The arcobalenos kept on hovering in the room, not bothering the two but staying close. Verde had to be stopped several times from asking but in the end he relented.

Skull stayed glued to her console, playing a farming game while Colonnello sometimes asked her small questions or offered commentary. All while drawing small symbols on her skin and letting his flame take an effect on her until she relaxed more.

It was late afternoon when she slowly put down her switch, her head tilting upwards to look at her rain "you're not mad?"

"About what?"

"That I ignored you."

"I'm not mad."

"Why?"

"I know why you did it. That you weren't trying to hurt me but that you couldn't deal with it. You were right in the end and… well it's understandable."

"I didn't want to argue."

"And I appreciate that, kora."

"We good?"

"Always."

Leilani nodded, leaning back a bit more before she finally looked at the rest of the arcobaleno.

This time Colonnello didn't stop Reborn when he spoke. "How are you doing?"

She shrugged "It… could be worse."

Fon smiled at her "If you want to talk, we are all here. Killing for the first time isn't easy."

She shook her head "That wasn't my first time."

"Killing someone with 15 months isn't the same as doing it fully aware."

"It wasn't my second time either."

Their eyebrows rose as they focused on the tiny sky.

Colonnellos grip tightened. "What happened?"

She bit her lip, letting the situation sink in for a little but nonetheless she spoke "When I was eleven my professor tried to kill me. I burned him to death."

Silence hit the group.

Verde pushed his glasses up "Did you get counselling afterwards?"

Lielnai shook her head "That's not how we did things back there. We did win our school cup because of it though."

Lal had to take a deep breath "That's… excuse my words; fucked up."

The sky just shrugged "The story is way more complicated but well… it happened and it's no big deal."

The martial artist mustered her carefully "Skull? I've got a question."

"Okay?"

"Everything you told us about your home… It doesn't sound like a nice place at all. Why do you even want to go back?"

Leilani sighed, pulling her legs up to hug them "It's not like that. You know… home… Home is beautiful. It has terrible things, sure but that doesn't take away the magic. Imagine… living in darkness and suddenly you find the one spot you truly belong to. Where everything is… magical. Almost like setting foot in another world and you have a place there, you belong and everything is just new, exciting and just…"

She bit her lip "My school.. my school was amazing. I finally had a home and it was… it was beautiful. I found friends. I mean… I had friends and… my godfather. I finally had family. While there were downsides it was still everything I ever wanted. Friends, family and a home. Sure, it wasn't always easy but… it gave me so much, every day and every second. I didn't mind fighting to keep it undisturbed for the sole reason of what it gave me.

You know… while growing up my relatives never called me by my name. I only figured my name out when I was sent to preschool. I was always girl or freak…"

Colonnellos grip tightened but he forced his flames out to keep his composure and that of the ones around him.

Leilani just hugged her legs more though "And.. when I started school.. Hogwarts I… I wasn't weird anymore. I belonged. i wasn't a freak. Everyone was like me. I belonged there, my parents went there and everyone… knew me."

Fon was serious, his voice translating it as well "We can give you that as well. If you give us a chance you can find this here as well. You can find your own spot here and… to be honest? It has been decades. You don't know what changed."

Leilani nodded "I know. I know that it has been in the past and that if I get back now that everything has already happened and I can't change it anymore. Hogwarts might not be standing anymore and my friends and family might be dead but….""

She sighed "You know… the last time I saw my friends they were wishing me luck. They hugged me and Ron told me to make it out savely. Hermione was planning to make me study even while I didn't have to sit my exams that year and Ron and I had plans to play chess. I was entered in a tournament and… well they just wanted me to get through it, to finish it up and then spend time together. I missed out on that. I missed out on them.

But… in all honesty? This isn't even the greatest reason to get back. I miss my owl Hediwg, I miss my school. By merlin I miss studying. I miss my mentor and for some really fucked up reason I would even give everything to just get insulted by my professor again if it just meant being back there, being back home but… the most important reason…

I miss my Godfather. My godfather spent 12 years innocent in prison. I had so little time with him and… the last time we talked?"

She hugged herself more, her eyes looking pointedly at her knees "We… had an argument. I had asked him for help with the tournament and what to do… I was in over my head. I had been entered by someone else and… I was too young. Normally you can only participate if you're of age but… I was 14 but as soon as I got picked I was forced to participate and… I needed help. He tried. He really tried and his advice was good but… he wanted to come visit me and I couldn't allow that.

He broke out of prison and he was still searched for… to be killed on sight and… he wanted to come to meet me but… I couldn't let him. I just couldn't, I couldn't risk it but he didn't understand. He called me a coward, that my father would have agreed and then we got interrupted and… the call was over.

I know he loves me. He-he has to. He broke out of prison for me to keep me safe and… he loves me, alright? He loves me.

I just need one more chance to talk with him. To make it right. I.. I couldn't lose him. I couldn't even fathom the thought of risking it but… but I still did.

The first real thing he asked me when we met was if I would like to live with him. I… I agreed but we never managed it. We didn't get to spend Christmas or birthdays together. He never got to pick me up from the train or…" her breath hitched.

Leilanis hands were painfully digging in her skin "And the last memory of him is us arguing about his safety. About keeping him safe and not in danger and… I"

She had to force herself to not start sobbing "It's the reason why I ignored you Nello… I couldn't do it again. I couldn't. I couldn't have another person I lost and the last memory would be us arguing. I couldn't do it. Not with you, not again."

Colonnello pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her completely. "It's okay. Breath Skull. It's okay."

He didn't really know what to say. He was angry but… he couldn't. Not right now when she needed him.

He just held her close, whispering into her ear and letting his flames roam over her. He knew that they had to talk and that she had wanted to get it out of her system. She always did, she just needed time but… he couldn't have known that it would take such a turn. He had barely got her to relax and now it started again.

He had always known there was more to it. To her behaviour, to her unwillingness to open up to the rest of the arcobalenos besides the betrayal at the beginning and how she still had trust issues.

He knew she didn't want to keep him out but… she had always struggled with it; with trust and relying on others.

His heart was hurting. He hadn't wanted this and while it was good that she opened up it still messed with him. To know why.

He couldn't judge the situation with her godfather, even if he wished to damn that guy but… he knew how heated things could get. How heated it had gotten with Lal or even with one of the others. He didn't knew the full story and he was aware of that fact. There was more. So much more behind Skull and why she was how she was.

But none of this mattered right now. Not when he could feel the pain in her, the pain he was supposed to wash away.

He didn't bother looking up. He knew that the rest of the arcobaleno wasn't better than him. That all of them cared for Skull way more than they were willing to admit.

He accepted the water bottles he got handed when he once again just snatched up his sky and carried her back to her room. Her emotions were too raw at the moment. She needed a time out and he would have time later to figure out what he felt about all of this. Right now it didn't matter. He would be there for her, ground her and hold her up so that she wouldn't sink.

Reborn pulled his Fedora down, the tension still in the room. No one spoke up, just letting the information circle through their minds, contemplating them.

In all honesty it was probably the first time Skull had opened up to them in any way and it left a bad taste in their mouth of what all of this could imply. They would have to step up their game now.

As selfish as it sounded… skies needed elements to ground them and with her abandonment and trust issues? She would need them to start healing from her past. They couldn't remedy it but they could aid her in pushing forward.

They knew there was a place in this world for her and she had already earned it. She just needed to realise it. Heal and recognize it and they would be there for that journey.