Luce decided to put the boy in the set of rooms next to hers, and asked one of the servants to go out and buy clothes that should fit him. She would have done it herself, but she didn't want to leave him to wake up by himself, and at 6 months pregnant, her family didn't let her leave the house unless it was for an emergency.

She walked into the room, and went straight to the bed to lay the boy down. Luce pulled off his shoes and set them down on the floor next to the nightstand, and then folded down the blankets on one side, so that she could slide him into the middle of the bed, and cover him back up afterwards.

He's so small, Luce thought to herself, lifting the blanket up and tucking it more securely around the boy. The bed he was lying on was king sized, and it had white pillows that were piled up behind him, and soft golden sheets that she pulled up to his chin, tucking him in at all sides.

He was placed directly in the middle of the bed, and he seemed to take up hardly any space at all, and if Luce didn't know any better, she would easily be able to mistake him for a pillow that someone had stuffed underneath the blankets. Luce sat herself on the side of the bed after pulling the blanket up, and lifted a hand up to softly brush a piece of the boys hair to the side of his face. She placed the piece of hair behind his ear, marveling at how soft it was as she did.

After she was done, Luce looked at the boy for a moment longer, her navy blue eyes softening in sadness as she did, before she looked away, turning her body so that while she was still seated, her back was now facing him, and her front was facing the open window on the right wall.

Luce placed her left hand on the rounded curve of her stomach, and sighed, closing her eyes in sudden exhaustion. It was like the weight of what she was doing was finally crashing down on her, and she had to take a moment to simply breathe.

She stayed that way, head bent down and eyes closed, for what felt like hours, the silence of the room slowly becoming deafening.

Eventually, Luce opened her eyes and slowly brought her head back up to face the window, her hair moving against her cheek in a soft slide as she did. She turned her gaze to the open window, sunlight streaming through in dazzling rays, and didn't see any of it.

Luce looked out the window, but she wasn't really there, her attention and her mind focused inward in silent contemplation.

Now that he's here, I at least know that I no longer have to worry about The Fated Day, or what's going to happen to Aria after I have her, but now I do have to worry about how to explain his presence to the Famiglia. Perhaps, perhaps I can explain him away as an orphan that I saw in a vision that showed him as being necessary for the future? It wouldn't be entirely a lie, but thinking on it now, what if he does have a family somewhere? A mother and a father that are looking for him?

I know that I saw him taking my place as the sky arcobaleno, but it doesn't make sense that he would be comfortable and accepting of the mafia world when he looks like he is obviously a civilian school boy.

Luce's fingers clenched at the idea of the boy's mother looking for him, bunching up the fabric of her dress on her stomach. How would she feel if it was her in that position? Her daughter disappearing from right in front of her, and there not being anything that she could do about it? I can't…I can't think about that. I'm doing this so that my daughter won't have to live life not having a mother, so I can't think about his mother missing her son, I can't.

Luce took a deep breath, and held it, expelling the air after a count of three, and with it, her previous thoughts. She unclenched her fingers, and smoothed down the material of her dress, clearing her mind with each repetitive stroke of her hand, until her mind was clear, and focused on her original train of thought.

I mean, I'm due to have Aria early august, and in the first vision that I saw, I met Renato and the other arcobaleno around now, and the transformation took place while I was still pregnant, so it had to happen sometime between now and august, which gave me at least two months to come to terms with what was about to happen. But in the vision I had soon after, Aria was at least a year old, and the boy was living with us before he left to have his first meeting with the others. That means that he at least had a year to become adjusted to life in the mafia. But even with that, I have to remember that the Giglio Nero Famiglia doesn't come off as being as obviously mafia as some other families, the Vongola, for instance.

So in a year, a civilian boy not only managed to become aware of the mafia, but also accept it to the point that he would agree to become one of the main holders of the powers that govern it, and keep the world in balance? Well, not agree, no one who becomes an arcobaleno knows that it's going to happen to them, no one except me.

Luce again felt a twinge of guilt, but this time over how in her first vision, she had knowingly led the others to their fate. Like lambs being led to be slaughtered, and she the Sheppard.

And I'm doing it again, aren't I? Only now they won't know that I betrayed them, because I won't be their sky, he will, but even then, I'm still the one sitting back with all the knowledge about what is going on. I am still the silent observer, only this time, I'm not watching myself walk down that road, but him. Watching and making decisions for others like some all-powerful god, when that is the last thing that I am. Gods don't care about the consequences their decisions have on others, but I do. I do, but that still doesn't change the fact that, like those uncaring gods, I'm not going to do anything to change my decision, regardless of who gets hurt because of it, because this needs to happen, not only for my Aria, but in order to protect the future of the world she has to live in. The balance must be maintained, and sacrifices are needed in order to do it, and I'm only lucky that this time, I won't have to be one of those sacrifices, that instead, it will be this poor, innocent boy that fate decided to offer up in exchange. His life…for mine, for my life, and for my future.

Luce started in surprise when she heard a noise behind her, and she turned her head back to see that it was the boy, moving around as much as he could underneath the blankets, and starting to wake up. Luce turned around the rest of the way, and soon after she did, the boy opened his eyes, blinking first at the ceiling, before his gaze turned to her and he flinched back in surprise.

Now that he was awake, Luce could finally see that the boys eyes were a beautiful brown, lighter than his hair, and ringed by a thin band of burnt orange.

Luce was brought out of her observations when she saw his eyes fill with confusion as he struggled to sit up. Luce leaned forward and helped him free his arms, pulling back the blanket and placing her hand behind his back to help him sit up.

Once he was sitting up, Luce withdrew her hand and sat back herself, pausing a second to take in the boy now that he was finally awake.

Luce was surprised to note how calm the boy was being, especially considering the fact that he had just woken up in a strange bedroom, to an unknown woman sitting beside him on the bed. Normally, if someone found themselves in such a situation, they would be the complete opposite of calm, but besides appearing visibly confused, the boy was just that, no fidgeting, looking around, or nervous finger playing, it was…odd, to say the least.

After a few seconds passed of them just staring at each other, the boy silent the whole time, Luce realized that he was waiting for her to say something.

"I'm sorry, I know you must be confused, and here I am, just staring at you. Please forgive me. Do you know what's going on?" Luce asked, putting the thought of how calm the boy was being away for the moment, to focus on talking to him now that he was awake. And Luce would have continued asking question, if the boy hadn't decided at that moment to open his mouth and shock her with what came out.

"Um, I..I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you're saying." The boy responded back, sounding just as confused as he looked, in Japanese. Instead of the Italian that Luce was expecting.

Well, Luce thought, blinking at the boy in surprise, I did notice earlier that he looked Asian, and I was leaning towards him being Japanese, but I didn't even consider the fact that he might not be from Italy, or speak Italian. I mean, I also noticed some traces of Italian in him, so I just assumed that one of his parents was Asian, but that they lived in Italy.

Luckily for the boy, however, is the fact that, thanks to one of her personal guards being Japanese, Luce had decided to learn the language in order to communicate with Misaki in her native tongue.

"I'm sorry, is this better?" Luce asked, and repeated her question from earlier, but this time in Japanese. The boy nodded, but even after Luce switched the language she was speaking to him in, his look of confusion didn't abate.

"Yes, thank you, and I'm sorry that I didn't understand you earlier. And to answer your question, I don't know…wait, what's going on? That's strange. I..I don't, I don't remember what my name is. How is that possible!? What, what's wrong with me!? Who..who am I!? The boy managed to get out, sounding more and more frantic with every word that he spoke.

It was then, looking into the boys eyes that were pleading with Luce to help him, to tell him what was going on, and more importantly, who he was, that Luce made a decision that set the choice she had made in stone. With her next words, Luce knew that now, there truly was no going back.

Luce looked at the boy, and lied.

"No, no, please, stop worrying. It was a thoughtless mistake on my part to ask you that question, after I know what you've just gone through. And it's completely understandable that you don't remember anything. You were in an accident, and you lost your memories, and…and I'm sorry to say, but your mother as well. I'm so sorry that I have to tell you this, remind you of it, so soon after it happened." Luce told the boy, his eyes widening with her every word, and his fists closing around the blanket in a white knuckled grip.

"I…I can't believe… I don't remember anything. My mom… is dead? But, I don't even remember what she looks like, who she is, who I am. You know me, right? Who am I? Can…can you tell me my name?" The boy asked, and Luce could hear the tremor in his voice, could see how he was trying to keep his composure even after everything Luce had just told him.

Luce bit back the urge to take everything that she had just said back, and pulled him into her arms. The boy latched onto her as soon as she did, wrapping his arms around her back and burying his head into the side of her neck.

A name, he needs a name to go along with his new life. I don't know why he doesn't remember anything, but this is for the best. If he doesn't remember the life that he's leaving behind, then all the better.

But what name would be perfect for him to lead his new life with? What name…ah, I know, Luciano. His name will be Luciano, because he will be the light that will guide the others towards a brighter future. He will be their sky, and he will be their light. And from today onwards, he will be, Luciano.

"Don't worry Luciano, everything will be alright."

"Luciano? Is that my name?" The newly named Luciano asked, pulling away to look at her, and Luce nodded in confirmation.

"It is, I know it might seem a bit strange since you only remember speaking Japanese, but I was friends with your mother, and she told me that your father, who was Italian, named you. She always told me over the phone how things were a little difficult for you, living in Japan with an Italian name." Luce told him, making up his past life as she spoke.

"On the phone? If she called you from Japan, then where are we now?" Luciano asked from his new position. While they were talking, he had moved away from Luce, and was now leaning back against the mound of pillows.

"Italy. Right now, we are in my family home in Italy." Luce answered

"If you live in Italy, then how did you know my mother? And why were we in Italy, if we live in Japan?"

"I knew your mother, because we were old friends, we met when she took a trip to Italy when she was younger, and the two of you came to Italy to come visit me. So I blame myself for what happened, to her, and to you, because if you hadn't come, she wouldn't be dead, and you would still have your memories." Luce told him, and even though she knew every word coming out of her mouth was a lie, she was especially dishonest about the last few words she said to him, because the last thing that she would ever wish hadn't happened, was him coming here.

"No! Please don't blame yourself. I may not remember anything, but I can tell just from being with you know that you are a good person Luce-san, so you shouldn't blame yourself. Accidents, accidents happen, and it's not like I remember anything, anyway, right?" here he laughed to himself, but it wasn't a happy laugh, but one filled with self-deprecation, "And if I get to stay with you, Luce-san, then I'm happy, even if, even if I don't remember anything about who I am." Luciano finished, and Luce couldn't help but think, why was a person as kind, and sweet, and good, as Luce could already tell he was, just from spending this short amount of time with him, chosen to take her place?

Maybe, maybe it's because that is the type of person that the others need, the type of person who is truly fit to be the sky arcobaleno. Not someone like me, who would take advantage of someone like him.

Luce reached forward for Luciano, and pulled him into another hug. "And I'm happy that you are taking everything so well, Luciano. Are you sure that you want to stay with me?" She asked, and Luce could feel his smile from where it was pressed to her shoulder.

"Yes, Luce-san, I'm sure that I want to stay with you, if you'll have me." He told her, ducking his head down in sudden shyness.

"Oh, Luciano, you'll never have to worry about be not wanting you here, but enough of that. You've been asleep for a bit, and you must be hungry. How would you like a late lunch, or, considering the time, an early dinner?" Luce asked, pulling away slightly, and at Luciano's answering nod, she let go completely and moved to stand up.

"Now that you mention it, I am feeling a little hungry." Luciano told Luce, sliding off the other side of the bed and moving to stand up with her.

"Good, I haven't eaten yet for today either, so we'll make a meal of it. Your shoes are over here, and the bathroom is over in that direction if you need it," Luce said, pointing to a door in the corner of the room, "and I'll be waiting in the hallway for you when you're ready." Luce finished, walking towards the door, the sounds of Luciano getting himself together behind her.

Once she reached the hallway, Luce leaned against the wall next to the door, and let the smile she had had on her face while she was talking to Luciano drop.

This is it. What's done cannot be undone, and I can't turn back now. I just need to remind myself that this is for you, Aria, Luce thought, bringing her arms up to cradle her stomach, that I'm doing all of this for our future together, and I'll be alright. I just need to remember, and I'll have the strength to carry on with my decision. A decision that I have to believe is right, regardless of what my heart is sometimes telling me.

"I'm ready Luce-san, I'm coming out now!" Luciano called out from inside his room, and Luce straightened up from her position on the wall when she heard his footsteps growing closer.

And regardless of how much it hurts to look at the boy that I am soon going to betray, just as I did to them, in the future that hasn't yet been, and now, never will be. Luce thought, looking down at Luciano once he came through the door, a smile lighting up his face when he caught sight of her.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes," Luce responded," yes, I am ready"

For more than you realize, Luciano, more than you realize.