Molly, she's the mother of Ron and Ginny holds the next spot. She tried to force me to marry one of her brood and cried I was evil when I refused. Fourteen would be Mrs. Figg she knew what was happening at home but did nothing. Fifteen would go to Voldemort, oh look he did make the top twenty." A look of ersatz surprise lit up Skull's face, but the dark anger conveyed that he was not actually cheering.

"So, you really didn't have amnesia lacky." Reborn more stated. "Just what else are you hiding?"

"Does it matter?" Skull asked waving a hand airily. "I'm gone as soon as Verde is sure we won't all kneel over and die from the separation. As much as I don't like any of you, I don't want you dead."

"The curse bound us together Skull. It may be imperative to when we can go our separate ways. How can Verde make an accurate decision if he is missing facts?" Fon asked, ignoring the burst of fury in his chest. No matter what he had said Skull wasn't going anywhere. Perhaps once Fon had his answers, but he knew himself well enough to know when he was lying to himself. Fon would be dead before he allowed such an interesting puzzle to walk away. Even once it was solved.

"My past has no impact on Verde's tests Fon." And it was telling in and of itself how angry Skull was that he left off the ever-present Sempai.

"Can you be certain?" Verde challenged. "I need all the variables to cultivate an erudite analysis. That includes everything from height, weight, gender, the way your brain functions. Even Viper has been forthcoming with their born gender."

Skull faltered for a moment, a look crossing his face as if looking for a lie in the statement. "I won't tell you, my past. Its mine. It's the past, and it will stay there." He shot a dark look at Yuni who gulped and sat back in her chair, making herself as small as possible.

With another dark glare around the room Skull reached up and pulled a single earring from his ear. One they had not even noticed was there and before their eyes the six-foot male shrunk to barely five foot, the purple spikes became long tresses that flowed down her back, and he was definitely a her.

Skull's face had an aristocratic slant, high cheek bones, full red lips, perfectly sculpted eyebrows, and almond shaped eyes as she reached into her pocket and brought out a handkerchief, wiping the paint from her face.

Fon felt his breath catch as he gazed upon what he could only assume was a goddess made mortal hiding behind the façade of his Cloud. He could acknowledge in that moment as he looked into defiant purple eyes that no other would ever do.

He wasn't an idiot he knew he wasn't in love with Skull, but that did not change the fact that Skull would be his. He would make the Cloud a fine husband, she would want for nothing, and love could come in time.

"You're a fucking girl Kora!" Colonnello screeched. He had jumped to his feet and was pointing at the tiny form still standing in the doorway. Those purple eyes had moved unimpressed over to him.

Reborn reached over and smacked Colonnello on the back of the head with a half-hearted "Don't curse in front of Yuni." It was more out of habit than actual anger, his own eyes not leaving Skull's frame. His eyes hidden so the others couldn't see his thoughts, or his anger.

"Bastard." Colonnello growled as he rubbed the spot on his head, a glare aimed at the hitman.

"So, what if I am a girl?" Skull's voice was low and had a musical timbre to it that they had never heard before.

"Mu that wasn't a mist illusion." Viper's voice was a demand for answers. Their own body was poised and from the little that showed of their face showed they were out of their dept, it wasn't a feeling Viper was used to feeling.

"No." Skull stated, and Fon could see the sparkle of mischief dancing in those eyes. The same sparkle that had drawn his interest in the first place.

"That's not an answer Lacky." Reborn growled in irritation.

"Never said it was Sempai." Skull answered with a one shoulder shrug.

"Then explain how you went from a six-foot male to…this." He waved his hand in Skull's direction indicating her entire form. The irritation was obvious in his voice. Fon could see the man visibly stopping himself from pulling his gun and shooting at Skull.

"Hum…No." Skull stated a smirk curling the corner of her mouth.

"No?" Reborn's voice was soft and dangerous. A warning that he was out of patience.

"I'm sorry Sempai I was unaware you were hard of hearing." Skull stated with a mock sweetness. "Verde if you want my exact measurements and weight we should be getting to the lab, yea?" She asked her eyes trailing from the annoyed and tense hitman to the scientist who was looking at her with a look of incomprehension.

"I have no wish to be stuck here with you lot more than I have to be." She stated as she pushed herself from the wall and headed off towards the lab.

Once she was out of sight Lal turned to Verde. "How much did Viper charge you for their gender?" She asked but it was obvious she was looking for something to take her mind from Skull's reveal.

"I don't know Vipers gender." Verde confessed as he stood up getting a dark chuckle from the Triad assassin.

"So, you don't need the information?" Lal asked as she closed her eyes and took a calming breath.

"Not in the least." He responded as he left the room.

"Mu, I should charge Skull for this." Viper growled as they misted their book of information to themselves.

"Hum, who knew Skull could be so interesting. Would you like a ride home Yuni? I don't think we'll be watching that movie tonight." Fon muttered with a dark look towards the doorway Skull had left the room from.

His fingers ached to retrieve her from Verde's lab. To take her to his own room and show her just why she should be his. To show the others just whom the Cloud belonged to.

"Sure," Yuni whispered as she jumped from her seat and followed the martial artist from the room. She was tense the entire ride to the Giglio Nero manor. Fon almost allowed a chuckle to escape as the child bit her lip.

"I have a theory, Yuni." He stated as he pulled to the side of the road, his dark gaze penetrating and the small Sky stilled her fidgeting as she locked eyes with the man. They were a bit away from both the Arcobaleno manor and the Giglio Nero manor.

"I…ok Fon." She stated, hiding the fear in her own eyes.

"You said Luce saw us happy with a Sky in one future. I have thought it before but dismissed it. Tell me was I wrong to dismiss it?" He asked.

"Dismiss what?" She asked with more bravery than she actually felt.

"Skull has never acted like a typical cloud. Verde and I once theorized that Skull was a secondary cloud, with a primary Sky flame. We dismissed it, because Skull has never shown even a hint of orange in her flame, but I'm starting to suspect we were right."

"I…." Yuni began, her throat clogging up with a bit of fear. She knew very well just how far Fon would go for what he deemed as his. How those of the Costra Notra seemed to dismiss just what kind of obsession and discipline it must take to master over a hundred different styles of martial arts and just what that said about the man's personality she didn't know.

"Yes?" He inquired with a tilt to his head.

"Skull was a Sky once. She still is I think, but she hides it. I don't know why. Please just take me home Fon." She said, after a moment refusing to show how scared she was by wrapping her arms around herself. She cursed herself for not asking Reborn to drive her home. He didn't scare her. Not like Fon did.

"There is no need to be frightened." Fon's dark chuckle sent a shiver down the small Sky's back. "I'm not about to hurt you. So long as you understand that my Sky comes first."

"Your…Sky?" Yuni asked as the car started back up. She took a long shaky breath as those dark eyes flashed towards herself.

"Skull of course." He clarified with a sharp smile that showed far too many teeth to be considered pleasant.