When The Clouds Above Us Part And The Mist Before Us Lifts

by Yuna Yami Mouto

The Sun always shines after a storm, but the clouds must part to let it. And if mist blocks out its light, it will still hide secrets. Times have changed, but some practices are still in play. Has the definition of monster changed?

When The Clouds Above Us Part And The Mist Before Us Lifts

Summary: The Sun always shines after a storm, but the clouds must part to let it. And if mist blocks out its light, it will still hide secrets. Times have changed, but some practices are still in play. Has the definition of monster changed?

Reborn has a reputation. A really good reputation, actually. He was the strongest mage in the world with some really strange abilities on the side. No one is a stronger fighter than him. No one is smarter than him. He's done some crazy shit over the years and his fame built. Everyone knew the name Reborn and everyone feared it, if they had a reason to.

After all, Reborn often used a gun. No one likes guns unless they're hung on a wall or in their own hands.

Reborn also occasionally gets assassination requests sent his way. He's not sure why, thinks it's probably because he uses a gun as a conduit to some of his most destructive spells, but he doesn't take them. Shamal, his only friend in the world, had once asked him why he didn't become a hitman with his skills, but Reborn had said that, for some reason, he felt like that's something he'd put behind him. Shamal, bless him, hadn't pried. He knew just how complicated Reborn's whole situation was, given he'd been the one to find him in that graveyard when he'd broken free of his tomb.

He had woken up in a tomb, nearly three hundred years ago, broke his way out with a (new?) pet chameleon on his fedora and met the alchemist turned doctor calling himself Shamal. A quick survey of the tomb revealed it was at least another two hundred years old. There was no name, no exact date, no 'cause of death', no nothing.

Five hundred years since he'd first been shut inside that tomb, Reborn still had no idea why or how.

Three hundred years after he'd woken up, he still didn't know whom the voice he occasionally hears belongs to.

Not a 'I'm losing my mind' kind of hearing a voice, but rather the 'It's a forgotten memory' kind of hearing a voice.

Reborn has no memories of his life before that tomb. It's like he didn't exist at all before he woke up in a mausoleum and met Shamal. The alchemist turned doctor had done his best to find some traces of Reborn's existence, but there was simply no 'Reborn' registered anywhere, be it in human documentation, supernatural bureaucracy or the joined system that's, apparently, started some four hundred years ago, give or take a few. That's when monster hunts were banned, deemed illegal, immoral. Reborn's not sure why that makes him so damned happy. It shouldn't really affect him one way or the other because, while he had some sort of monster blood in him, he was still mostly human. Shamal had run tests as soon as he realized Reborn literally only knew his own name.

(Leon, the shape-shifting chameleon that had stood vigil over him for a couple of centuries, seemed so incredibly devastated when that was revealed that Reborn's heart ached. It didn't take long for him to grow fond of his lizard companion and partner, but he always felt like he was intruding on Leon because he clearly wasn't the man he used to be before the entombment, whenever and however that came to be. It had taken a lot of charades and then learning a spell that allowed one to understand animals before Reborn had even learned his name and Leon, for some reason, was very tight-lipped for someone who wanted their ... master(?) to regain their memories.)

Yet it still relieved him, made him happy with this bubbly feeling in his gut. He felt ... proud, even, as though he knew whom this great accomplishment belonged to and he was so incredibly fond of them that he can only be proud and nothing else. No one actually knew who was behind the movement to finally equalize the rights of supernatural beings with the rights humans had set up for themselves. The movement was just called Free Like A Skylark with the silhouette of a burning phoenix as the logo on the banner under which monsters and sympathizers gathered. With over two thirds of the world population united for a single shared cause, chances of failure were one big, fat zero.

Reborn had, apparently, belonged to a time when the supernatural had been hunted like animals and still yet treated worse. Animals were at least thought to have some value, dead or alive. Monsters - supernatural beings, as it was insisted upon in this day and age - on the other hand, had no value whatsoever, no matter how humans had exploited them for thousands of years. Reborn was kind of glad he didn't remember a time like that, that he didn't remember what kind of man he might have been in it. Shamal remembered; he's lived through them. It is the curse of alchemists - they achieve unspeakable knowledge and are then cursed by it. Eternal youth is fun only as long as you have someone to spend it with and Shamal has not made too many friends with the long lived species. Rather, the man was certain some vampires hated him because he'd once seriously weakened a young one many years ago. Reborn didn't really understand why more than that one affected vampire would be pissed, but he has never interacted with a vampire before, so he had no room to judge.

With no real identity of his own, no finances, no memories, some seriously powerful magic and wicked skill and talent for fighting, Shamal had suggested he take on the most well paying job: the job of an enforcer of the supernatural. It is what has developed from the old position of monster hunter, which is now an illegal profession, more so than paid assassins, apparently. It required wits, skills, strength and magic, as well as staying unbiased when encountering a situation. The supernatural may have their own rights now and there are almost no more clashes between them and humans, but just like with humans, there are wicked creatures that deserve the title of monster and those creatures must be treated as any human criminal would be, hence the new position of enforcer. Reborn, having nothing better to do, had listened to Shamal's advice, enrolled into the forces, went through the proper training and 'graduated' as the 'top student' under the ancient eyes of warlock Kawahira, who was in charge of ensuring no one who would abuse their power could become an enforcer, and became a professional enforcer of the supernatural.

He spent fifty years in the force and his name spread far and wide. Reborn is not self centered, so it is a fact that crime rates of both the human and the supernatural kind have decreased since he'd stepped in. He never allowed for people to rely too much on him, because by the time the third decade was rolling by, he could already tell that the job was starting to lose its excitement and appeal. He'd started itching to travel, but he could tell he couldn't just leave the force. No, those who would be left in his wake were almost incompetent in comparison and the world has gotten used to things getting done the right way. So he'd stayed just long enough to train at least a couple of competent enforcers before he'd set off on the road.

He had the surprising company of Shamal. The doctor had never expressed a need to just go out and explore the world. He's been alive for long enough to have probably seen it all! When one is immortal in times when the supernatural is hunted, one does not stay in one place for too long for fear of being hunted. Alchemists were human but were just Other enough that hunter clans might deem them a worthy prize, if not target. After all, alchemists made deals with demons and lived to tell about it. Demons were extremely volatile and very tricky. To get a deal with a demon that's actually beneficial to you and survive the process ... Only alchemists can do it, so Shamal had spent most of his immortality wandering and hiding. He still needs to keep his craft mostly secret for the same reasons, but at least no one batted an eyelash at the fact that he never aged.

Perhaps he decided to travel simply because he's grown used to having the road under his feet? Reborn had never asked. He had a feeling that he was right, anyway, and that the only reason Shamal had not gone on his own journeys beforehand might be because he'd not wanted to leave Reborn alone in a world he was still learning about. It's not easy to live with no memories of one's own life and skills.

Well, actually, Reborn kind of remembered some things. Certain things better than others, some not at all. For instance, he remembers how to cook. How to cast spells. How to fight and shoot a gun. How to heal, himself and others. How to kill, though he stayed his hand unless it was absolutely necessary. He actually didn't want to remember how he'd learned that particular skill. Other things he knew how to do but had no memory of how he'd learned them. Spells the likes of which Shamal had never heard of, history and stories that might as well be legend. He was uncomfortable riding a horse but he could easily fly on winged beasts. He knew there was something special about a random little beach near the ever expanding city of Peking, knew there was something beneath the deceptively still waters of the Yellow Sea, but he didn't know how or why, let alone what. He knew how to tell that it wasn't a vampire attack even when all evidence showed otherwise at first glance and he had no idea how he had that knowledge.

He had some ... memories ... of what must have been his childhood. Of a beautiful woman who loved books and loved numbers and she'd entertain him with both, but those memories were relatively short lived. He guessed that was his mother or aunt or cousin or some other relative. Or maybe even a complete stranger who'd recognized a mind sharper even than her own and had decided to nourish it.

He had a face engraved in his memory, one that induced hate, but he had no idea why he hated that well dressed man who'd come into the bookstore that was his childish safe haven.

And the voice ...

Oh, the voice! He had the voice perfectly memorized. It kept replaying in his head like a record and he never wanted it to stop, fearing he might forget it, too. It's gentle, kind, serene sounds that simply put him completely at ease. It was the one thing in this life that made any sense to him. It belonged to him and only him because he's pretty sure the person it belonged to was already dead. It's been five hundred years at the very least. Even if the person belonged to the supernatural community, that didn't mean they were a part of a long living race or that they had survived to see 'monsters' get rights of their own. He selfishly guarded that voice in his mind and in his heart, because he knew he and that person had been close. After all, the last thing Reborn remembered was a promise to meet again. The voice was also the source of his name. Clearly, this person was someone he cared about and knew well. They had sounded ... devastated as they had begged him to stay ...

Over time, though, Reborn regained memories. Nothing big and certainly nothing concrete enough to be telling of his past or overall personality or at least how he had presented himself to others, but he did remember some details.

For instance, silky, ink-black hair ...

Pale skin that almost reflected moonlight like snow ...

Silver eyes flashing ...

It's what landed him in his current predicament, actually.

His stunt as an instructor/teacher/tutor/whatever else you want to call it for the enforcers before he left spread like wildfire before the week was up and within the year, he had hundreds of requests, left and right, asking him to train and teach them various things that used to be a part of his daily profession. It was a good source of income and he eventually turned to it once he'd realized he won't be able to find what he is looking for through mindless wandering. He ditched a lot of his initial students, because their efforts when he trained them were half-hearted at best and half-assed at worst and he simply had no patience for such bullshit. He himself was a hardworking, efficient man, so he didn't appreciate it when his own efforts were being disrespected by hiring him and then not doing their all, just expecting him to magically make them stronger.

Reborn, as a precaution against such idiocy, developed certain methods and made sure his reputation spread as a spartan tutor from hell to weed out those who were just looking for something to boost their popularity or standing in society. Honestly, he wondered just how the fuck humanity survived so long if they were that stupid. No wonder only turned vampires established their own status through turned vampire slaves, though that practice was slowly being shoved onto the illegal shelf, so vampires might have to rethink their entire social hierarchy structure soon.

He kept up the teaching/tutoring/mentoring gig for years. Still does, actually. Which is how he'd found himself in Namimori, teaching Sawada Tsunayoshi, a kid that hails from the proud Vongola monster hunter clan.

The Vongola have always been shady, it's just that they'd always been very good at hiding or disguising it. They're, what one may call, a quadruple agent. For human society, they have two faces: a modeling agency and as a mafia famiglia that is a force not to be reckoned with. For the more supernatural side of society, they have two faces as well: as helpers of the enforcers to calm situations down and tame wild supernatural beasts if need be and, the darker side, as underground monster hunters still. Vongola's original power came from collecting blood from all sorts of creatures and injecting monster blood cocktails into their members to make them as strong and durable as the creatures they hunted so that they could hunt more. They were led by some warped ideals about how the world should be changed and believed themselves to be the ones just right for the job of changing it, disregarding all the current laws and opinions going on around the planet.

They had made a few job offers to Reborn in the past, while he'd still worked with the enforcers, told him he'd thrive with them, but he'd always said he was happy where he was and politely declined.

This time, however, he had accepted the job because he'd heard rumors of a new monster tamer that needs training that should, one day, inherit the entire organization. If a new monster tamer is coming into his own, it means that the Vongola will start collecting for him, which might actually result in hunts. Reborn had notified the enforcers and one of his old trainees asked him for help. Which is why Reborn had accepted to teach Sawada Tsunayoshi of the Vongola monster hunters clan and the biggest, most influential mafia famiglia in the world. He needed to be close in order to make sure he has enough damning evidence that will finally shut Vongola down for good.

It was his first time in Namimori, so he was a bit overwhelmed by just how much more the whole 'equality for all' was emphasized here. The whole town was incredibly peaceful, the crime rates were so low they were almost nonexistent and despite one of Vongola's most important members living here with his family, the town was decidedly a neutral zone. No mafia or gang or any other kind of underworld influence present whatsoever, not even half an ounce. He learned this was because of a group calling itself the Disciplinary Committee, who practically ruled over the town, making it independent from the rest of Japan, with their leader being a young but strong vampire. Reborn had figured that the reason he was the one sent to train Tsuna was because the Vongola wanted their new tamer to have a powerful vampire in his team of 'bodyguards' that each tamer has ever collected. Vampires were always rare, because they're so hard to control, whether the bonding was willing or forced on them. He guessed no creature as willful or as powerful as a vampire would want to be ordered around by a human, much less one that hunts his kind down and kills them. Reborn has no idea how the Vongola boss manages to hold onto his vampire. Rumors and his reputation precede him: an ancient, pure blooded vampire with strong magic and a mind sharper than most could deal with. Extremely difficult personality.

Bonded to Giotto Primo Vongola against his will, but staying of his own free will.

People speculate left and right that he's being blackmailed, but then everyone agrees he's too strong and too emotionless for anyone to find leverage over him, something he might care about.

Reborn figured that, if they expect him to collect for Tsuna, he'll use it as an excuse to check out the residents of Namimori, the Disciplinary Committee - with its HQ sort of being in Tsuna's school; what's up with that? - and their leader all the while scoping out what kind of characters Tsuna may attract and/or reach out to in order to actually judge Tsuna's character. The boy seemed nice, but Reborn knew better than to trust a polite, cheery facade. One needs to dig deeper to see if it's genuine and for monster tamers, the easiest way to do that is to see what kind of company they want to keep. Giotto Primo, for instance, has a fiend (Ugetsu Asai), a poltergeist (simply called G), a fallen angel (the infamous Daemon Spade) and the monster tamer he'd fallen for (Elena), a middle class weather elemental (Lampow Bovino), a servant of the Sun 'goddess' Amaterasu (Knuckle) and the above mentioned vampire (the mysterious, aloof Alaude).

Only two of the creatures he'd chosen are 'of the light', so to say, and one was neutral, as vampires are well known for the fact that they can do both 'light' and 'dark'. Giotto Primo's character promised a polite, friendly front but Reborn had met the man, once, and knew him to be anything but. He was the instigator of the ideology Vongola followed, after all.

It would seem he wanted Tsuna to follow along his path and, should the kid indeed prove to have the tendency, Reborn won't hesitate to act to put a stop to it. The world didn't need another Giotto, even if Tsuna was nearly his spitting image.

But, so far, Sawada has proven to be a bit more open minded. And very complicated, indeed. He had a werecat and a werewolf as his first companions, for a start. Those two species are infamously on bad terms with each other, so that Gokudera Hayato and Yamamoto Takeshi can live around each other without it all coming to blows was really impressive. Though, most of the credit for that should go to Yamamoto. The guy was so lighthearted that not even Gokudera could continue snapping at him for every 'idiotic thing that comes out of his mouth'. It also seemed to help that they had both recognized each other as compatible mates, though Gokudera seems to be resisting the pull of his more 'animalistic' instincts. The pooka in the form of the Sasagawa siblings were a surprise, as was the shape-shifter Miura Haru. Leon always eyed her with wariness, though the girl was harmless. Lambo Bovino was a young minor weather elemental and that's where Reborn grew a bit tense because that was the first indication where the Vongola wanted Tsuna to go. Lambo was, after all, Lampow's closest nephew.

If Tsuna didn't treat each and every one of them like decent sentient beings, Reborn would have already made his move. Thankfully, the boy didn't seem to possess any of his other clansmen's arrogance or ambitions and just wanted to make friends and didn't even realize that he had, at least at first, partially drawn the others in.

There were, of course, other people who had been 'drawn' into Tsuna's circle by way of knowing his friends. Kurokawa Hana was one of them. She was an ordinary human and didn't seem too fond of Tsuna, given she knew he had a crush on her best friend, the ever oblivious Kyoko. Then there was Giannini, who had followed after Lambo because the Bovino had some seriously interesting inventions that he was interested in as a tinker fairy and with him came Spanner and Shoichi, a couple of elves, though Irie Shoichi was a Namimori local and he seemed to be in rather close with the leader of the infamous Millefiore, a war angel named Byakuran Gesso. Spanner was just a college friend or something and tagged along after Giannini because it gave him a chance to visit Japan, much to his delight given he was so passionate about it.

Bianchi was better left unmentioned. The female werecat was Gokudera's older sister and specialized in poison-making, be it through magic or her horrendous cooking. She'd come to Japan after Gokudera when the kid was invited by none other than Timoteo Nono Vongola to serve what will one day be Decimo Vongola. Bianchi, while attempting to persuade Gokudera to return home - he was a runaway bastard that their father would really rather have back as he was the only reminder to the human woman he'd loved - met Reborn and declared them star-crossed lovers and tried to feed him poisoned espresso. Let's just say that Reborn didn't return her affections and didn't really know how to get rid of her. Worse things worse, Shamal seems to actually be in love with her. It was a love triangle Reborn wanted no part in, especially as he spent every night dreaming of silver eyes and a beautiful voice that called to him.

Then they had an actual fucking alien in Fuuta Della Stella, who had some strange power to rank things and people and communicate with the stars and the universe. Reborn was actually rather uncomfortable around him, if he was being honest.

Tsuna, of course, eventually found a Nemean lion cub that he named Natsu. It was too cute for such a legendary and deadly mythical beast.

It was the last person that 'joined' Tsuna's 'inner circle' that led to a mess Reborn hadn't been expecting to deal with, at least not so early on in his 'training' with Tsuna.

You see, I-Pin was a young pixiu from China and her first meeting with Tsuna was far from stellar. She had notoriously bad eyesight and confused him with a man that looked nothing like Tsuna, attacking and almost killing him had it not been for Gokudera and Yamamoto. She was extremely ashamed of how much trouble she had caused them and apologized before getting worried.

"I need to get that man before he makes problems for shifu!" Was what she had said. "I followed him from China to make sure he doesn't make it to Namimori and make trouble for Kyo-nii, because shifu would be sad!"

Tsuna had hesitated before informing her that she already was in Namimori. It seems she'd lost track of her surroundings and location after one too many warps from place to place and so she didn't even realize she'd arrived in Namimori. I-Pin looked ready to explode with embarrassment and Lambo's childish side poking its head out to tease the girl about it. The ten-years-old-seeming girl faceplanted the Bovino elemental almost absentmindedly as she tried to calm herself down.

"What time is it?" It had been around nine in the morning on a school day and I-Pin had lit up with relief. "Oh! Kyo-nii might be having breakfast with Kawahira-ojiisan-"

"You know Kawahira?" Reborn had interrupted with a frown. How and why would the girl know the ancient mage? Kawahira rarely spoke to Reborn back when he had been the best enforcer of the supernatural the man had ever had, so why would he be acquaintances, at the very least, with I-Pin? Pixiu weren't all that uncommon nor did they have any special powers beyond transformation that helps them blend in with humans that practically all supernatural beings had. More often than not, they were completely ignored, even by the most zealous hunters out there, even back in the days of the worst purges of 'monsters'.

The only thing that I-Pin had going that made her notable among thousands of other pixie was the way she fought. It was elegant, precise, meaningful, each movement seemingly planned ahead before it was even needed. It was a style that must have been practiced for years and years and the ten-year-old-looking girl really had a good grip on it. It made something in Reborn itch, a tug at his brain, as if urging him to just remember already. But the magic I-Pin used seemed somehow wrong with the style she was using.

The red outfit of a martial artist also tugged at his memories, but something about I-Pin's seemed wrong in his mind.

He wasn't sure if he was losing his mind or if he just needed more sleep. He's been moving around almost nonstop since arriving to Namimori and it might just be taking its toll on him finally.

I-Pin blinked at him, apparently startled by the interruption. "Yes. He's good friends with shifu and Kyo-nii! In fact, they established the enforcers together and then left Kawahira-ojisan in charge because shifu needs to stay out of the spotlight and Kyo-nii hates crowding, so it's really for everyone's best interest that he's not forced to interact with more people than he chooses."

Reborn filed away the fact that I-Pin, apparently, was trained and probably raised by the Skylark's founders for later, when he has more time to think about it and maybe even investigate some, instead focusing on the matters at hand. "Why would Kawahira be around here for breakfast?"

"Because Kyo-nii has some of the best ramen cooks in Namimori and Kawahira-ojisan is obsessed with ramen?" The girl half asked, half answered, clearly confused. "Well, that and he's a Namimori local. Sort of. He's been hiding here before the Free Like A Skylark movement and the laws forbidding hunting supernatural creatures. He has a realtor's shop down in the market and everything. He's been part of the original group fighting for the rights of supernatural creatures everywhere! He sort of became friends with shifu and Kyo-nii and is one of the rare few people on this Earth that Kyo-nii actually enjoys spending time with."

"Right you are, I-Pin-chan," a male voice said and they all turned around to see a tall teen boy with a strong jaw, broad shoulders and a really good regent hairdo. He smiled around the grass stalk in his mouth. "It's good to see you again. You seem well."

"Kusakabe-san!" I-Pin exclaimed excitedly, running over to hug him and the newcomer easily picked her up and returned the embrace. "What are you doing here?"

"Kyo-san sensed you enter Namimro, but when you didn't immediately go to greet him, he sent me to find you in case you were in trouble." Kusakabe's gentle face hardened when he looked upon Tsuna and his group, Reborn included. "It would seem he was right to do so. You know you shouldn't hang around people like them,I-Pin-chan; you'll make your master worry."

"I mistook Tsuna-san for my target, Kusakabe-san," I-Pin replied politely and a little shamefully. "I didn't even realize I was in Namimori. My target has slipped away and I've been searching for him since."

"Kyo-san has already dealt with him," reassured the regent guy and Reborn arched an eyebrow. This guy seemed efficient. "I am to take you back to Kyo-san now, I-Pin-chan, so say your farewells and let's go." I-Pin did as she was told and the two left, soon disappearing in a burst of white magic and sparkles that Reborn found he couldn't quite trace. Interesting.

"Tch, that tonfa freak," Gokudera suddenly grumbled, getting Reborn's attention. "Always bossing people around and having them do his dirty work." Reborn wondered if the werecat realized that is, essentially, how life for a beast tamer would go, too, if most of them hadn't devoted their lives to hunting down monsters.

"Maa, maa, Gokudera," Yamamoto said with an easy tone and a happy-go-lucky smile. "Hibari's not that bad." The former enforcer froze, something in him reacting vividly to that word, that name ... "You know he's incredibly busy keeping up the peace and discipline of Namimori, though I do wish we'd see him around more. He's a fun guy to have around!"

"I extremely agree!" Ryohei, who seems to have appeared out of literally nowhere, exclaimed, pumping the air. As energetic and weird as pooka tend to be. "I want to challenge Hibari to an extreme duel of men but he always keeps turning me down!"

"That's probably for the best, Ryohei-niisan," Tsuna said with a sweatdrop. "Hibari-san is invincible, after all."

"Vampires tend to be," Yamamoto said with a much sharper look in his eyes. "It's what makes him so fun!"

"You just want to try and get him to scratch your belly since he likes small, cute animals!" Gokudera accused and they all devolved into some strange argument Reborn didn't even bother listening to or participating in. He was too busy analyzing this new information.

Hibari, vampire, founder of Free Like A Skylark movement, of the enforcers ...

Vampire ...

Hibari.

He just knew this Hibari had something to do with his past, and so he started an investigation before he finally found himself standing in front of Namimori Middle School's gates, gazing up at the building. He'd found out as much as he could about the guy. He was the leader of the Disciplinary Committee and, through it and other channels, the entirety of Namimori. No one dares say his full name as though petrified he might be summoned by the words. He's the strongest fighter and being in town and most probably one of the oldest. He has an uncle, who's absent most of the time; the 'shifu' I-Pin had mentioned, apparently. The guy was described as having pale skin, black hair and piercing eyes that seemed to flash and change color.

And, apparently, he's not been the one to form the Disciplinary Committee - the guy is antisocial and hates being in a crowd. Rather, they had chosen him as their leader and followed him tirelessly with a loyalty not even monster tamers can force on their companions. Every single member of the Disciplinary Committee was ... a unicorn, of all things, and Hibari had, apparently, attracted them, impressed them and somehow became the person they declared as the leader of their herd. Whether HIbari was a virgin or not remains to be seen, as that old rumor has been disapproved more than once.

Also, apparently, the guy likes small, cute things like animals. He has a small yellow canary that sings the Nami-chuu anthem to practically announce him whenever he deigns to appear, which is usually when he's up to beating people up with his favorite tonfa.

All of that seemed to familiar, for some reason, so Reborn knew he was, for once, on the right trail.

No one tries to stop him when he enters the gothic castle/manor-like school, so he takes the time to look around. Nami-chuu is a school that accepts both monsters and humans of all genders and most ages, seeing as a good percentage of supernatural beings had very long lifespans. Reborn had let Tsuna go to school without his interference, as the school at least seemed to have obligatory classes that teach about the equality and value of all forms of life, not just human. This ideology reflects the design of the school itself. The halls were high and wide enough to accommodate pretty much every being, neither too bright nor too dark so it doesn't bother anyone. The walls are all soundproofed, so no one's senses, no matter how enhanced, can be overwhelmed, and they were reinforced, too, so super strength and magic can't cause the school to collapse. As he passed the hallways, he noted that the school was almost pristine clean, no traces of the usual graffiti and tagging that kids did in fits of teen rebellion or something. Then again, people seemed to fear Hibari quite a bit, which bred a certain amount of healthy respect for the rules he set and enforced.

He has to stop to ask a kid for directions to the principal's office and the man himself looks baffled when Reborn expresses a desire to speak with him. Reborn's acting that he doesn't know who's really in charge here, of course, but he needs a description of the person he's really searching for and where he can be found. Best way to do that? Play an ignorant outsider coming to Namimori for the first time, which he kind of was, excluding the ignorant part. The principal hastily directs him to the Reception Room, looking a bit hesitant to send him to what could be a traumatizing experience for a newcomer but unwilling to bring down his boss' ire down on himself by not doing so. The Reception Room is easy to identify, given there are two regent guys in the same black uniforms as that Kusakabe kid standing in front of the door. They eye him suspiciously, no doubt judging his character like unicorns always do upon meeting a new person. That they let him actually approach the door means he has enough of their approval to speak with their leader.

A grunt was his only answer when he knocked on the door and he guessed that was as good as he would get, if what he'd gathered on Hibari was anything to go by. So he opened the door and stepped in, looking around the cozy looking room before his eyes rested on a teenager sitting behind a desk that looks far more expensive than what the principal had, a stack of papers to the left that look awfully administrative, a stamp in front of him and another, smaller stack of papers on his right. The kid was, apparently, pretty handy with paperwork.

That's not what had Reborn freezing in the process of closing the door, though. No, that honor fell to the kid himself.

Black hair, looking as soft as silk.

Pale skin. Not too pale, but pale enough to make him look ethereal in moonlight should he be outside at night.

And when his breath hitches just the slightest bit, silver eyes look upwards, meeting his own.

The boy freezes, mouth opening just the slightest bit to reveal white fangs, slightly curved ... A born vampire, an ancient one at that, pure blooded.

"It's you," he says in barely a whisper, not quite able to believe it. After years upon years of searching, finally he has found not only a clue to his past and his lost memories, but also the person he always felt his heart almost foolishly yearned for.

"So it worked," the boy, Hibari, breathed in the same tone, eyes not really wide but still showing some surprise. Some happiness. The pen in his hand was gripped painfully but the teen let go before it could snap. Reborn only then took in the fact that he was dressed in a manner completely unbefitting of modern day fashion, given he wore a sixteenth, seventeenth century style shirt, black slacks and a cape over his shoulders, though pinned to the sleeve of his left arm was the same red and gold armband the rest of the Disciplinary Committee were wearing. Before he could take note of anything else, the kid practically flew at him and Reborn found it strange that none of his fighting instincts kicked in. He literally just stood there in the seconds before he was all but tackled in a hug, a face hiding itself in the crook of his neck and shoulder.

A normal person would be nervous about having a vampire so close to their aorta, but Reborn just found himself desperately holding on to the kid.

"You lived," Hibari said, fisting the material of Reborn's robes.

That, though, was confusing.

"What do you mean?" He knew he had to have been at least thought of as dead, but this was confusing. What worked? What ensured he lived? And if Hibari knew about it, why was he so surprised? "No, never mind. I'm just finally glad to have found you." Now it was the vampire's turn to frown in confusion, though Reborn couldn't be sure why Hibari would be confused.

But then Leon wiggled his way to the front of Reborn's hat, gaining Hibari's attention and doing some more tail wagging that had the teen(?) stepping away from the former enforcer, much to his displeasure.

"You don't remember anything?" The vampire asked incredulously and with copious amounts of disappointment that had Reborn's heart squeezing in his chest uncomfortably.

"I remember my name. Reborn."

"That's not your name," Hibari said immediately.

That was shocking to the enforcer turned tutor. "But the only thing I really remember since the day I woke up is you telling me we'll meet again and calling me Reborn!" Has he been wrong from the start? Has he been living a life not his own from the beginning? Who was he if he wasn't Reborn? What was his actual name? Well, at least Hibari was bound to know! After all, he was the last one Reborn remembered from his old life-

"That wasn't me," the teenager said, sweeping Reborn's world right from under him. "I mean, I was there, but it wasn't me who said that."

"But I remember!" He protested, practically desperate. "The only thing I really remember is silver eyes, black hair and pale skin! You!" That much, he was sure at least. Because he's never seen eyes like Hibari's anywhere else but in his first memory. Silver and sharp and flashing and ancient. Far older than any person should be, especially on a face so youthful.

"I was far too exhausted that day," countered Hibari. "I had masked our presence while flying on a far larger creature-" Was it just him, or did Hibari's eyes flash towards the yellow canary? "-after an already long and tiring journey and a brief fight beforehand. We'd never had time to rest. I was all but asleep when it happened. My uncle, on the other hand, was still in tiptop shape even after everything. He lost his shit when you were hit. He's the one who saved you with the only way either of us could."

"... He turned me," Reborn breathed out, hand immediately going to his neck as though to find the holes most vampire victims have, but there were none. Of course there wouldn't be! It's been five hundred years at the very least since that had happened! Not to mention that Hibari was supposedly a born vampire, so any uncle of his would be, too! Born vampires rarely, if ever, turned people and attacks on people or animals by them are so rare they might as well be nonexistent, but one thing is always the same: even if the victim has been sucked dry of all the blood in their body and hasn't been given any in turn for the turning, it didn't matter whether they were left dead or alive, there was barely any fang marks left in their wake, as opposed to the work of any turned vampire. "Why ... Why would he turn me!?"

"You were dying."

"I have a fantastic healing factor," he snapped back at that blase answer. In fact, his healing abilities were insane! Shamal had no idea what he could be to have such an intense healing factor. He seemed human but he had such strong magic that he could be a part of some of the strongest species known to their world. Reborn never let Shamal run any blood or DNA tests, as the mere thought of that made him sick to the stomach and made him want to reach for a gun to defend himself or flee. There was only so much guess work even someone as experienced and old as Shamal could do with such limited methodology, so Reborn had let it be and forgot all about it. He simply just called himself a mage if anyone asked. He was really very skilled with magic, knew a lot of spells no one else did except maybe Kawahira and that was a pretty damned big maybe right there. He also had a knack for creating new spells only he could use because of his intense magic.

"Yes, well, it was that fantastic healing factor itself that was targeted," Hibari said with a snort, crossing his arms and cocking a hip. "I'm guessing you once again don't know you have some sidhe blood in you."

What!?

Sidhe were extremely rare outside of the Lake of Albion! It's practically a miracle to see one, let alone sleep with 'em, especially as sidhe hate humans!

"You used to be a hitman that had worked with the Arcobaleno hunters clan-" No, that can't be true! Reborn hates monster hunters! "-for a while until they tried to force their ideology on you and make you one of them. You'd gone to them to get basic training because you'd been dragged into assassinating the supernatural as much as humans and you didn't give a damn one way or the other, but they then one day knocked you out and partially injected you with sidhe blood. You escaped and went solo. You met me and my uncle about eight years after that, when you were hired to kill him. But you spared us and even became our friend. We set off on a journey. You wanted to escort us home and eventually we invited you to live with us. But in China, near Peking, the Arcobaleno found us, we fought, we won, we escaped Peking and made it to the sea where-"

"Ào Ji was supposed to take us to Japan," Reborn finished in a daze, not really knowing where he knew that bit of information from.

"Yes," Hibari said with a nod. "The Arcobaleno had split up and the one called Luce had hit you with some strange bullet or something and it attacked the sidhe blood in you directly. Everything that it affected in your body, including your magic and healing, was rendered useless and actually started tearing you apart. We had thought you dead. Had uncle not decided he's ready to bear your hatred for doing it without asking for your consent, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"What's his name?" He all but demanded. He was half surprised that he wasn't insisting on learning his own name first, but if Hibari wasn't the one he's been searching for since he woke up, he needs to find the man he's been dreaming of almost every night of his known life! "And while we're at it, what's your full name?" Because surely Hibari isn't all there is to identify this vampire.

"My name is Hibari Kyoya," the vampire replied. "I'm not sure how smart it is to forcefully jumpstart your memories if they haven't returned on their own. How long have you been awake?"

"Three hundred years."

Kyoya frowned. "You should have definitely remembered by now."

"I don't care. Just tell me his name. Please."

But Kyoya just shook his head. "It could be mentally damaging to you for me to just tell you anything about your past. There are spells that could coax your memories back into your grasp, but my magic is not specialized in that way. We'd have to ask Kawahira. You might not like having someone rummage through your mind, though."

Reborn bit the inside of his cheek. He trusted Kawahira probably more than anyone else excluding Shamal, but he wouldn't let even the alchemist turned doctor do such a spell on him, let alone Kawahira who was only a work acquaintance. A man he trusted to do the right thing, defend his enforcers and fight for those that can't fight for themselves, maybe even with his own life, but one he definitely didn't trust enough to mess around with his mind.

"Can't you ask him to train you a bit better and then do it yourself?" Because he felt he could ... trust Hibari Kyoya. He felt that he already knew him, that they had a certain relationship between them that he should regret forgetting. Still, Kyoya seemed ... not quite right to him as he was. Why did he feel like he was expecting someone ... shorter and criminally adorable for the amount of power and age they have accumulated?

Hibari arched an eyebrow at that. "I could ... But I am honestly not sure how compatible my own magic is to such spells."

"Why do I get the feeling that you actually don't let anything limit or restrain you?"

Kyoya seemed rather pleased at that. "That might be your repressed memories speaking. I'm the one who taught you a lot of the more complex spells you might 'instinctively' know right now." Reborn arched an eyebrow this time, but he guessed that actually made a lot of sense. A born vampire - or otherwise known as a pure blooded vampire - has practically unlimited potential for magic and the age to back it up with immense knowledge. And if they've been traveling together for a while, it only made sense that they might exchange some knowledge, especially if Hibari and his uncle had gone as far as to invite him to stay with them at the end of their journey. It really only made sense that Reborn would have had a vampire teacher for some of the spells he knew. Shamal had never seen some of the things Reborn could do effortlessly and even Kawahira was surprised by some of the things he knew. "You used to be a self-taught magic user. A very strong and skilled one at that, but that was your natural talent and resourcefulness that helped you gather knowledge or make your own spells. While we were traveling together, we taught you some new spells. Mostly me. My uncle, while definitely a lot older than me, stuck to a few different categories of spells, mostly destructive and battle spells. No one can compete with him in that. I, however, know far more different types of spells. There are, however, types of magic that I simply cannot learn. I'll need to see with Kawahira if I can refine my skills in mental spells."

Reborn nodded, sighing. He boldly moved past Kyoya to plop down on the comfy couch in the Reception Room, ignoring the snort from the vampire. He had a lot to think about but he's not ready to leave yet. He's just found a piece of his past and while Kyoya wasn't very specific about anything, he was giving Reborn information meant to stir his memories back into an accessible domain of his mind. He's learning more about what his life had been than he had ever been able to find out on his own on all of his previous travels.

He watches as Kyoya moves back to his desk, going back to his paperwork. Leon jumps from his hat and sails across the room in the form of a paper airplane. Kyoya looks up and stretches a hand out for the chameleon to land and Reborn watches the two have their little reunion. The obvious familiarity and fondness the two hold for each other makes Reborn's heart clench. He feels like an outsider despite a part of him telling him he wasn't one. Leon was his partner and a part of him knows Kyoya is someone he should be really close with. The yellow canary joins their little reunion as well and Reborn arches an eyebrow when the bird starts talking. Singing. That's one smart bird.

"This is Hibird," Kyoya says, as if reading his mind. "He's not a normal bird, though. Do you maybe remember what he is?"

"...Why do I keep thinking of fire the more I look at him?" Hibird chirped and actually caught aflame, as though in approval, and Kyoya snorted at the way he jumped in surprise. "A fucking phoenix?" Why was he even surprised at this point!? Aside from the fact that phoenixes rarely, if ever, stuck around other species, that is. And the fact that this was a vampire, supposedly a creature of the night. A rare and odd pair in more ways than one. "Right. I should have expected as much at this point." He sighs but it's ... fond and happy. And that seems to make Kyoya, Leon and Hibird happy, too. To them, it must feel like getting a friend back, even if Reborn doesn't even know his own name. That gives him an idea. "Should we exchange life stories since we last met? I mean, that has nothing to do with my lost memories so it shouldn't be dangerous to my mind or whatever. And why, exactly, would it even be dangerous for me to be reminded of the memories I lost, anyway? If it's not by magic, it shouldn't be messy."

"Because we're running the risk of tricking your brain into thinking it is allowing you to know all you need to know, so it will stop trying to make those memories accessible to you. You might never remember your life if I just tell you things. Sure, you might remember your life before your temporary stint as a hunter, but you might never regain the memories of your trip with me and my uncle and I don't want that. I just got you back and it would break him if you never returned to being yourself." Kyoya looked away, embarrassed or distressed and not wanting Reborn to see it. "As for why you lost your memories in the first place ... That's also a question you should be asking, but not me. I don't know the answer. I can only guess it is because your healing was attacked. Healing factors are never attacked. It's cruel."

"I get the feeling the Arcobaleno aren't exactly kind, either," he said, a hand unconsciously coming up to his neck. The way Kyoya's eyes darkened when he saw the side he was palming told Reborn that was not the side on which he'd received a vampire bite, but rather the bullet/syringe wound that had led to him nearly dying, apparently. "Should I start? With my story, I mean."

And so they spent hours recounting the past three hundred years. Actually, Kyoya told him even about the two hundred years since Reborn's 'death' and before his awakening and even about some of his journey with his uncle, dubbed 'Wind' for the time being - now why did that tickle him so? - before they met Reborn.

Apparently, since his 'death', Kyoya and 'Wind' made it back to Japan and immediately started the movement infamously famous as Free Like A Skylark and fought for decades before they managed to win equal rights for 'monsters' to those of humans, banned monster hunting and shut down every and all clans unwilling to let go of their ways. They're still fighting an uphill battle against the Vongola, since they knew how to keep their hands looking clean, even if they were anything but. Reborn immediately offered his help but Kyoya would not have it.

"They are most probably keeping an eye on you, since they know there used to be a man with your face and skill but no one knows what happened to you. They must think you're a descendant or something but they can't figure out what you are, species-wise, and we need to keep as little attention on you as possible."

Reborn didn't agree and figured he'll keep it quiet that he's running an investigation for Kawahira - technically - already behind everyone's backs.

Besides, Tsuna wouldn't know the first thing about looking for a possible traitor and it's not betrayal if you held no loyalty to someone in the first place. And Reborn doesn't. He likes Tsuna, has high hopes for him, but he wouldn't say he's particularly attached to him. Not yet, anyway. He's had a student once, a dhampir, whom he'd come to look at almost as a son. (He wonders briefly if Kyoya knew him.) He'd been with him for a decade, had seen him stop aging and mourn the fact that he will outlive anyone whom he ever knows. Dhampires die to become vampires and vampires live until they're killed. Reborn's one of the rare few that Dino still knows from his childhood that's still alive. And now that he knows he's got vampire blood and magic in him, he'll have good news for when he next sees his former student.

He's close to Dino, but it had taken them years to get to that point.

Tsuna is still just another student, one who might one day be involved in monster hunting, the one activity Reborn hated with his whole being.

Kyoya didn't need to worry about him when he's already busy with running Namimori and the accept-all school he'd built and even an organization simply called the Foundation that's in charge of taking down anyone who doesn't abide by the equality and no-hunting laws. Kyoya's fighting an uphill battle. It's slowly coming to an end, as the organizations which focus solely on exploiting/executing the supernatural are rarer by the day thanks to his and Wind's efforts over the years. Kyoya didn't need to worry about Reborn when he's so busy.

Still, Kyoya had told him many interesting things. Arcobaleno, for one ... They were all practically brainwashed by their leader, Luce. As soon as she was killed, whatever thrall she had over them was broken and within days, the other five seem to have come back to some of their senses and disbanded, only Lal Mirch and Colonello staying 'together', since they're apparently lovers or something. Reborn doesn't remember them, any of them, at all, but he soaks up the information offered to him like a thirsty man would water after days in the desert. Lal Mirch works for CEDEF, an organization under Vongola that helps manage the inside workings of the mafia side of their business. Colonello is affiliated with COMSUBIN, the special forces of Italy's army, and he helps out Lal with anything she needs so he's not exactly using his second chance at life, so to say, to its fullest. Might be that he's trying to stash up as much money as he can because he's an old werewolf and it's only a matter of time before they'll discharge him and he'll have to find another way to make ends meet.

Verde fucked off to who knows where for a while and is now a freelance scientist who sells inventions, no matter their nature, to the highest bidder when he needs more money for his other research. The man, apparently, only cares about sating his own curiosity when his mind is strictly his own. Skull went on to become a stuntman and uses half the money he ever earns for any show to help clean the oceans or protect the more 'monstrous' supernatural beings, which is actually pretty great and a show that he's willing to make up for all the damage he'd done in the past. Apparently, if Kyoya's research is correct, Skull had been a civilian accidentally saved by a young hydra and had received some of its magic in its attempts to keep him alive. It gave him some insane powers and he couldn't die if he wanted to, because his magic kept regrowing anything that's damaged.

After he'd come back to himself, Kyoya had actually had to give him years of lessons before he could release the 'immortal stuntman' back into the world because Luce had been actively brainwashing him the whole time he'd been with the Arcobaleno and had no real idea of how to control his powers, especially after they had stuffed him with some more monster blood to make his healing/regrowing ability stronger. He's doing rather fine now. He's happy and he's found the hydra that had saved him again and they're a team or something.

Reborn's actually tempted to go visit him, ask him about his own time with the Arcobaleno. Ask him why they had given him such powerful blood when they had, apparently, known that he was learning simply to expand his hitman business and not because he supported their ideals.

In the end, he decided not to do that because he wasn't actually sure if Skull would be happy to see him.

He wasn't sure if he'd be happy to see Skull.

Even if he doesn't remember what had happened, his heart still clenches with betrayal when he even thinks of the Arcobaleno and Reborn as Reborn has never even met them.

Except, it turns out that he has. One of them, that is.

Viper, currently going by the name of Mammon, had faked their death and then reemerged as a tutor for Xanxus, the leader of the Varia. The Varia used to be an elite assassination squad under Vongola and Xanxus had been raised as Timoteo Nono Vongola's own youngest son, only for it to be revealed that he was actually adopted, picked up from the street because his real father was a supernatural being so Xanxus naturally had magic as a hybrid. The fire sprite-human hybrid had started a rebellion and had been frozen for his 'insolence' when he tried to break the Varia, which had been under his control for years, free from Vongola and would have probably died in the ice had Mammon not freed him with their magic. With Mammon's help, Xanxus had managed to wrench the Varia out from under Vongola's thumb and they were now a separate organization that actually actively works with enforcers instead of killing supernatural beings.

It helps that Xanxus' lover and second in command, Superbi Squalo, is a siren and that the man most loyal to him is a weather elemental of medium status but great strength.

Xanxus was a jerk to everyone but he was just a bit less of a jerk to his own than he was to the rest of the world.

Reborn had seen this first hand, when he had been training Dino, because Dino's best friend was Squalo and Dino used to visit him, so his tutor at times went along with him. He'd always wondered why that hooded figure had been so wary of him, why they had shied away and even snapped at him a few times only to flinch back. Reborn was usually a comfort to supernatural beings, given he usually fought for their rights unless they are criminals that are disturbing the fragile balance that is living with humans. And Mammon was Varia while Reborn was a former enforcer famous for still occasionally taking missions with them if they were extremely difficult and/or important. They should be natural allies.

Now it makes sense but he's not sure what to think of it all.

When the sun starts to set, Kyoya eventually reminds him that he had a new student currently to be watching over. Reborn is hesitant to leave, because he hadn't realized he'd been tense all this time until it had all drained away from him while in Kyoya's presence and now it was all slowly building back up again at the prospect of leaving.

"My uncle will be back before the month is up," Kyoya said as Reborn almost left his office. "And I'll meet with Kawahira tonight to ask him about spells and training. I don't know how long it might take us to work through it and I don't know whether seeing my uncle might jog your memory, so we'll prepare for both outcomes. In the meantime, please try not to draw Vongola's attention. I don't need Primo getting suspicious and coming to check on his precious Decimo and finding out there are more Hibari out there than he thinks."

"I thought they were aware of your existence and that that's why ... "He trails off, not sure where that had come from or why he was surprised at this new information. Hibari seemed very surprised, too, shocked even. But also very pleased.

"It would seem that your memories are not as inaccessible as I've feared. Good. Maybe you won't need any push with mental magic after all. Maybe all you needed was to be exposed to your old life."

"Why did I have that opinion, Kyoya?" He asked, not letting the topic go.

Hibari answered without pause. "You met me and my uncle when you were on a hit. My uncle was your target. Back then, 'Wind' and I thought it was because Vongola was collecting, but Primo already had a vampire and it turns out Nono doesn't have strong enough tamer's blood to hold a bond with a vampire of his own, at least not a born one. They'd known that before they had set out on the hunt, or rather sent you out. I'm not sure why they really wanted my uncle gone beyond the fact that he's technically the vampire emperor, but they don't know about my existence and think the strongest vampire alive is their slave."

"I thought it was the Arcobaleno who had been after you?" Reborn asked, because apparently he was starting to remember shit now. After all these decades, now he was remembering, when he had to leave a friend from a former life, even if it wasn't permanent, even if they were just a few streets away from each other and he had a standing invitation to come by as he pleased? He fucking hated his life in that moment.

"As it turned out, the Arcobaleno had been after you. They only found out you were with two vampires after they'd caught up to us in Peking."

"Fuck, what a mess," he groaned, rubbing at his forehead. But still, he was kind of happy? If his memories were coming back, then maybe he could finally understand himself better. "I think I need to think about all of this for a while." Hibari nodded in understanding. "And I'll be careful not to draw the Vongola's attention."

With that and a parting wave, Reborn left.

00000

A week later, he already knew he wouldn't be able to keep his promise because Iemitsu had decided to come home and was 'stealthily' scrutinizing the progress Reborn had made of Tsuna's training, the companions Tsuna was keeping and, of course, Reborn himself. Reborn had taken to staying with Shamal to avoid spending so much time with a Vongola, the so called External Adviser and leader of CEDEF. Iemitsu held to lofty title of 'Vongola's Young Lion' because he had a very strong, very powerful, very heady cocktail mix of any and all feline-related supernatural beings that the Vongola could get their hands on, including but not limited to chimeras, sphinxes, bakeneko, nekomata, Da-jo-ji, matagot, dawon, komainu, lamassu, snow lions and many more.

Iemitsu had a lot of magic and knew how to use it, but his mental capacity was severely limited due to the cocktail pumping through his veins. Limited as in, to certain areas and periods of time. Just long enough for infiltration missions and recon. He was trained to spot threats to the Vongola and act on it like a mother lioness would to protect her cub.

Too bad he was a shitty father in the process, but whatever. That's for Tsuna to work through.

With barely over a week until the end of the month and good news from both Kyoya and Kawahira that Kyoya was actually a lot more suited for mental magics than he had thought but needed intense training to learn to use that aspect of his magic, Reborn knew he had to be careful in his own investigation of Vongola. He needed hard, solid, irrefutable evidence if he wanted to bring them down once and for all and he can't get that with Iemitsu acting all suspicious-like.

So he had Shamal call in a favor with the Varia. They were already doing their best to stay on his good side since while he may have rejected their invitation to join them, he was still willing to work with them occasionally and he would be an amazing asset to their numbers. Xanxus came to town and there was a brawl of almost epic proportions when he and Iemitsu ran into each other. Then Iemitsu, the bastard, had Tsuna challenge the other 'for honor of Vongola' or some such bullshit and Reborn was supposed to prepare him for it. Thankfully, Xanxus had taken one look at Tsuna and laughed himself silly, even more so when he saw Reborn standing there because the whole world knew Reborn usually tutored helpless cases and Tsuna was just radiating dame dame energies.

Besides, Xanxus seemed more interested in tracking down their resident skylark, but the vampire had evasion perfected into an art form. The Varia left frustrated with their boss sulking and then Kyoya invited Reborn over for coffee and lunch with Kawahira. Reborn found he rather admired the audacity of the teen-looking Hibari. Kawahira seemed just as amused and delighted, especially when Reborn supplied his side of the story of how frustrated Iemitsu was at the wasted opportunity to prove the new Decimo's supremacy or some such bullshit.

The days after that passed relatively peacefully, with Reborn casually training Tsuna and his friends and teaching them some about the dynamics most people would expect of them. Tsuna didn't seem comfortable with that, Gokudera was thrilled, Yamamoto thought it was some kind of game and Ryohei didn't care as long as it is 'extreme'. Reborn had to repair some damage done to Nami-chuu when the kids managed to wreck havoc on it, especially if Lambo, who was just happy to be away from his family, was around without Fuuta or I-Pin, who was his new best friend, around to watch him. Lambo wasn't always overwhelmingly annoying, but he had his moments. Especially if he was trying to get Reborn's attention and the former enforcer refused to acknowledge him. That's when he becomes unbearable.

Kyoya was not happy with that. He even made a few appearances, especially if the damage was done by Gokudera's rather explosive hobby regarding actual bombs and TNT sticks. Gokudera was not happy when a huge protective field was erected around the school to prevent him - or anyone else - from bringing weapons and/or explosives or other dangerous things to school. It actually forced Reborn to ditch the usual attire he wore around Tsuna, which made him look like a stereotypical witch, with a broomstick and all, because it was actually a very powerful cloaking spell that could potentially harm anyone who would try casting tracking, scrying or spying spells on him. The hat was to protect from mind control and he had had it made to look like a black witch's hat with a yellow ribbon around the base to allude to his beloved fedora. Without his robes and hat, he returned to wearing a three piece expensive black suit, yellow dress shirt and black tie and, of course, his infamous fedora made a return.

That was the first time Reborn had seen people watching him warily; even Bianchi was careful not to make him cross with her and stayed away! Reborn actually hadn't dressed like this since he'd woken up. His clothes had gotten dusty while he had been exiting the tomb and so Shamal had given him some spares until they could either get his washed accordingly or buy him new ones that fit more with the new fashion sense of the age he was waking up in. He could count on one hand how many times he'd dressed in this suit and shirt but now it only felt right as more memories - or bits and pieces of them - started surfacing.

Nothing significant or particularly telling of his life or personality, but he treasured every single one of them. He'd finally remembered his mother's face - the beautiful woman he'd sometimes dream in memory dreams - and that's definitely significant to him. He also remembered spending a lot of his time as a child in some sort of library or book shop that apparently belongs to him and his mother. He'd asked Kyoya if he knew anything about that and the vampire had said he was remembering his origins as a hitman, because, apparently, his mother's death had pushed him into that lifestyle. He wasn't sure how he felt about that but he decided to let the memories come even if Kyoya was getting closer by the day to be ready to help him access all of his memories. It was as though now that his mind had something of a deadline, it had finally decided to cooperate and start supplying him with new information. He remembered places he had been to and names without faces and vice versa. Reborn didn't know if those were his once targets or simply people he had not remembered yet. He remembers a book title here or there but he still doesn't remember 'Wind's' real name or why he hates that well dressed man that had, apparently, one day walked into his and his mother's store.

Tsuna was freaked out by his appearance when he first saw him, while Yamamoto had laughed and asked if he was a part of the mafia. Reborn had snapped at him before he could stop himself, utterly revolted by the mere idea of it due to Vongola's involvement in the 'regular' underworld, which had left everyone but Ryohei wary of him for days.

His bad mood led to Kyoya literally tracking him across the city to hand him large cups rivaling serial bowls of espresso to cheer him up.

His bad mood led Shamal to contacting Dino and asked him for a visit.

His bad mood, apparently, gave Iemitsu the brilliant idea that now of all times was the perfect opportunity to invite his superiors to check on Tsuna's progress.

Not that Reborn learned of this last fact until, one day, mere two days before the month was over, when he was about to escort a beat up Vongola Tenth Generation - as the groups formed by hunters were named - after they had managed to break enough rules at the school for Hibari himself to hunt them down and discipline them, suddenly a portal opened in mid air and out stepped a group of eight people plus a giddy and anxious Iemitsu.

Reborn and Gokudera recognized them instantly, while Tsuna personally knew only two of the people present. The others were stunned by the resemblance they bore to the newly arrived group.

Giotto Primo Vongola smiled at his successor and who knows how many times great grandson. "Hello there, Tsunayoshi-kun. Iemitsu-kun told me you've been doing rather well in your training so I got a bit curious and wanted to check on your progress myself, if you don't mind."

"Hiee!? Giotto-jiisan!?" Tsuna was fairly freaking out just to see his older, strawberry blond lookalike. Daemon Spade, from the far back of the group, snorted, clearly unimpressed with the future Vongola monster tamer. "You didn't have to do that! Everything's fine!"

"You don't even have a full companion group collected," Lampow lazily supplied, yawning into his hand. "Where's that brat of mine, anyway?"

"He is right, Decimo," G, Giotto's right hand man and most trusted adviser and companion, said. "You don't have any more specialized fighters or magic users and the creatures you've chosen are of rather weak magic or pathetic origins. I guess it's okay for a starter pack, so to say, but I wouldn't stick with them for long term bonding."

"What did you say, you bastard!?" Gokudera yelled, Ryohei for once right behind him, both offended, though Ryohei just didn't like the poltergeist's tone and the clear doubt he had in their abilities. Reborn just watched them warily, not sure what to expect from all of this. He was angry, to be sure, because he didn't want to deal with Giotto Primo. The man was said to have mind reading powers and while Reborn trusted his own abilities to keep his mind safe, that doesn't mean he appreciated people even thinking of trying to rummage through his mind without his consent. It was why he wanted Kyoya to be the one to do the memory-invoking spell, even if Kawahira might be a smarter, faster and safer option.

"Only the truth," G sneered and the Yamamoto lookalike put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down at the same time Yamamoto himself did to G and Ryohei before the werecat and pooka could jump into a fight they had no hope of winning.

Then he blinked as he seemed to finally register something, completely ignoring what Ugetsu was saying. "Hey, Hibari! When did you dye your hair?"

The platinum blond in question went as stiff as a board as everyone turned their attention towards him. And Reborn finally took note of the eerie similarity between Alaude and Kyoya. Except for the color of their hair and the fact that they had chosen two different ages to stop aging, they could pass off as twins when using only their basic vampiric powers that made their eyes silver. The former hitman/hunter/enforcer grimly remembered Kyoya insinuating that Vongola might have wanted his uncle gone for reasons other than collecting a young, 'vulnerable' and 'impressionable' vampire given they hadn't even known Kyoya was there and the insinuations behind making sure no one knows about more Hibari than people thought there are.

Daemon spade and Giotto Primo got a certain gleam in their eyes. "Where do you know that name from?" Giotto asked, not taking his eyes off of the blond vampire.

Alaude looked as tense as a spring ready to snap.

"From me," a new voice said and Reborn was the one to tense this time because it was very familiar. He whirled around to look at Hibari, standing on the roof of his school in absolute confidence, looking down at them with flashing silver eyes. "Vongola, you are trespassing. If you were anyone else, I'd tell you to leave before I bite you to death. But given who you are ... "

In a flash, the vampire was on the ground with tonfa materializing in his hands and charging towards Primo's group, only to be stopped by Alaude, whose face contorted into a grimace. "Run, Kyoya. I will never be able to face Fon again if anything were to happen to you. You know I cannot fight this curse."

"Then I'll fight it for you," Kyoya replied, eyes now glowing violet. Before anyone could blink, the two lookalikes are at each other's throat, Alaude having taken out some handcuffs of all things as his weapon of choice, Kyoya pushing on with his tonfa, magic flying all around. Alaude's magic almost matched Kyoya's in color, but Kyoya's violet was edged in indigo and that indigo gave him an edge, as chains sprung from the butt of the tonfa and made his close-range weapons into middle to long-range ones. Reborn had no choice but to gather up Tsuna, Yamamoto, Gokudera and Ryohei to drag them out of the way of the intense fight as the two vampires went all out. Primo's group simply jumped out of the way, too, and Reborn suddenly found himself standing on the unsteady-looking rooftop of the school, placed between the Vongola Tenth Generation and the Vongola First.

Yamamoto had his bat out, the hard wood already replaced with even harder, sharp steel of a katana as his magic transformed it. Ryohei had dropped into a boxing stance, pooka markings slowly traveling across his skin in blinding yellow as he clenched his fists and wrapped them in sunlight-like magic to replace wrappings and boxing gloves. Gokudera was partially shifting into his werecat mode, only his fangs and claws. Unlike the werewolf in their group, Gokudera's fighting style wouldn't be impaired by his own magic.

Tsuna, though, remained paralized, not even sure what he should do, if he should try to calm everyone down or even if he should try to get in between the two vampires below.

Giotto's side were lazily on guard but most of their attention was actually held by the two Hibari fighting one another down at the school gates. Reborn couldn't afford to take his eyes off of the group before him, because out of all of the Generations, Giotto's was by far the most powerful, as is evidenced by Alaude's and Daemon's presence at his side. The fallen angel was incredibly powerful, the only one of his kind that had retained all the knowledge he had held as a servant of the Above when he had fallen Bellow. The story is foggy about how a simple human like Giotto could have gained a man like him on his side, but they all suspected it might be the blond woman's fault, the monster tamer Elena who had pledged her loyalty to Giotto as though she herself was a monster and not a tamer herself.

"He's powerful," Ugetsu commented, impressed, as they watched Kyoya send some kind of spherical attacks at Alaude, which the blond vampire just barely dodged. "He moves with a precision and confidence belaying he is a skilled, experienced hunter."

"I was unaware that any of the Hibari have coupleated these past few decades," Elena said offhandedly, turning to look up at the tense fallen angel at her side. "Do you know anything about this?"

"He must be the vampire Mukuro had tried to recruit to free me," the man said with venom no one would have expected to be directed at one's lover and that struck a chord in Reborn for some reason. The words, not the tone, because he quite frankly didn't give a shit about them and their clearly unhealthy relationship.

Kyoya had ... Kyoya had once been kidnapped by a nephilim-monster tamer hybrid who had a thing against Vongola! Reborn was sure of it! He ... He could remember that conversation! Guess he finally learned the foolish tamer's name. But even the arrogance of being practically immortal wouldn't lead any person to so boldly try to force a vampire's hand. Why would have this Mukuro-

A child ...

Kyoya had been a child when they'd first met!

He ... He could remember now! That's why he had felt as though something was not quite right when he'd first met Kyoya! Kyoya had not been aging back then, had instead been traveling as his uncle's mini-me so they'd draw less attention to themselves! Reborn ... He could remember what 'Wind' looked like and the resemblance with the Kyoya of now narrowed down to the length of their hair, the height Kyoya's teenage visaged limited him to and the color of their eyes when not using any power at all and the color of their magic that isn't vampiric in origin. That level of resemblance would draw too much attention for two travelers trying to keep out of the hunters' eyes.

He could remember now ... Those beautiful chocolate eyes he'd seen only once. His name was at the tip of his tongue-

Alaude gave a startled cry as, suddenly, a small, spiked sphere hurtled past him and he didn't dodge fast enough, one of the silver-looking, wicked sharp spikes striking him in the shoulder and drawing blood. The platinum blond vampire hissed at his dark haired counterpart, but the younger looking Hibari was unfazed as the sphere came to hover beside him, stopped spinning and revealed a ... Forest spirit in the form of a cute little hedgehog? But it had a crystal embedded in its forehead and it was radiating power. This was no ordinary forest spirit. It was an elder. They were said to be magnificent support partners, should they decide to honor any living being with their power.

Ordinary, common forest spirits can barely hold onto a single form that just barely resembles what they had been in life. Elder spirits are the spirits strong enough not to lose themselves even after millennia of roaming their haunting grounds. The hedgehog partnered with Kyoya didn't stick to a single form, seeing as it can turn into cloud-like constructs of spike and magic that act as stepping stones to increase Hibari's mobility, as shields or even as battering rams against Alaude's more wide-spread attacks. It could take on the form of a sphere and it rolled around, acting as both attack and defense for Kyoya, fast and powerful and obedient.

"I was unaware that vampires can make pacts," Giotto said, almost accusingly, frowning down at the fight that was now almost one sided.

Daemon smirked. "No Hibari would ever reveal their true power, least of all someone as smart and as knowledgeable and information-oriented as Alaude."

"You knew of this?" Knuckle seemed to hiss at him incredulously and Daemon laughed.

Behind Reborn, Tsuna and his friends were both awed and terrified of the fight going on in their school courtyard, but this was perhaps the best opportunity Reborn would get to shoo these kids away to safety. Just as he was going to turn around to try and transport them away, Giotto perceived his intentions - somehow - and called out to them.

"And where do you think you are going, enforcer officer Reborn? You didn't think we'd just let someone as powerful as you leave, now that we have you right where we want you, right?" The mage - sidhe-vampire, actually - didn't stiffen but his jaw did tense a bit. He turned his attention back to the tamer and wondered idly if he had enough supernatural blood in him that Giotto's powers might pose a threat to him. Monster tamers kept it a strict secret as to what, exactly, it is that allows them to control the 'monsters' they collect. No one but they knew how it works and Reborn would rather not be the first lab rat in the experimentation process needed to figure it out. "We don't know exactly what you are, but we do know who you are." Reborn stiffened this time, because what!? How was it fair that these assholes know more about him than he does!? "When Renato Sinclair disappeared five hundred years ago, we were sure that that was the end of what could have been a very powerful bloodline brimming with talent. It was a shame, but not something we had dwelled over too much. People die and humans are especially oh so fragile. It didn't always seem that way, of course, but that was before the monsters started bragging about their longevity. Still, it was quite a pleasant surprise to learn of your existence. You are so much like your predecessor! So talented, so bright, so powerful, so sharp and intelligent and oh so charming. It was a disappointment when we learned you'd joined the enforcers, but we figured it was only a temporary thing-"

Giotto went on and on and Reborn didn't hear a single word. That name, Renato Sinclair, was ringing in his ears as though someone had struck church bell with him standing underneath it.

No, Renato Sinclair was not his father or grandfather or whatever else Giotto seems to think him to be.

Renato Sinclair ... was Reborn!

"Please, Renato! Don't do this! Hang in there!"

"Open you eyes for me, please!"

Tiredness unlike any he'd ever felt before. A cold darkness he did not know how to combat. Something like fear eating away at him, or was it regret? Regret that he had not been able to keep his promise? That he had not been able to see that little daydream of a peaceful life with his two vampires, his two most precious people, come true?

"He's not breathing! Magic won't help him when he's this drained, especially when whatever this is is targeting his own healing factor and his own magic! Damn it, it must be something from the unseelie court that's attacking his sidhe blood! Ordinary magic won't help him!"

That ... That was Kyoya's voice, right? It sounded so far away, so distant, like it was fading away. Or was he the one that's fading? Could be, that. He certainly felt disconnected from the world, from everything.

Everything but the two warm hands on his cheeks, trying to get him too look the man above him in the eyes and focus on him and only him.

He wanted to, don't get him wrong. If this was to be his last moments, he wanted him to be his last sight.

"Please don't go! There's still so much we have left to do, Renato, so much left to see, to learn! I want to learn more about you, I want to know you better so badly, I can't see you die! Please, not yet!"

This person he just knew meant so much to him sounded to be in so much pain ... He was fading too fast to stop him from hurting ...

"I really like you. I really, really like you, Renato. Please stay. I know we don't have forever, but I still want more time with you. Please!"

But there was nothing either of them could do. He was ... He was dying!

"There's only one thing that can save him-"

Trust Kyoya to have an answer!

"Not without his consent-"

"He won't be alive to give consent!"

Warm breath at his neck. A kiss to his cheek, his jaw, before lips brushed against his cold, clammy skin.

"I hope you don't hate me for this."

Something pierced his skin, but he didn't feel any pain. Whether because he was too far gone or because a pure blooded vampire's bite was painless, he did not know, but then he felt something. A powerful rush, an uncontrollable surge of power, of magic, coursing through his body almost without direction. It was everywhere, it touched everything and he felt-

"We need to go. Ào Ji is attracting too much attention. He can't wait for us any longer."

Warm lips against his forehead. The power was muted now, somehow, for some reason. But so was an uncontrollable hunger writhing just underneath his skin. Perhaps this was for the best, for now.

He mourned the loss of contact when the lips moved away.

"I am trully sorry for this. This is the best I could do for you with our limited time here. Hunters are on our tail, a lot of them. You should be safe, between all the spells Kyoya and I put in place and you still have Leon here to guard you. Let's meet again, one day, once you awaken. Perhaps then, we will have a chance to pursue this thing between us. Until then, sleep and let the hunger and instincts die down. After this, you will be reborn."

Renato snapped out of it just in time to see Kyoya suddenly turn the tables of the battle bellow completely, the hedgehog having multiplied into several dozens and one of them transforming with Kyoya's magic into a pair of spiked handcuffs that, as soon as Kyoya had managed to get even just one cuff around Alaude's wrist, started spreading over his whole body and squeezing enough until the blond vampire could no longer move.

Alaude let out a groan of pain as he fell to the floor and his 'friends'/'comrades' cried in protest, disbelief and shock to see him, perhaps the most powerful in their group, defeated. Only Giotto laughed, delighted and impressed, slowly clapping to the winner vampire as he gazed at him with an unnerving look in his eyes.

Kyoya glared back, surrounded by an army of hedgehog forest elder spirits and suddenly Hibird swooping in to land on his head. Renato knew, from two very different experiences, that that cute little bird was as dangerous as its 'master' or whatever the hell Hibird and Kyoya were to one another.

"You are truly rather impressive, young vampire."

"I'm several million years older than your first ancestor, you lowly herbivore primate."

G bristled by Giotto's side, materializing a bow with some arrows out of seemingly no where but some dark red magic, but the Primo Vongola raised his hand to stop him from making any rash moves. "Then how come I've never heard of you before. Though," the blond mafia boss/monster hunter/tamer cocked his head, studying Kyoya a bit more closely. "You do have an uncanny resemblence to one Hibari Fon. Could it be that you are actually him and that vampires also have the ability to reverse their age as well as stop the process? Is the magic in your blood the fabled fountain of youth?"

"My blood is a fountain of cures for bullshit used against vampires," the free Hibari said before hurtling a speeding chain right at the First Generation, making them jump apart and scatter. Kyoya didn't pay them much mind, instead turning towards Alaude, who was struggling in his trappings until Kyoya knelt beside him and started muttering under his breath something no one but the blond vampire could hear.

Alaude started to panic. "Stop! that's too dangerous! The spell will utterly drain you! You won't be able to fight!"

"Watch me," Kyoya rebuffed and placed a fiercly glowing hand with violet magic on the other vampire's head. Alaude gave a loud scream of pain but then his whole body started glowing orange, the foreign magic dancing over his frame as though writhing under assault as it tried to stay inside its unwilling host. Kyoya grit his teeth just as Giotto released a pained howl, making his other companions react before they could even will it themselves, all of them charging at Kyoya.

Renato moved before he himself could think, but it was instinct to protect a friend rather than a lack of free will. In less than the blink of an eye, he was in front of the two vampires, one hand catching Knuckle's descending fist and twisting his whole body around to slam him into Elena, his other hand glowing with magic as he blasted Lampow away. Daemon nearly cut his head off with his primary feathers, now turned to steel for battle purposes, but that just had Renato reaching for Leon, who transformed into a gun for what felt like the first time since the night of Reborn's awakening.

The once hitman did not hesitate for a heartbeat to shoot the fallen angel straight in the chest, sending him flying backwards, immobilized as his body fought to not actually shut down from overstimulation. He fired off another two shots, but one went straight through G, being a type of ghost as poltergeists are, without any effect and Uigetsu was as fast as any fiend could be, almost managing to gut him had he not taken a single step back and rotated his hips a bit to the side to dodge. The fiend tried to make another attempt at sticking his sword through Renato's middle, but Hibird was there, growing in size until it was as big as a horse and burning as brightly as a star, forcing both creatures of the dark to flee lest they be incinerated on the spot.

G, however, was a long range fighter and his arrows from the underworld sailed past the sea of floating hedgehog needle spheres as it followed his will, heading straight for Kyoya's heart, right around Renato and he couldn't twist enough fast enough to reach out and stop it-

But then G crumbled like a puppet with its strings cut, bringing everyone's attention to the blond man standing over his crumbled form, sunset orange magic flickering around the whip that was wrapped around G's neck as his arrow, without any direction behind it, dissipated midair. Shamal was staring at them with wide, slightly panicked eyes over the familiar dhampir's shoulder, practically gawking at the scene.

"Phew, seems like we were almost late, eh, Kyoya?"

"I don't need your help, Cavallone," snapped the younger-looking-but-is-actually-quite-possibly-older vampire as he finished with a now limp and whimpering quietly Alaude. Reborn had only met Alaude once and he had been under the impression that the man was very proud and practically untouchable, so he can imagine just how painful whatever it is he had just experienced had been for him to be in this state. He did, however, perk up at hearing Dino's family name, which made Renato rather curious. The Cavallone had never had a history of being hunters nor tamers and they had actually been rather cordial with 'monsters', for as long as he knew of the family. He guessed it would only make sense. Dino was a dhapmir, the child of a vampire and an ordinary human. Dhampirs, at one point, become vampires, who can then create more dhampirs. Reborn had met Dino's father and the man hadn't seemed very interesting or eye-catching, so it can't be him that Alaude had, possibly, come into contact with. Who-

"Dino Cavallone," Giotto spat as he panted for breath, looking queasy and disheveled, hair a mess, clothes in disarray, skin pale and clammy from losing one of his bonds forcefully. He was seething. Renato didn't need to use any spells or scent the air or even just extend his magic to feel that. He was enraged that he had lost a vampire, a pure blooded vampire at that, but the cold distaste in his eyes when he looked upon Dino was something else. It was enough to put Renato on edge and make him go into protective home tutor mode. That was his student and fuck if he was going to let some Vongola bastard harm him! "So the rumors are true. You look like a spitting image of your great grandfather. You even share Dante's fate: in love with a cold blooded vampire that will only grow bored of you when your blood stops smelling delicious."

"Fuck. You," Alaude spat through his own pain, apparently not going to let that stop him from speaking up in defense of, what? His lover? Renato wasn't sure what to think about that, especially in the comparison Giotto was making. Dino and Kyoya? Lovers? He wasn't sure which one he should give the shovel talk to! Kyoya, who is older and already had someone to protect his innocence, or Dino, who technically did(n't) but was probably the one who pursued the relationship in the first place and probably even led it into not so innocent waters?

"Did it work?" Spade asked, looking straight at the very tired platinum blond vampire. "Are you really actually free?"

"Yes, I am," Alaude answered, twisting a bit in the restraints until Kyoya took back the strange magical handcuffs. "I don't know that spell and I demand you teach me."

"Tch," was all Kyoya replied, taking the handcuffs back and making them disappear. Renato took a chance to look them both over, finding that they were exhausted. Kyoya's eyes were the silver-blue he now remembers is their true color while Alaude's were a soft sky blue at dawn. Both were a bit pale and their bangs were matted to their foreheads but they stood tall, ready to continue fighting. Renato wasn't sure if they'd actually be able to last long. They were close enough to sense just how low thier magical reserves were, but what surprised him was how quickly those same reserves were building back up, replenishing themselves. He wondered if all vampires recovered that quickly but he didn't have much time for deliberation.

Even with Dino's - and the ever loyally present Romario's - and Shamal's help, between two exhausted vampires and one still unsteady, slowly regaining his memories hitman/hunter/enforcer/tutor and a bunch of practically inexperienced kids they would need to protect if a fight should break loose, these were not ideal odds for them.

"We need a strategy," Alaude said, hands gripping onto his handcuffs. Renato wondered if they can do what Kyoya's had done or if it was a spell. "I did not just gain my freedom back only to fall right back into slavery again. If Dante is still waiting for me, I've made him wait long enough."

"What we need is backup," Kyoya countered. "I won't be able to keep Roll multiplied like this for long. I'd rather call him back and use a combo attack with him to either barrel through them if needed or to contain them until they're knocked out from a lack of oxygen."

Renato could see that he wasn't the only one confused about that, but Alaude didn't ask so he figured he can do that later if he doesn't gain an answer during the fight. He surveyed their opponents instead. Iemitsu was now standing next to Giotto Primo and both looked ready to fight, which meant others will be looking for a fight, too. Thankfully, their only long range fighter, G, remained unconscious even when Dino withdrew his whip and fell into a fighting stance. Lampow and Knuckle were back on their feet but Elena was making her way towards the kids. Shamal, bless him, was already in front of Tsuna and the others, probably more intent on protecting Gokudera, who he had been a mentor to for a while, than anyone else. That will have to do.

Their biggest concern, even more so than the two tamers, was Daemon Spade. Alaude was eyeing him up in a familiar way, meaning these two have sparred or outright fought more than once and are familiar with that song and dance, but Alaude's eyes have not gone back to the usual silver gleam that meant vampiric powers were being used. He will be slower, weaker than usual and he might not be used to that. And as long as Spade was under Primo's control, he won't hesitate to either kill or hand over either of the vampires.

"How do I use this vampire blood I got?" He found himself asking and became the center of attention of both vampires. Alaude looked to be quite shocked and disbelieving while Kyoya seemed to be contemplative. "I ... I regained some memories, from my last moments. I think I was barely, if at all, conscious, but I remember someone saying my new power has to be surpressed in order for my hunger to be under control when I wake up."

Kyoya's eyes filled with understanding. His brows narrowed. "Then it would be foolish to let you unleash that power and that hunger now. We wouldn't be able to stop you from drinking blood and then that would be the only way for you to feed, which would only land you in jail or in a grave and after finally just getting you back, I'm not allowing that."

"We might not have any other options. Whose blood did he get?" Alaude asked and a look from Kyoya was all the answer he needed to curse. "Damn it, no way can we let him loose if that's the case! The Blood Emperor's grandson's blood in a newly turned vampire? That's just a recipe for disaster! You actually left him alone!?"

"We didn't have a choice. Hunters were on our tail and Ào Ji would have been discovered after millennia of keeping him as nothing more than a legend even in our world of monsters and men!" Hissed Kyoya and Renato snapped at them.

"We don't have time for this, bicker later! I refuse to be done in by the likes of the Vongola!"

"Finally, something we agree on!" Alaude huffed, turning his glare at his once 'comrades'. The links of his handcuffs jingled ominously as he shifted in a proper fighting stance. Kyoya moved to cover his back, lifting his own tonfa to chest height as the hedgehog - Roll, was it? - spheres disappeared. Reborn also turned his back to them, trusting Kyoya, if not Alaude, to protect it should he himself not see an attack coming. "Leave Daemon to me. Kyoya, you should take Knuckle, Lampow, and G. I hate to do this, but your friend should take Giotto and Ugetsu. Ugetsu is unnaturally fast, even for a fiend, and I can't take on Giotto even if I'm free. The lingering of his power over me is still too fresh."

"I'd argue that I can take the samurai as well, but I need to take care of these three, first. He'd be a hindrance between the archer and the elemental."

"You can bet that I'll remain standing afterwards," Renato said, a cold tone to his voice that he had never heard from himself since he had awoken and believed his name to be Reborn. It would seem that, at least, he had taken his second chance seriously and had lived his life completely differently than the first time around. "Shall we?"

"Let's," the other two vampires - and wow, is it going to be strange and hard to get used to the fact that he himself was actually a vampire, too - said before all three of them launched, fast as lightning. Reborn noted he was just a smidgen faster, figured it was because both sidhe and vampires were infamous for their speed, before he brushed it all off and focused on dealing with Ugetsu and Giotto.

"Bucking Horse, get the school evacuated!" He overheard Kyoya yell over the sound of battle, as explosions and hits and kicks and the destruction of ground echoed around them, and he also heard Dino giving an affirmative answer. Renato figured it was a necessary move, given the school was full of supernatural kids as well as humans and these were members of the most infamous and cruelest hunter clan. Should Giotto have more backup, the kids would be in danger.

Which proved itself to be true as, not five minutes later, Daemon was ordered to pull back for a moment and open a teleportation gate. And through it stepped out the strongest hunters and warriors of the Simone Clan, all but doubling Vongola's numbers as Vongola's closest allies. An ice queen immediately descended on Kyoya, making his fight twice as hard, especially in his already exhausted state after freeing Alaude. Renato grit his teeth and let his power build before aiming for the woman threatening his friend but ice clones rose from the ground to surround that fight and leave Kyoya out of his sight, a few straying into other fights while Reborn found himself facing off two new additions to his own fight, the First and Tenth Generation monster tamers that stood on either side of Giotto. Alaude remained fighting only Daemon but Dino suddenly had opponents that he and Romario were struggling to keep up with.

Renato let his magic build before pushing it through Leon and together they released a seriously overpowered Chaos Shot, the first one seen in about five hundred years. It destroyed half of the ice clones, almost killed Iemitsu from cardiac arrest, finally took down Ugetsu because nothing and no one is faster than a Chaos Shot and it also took out two of Dino's ten opponents. It also, if Renato may say so himself, completely ruined Giotto's supposedly impenetrable, invincible cape, leaving it useless after just one shot. The two Simones and one Vongola stared at the supposedly indestructible cape before Giotto looked back up at the hitman/hunter/enforcer.

"Chaos," Renato greeted, feeling vindictive as color started to leave the three tamers' faces as it finally dawned on them that Reborn was not the son of the infamous hitman Renato Sinclair, but actually was the infamous Renato Sicnlair. That had, apparently, never even occurred to them as a possibility. Renato smirked. They flinched back at how cold and sharp it was.

Renato felt ... good, upon seeing that. Renato did not like killing, per se, and as Reborn he had avoided it as much as he could, but firing that Chaos Shot, showing everyone just how powerful he was, why they shouldn't dare mess with him or his loved ones, seeing the fear festering ... That felt like home. Well, almost. Close enough, anyway, until he finds 'Wind' and traps him in his arms so he can never leave his side again. He is Renato's. Renato/Reborn has been trying to find him since he woke up three hundred years ago.

He arched an eyebrow when Giotto started laughing like a maniac. He was actually half expecting this from the second he kind of revealed his true - now remembered, partially as it may be - identity. It was almost cliche. As cliche as the villains in Skull's favorite movies from five hundred years ago. (He tried not to think about that, because the betrayal of the Arcobaleno is something he now actively remembered and learning that his once(?) friends(?) had been used and tricked and controlled the entire time is leaving him conflicted, something he cannot afford during a fight. Giotto may be an idiot, but he's still powerful. Giotto is rumored to have gotten the best monster blood cocktail in history of hunters/tamers cocktails.) It was still creepy - and pathetic - as fuck.

"Of course. Of course! As if anyone could take down the all powerful, unbeatable Renato Sinclair!" Declared Giotto loudly, a manic glint in his eyes. "Now I have the chance that my dearest cousin has wasted so spectacularly: I will return the hard earned blood of a sidhe to our collection!"

"You're Luce's cousin? That explains so much." Like the crazy and the illogical ideals. Talk about unfavorable family traits, honestly. "Though this gives me even more motivation to kill you, I hope you realize."

"I've heard of your new-built reputation though, Reborn," purrs Primo Vongola arrogantly. "You will aim to arrest me and I have more than enough strings to pull, more than enough power behind my name, to get out and get you in trouble for turning me in."

"You've obviously never met Kawahira," Kyoya said just as he released chains from his tonfa and sliced through all of his icicle opponents in one, two, three twirls. Even the ice queen herself was grazed by the end of the chain and whatever the fuck spell Kyoya cast the second it touched her, she fell down in a boneless heap on the ground. Kyoya grunted as Lampow managed to land a solid blow - a lightning spear nearly burying itself in Kyoya's left side - that sent electricity running through his whole body and nearly made him stumble on his feet and Renato growled deep in his throat at even that small sign of pain. Kyoya didn't show pain, ever, in any way.

He was either seriously hurting or even more exhausted than Renato had realized. Either of which could lead to a lucky mortal blow.

"You've obviously forgotten who I am," Sinclair coldly informed them as he charged for another Chaos Shot, this one to be even more devastating than the last one. He'd noted just how much stronger the last one had been and wondered if it was his own power having accumulated over the years or if it was just the natural boost he'll always be getting from the vampire blood now mingling in his veins with the sidhe blood. Was he human anymore, at all? Turned vampires weren't. What does this all make him, now? As Reborn, he had always been far more focused on finding the owner of the voice, whom he now almost sarcastically calls 'Wind' in his own mind, that he had never really spared a thought to what the revelation Kyoya bestowed upon him actually means for his current existence.

He'd always just gone by 'mage'. Vague and corresponding to any species that chooses to simply pursue magic instead of just humans or some other breed. Anyone and anything can be a mage. Sorcerer, witch, warlock, those sorts of things are born. Mage is anyone who practices magic.

Reborn, who had only known his own name - which wasn't even correct, by the way - had seen it as the best possible option to build as a part of his identity, given what he could deduce about himself.

Renato Sinclair, though, knew differently.

He also knew what he was, who he was, how he'd gotten there - mostly, anyway - and what he won't ever be and that is a slave to another being.

"I'm not some enforcer you can bully," he said as he leveled gun!Leon with his target. "I'm the world's greatest motherfucking hitman."

The two Simones and Giotto were ready this time, to create a magical shield to repel his attack, but the Chaos Shot had never been the kind of magic that can be used in only one way, which is why tendrils broke free from the main shot even before it hit the shield and started circling around it to attack the three tamers from behind. Giotto, though, to his credit, managed to throw up his other hand in time to absorb some of the destructive power behind the attack and even managed to add some of it to his own magical supply, though it left his right hand burned and crispy.

Then gravity lost all meaning to Renato thanks to the combined efforts of Cozzato Primo Simone and Enma Decimo Simone, the ground crumbling under his feet and lifting with him. He became the center of gravity and the broken ground started clinging to him, trapping his limbs and making it very hard to breathe as it crushed his lungs.

He didn't have a spell that could help him without seriously damaging his own body in the process.

Leon could do very little to help even as the chameleon transformed into a robotic mole and tried to dig him out.

He knew he'd be getting no help from the rest of 'team vampire'. Dino was fighting off the combined forces of the two Simones' companions, Alaude was handcuffed to Daemon and the two seemed to be struggling to free the fallen angel of Giotto's control like Alaude had been freed by Kyoya, only Daemon was still mostly well rested enough to resist while Alaude was still very tired from regaining his own freedom. And Kyoya, injured, was still fighting the combined forces of a very beat up Knuckle and a nearly blinded G, Hibird nowhere in sight but Roll out and about helping his partner/master/whatever the hell Kyoya was to him.

They were all too busy fighting for their lives and Dino had managed to evacuate the school of everyone, including Tsuna and his group of friends.

And it was getting harder and harder to breathe and struggle as more weight was added to his confinement. It was crushing him. It would have killed a normal human being or even a lot of enhanced humans who were not so lucky to have received vampire blood. His healing was trying to compensate for any injury that happened - bruises, cuts, broken bones - and it was moving really fast but Renato knew he was done for unless he learned how to access vampire super strength. He'd seen Kyoya crush diamonds with his bare fists after that fight at Natasha's castle and Fon turn dragon teeth into fine dust-

His eyes widened as the name so casually slipped into his mind and between one breath and the next, he screamed as his head was suddenly crammed with previously suppressed memories. He was so distracted that he didn't see or even feel the red disintegrating fire all but wrap around him at all as his restraints disappeared. There was too much noise in his head, he could feel his fangs extending and a guttural hunger seems to have settled into the very core of his being, he needed to eat-

Then came the overwhelming hyper awareness he'd heard only stories about. Vampires could, supposedly, smell almost as far as werewolves and see as sharp as dragons. He wasn't sure how it was possible for anyone to survive this overstimulation! No wonder newly turned vampires go crazy if this is what they go through, especially when combined with the hunger-

His head stopped and his stomach settled as something is shoved into his mouth. It's a bite of pork, he realizes within seconds, as he automatically chews it and swallows. Fresh off of a BBQ, juicy, spicy, warm. His hunger becomes almost overwhelming for a second but then another chunk is shoved into his mouth. And another. And another. He's not sure how many he gets or how long it lasts, but soon enough the world quiets and his head no longer feels like it's going to explode. He dares to open his eyes again and lower his hands from his ears and the world comes into sharp clarity immediately.

And the first thing he sees is ...

Fon.

Alive and well, all moon pale skin and onyx black hair, soft as silk, and piercing, flashing, beautiful silver eyes that hide their true color under his immense power.

He's here!

Renato doesn't even think before he engulfs the shorter man into a hug, hands shaking with the effort not to squeeze too tight. It would seem he has almost instinctive control over his new strength, which is great because not all things, creatures or people can withstand the might of a vampire's grip. Fon goes stiff in his arms for a second before relaxing completely, leaning on Renato, letting him hold him. Holding him back, if a bit hesitantly at first.

"Don't you dare ever disappear on me again, you asshole," he hissed into the pure blood's ear, or was it a grow? Did it matter? Fuck no. "Fuck, it's good to finally have you back! I missed you without even knowing I was missing you." And why was he so emotional all of a sudden? This shit was so confusing. The only thing he knows for sure is that he doesn't want to let go of Fon, now or ever-

"While all of that is fucking touching, we could still use some help here!" Alaude shouts and the two pull away enough to see that the platinum blond is leaning heavily on Daemon, who now looks as exhausted as Kyoya while Alaude looks seconds away from falling into a stress or exhaustion induced coma. He's practically a limpet on the fallen angel and Kyoya had circled back around to protect the two while Dino had managed to extend his battle to at least Knuckle as well from Kyoya's opponents. Half of the Simone, though, had moved to fight the vulnerable fallen angel and two vampires.

And then Rokudo Mukuro, who Reborn only knew of by reputation, jumped out of the air and defended Kyoya against some earth based attack at the last second, when the vampire was too busy binding G with his magical handcuffs to notice or at least to react quickly enough. The guy was a nephilim with his mother being a monster tamer and despite the hair color, he really looked a lot like-

"Well, shit," was all the turned vampire could say when Mukuro, and a woman that bore him a great resemblance that had turned up at some point, too, moved to assist the vampires and the newly freed fallen angel. The three had that same uncanny resemblance that the three Hibari did. Must be some supernatural genetics or something, especially for the more powerful beings like vampires and angels, fallen or not and half-human or not.

Fon tensed at the sight of Mukuro, even as the nephilim's associates started helping in the fight, allowing Dino more leeway, and Renato remembered the story of how a nephilim monster tamer had tried recruiting Kyoya through a kidnapping before he met the uncle and nephew duo and made an educated guess that Mukuro was it. Double shit. But then Fon relaxed and Renato noticed that Kyoya moved in great tandem to the twins - he hadn't even know Mukuro had a twin, to be honest - as if this was not the first time they have had each other's back. A story for another day.

"Can you stand?" Fon asked and Renato snorted, not even bothering to answer with words but instead standing on his own. He did well to hide how close he was to staggering, though it took a concentrated effort. Looking around, he saw that one of the Simone tamers was nowhere to be found and there was, instead, a very suspicious pile of smoking ashes on the ground that Enma was weeping over. That would explain the ballistic, erratic fighting going on from Cozzato's side. Broken bonds, especially ones that had been consensual, cause madness.

Giotto looks just as ready to tear them into two, even if he's not bonded to Primo Simone.

"We need to fight."

"You need to rest," Fon countered with a shake of his head.

"I'm not going to let Vongola get away with this shit!" He growled and he could see his eyes flashing because it reflected in Fon's. His eyes had just flashed with vampiric power, for a second. He has access to it now. He could easily break free from Fon's lightly restraining hand on his elbow and do as he pleases.

But Fon's eyes were as hard as dragon teeth and scales. "They won't." It wasn't a promise, it's a fact. Stated in cold, sharp tones. Fon throws up a shield of red fire around them to destroy Giotto's attack on them, bathing the world in red. Reborn is, nonetheless, aware of a portal opening and I-Pin rushing out with Kawahira and a huge squadron of enforcers on her heels, as well as the special unit of enforcers, the Vindice. Reborn had gotten a few invites from them over the years to join. They were practically independent, seeing as they specialized more in breaking human and supernatural rights that include experimentation and 'make your own monster' and other such crimes than other, more physical and blatant forms of cruelty and discrimination. However, the mummies were by far some of the most scarily powerful people walking this godforsaken Earth and their leader, Bermuda, likes Reborn. You could almost call them friends, even, on good days.

Only Reborn had never really approved of their more brutal 'arrest methods', so they rarely actually see eye to eye.

Gods, or whatever it is that vampires swear by, but he's not sure how he'd stayed sane while living as Reborn. His life as Rento had been fucked up and complicated but somehow his decades as Reborn take the cake. At this point, he just feels like the universe is screwing with him and is tempted to ask Fuuta what its deal was for always targeting the hitman/hunter/enforcer/tutor. Did he do something wrong in his past life?

(... Scratch that, he was a hitman in his last life. But what about the life before that one? Surely he wasn't irredeemable?)

"Come on," Fon urged, hand falling down now to grip Renato's own instead of his elbow. "You need rest and we have a lot of catching up to do."

"You think I would just let you leave after what you've just done!?" Giotto yells at them beyond the still active wall of flames and the two men exchange a look.

But before either of them can do anything, a whip of fire wraps around the tamer's neck and pulls, hard, instantly choking him while the fire starts burning through the flesh. Neither Fon nor Renato are particularly repulsed by the screams or by the burning flesh, but Giotto's companions, G especially, go even more mad than Cozzato's had when he'd died because Giotto was still alive and they were right there but could do nothing about it as the Vindice, Mukuro's groupies and Kyoya and Dino wrapped it all up and dragged them away.

Renato followed the whip to its source and nearly choked on his spit when he saw a spitting image of Dino, only taller, older and slightly broader along with blue eyes and dark brunette hair as opposed to honey and gold that was his student.

"This is for my lovely Alaude," Dante Cavallone says with a charismatic purr but a deadly cold tone as the fire spreads to cover the entirety of Primo Vongola.

"You Hibari sure know how to pick 'em," Renato couldn't help but comment even as Giotto Primo Vongola burns into nothing but ashes carried away by the wind before his very eyes. Even as he's saying this and Kyoya and Dino are fighting off the now truly mad Knuckle, Lampow, G, Ugetsu and a now once again awake and in sight Elena whom Shamal was bringing back, the dhampir fussing over the vampire even as Kyoya tried to push him away - not using his tonfa, surprisingly enough; just how long has that been going on? - and calling him a fretting, silly herbivore.

"That we do," Fon responded in amusement, sending a look Renato's way.

The former hitman/hunter/enforcer and now former tutor as well rolled his eyes but finally allowed the older vampire to lead him away from the chaos of the aftermath of that fight. "Where have you been? Why did you take my memories away?"

'Wind' - and now he knows why it was always impossible to truly call him 'Wind', even if that's what his name actually meant - furrowed his brows and looked ahead, seemingly lost in thought. "Ào Ji informed Kyoya and I that your tomb has been disturbed so I've come to see if you were okay, only to find you gone and that the last traces of a presence around the time your tomb has been disturbed belonged to an alchemist. I traced your tracks to Peking, where all traces of you disappeared and I've spent years searching for you. Then, some decades later, Kawahira told Kyoya that a 'Reborn' has joined the enforcers and that he greatly resembled our missing hitman but that he doesn't act like Renato Sinclair in the least. I've tried to do some investigating and when I finally saw you, I realized this might be the life you would have preferred, so I left you be. But then you left the enforcers and Kawahira said you were dead set on hunting down the Vongola and I knew I had to find some way to do that for you instead."

"You were doing research this whole time?" He asked incredulously even as they made their way over to where Daemon was being lead away by his children while he left Alaude to reunite with his long lost lover. Dino was hovering around Kyoya while the youngest skylark directed the arrest with Kawahira and Bermuda. Those three looked like a great team.

"Among other things, yes," Fon replied, seating Renato down on a pile of rubble that used to be the school wall fence. Man, they sure did a number on the school grounds. Kyoya must be pissed. "You'll be happy to know that I've managed to collect enough incriminating evidence to put away all of the Vongola tamers for life, no matter how long their life-cycles may turn out to be. Except the yet undeclared Decimo. That one, I'm afraid, is up to you."

"Tsuna has nothing to do with the Vongola beyond sharing blood with them." Tsuna will actually probably be thrilled to hear that he no longer has to train in this shit anymore and can just keep his friends as his friends without worrying about them one day being sent out to hunt innocent supernatural beings. "Will you be staying in Namimori?"

Fon shot him a startled look. "I thought I'd have to ask you that," he admitted with a sheepish smile and a blush rising to his cheeks and Renato realized he had never shared dreams of an early retirement from hunting and assassinating, five hundred years ago just before things went to shit. Fon didn't know he'd been planning on staying with him and Kyoya for as long as the two vampires will have him.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily. Or ever, when we're at it." Fon looked incredibly pleased at hearing that. Renato figured that meant he wouldn't mind a hug. And maybe a kiss here or there. A date was definitely in order, though. But ... Sleep first. Damn but he was exhausted. Hopefully he'll actually wake up with all of his memories intact, this time, and with Fon and Kyoya by his side.

And with Dino and Shamal in town and now him no longer having to play tutor in order to keep on searching, he can finally relax and rest for a while, just slow down and enjoy life.

And then, when he's bored, one day, he'll see what he'll do to deal with it.

Life couldn't be too boring, after all. He has to master being a vampire. Kyoya and Fon have so much to teach him about that. And there was so much catching up to do. He still has no idea how his clumsy favorite student somehow ended up in some sort of relationship with Kyoya. He had Alaude and Dante to get to know, because they were apparently family now. When was the last time he'd had family, anyway? Before that day when his mother had died, that's when. Over five hundred years ago. Man, he was old. Sure, it was nothing to someone like the three Hibari and probably even to the two Cavallone. They were vampires (dhampir in Dino's case; he still hadn't died yet), meant to live far longer than how old he currently was. All of this will need some getting used to.

But he has a feeling it will all be okay.

It had been a sunny day after the storm his life had been when he'd woken from the dead, with his memories clouded and mind covered in mist.

Now those clouds have parted and he knew who he was and the mist no longer obstructed what he waned to be, how he wanted to live his life. The path ahead was clear and the sky above a stunning blue of freedom and hope. A bright future ahead.

A future he can share with his loved ones.

Somehow, this cold, dark, scary world had turned beautiful and he had, partially, had a hand in it and it was bound to only get better and brighter, warmer, now that the sun was shinning clearly on them all, no more obstructions, no more mists and clouds to prevent its warmth from reaching them all.

He smirked as he realized they were all now free to fly the paths they chose.

Free like a skylark indeed.

LA FINE