Chapter 5

"Reborn," Nana said, standing up.

The baby hopped from Jun's shoulder. "I'm not here to do any harm to you, Nana."

Jun bowed. "I apologize, Canepa-san. Reborn, let's go."

He flinched when Reborn gave him a sharp look. The baby looked back at Nana who was casting a wary eye on him. "We heard everything."

Nana narrowed her eyes, standing up from the couch. "It's none of your business. Leave."

"What about Tsuna?" Reborn said. "What will you say to him?"

Jun took a hesitant step back, his eyes flickering down the corridor in worry. Nana ran both of her hands through her hair and it took every urge for her to not pull every single piece of hair from her head. Fuck migraines.

"I won't say it again," she said with a shaky breath, her bloodlust growing inside. "Leave."

Reborn stared at her for a while before hopping onto Jun's shoulder. "Let's find Tsuna."

Nana nearly exploded. "What? No! Come back!"

Jun already left out of fear. Nana clenched her hands into fists before pacing along the room. She should go, but she was terrified of what Tsuna might do. Rejection was probably the worst thing he could do. No. Goddamn it! Nana cried out in frustration.

She was the one who took care of him all these years. She should know him inside and out. She had no time to think of this.

She walked out the door, locking it behind her before running to find her son.

It was getting colder every minute. Tsuna stared blankly into space, hugging his knees to his chest. He unconsciously shivered. He wanted Mukuro. He wanted someone to just be here. He wanted...his mother.

The earlier scene played repeatedly in his head nonstop. However, deep inside, he knew that he couldn't blame her. He blew onto his hands to get some warmth. Why was it so cold?

A slight rustle caught his attention and he instantly stiffened before relaxing as he recognized the familiar presence.

"Jun," he said. He glared. "Reborn, what are you doing here?"

"Tsuna, are you alright?" Jun said, dashing to his side. He took off his jacket and placed it around Tsuna's shoulders. "The forecast said it would be cold tonight. How could you run off like that?"

Apparently, he didn't question him about making a jacket appear for himself. Tsuna smiled bitterly as he stood up. "I'm fine." His face went blank. "Did you hear everything?"

Jun looked hesitant as he helped him up. "Well - "

"We heard everything," Reborn said.

Tsuna scowled at him. "I wasn't asking you."

Jun attempted a smile but it looked more like a grimace. "Do you...want to go back home?"

They started to walk out of the forest, their footsteps echoing in the darkness.

"I guess so," Tsuna said quietly.

A nice silence hung over them and Tsuna's eyes started to droop. His steps were getting weaker and he finally stumbled, falling to the ground.

"Tsuna!"

It was so cold...

Tsuna opened his eyes and found himself back in his cell in Vendicare. He saw himself lying on the cot with sweat covering his forehead. He blinked. He remembered this. Somehow he got sick and had a terrible fever when he was six.

"Tsu-kun, it'll be okay," his mother said, running a hand comfortingly through his hair. "Mama is here."

His younger self coughed viciously before turning his head weakly towards her. "Mama...am I going to die?"

"No, Tsu-kun," Nana said in a soothing tone. "You're not going to die. Mama will make you feel better. Just be patient, okay?"

"It hurts, Mama. Everything hurts."

Nana held him in her arms and leaned against the wall, patting him reassuringly. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she sang a soft lullaby, rocking him gently back and forth.

"Fa la ninna, fa la nanna

Nella braccia della mamma

Fa la ninna bel bambin,

Fa la nanna bambin bel,

Fa la ninna, fa la nanna

Nella braccia della mamma."

Tsuna found himself sitting by the bed, a wave of bittersweet nostalgia sweeping over him. He tentatively reached out to touch his mother, but his hand passed right through her.

It felt empty and almost frightening.

"Nana," a familiar deep voice said, "what is wrong with Tsunayoshi?"

His mother gasped and ran over to the bars, relief shining through her eyes. "Jager, please. Release my chains so I can heal him. He's sick and I don't know if he'll make it. Please!"

Jager looked at her blankly for a second before his eyes trailed to his younger self's shivering frame. He waved his hand and the heavy chains around Nana's wrists vanished in a wisp of smoke. She immediately placed her hand on his forehead, her Sun Flame taking affect as color returned to Tsuna's pale cheeks. His breathing started to calm down as he slowly fell asleep.

Nana smiled shakily at Jager. "Thank you."

The chains were back into place. Jager nodded his head slightly and walked away.

Tsuna remembered that him and Bermuda had the whole prison cleaned after that, not leaving anything out.

His mother smiled as she went back to their bed, humming softly in rhythm before she, too, fell asleep, a small smile gracing her lips.

The scene faded and Tsuna unconsciously reached out. He wanted his mother, he wanted her to hold him again. He wanted to say sorry.

A light cracked through the darkness and he welcomed it with open arms.

His eyes opened groggily and he groaned a bit when light pierced through his vision. He turned over to the side and felt a wet towel slide from his forehead to the ground next to him.

"Tsu-kun?" a soft voice said.

He tensed a bit as his hand clenched the sheets under him.

"I-I know that everything was so sudden," his mother said quietly. "About last night, I'm sorry. I couldn't - " She sighed and he heard her messing up her hair. "I couldn't control myself. Everything just came out and then I couldn't - "

Tsuna sat up and wrapped his arms around her, ignoring her flinch. "I'm sorry, too. I was stupid back there. I should've let you explain."

He inhaled his mother's comforting scent and warm memories rushed into his head, causing him to relax and tighten his hold. She was still his mother and he didn't give a shit of what others said. She raised him, loved him, and that was enough.

Nana soon embraced him tightly as well. "I'm so sorry..."

They stayed like that for a while, just savoring the moment for as long as they could. Finally, Tsuna pulled back, his eyes staring deep into her own. "I want an explanation."

Nana nodded. "I understand. But, first, lie down. You must be tired."

Tsuna shook his head as he made himself comfortable. "I'm fine."

His mother took a deep breath, a hint of despair in her eyes. "I told you that...my older sister, Ayame, was your real mother. Let me start from the beginning."

She looked him square in the eye. "Our father was the boss of the Alegri Famiglia, a mafia in Italy. The Alegri Famiglia wasn't large, but we were well-known for our sharpshooting skills. My sister and I were trained like any other child of the mafia. We weren't really happy with it but managed to get accustomed to it.

"One day, my sister met a man and soon fell in love with him."

"Was he Jun's father?" Tsuna said.

Nana nodded. "Sawada Iemitsu, the Young Lion of the Vongola, another mafia family." She glared. "Even though he was engaged to another woman, he still went out with her. Whether it was out of kindness or not, he never told her that he was getting married until he sent a wedding invitation a few months later.

"My sister was devastated but tried to forget it when our father announced her engagement to another mafia boss' son to strengthen our alliance. Soon she got over him and devoted her life to her husband...your father."

She looked down at her hands. "He was a great man and loved my sister very much. You might be wondering how we have different flames, too. I got my Sun Flames from our mother, but my sister had Mist Flames from our father. He was an illegitimate child and got the title as boss since his grandfather favored him over his other siblings. That's how our family was different from the others, a Mist Flame-user leading everyone."

"How did you get into Vendicare then?" Tsuna said cautiously.

Nana paused, her body rigid. "I..." She started to wring her hands nervously, which alarmed Tsuna a little. "I killed everyone."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"Our father betrayed the Vongola after finding out what Sawada did to Ayame. He was furious and refused to aid them during the Cradle Affair. Nono became angry and ordered for our family to be eliminated since that was part of the contract. My father found out but it was too late. We were ambushed in a few weeks.

"That same week, you were born. When we were ambushed, we fought back as hard as we could but there numbers were too great. My comrades died left and right. I...I wasn't stable that time. My fiancé was killed in a car crash and I couldn't handle the pressure. My mind went blank and the next thing I knew was that I was holding you in my arms in Vendicare."

Tears slipped from her anguished eyes and she placed her face heavily into her hands, her body shaking in sobs. "I killed them...I killed everyone with my own hands."

Tsuna watched her silently, not knowing what to do. His resolve unconsciously hardened and he knelt down in front of her, gently taking her hand. He wiped her tears away and smiled. "It's okay, Mama. Don't cry. I'm here for you."

She looked at him with almost hopeful but broken eyes. "Why, Tsuna? Aren't you disgusted?"

Tsuna shook his head. "It doesn't matter. It's all in the past. Besides, you have me with you. You didn't kill me. I'm still here and I'll never leave you. You're my mother."

Nana gaped at him in shock before hugging him tightly. "I love you, Tsuna. I love you so much. Thank you...thank you..."

"I love you, too, Mama," Tsuna said, closing his eyes.

Rain continued to fall, tapping against the window almost mercilessly before it slowly receded into a soft drizzle, light shedding through the gray clouds once again.

Another day passed and then it was the weekend. Tsuna stared out the window, the breeze seeping into his room and playing with a few strands of his hair. The sky was pretty, he noted. Sometimes he wondered if everyone was under the same sky but shook his head at the seemingly stupid thought.

His phone vibrated on his desk and he looked at it briefly before blinking. Jun?

He picked it up. "Hello?"

"Tsuna? I'm sorry. Am I bothering you?"

"Not really," Tsuna said, leaning back on his chair. "What is it?"

"Did it go well?" Jun said tentatively.

"Hm? Oh, um, yeah. We're good now."

Jun sighed in relief. "That's good. Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes."

"Oh, um, well, I was wondering...if you want to go...to the amusement park." Jun quickly added, "But only if you're okay with it! I'm sorry!"

Shit, he forgot about that. Tsuna scratched the back of his head and glanced at the clock. "No need to be sorry. Where do you want meet up?"

Jun seemed to perk up. "I'll come by to your apartment if that's okay with you. Maybe about an hour from now?"

"Sure. That's fine. I'll see you then."

"Thank you!"

Tsuna hung up and stood up, stretching his arms in the air before yawning. How would he tell his mother? Jun wasn't bad like his father so...maybe there was a chance? He shrugged. He might as well sneak out if he had to.

He changed out of his pajamas and slipped on a hoodie and jeans before going in the kitchen. "Mama, can I ask you something?"

"What is is?" his mother said as she washed the dishes.

"Well, remember Jun?"

Nana slightly tensed but continued to do what she was doing. "Yes. That boy?"

"I was wondering if we could go to the amusement park today, if that's alright with you," he said carefully.

He gauged her reaction before saying, "He's nice and the only person who became my friend in school. He's not like - "

"You can go."

He blinked. "What?"

Nana sighed as shut off the water. "You can go, Tsu-kun. But - " She looked at him with serious eyes. " - you have to remember that he's part of the Vongola. I know you can take care of yourself but be careful. I want you back at five."

Tsuna looked at the clock and grinned. Ten-eleven. He never felt happier. He rushed over and hugged her tightly around the waist. "Thank you!"

She smiled almost wearily. "I'll give you some money."

After she handed him a couple of bills, he left and waited by the steps for about an hour. He didn't mind though. He liked the scenery and observing the people walking by.

"Tsuna!"

He turned to see Jun running towards him while waving his hand in the air. He had never seen him so happy before. His cheeks were rosy and his eyes were filled with excitement.

"Hey," he said with a smile. "Lead the way."

The Namimori Amusement Park was nothing he could have ever imagined. It was so...big. And crowded. And colorful. And lively.

There were a lot of complicated-looking rides and fluffy stuff that the kids were eating. They were so...fluffy. He didn't know what to say of it.

"Come on, Tsuna," Jun said, tugging his arm gently. "We have to buy the tickets over there."

Tsuna followed rather dumbly as he continued to stare. One of the rides slowly ascended with a few of the riders shrieking in fear. It reached the top and slowly moved forward before zoomed down, everyone screaming as some of them raised their hands in the air. Whether it was from fear or excitement, he couldn't tell.

"Tsuna," Jun said with a laugh. "I got the tickets. Come on. There's this one ride you have to go on."

Apparently, it was the tallest one there. Jun was practically jumping in excitement on line. Tsuna was tempted to leave and create an illusion of himself to go with Jun, but the thought made him feel terrible so he braced himself as they got closer and closer to the front.

When they handed their tickets, a sense of impending doom hung over his head.

"Jun," he said slowly, "why the hell are we in the front?"

"It's more fun that way," Jun said with an innocent yet not-so-innocent smile. "You'll enjoy it!"

When the harness was locked in place over them, Tsuna unintentionally gulped.

No illusions, no illusions, no illusions, he thought repeatedly as the ride lurched forward.

The wind was harsh against his face as the coaster suddenly dropped down and went upside down before it went straight again, making a couple of turns here and there. The speed seemed to increase and Jun was laughing his head off along with a few others behind them. Tsuna shut his eyes as the coaster suddenly slowed down.

For a second, he thought it was over until Jun said, "Oh, the best part!"

The coaster slowly moved upwards and Tsuna felt his stomach drop. He took a peek and saw the people below become smaller and smaller. When the coaster reached the top, he made the mistake of looking down.

Shit.

He screamed along with everyone else as the coaster descended at a rapid pace. He felt like his hair would rip off as the wind whipped against his skin. The coaster did one final sharp turn before slowing down into a halt.

Tsuna felt dizzy as the harness rose above him.

"Thank you for riding," the girl at the podium said, cheerfully. "We hope to see you again."

No way in fucking hell, Tsuna thought as he stumbled out of his seat.

Jun laughed merrily and he felt like punching him in the face. He glared at him weakly. "I hate you."

"Love you, too!" Jun said with a grin. "Come on! There's more!"

The next rides weren't as bad as the first one, but they were still a bit queasy. They won a couple of prizes at the shooting booth, which Tsuna excelled at ironically enough.

Jun's eyes practically sparkled when Tsuna got him one of the big teddy bears. "Thank you!"

They bought some cotton candy and just roamed around the park. Tsuna was surprised to find that it was sweet. He thought that it would be hard and tasteless.

"It's four-seventeen now," Jun said, looking at his watch. "You have to go back by five, right, Tsuna?"

The brunette nodded, savoring the sweet treat. "We can go on one more ride if you want."

Jun looked around in thought before pointing up at a large wheel. "Let's go to the ferris wheel. It has a great view of Namimori if you're lucky enough to be stopped at the very top."

"Stopped?" Tsuna said, confused.
Jun nodded. "It stops at random moments to let some people out or in. We go around twice."

"Okay. Let's go."

They were lucky enough to be stopped at the top. Tsuna leaned over a bit and gazed in amazement at the town of Namimori. The sun was dipping in the horizon, creating a mixture of pink, purple, and orange in the sky. It was just beautiful.

"It's great, isn't it?" Jun said with a smile, plopping down next to him. "Sometimes I forget how beautiful Namimori is."

Tsuna nodded mindlessly, trying to imprint the image in his mind for him to keep forever. There was a sudden creak that snapped his attention.

"It does that sometimes," Jun said. "Nothing to worry about."

Tsuna saw a couple of men in normal attire scattered amongst the crowd below, talking into their ear devices. He narrowed his eyes.

The creaking came back full-force. Suddenly, an explosion occurred at the bottom and he covered his eyes. Screams erupted everywhere. He looked over to see a woman grabbing ahold of her daughter, her eyes wide in panic.

"Hikari!" the woman said.

Hikari screamed. "Okaa-san, don't let go! I don't want to die!"

"What the hell is going on?" a man said from the bottom.

"She's going to fall!" a woman screamed, pointing at Hikari.

Tsuna instantly placed an illusion in front of all of their eyes and the girl was back in her cab. She blinked in confusion.

The ferris wheel lurched to the side and everyone screamed. A man fell to the ground, his screams dying down before he died on impact.

Chaos erupted. People were running and screaming everywhere while the people in the cabs yelled for help.

Their cab broke away and Jun screamed as he fell over. Tsuna fell before he gripped on the side of the swaying cab and grabbed Jun's hand with the other.

"Tsuna!" Jun said.

Tsuna gritted his teeth. Before he could make another illusion, there was a loud shot and something nicked him in the cheek. He turned to see one of the men with a gun, hidden behind a haunted house.

Blood dripped from the cut and dribbled down his chin.

"Hey!" a voice said.

Tsuna looked down and saw a man in a cab with his arms outstretched. "I'll catch him! Hurry up! It's going to fall soon!"

Jun looked up at him with wide eyes. "Tsuna!"

The brunette felt a finger slip. He heard the man's pained scream behind him as he had him impaled through the heart. Where were the others?

"Oi! Hurry up! Trust me!"

Tsuna looked down at Jun and the other boy understood. He gulped and nodded. Tsuna let him go and the missing warmth of Jun's hand made him feel cold.

Jun screamed before the man caught him and pulled him in his cab. "Don't worry! I got you!"

Tsuna let out a cry of pain when a bullet pierced his leg and another in his shoulder. He let go but he found himself in another's arms.

"Are you alright, Tsuna?" a familiar voice said.

"You bastard," Tsuna said weakly. "You're late."

"Kufufu, I always enjoyed last minute entrances. Didn't you know that, Tsuna?"

The brunette sighed, his eyes drifting to a close. "I wish I didn't..."

A/N I'm sorry for the late update! Many thanks for the reviews and favorites!

Hopefully, the chapter isn't choppy. 0_0

Translation for the Italian lullaby (will be on my profile to listen to):

Go to sleep, go to sleepy

In the arms of your mother,

Go to sleep, lovely child,

Go to sleepy, child so lovely,

Go to sleep, go to sleepy

In the arms of your mother.

Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you can.

See you in the next chapter. ^^