Author's Note:

My beloved readers! After all the hoo-ha over the new year I'm finally free to start writing again! It has definitely been too long, I can't wait to get back to the world of Reborn with the Zanna Famiglia once more!

Chapter 68: Back To Italy.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

The sound of my own heartbeat beckons, unrelenting. It's messing up my sense of hearing. In between each massive thump I hear voices. They speak with pained breaths and in stammering intervals. The things I see, the images, they come and go in random motion, too fast for me to make any sense of them, or piece them together to form something consistent. Noise distorts the memory and this incessant buzzing drives me into madness. Before long, a splitting headache makes everything worse.

Kiera came into sights, and so did Sergio. In the dream I see them helping me, giving me their support as I pushed one step forward after the other...

"Sergio!" Amidst all the cumbersome noise hindering my hearing, Kiera's voice called out crystal clear. Despite the pain chewing at the back of my head, to the point where I couldn't even focus, I could still see Sergio falling on the ground in pain with great clarity. The next thing I know, everyone else broke down as well, succumbing to the severity of their wounds. They struggle on the ground as the cuts re-opened and blood was spilled once more.

No blood is to be spilled before my presence.

Ack! Pain wrecks the dream, disassembling everything at a moments notice, just as I thought the chaos had died down. With it came a wave of helplessness, this intense feeling of rejection. As if in conflict, I felt torn between two choices, my own body slowly being ripped apart!

That's right, Kiera rushed to help them. Yoko and Aria too, they tried to move Sergio and the others back to the hotel while limiting the aggravation of the wounds as best as they could. Did I lend a hand? I don't think I did. Argh, all the random distortions and buzzing is bleaching out everything, so much that I can't make out my own actions in the dream.

"I apologize, my Lord, but..hah..I must ask you of but one more request this night.."

"Please Amato..hah..hah..can you escort Sergio and Johann back to their respective rooms?"

No blood is to be spilled before my presence.

Suddenly, the sight of Sergio and Johann thrown to the ground flashed before my eyes! Yoko and Aria cried out in question, but I heard none of it. Driven by this compulsion, this persona I felt the need to 'correct' the situation. We couldn't move them back anymore. The time had come and passed. It was too late. Walking up towards Kiera I met her confused eyes with a jab to her solar-plexus, enough to rob her of her consciousness!

It's horrible, but even with all the distortion growing worse, the buzzing getting louder and louder, the scene still plays out just clear enough for me to get the gist of it all. Worse of all, I had this freaking weird justification in mind.

That there's no other choice.

Huddling the injured close, the preparation was complete. The phoenix empowered me once more, and there and then I could finally do what I should have done the moment the fighting was over. As Yoko and Aria looked at me with horror, I set my friends ablaze. Amidst the shadows flickering within the flames, I could have sworn I saw Kiera and the others crying out in pain!

And yet I only smiled in relief, because there was no other choice.

No blood is to be spilled before my presence.

"Ngh...no, no! Nnnoooooo!" Screaming myself awake, the ranging flames morphed to the sight of familiar walls. Within a few rapid blinks I finally realized I'm back in my own room, the same ornate designs carved into the various pillars that stretched to the ceilings. "Hah..hah..hah.." In the silence, the sound of my mangled breaths radiated out loud. Instinctively I reached for my chest only to find it drenched with sweat. The wetness ruining the layers of bandage hidden behind my sleeping clothes.

I'm all fixed up?

Struggling with inertia as I pushed myself up from bed, my head felt groggy. It's as if it's unable to properly process information yet, more so process the transition between my messed up dream with consistent reality. In my confusion I couldn't help but glance towards the corner of my eyes. There I saw the Tear of the Fang sitting atop the little cabinet beside my bed, as well as the crimson jewel Kujaku right next to it.

"Huh!" The very sight caused me to jump right outta bed. Because if Kujaku's here, that means.. "That wasn't just a dream, we did went to Japan, and got this back from-!" Before I could even finish, the thoughts flashing into mind was enough for me pick up the Tear and Kujaku and break out into a dash, rushing my way out of my room!

Pressing my way through the elongated hallways, I was met with surprise by those of the Zanna Famiglia assigned to their patrols within the mansion, and yet I didn't stop to greet them or anything. Making a silent apology as I pushed passed them, I make a mental note to explain things to them later before going back to the one thing screaming out in my mind!

Kiera, Sergio, and the rest of them! Where are they?! What's happened?! Are they okay?!

"Well that was a surprise, who knew the armament was capable of such miracles..."

Stopping just before the great doors leading into the living room, I could hear voices through the mahogany. My mind however, was in complete shambles, and I couldn't recognize whose voice was it. The dream, no matter how clear it seemed, is denied! I wouldn't have done that to...Sergio and...I just wouldn't! Drowning in worry to the point that I couldn't even think, I ended up ignoring everything else before throwing the great doors open!

"In any case, as per we all agreed, we'll keep an eye out on Lord Amato, take shifts looking after him, and ultimately hope that one day he would-"

"Slam!"

In that instant, all manner of discussion stopped immediately, and all eyes turned to the door, pinning themselves on me. On the couch, Sergio and Johann sat on one side, while Vito and Dante sat themselves across the other. Addressing them was none other than Kiera, now back in her french maid uniform and standing with the same, graceful air as ever. With my unannounced arrival, everyone in the room is struck with surprise, but none was more surprised than me.

"Ngh..Y-You're all here...you're all okay!" A good look at all of them present in the room was enough to clear away all confusion. With it, I found myself overcome with an overwhelming sense of relief, so much that it felt as though I would tear up at any moment! "T-Then, that never happened! I didn't set any of you on fire..." Pushing away the horrible images of that dream, I couldn't help mumbling out as I brought the jewel up to my eyes...

Even as the Legacy Arm laid within my grasp my hand trembled uncontrollably, as if instinctively in fear of the crimson jewel.

"You're..you're awake! You're okay!" Stopping before me, Kiera's taciturn demeanor broke away as it was her turn to be overwhelmed by relief. The very sight made me realize just how much trouble I've caused, how worried Kiera really was... "Is...Is something troubling you, my Lord?" Pushing the jewel away from my sights, Kiera looked to me with eyes full of concern as she wrapped her hands around mine. Breaking out of my self-driven stupor, I looked around only to see the others just as worried and slightly surprised.

"I'm..I'm fine! We're back, in Italy I mean!" Not wanting to worry them any longer, a shake was all it took to drive away the fear and bring a smile back on my face!

That's also when I realized my hand stopped shivering amidst Kiera's comforting grip.

Sergio and the others weren't so easily convinced though, but after exchanging a few glances it felt as though they all agreed on something and gave up pressing for answers. With everything back to normal, Sergio jumped towards me with a chuckle.

"You're finally up! You slept like a log for four days already, ya know?" He gave out as his arms went around my shoulders. Behind his smile, I could have sworn I felt his grip trembling. But, it quickly went away with a sigh of relief.

"Four days?! Whoa...is that normal?" At Sergio's words I couldn't help feeling surprised. I mean, did I sleep through the whole trip back?

"Well, the normal thing was for you to never wake up..." As nonchalant as ever, Vito tossed out his reply as he picked himself up on the sofa. Amidst his long, auburn fringe, his eyes were sparked with intrigue. That is, until they went white with surprise. At the same time a heavy presence bordering along murderous seemed to pulse from my side. It turns out it was Kiera giving him the stare.

The one scary enough to make every strand of hair in my body stand on their ends!

"W-Well, you pushed way pass your limits your organs and muscles were already starting to break down, not to mention all the injury you sustained!" It's a rare sight to see Vito struggling with his words. Normally he's a whiz with his witty tongue, cynical or no. "Well, I guess it's a good thing you proved me wrong then.."Unable to face the pressure head on, he quickly shifted to the side of the sofa and looked away as his words died down into a mumble.

"...even if I'm never wrong with my diagnostics."

Catching that small little remark at the end was enough to pull a small smile on Dante's face, despite taking a back seat at everything happening, as he always does. After a few glances my way, however, he just got up to his feet and started making his way across the room and towards the door with his rifle in tow. Just as he stride passed me however, he shot me a few words, just loud enough for me to catch them...

"Welcome back. I'm going back to work."

And that was enough input to get me feeling right at home again. Within the safe walls of my mansion my friends are all okay. Seeing their smiles made me doubt what I felt before, and yet, there's still this nagging feeling at the back of my head, reminding me that what I saw in my dream really did happen. Whatever it was, Kujaku is the key. That's it, I'm never using this Legacy Arm ever again! Turning back to the smiles of my Sergio and the others, I suddenly realized the people missing from the scene.

As well as the promise I made with one of them!

"Um, guys? Where's Aria? And Yoko? Did she came back with us?" That's right, Aria's not hanging with Kiera like she always does. Yoko's nowhere in the room either! After that night at that old building did everything work out the way I hoped?

"Calm down, Lord Amato." With an assuring smile, Kiera replied to me as if she expected me ask such a question. "They're both safe, there were no trouble with the Miss Yoko's migration into this country." With confidence she effortlessly explained to me all that's happened regarding Yoko while I was out.

"Wait, doesn't the whole process take a few months to complete?" Out of nowhere, Johann popped into the conversation, bringing up a valid point. It didn't falter Kiera one bit though, despite bringing her into a pause for a few seconds.

"Yes, well, apparently Miss Yoko pulled a few strings to hasten the completion. She'll officially be a rightful citizen of Venice by sunrise tomorrow." Kiera answered with amused tone, as if remembering something. It seems Kiera was the one who accompanied Yoko through all the logistics. Her answer's kinda vague though. What does she man by Yoko pulling a few strings?

..hm, maybe it's better that I don't get all the details.

"In any case, Miss Aria had some personal matters to attend to, and Miss Yoko has gone out for a tour of the city. 'To get a feel for the place' as she said." Kiera then closes off her explanation on the two girls before making her way to the cabinet on the far side of the room. A second later, she returned with a feather-duster in hand, surprising me to no end. It's times like this that I forgot Kiera's not just a friend but a real maid that's tasked with the job of maintaining the Zanna Mansion as well.

"I apologize, Lord Amato, but I'm afraid I must take my leave. Duty beckons. I will see you at dinner as always." Returning back to her uniformed persona she gave me a polite bow before leaving through the door.

"All right then, I guess I'm heading into the city as well!" I gave out as I started jogging towards the door as well. After all, now I know where Yoko is.

"Huh? Wait, where are ya heading, Amato?" Still surprised at their seats, Sergio suddenly called out to me as he and Johann got up when they saw me leaving. Unfortunately, I don't plan to have them come along, it would make things that much more difficult.

"Oh it's nothing, just keeping my promise is all!" I replied before breaking off into a dash towards the main doors, hoping to make my way out into the streets before they could even catch up!

Pacing my way through the streets, the cold air rustled and grazed against my skin, but the stone roads and Gothic styled houses was a welcomed sight. The faint smell of salt lingering in the air and the gentle waves crashing against the canals is enough to put a silly smile on my face! I guess I missed my hometown more than I thought. Sure Akihabara was nice, but the streets were too modern and there were way too many people! Unlike the high rise buildings scattered across the streets of Akihabara, the olden styled buildings of Venice, carved out of stone, didn't tower around me, and left the majestic sky unobstructed.

With the streets now cleared of snow, more and more people are coming out of their homes, ready to celebrate the coming of Spring. Unfortunately, that only means it's that much more difficult to find a single person amidst the groups of people here and there...

"Huh?" Suddenly a strange sensation put a stop to my steps. It felt like somebody had their eyes on me, peering at me from a distance. Slightly distraught over the idea of another assassination attempt so soon after I got back, my eyes just flew all over the place to try and locate where the sensation came from. Yet, there was nothing suspicious to be found in the street, just a bunch of people carrying on with their lives...

"Sigh, must be my imagination..." Brushing the paranoia off I picked up my pace as I resumed the search for Yoko. Kiera said she was touring the city on her own, now which locale would be interesting to a girl like Yoko?

Huh, there she is. For some reason, seeing her seated alone at the corner, sipping her black tea under the shade of the parasol really fits into the overall mood of the scene at the cafe. Dressed in yellow blouse, denim skirt with a black scarf around her neck, she was oozing fashion and maturity, as usual. As I made my way towards her table, Yoko sat there unaware of my presence, distracted with worry in the light of her eyes.

"Hey Yoko!" I called out to her with a smile as I finally reached her side, giving her a little wave with my right hand to catch her attention. Snapping out of her trance, her amber eyes only widened when she saw me.

"Ah.." For a few seconds she was stammering with her words. "Amato!" Then suddenly she threw her arms around me, just as I saw tears forming around the corner of her eyes! "A-Amato, you're awake! You've woken up from that coma! Vito said you'd never wake again! I was so scared because I knew it was all my fault!" Out of nowhere, my image of Yoko before crumbled as she broke into tears, becoming nothing more than a regular girl. With her body pressed against mine I could feel the tremble to her touch.

"No way, it..it was never your fault, Yoko, you know that!" Suddenly I find myself scrambling for a few comforting words. "H-Hey, about my promise that night..here's Kujaku back-ack!" Just as my hand started digging Kujaku out of my pocket however, her grip got tighter, almost crushing the air out of me! For some reason, she just started tightening her arms around me more and more! "Yoko! C-Can't breathe!"

"Ahem." Suddenly, we were interrupted by a third voice, and one I heard from before. A side-glance brought the waitress into sight, dressed in a cute little uniform in black with white apron, black tights and brown shoes. As my eyes shifted to her face, though, I immediately wished I hadn't met up with Yoko. At least, not at this cafe!

"G-G-G-Gina!" At the horror I couldn't help screaming out before gently freeing myself from Yoko. After that I'm afraid I can't move an inch anymore, not before Gina's twitching brow and her face going beet red!

"I'm terribly sorry to..interrupt your loving act but..may. I. Take. Your. Order?!" With emphasis on each word, Gina tries her best to maintain her calm despite nearly breaking the pencil in her hands in two! Unable to take the silence any longer, Gina started speaking again. "Oh, I did not notice. Hello Amato, what brings you to this cafe, my. Dear. B-friend?" Obviously, she's prodding for an answer, but I'm afraid I can't find the proper words!

"Who's this, Amato?" As if seeing her cry just seconds before was nothing but a dream, Yoko sharpened her eyes as she threw out her question.

"U-Um.." Before I could decide on what to say, Yoko apparently took the initiative.

"Excuse me, but I have to say, furrowed brows and a beet red face does not make for a pleasant dining experience." Yoko said it straight to Gina's face, shocking me to no end when I heard her! She's certainly not helping with how volatile the situation is right now!

"Snap!"

"What did you say?!" As the pencil snapped from pure finger strength alone, the remark worked wonders in riling Gina into an outburst! Her screaming got nearly everyone in the outer dining area looking towards us, and before it looked as though they were gonna go beyond just words, I quickly jumped right in the middle!

"Wait, wait a minute!" With my hands on their shoulders, I hoped to resolve any and all problems. Including those of my own fault. "Ugh..O-Okay, first thing's first, introductions..uh.." For a slight moment I had to glance to each sides to make sure I got things right. "Gina, this is Hayashi Yoko. She's a friend we met in Japan, and she's migrating over here, so she came back with us..." Turning my eyes from Gina to Yoko, I took a deep breath before continuing. "..and Yoko, this is Regina Conti, she's a close friend and.."

Oh I can't believe I'm saying this, but right now I don't have a choice!

"..the girl I like." I muttered out the very words, even as my face flared up from the embarrassment. I can't believe I said that, I've never been able to say it directly to Gina before! Gina took to surprise at my words but, she didn't seem assuaged. Instead, with her face burning up with embarrassment, her eyes fell to the ground as she pointed towards Yoko.

"You went to Japan and came back with a girl and you expect everything's gonna be okay just because you say you like me?! It's not that simple, Amato Zanna!" By now, Gina's long passed her fuming and wasn't holding back one bit, yelling at me with piercing words and a rather conflicted tone to boot!

"Bah ha ha ha ha ha!" As if things weren't bad enough, two men from a few tables away broke out into a hysterical hubbub of laughter. If I didn't know better, I would have said they were laughing at the expense of my predicament!

Wait a minute. Those long coats, the fake mustaches...Sergio?! And Johann?! What are they doing here?! And why are they laughing, this is not funny! When they caught my glare, all Sergio did was flashed me a sign that sorta said 'You brought it upon yourself, now reap what you sow!' Just as I'm wrecked between the girls and my oh so beloved friends, Yoko snuggled her way to my side, mumbling out a few words.

"Maybe we should tell her about how I'll be staying at your place from now on..."

"What?!" That got another even louder scream out of Gina. "I've had enough, Amato!" Too frustrated to retort, Gina gave me a heart wrenching look of disappointment before stomping away without even taking the order. As soon as she did though, Yoko too pushed me away, causing me to fall off the chair and onto the stone-riddled ground!

"Hmph, glad to see you up again, Amato." With what felt like poisonous words Yoko gave me her own disappointed look before turning her back on me and walking off into the streets.

"Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!"

As I ended up covering for her coffee, Sergio and Johann almost died laughing at their table, their disguises falling off from their own outburst. If that wasn't enough, the rest of the customers at their table joined in, some giving out a chuckle at what happened while others shook their head in pity...

"Oh I am so glad I followed you out the door, Sergio!" A joyful Johann exclaimed as he drove his steps forward. At his side, Sergio was sharing his smile, but behind them was me, wallowing in my self-pity. The day had come to an end before we knew it. As the three of us make our way back to the mansion, the orange setting sun never seemed so depressing. My friends certainly had a grand time, but I'm sorry if I don't find myself sharing their amusement!

The streets also felt just as empty, as the shops closed and people hurried home.

"Ha ha, yeah, especially that last part, Yoko was great! She was basically adding fuel to the flames!" Yelling out in excitement, Sergio threw his arms around Johann before the two burst into another round of laughs. Which of course, annoyed the heck out of me stumbling on behind them.

"Hey, stop, it's not that funny!" In the end I can't help snapping back at them, even when I forgave them before.

"Yes it was! Your reaction was priceless!" Sergio replied as they two of them turned towards me, pulling me into their little group. Though I did try my best to free myself, everything that's happened has rendered me both physically and mentally exhausted, and I end up getting dragged along.

"Sigh, some friends you guys turn out to be..." I muttered out with my head hanging, before realizing what I said. Fortunately, Sergio and Johann didn't faze one bit.

"Hey, you knew this would happen sooner or later! And besides, we didn't know Yoko was gonna end up in the cafe Regina was working at!" Johann was the one to reply this time, with Sergio agreeing with his every word. "You see? True friends face problems together." He exclaimed, crossing his arms in pride.

"But you guys didn't face the problem with me! You were laughing your butts off while I was left to fend for myself!" I retorted as my mind died from trying to see Johann's logic. "Sigh, still I guess speeding things up could make things easier...argh, whatever.."

As the day came to a close, I was left wondering what's to become of my relationship with both Yoko and Gina. Looking out into the setting sun I hope I find some way to apologize to the both of them, and maybe even help them be friends. Pushing forward towards the mansion, new issues has come up but nevertheless things seemed to be getting back to normal, and tomorrow will be a new day. Amidst the incessant jokes and laughter, I can't help but look forward to what's gonna happen next...

"...if you guys could just stop laughing!"

Ah, the end of this arc in all its earnest! I really enjoyed writing the interactions between Amato and his friends in this chapter, a refreshing change from all the action I've been writing for him and his Famiglia. Did you guys enjoyed it as well? Was it believable? Relatable? Acceptable? Whatever you guys think, don't be afraid to tell me all about it in your reviews and I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can!