I've had this idea hidden away in my documents for over a year. I wasn't going to publish until I had a little more written, but since DK&T had the same problem and actually got easier to write after releasing it upon the world, I'm going to give this a shot.

Admittedly, this is a lot more serious than Don't Kiss and Tell, and I'm kind of terrified of publishing it, since it deals with themes I have never worked with and can upset people when written badly (transphobia, innappropriate behavior regarding transgender people, transgender issues in general), but I'm going to give it my best shot.

The worst part is he can't quite remember what happened.

He knows he woke up, got ready for school, stood at panicked attention while Reborn (grown a foot since the curse was removed) checked his homework, and then rushed out the door. Gokudera met him at the gate, and Yamamoto had joined up midway through the walk. They'd made it through half the school day, been on the roof discussing what would happen when they graduated next year, and then…

There was rumbling, and shouting, and yelling, but no images. Just pain and screams. Consciousness leaving too fast to even consider activating flames.

It could have been a bomb, trying to take out the next heir by taking out the school. Or maybe it was an earthquake, or even the apocalypse having finally picked a date to arrive. Tsuna doesn't know, and he's no longer in a state to think about it.

Its rather pointless to think about such things when you're dead.

At least, he assumes he's dead. Enough dying will bullets have left him with a pretty decent idea of what dying feels like. This definitely feels like it qualifies – the dark and soft pull of nothing wrapped around his head like a fluffy blanket.

Most people would have sunk even further, embracing the pull of death. But Tsuna has spent so much time on the edge he expects something else. The burst of strength, of will and regrets, to help him claw his way back and break through whatever obstacle was in his way.

It never appeared, but the mental memory was enough to wake Tsuna from his descent. His mind fought, struggling for the strongest regret – too many flitted through his head.

He was used to looking for regrets on the edge of death. When he finally jumped the cliff, his mind grasped onto something deep inside. Little more than a fragment of a thought.

'I…don't want to be a mafia boss but…I wish I'd done more. I wish I'd lived…

Mom was right, I wish I'd been able to say it's good to be alive…'

His mother's smile stuck in his head, and he clung to the memory while everything else seemed to drop away. It wasn't much, and Tsuna thought little of it. But he was a sky, fighting death, with a penchant for doing the impossible.

And those three intertwined allowed for…leeway.

When Tsuna woke up, he was struck by two things.

One. He hurt everywhere.

Two. Considering his last memory…he didn't hurt enough.

He was wearing a respirator, and he pulled it down as he struggled into a sitting position. His limbs felt weak and strained, while there was a weight pulling him down on his chest. The room was devoid of other people, and the table next to his bed noticeably bare.

His fingers clenched. He didn't remember what happened, but if he was hurt, Yamamoto and Gokudera had to be even worse off. Why on earth hadn't Reborn put them all in the same room?

Unless Reborn was also…no. It was Reborn, there was probably a lesson involved, no need to panic…more than normal.

He glanced over at the door, and wondered if he had enough strength to walk out, before reaching to pull off the covers and freezing.

Tsuna had always accepted he was a rather…small teen. He lived in perpetual hope that a growth spurt was round the corner, but at the very least, Reborn had forced some muscle onto his body, along with callouses and battered knuckles from fighting.

The hand he was looking at now was light and dainty, looking as if it had never seen anything more dangerous than a chipped plate. As he brought it closer, the weight on his chest moved, and he stared down at the hospital garment.

And the breasts hanging from his chest.

"Hiiiieeee!"

Tsuna's shriek was only mitigated by the crash of a nurse's tray, the staff member staring at her patient in abject shock.

"Doctor!" she yelled down the hall. "Sawada Nana is awake!"

Sawada…Nana?

He jumped from the bed, crashing to the floor in a squealing heap, his legs not happy about being asked to work, and pulled himself towards the window. When the doctor and nurse returned, he'd pulled himself up, and was staring at the reflection in the glass.

The head was bandaged tightly, but even without the hair, Tsuna knew that face. So similar to his own, but lighter, softer.

He was in his mother's body.

The doctor was crowding him, but Tsuna ignored the questions in favour of fainting, returning to the far less traumatic dark.

When he woke up, he prayed it had just been a nightmare.

Unfortunately, it wasn't. And the doctor didn't appear interested in leaving him alone long enough to panic about that. Instead, he had to listen to him explain what had landed…Nana, in the hospital in the first place.

"According to witnesses, you were just leaving the shopping plaza when the driver lost control of his vehicle" he explains. "It hit you with such force you flew back several feet before knocking you into the opposite kerb. You've been in a coma for nearly 3 weeks. To be honest it's amazing you woke up at all – your prognosis wasn't particularly hopeful."

Tsuna swallowed heavily. Clearly the doctor's original assessment had been correct - the only reason this body was still breathing was because his mother had left it.

"E-excuse me but…what about…my son?" he asked, cringing at the ridiculousness of the statement.

The doctor however, seemed relieved that Nana was responding. "You needn't worry Mrs Sawada" he comforted. "According to my notes, we weren't able to get in contact with your husband, but one of your neighbours was gracious enough to take him in temporarily.

Tsuna frowned. "But wasn't I, uh…he injured? At the school?"

At this the doctor frowned, before bursting into amused chuckles. "I wouldn't worry Mrs Sawada; I doubt a toddler could get into too much trouble under supervision. Namimori kindergarten is very safe even for the clumsiest of children."

Tsuna's eyes widened in confusion.

'Toddler?'

There was some kind of commotion outside, and the doctor grinned. "Ah, speak of the devil. We called your neighbour to let them know the good news and they thought you might want to see your boy. Shall I send him in?"

Almost robotically, Tsuna found himself nodding, and the doctor strode out the door. Moments later, a woman walked in, carrying a small boy wearing a green shirt and sporting fluffy brown hair.

"Mama!"

His face paled, while his body froze in horror as a far too young Tsunayoshi was placed onto the bed, stumbling out of the woman's arms and wrapped him in a hug.

What?

How?

The other Tsuna was pulling away, looking at him with confused eyes. "Mama?"

That shook him from his thoughts, arms going around Tsuna and holding him tight. "Sorry…Tsu-kun, uh, mama thought it was a daydream."

The smile showed perhaps too much teeth to authentic, but those in the room seemed to buy it, and the young toddler hugged her again, shifting for a better spot. His small body ended squashing into her breasts, and Tsuna's breath hitched, getting yet another painful reminder they were there.

The visit was short, although his younger self had to be pulled away with weepy eyes. When Nana's neighbour left, the doctor had asked him if he knew any other way to contact Iemitsu. Tsuna could only shake his head. He wasn't even sure how his mother had normally contacted him, and this would probably be a bad time to try any CEDEF related numbers, if he could even remember them to begin with.

Finally, the doctor left, and Tsuna was left with nothing but his thoughts to occupy him.

His mother was in an accident, there was no explosion at the school, and 'he' was apparently a baby. On top of which, he was trapped in his mother's body.

Was it Mukuro? Some kind of possession where he put the original soul in another body? It sounded like something his Mist could do…but that wouldn't explain why Tsu…the other him, was so young.

Some kind of time travel? Was the blast at the school not in fact an explosion but the Bovino messing with things you'd think by now they'd know to leave well alone? But as far as he could remember, his mother had never been in any kind of life threatening accident. This wasn't his past.

…But it HAD to be, because he distinctly remembers Ghost, who was the very embodiment of why you didn't try to jump into a world that wasn't your own. Everything about this was impossible!

Two weeks later, he still had no more answers, and nothing but a sinking heart when he realised he was going to be released, and forced out of the limbo he'd been living, and into the life of Sawada Nana.

The other him – Tsu-kun, he mentally corrected. His breath hitched every time he tried to call him Tsuna, this was the best compromise he could make - had been brought to visit several times a week, and through his neighbour, Sato-san and the toddler's tales, he'd managed to piece together Nana's daily life.

To be honest it sounded a lot like his own mother's schedule didn't change much in the next 15 years. Her life consisted of housework, cooking, taking care of Tsu-kun and mooning over Iemitsu (Sato-san had some rather strong things to say about the man considering his lack of appearance, and Tsuna had been happy to hear them). She didn't really have any close friends, or hobbies, just kept the house and doted on the men in her life.

It meant there were few people who would notice…'she' (deep breaths Tsuna, deep breaths) was acting differently. Tsu-kun might, but he was 2, and his flames and intuition were sealed. According to what Sato-san had told her, Iemitsu had visited with an elderly gentleman 2 months before, and then vanished. Tsuna had started being rather clumsy, and Sato had assumed he was acting out due to his missing father, but 'Nana' had insisted Tsuna was just growing into his limbs.

Iemitsu would definitely notice something, but considering Nana had been hospitalised for over a month and there hadn't been a single peep out of the man, Tsuna doubted he'd have to worry about the Vongola catching wind of this any time soon. Although it did make him want to grit his teeth – he knows flames and rings won't really be accessible for at least another ten years, but for all he knows, sun flames could have saved this worlds Nana. Perhaps even mist flames if they were really desperate. On top of which, if he hadn't woken up, Nana would be dead, and Tsu-kun would be heading to an orphanage. He knew his father had always been distant, but not to send even a get well card?

He grits his teeth and swallowed, old pain from neglect mixing with the rage at the injustice of his mother's loyalty, and he tries to focus on the future.

Once he walks out that door, he has to be Sawada Nana for the foreseeable future. He has to be Tsu-kun's mother, or his younger self might end up in the orphanage anyway. He might not want this world, but until he can find a way out, he has to keep up the act.

And hey, it's hardly the first time the universe decided he had to play a role whether he liked it or not, right? At least his mother doesn't also have to be a Mafia Boss.

Strangely, it's not much comfort. The Vongola had been terrifying and crazy and twenty-seven different kinds of illegal, but it had come with friends, and tutors and an astonishing amount of happiness mixed in with the insanity.

This life is lonely, and painful. Tsuna has always been clumsy without his dying will, but he'd never felt trapped in his flailing limbs and two left feet. This body has its own grace with sometimes surprises him, but he's acutely aware, every second of every day, that it's not a man's body, least of all his. The way it moves, the way it acts, learning the, frankly quite horrifying, bathroom dynamics, it's all wrong, and his own reactions have sent him crashing to the floor, jerking as if he can jump out of the skin.

How on earth did Mukuro survive possessing Chrome all those years? He'd never lacked respect for either of his mists, but frankly, he clearly hadn't been giving them enough credit when it came to body sharing.

And with the exception of Sato-san, who stops by a few times to make sure they're both still alive before dropping out of their lives completely, the doorbell never rings. No friends, no colleagues, not even a door to door salesman. Tsuna has housework and cooking (neither of which he's ever been any good at, and eventually blaming his injuries isn't going to work) and caring for his younger self, which is a Reborn level of inflicted torture.

It's not the boy's fault, Tsuna knows that. He's 2 years old and completely unaware that the person inside this body is not his mother, but that doesn't change the fact that Tsuna flinches every time he hears the word 'Mama' and still can't refer to him as 'Tsuna' or 'Tsunayoshi' without wanting to burst into tears.

He's not good with children, he never has been. People had always assumed he was but Lambo drove him crazy on a good day, I-pin required next to no supervision whatsoever and Fuuta had been relatively self-sufficient. Admittedly, this is his younger self – he has some idea of how he'll react, but every interaction feels as if it's done with a gun held to his head. He's tried to make it easier by reducing how much time they spend together, but that's only make Tsu-kun even more clingy.

He's also coming back from kindergarten with bruises. Tsuna knows from memory that most of them are from falling down and tripping over his own feet, but it won't be long before the physical is joined by vocals, creating the framework for 'Dame-Tsuna'. But how is he supposed to help his younger self when he couldn't even stop it the first time?

It's a spiral of self-doubt and hatred – one Tsuna accidentally slipped into and can't quite seem to pull out of.

In fact, Tsuna would have probably continued sinking until he hit rock bottom if it hadn't been for the doorbell ringing a week after he was released.

He'd just sent his younger self upstairs, tucking him into bed and darting out, well aware that the child had been hoping his mother would read him a story and hating himself for not having the resolve to do it, when he heard the ring.

It was such a weird sound to hear. The sun was setting – Sato-san wouldn't visit now.

Oh lord…could it be Iemitsu? He wasn't prepared for that!

He heads down the stairs and opens the door with shaking hands, only to blink in confusion when he sees nothing but empty air.

"Good evening Sawada Tsunayoshi."

He froze, and slowly, his eyes dropped to the ground, where a young infant was standing.

She was wearing white, with a unique marking on her cheek and wearing a hat almost as large as she was.

The arcobaleno smiled. "My name is Luce. May I come in?"

She has Uni's eyes.

Perhaps it's because she's trapped as an infant, but Tsuna can definitely see more of her granddaughter than her daughter at first glance. The way she enters the house though, complete with a rather elegant jump to the couch, reminds him of the woman he met during the arcobaleno trials.

And, just a little, of Reborn, and he has to wait for his heart to settle before he follows her in.

"Ah…can I get you some tea?" he offers, a little out of his depth, and Luce smiles.

"I would love some. If you would like, I brought some cookies we can enjoy with it."

From behind her, she pulls out a bag almost bigger than she is. Thankfully, Reborn had done far weirder than that without even trying, and Tsuna just took the bag with a grateful smile.

It takes a frustratingly long time to make the tea, but as they sit and sip, he gets the feeling making it quickly wouldn't have made the situation any less awkward or confusing.

"This must be unsettling for you."

Tsuna jerks his head up. Luce is watching him with sympathetic eyes.

"I must admit, when I started getting additional visions, I wasn't sure what to expect" she says. "You are an enigma Sawada Tsunayoshi, one that could easily rewrite the timeline without even trying. I'm still trying to decide if that's actually a good thing."

She may be tiny and incredibly polite, but Tsuna can hear the underlying threat in her words.

"I didn't ask to come here" he replies, putting down his cup. "If you can find me a way home, I'll happily take it."

Luce however, just shakes her head. "I'm afraid dimension jumping is a little out of my field of expertise" she begins. "Theoretically, this should be impossible…"

Tsuna sighs and slumps down. "Tell me about it."

"However…" Luce interrupts. "I may have an explanation. "My visions have shown…what I assume to be fractions of your life, or at the very least the life story you will one day tell me. You have travelled to a future that became your alternate in order to avoid a paradox, while still carrying the technology of that time in the past. You hold Sky flames, which cannot be manipulated or destroyed by any other flame, and you have worn the Vongola ring in its completed form. In addition, you were dying before you came here, a feeling you have felt rather often before being 'reborn', and finally, you did not end up in your own body, but one that had no host or flames of its own."

"I don't understand" Tsuna replies, and Luce closes her eyes.

"I think - and I admit that this is only a theory - that by travelling to an alternate future for such a length of time created some flexibility in your body and soul. In addition, unlike everyone else who travelled in such a way, you have Sky flames, which are notably unique amongst all the flames, they would have fought against your death. If you had any will to live – and after so many dying will bullets that concept would have been second nature to you – your soul could have slipped through the cracks of space and time and looked for a body, it could inhabit. Sawada Nana of this world most likely fit your dying desires best.

Regardless, for better or worse, you have made it here" Luce finishes, heedless of Tsuna's gobsmacked face. "And because of that, I have something for you."

The doorbell rings again, but Tsuna hears the door open immediately after. A woman who can only be Cervello enters the room, holding a box in her hands. She places it on the table and flicks the latch open in one swift moment, revealing the contents.

Tsuna's eyes open impossibly wide.

It's the Mare Rings.

"But these-Byakuran" Tsuna stutters. "These go to Byakuran."

Luce just smiles. "I assure you, whoever may have held them in your world, they do not have a stronger claim than you. You who have achieved the impossible and travelled to another world."

Tsuna gritted his teeth and looked away. "Not by choice" he hissed. "I don't want…this!"

Mare rings. Really? His life has been one bad joke after another since he arrived here, and now the mafia is trying to dig it's claws into him again?

His nails – Nana's nails – dig into his arms. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be trapped in a body that you know isn't yours?"

"I have some idea" Luce replied, eyes narrowed, and Tsuna flinched.

Right. Arcobaleno. The woman in front of him probably understood all too well. But still…

"Sorry. But at the very least you're still you. I've become my mother. I've taken over her life, and all the expectations and social obligations that come with it. I'm used to not having any say in my life, but that's more than anyone should have to handle."

"Tsunayoshi" Luce began. "If my theory is true, then this is the world where you can fulfil whatever desires you had before death best. Do you really think you would be here if it wanted you to be unhappy living the life of someone else?"

Tsuna frowned. "But…I am someone else."

"Exactly. Sawada Nana has just been in a terrible, life threatening accident, and suffered brain damage. She doesn't have many friends, and her husband has been absent – would anyone really be surprised if she suffered a major personality shift?"

Tsuna's eyes widened.

He hadn't even considered that.

"I admit, you will have to make sacrifices. One way or another you will need to raise your younger self" Luce warned. "But knowing what you know – this Tsunayoshi has someone who completely understands him, and the trials ahead of him. You have more than ten years to work with – is there nothing you wouldn't wish to fix the next time round?"

Tsuna barely heard her, still reeling from her earlier suggestion.

'I can still be me. My body is wrong but…I don't have to pretend to be my mother. And…

…And I know everything that's going to happen."

His eyes widen as so many stories fit into his head. Things he never learned about until it was too late.

Hayato's mother. Yamamoto's mother.

The Estrano, Lancia, Xanxus learning he was adopted far too late, Chrome's accident, Enma and the Simon Familia, and…

Oh. Ohhhh…

He couldn't help the laugh that escaped, bubbling out from the hand he held to his mouth. Luce cocked her head in confusion, and Tsuna waved it off, dropping the hand and reaching towards the box.

The Sky Mare ring felt heavy in his hand – bulky and awkward in the slender digits, but such a familiar token it was a relief to hold it.

He really was Dame-Tsuna. It wasn't his nature to do anything to help himself – everything impressive he'd ever done was for the people he cared about. And he'd just been given the ultimate cheat sheet.

"Luce" he said, a grin slipping onto his face. "How would you like to see your daughter grow up?"

It sounded so simple in theory, but actually organising the early breaking of the curse was unbelievably complicated.

First of all, they had to hunt down Talbot and explain exactly what was required. Then they had to contact Kawahira and let him know what they were trying to do without the man trying to kill them. Then they had to contact Bermuda and get the Vindice involved, none of whom were particularly trusting as to what the skies had to say.

Contacting the other Arcobaleno and getting them to meet along with as many powerful flame users as they could gather turned out to be the easy part. The arranged meeting was at a neutral area of land in Italy mostly used to settle family wars about a month after Luce appeared at Tsuna's doorstep. Luce kept Tsuna in contact over the phone, and flew him over once the date was finalised.

However, no matter how oblivious Iemitsu might be about his wife's current lifestyle, he WAS going to notice her showing up at a Mafioso heavy event like the Arcobaleno curse breaking.

As such, if he was going, it would have to be in disguise. Mist flames wouldn't be an option – too many people who could see through it, so they'd have to go with old fashioned tricks. Which is how he found himself in Luce's mansion, standing on a platform while a tailor took his measurements.

"I'm thinking white might be a good option, you'll fit in with my men. For your hair and eyes, we can add a hood and some contacts?"

"Oh, I'm not really very good with contacts" Tsuna admitted, while the tailor added a heavy mantle and hood to the white suit he was currently wearing. "I mean, I'm used to my specialised ones, but I can't really use normal ones."

Luce shrugged. "Very well, brown isn't too unusual, so long as we keep your face shrouded it shouldn't matter. "And as for your voice…"

Another man came in, holding a small box. He approached Tsuna and opened it to reveal a strange earpiece with an odd patch of tech hanging from a wire.

"This voice modulator should give you a more masculine tone. This, between the clothes and your natural gait should throw off anyone and keep Sawada Nana out from prying eyes."

Tsuna smiled. "Thanks Luce."

"We will however, need a name. Something that you'll answer to easily, but can't be connected easily to you."

He nodded, and closed his eyes, deep in thought.

His name. For good reason, Tsunayoshi was out of the question. He could probably use 'Yoshi' but…he'd never really been fond of that. Doubtful he could teach himself to answer to it.

A name that reflected him, that he'd recognise and wouldn't cause confusion in the future.

Something echoed back, a memory of tiny fangs and a glowing mane – a partner that was too advanced for this world, and Tsuna smiled.

"Natsu" he decided, staring at the face in the mirror. "My name is 'Natsu'"

A few hours later, Luce's limo arrived at the gathering in time to see a literally army of Mafioso hanging around the area. Ts…Natsu – he had to remember that - didn't think he'd seen this many even at his Inheritance Ceremony. What was more astonishing was the fact that none of them seemed to be fighting – he could see at least five families with bad blood within spitting distance of each other.

The presence of the toddler sized infants in the centre probably had something to do with it.

"Ever tried to coordinate something this complicated?" he mused.

"Try giving birth to a baby when you yourself are a baby and then come talk to me" Luce replied with sarcastic bite, and Tsuna winced.

"Right. Well, let's do this."

Once the car door opened, every eye in the clearing swung in their direction. Natsu froze on instinct.

"Hiei…."

Suddenly, Luce was at his feet, nudging him along.

"Come now Natsu, we're almost there."

He gulped, and followed her lead. All of the Arcobaleno were now glaring at him suspiciously, no doubt borne from the last time they'd trusted someone who'd kept their face hidden. Reborn's glare holds no bounds, surpassed only by Viper, who is tiny ball of pent up fury and desperation. The others are holding their emotions in check, more interested in Luce who is gesturing to the figure beside her.

"This is Natsu. He's the reason we're here today."

He considered it rather impressive he managed to avoid the squeak when focus returned to him.

"Natsu is a very strong sky" Luce continued. "And he believes he's discovered a way to release us from the curse."

"Believes?" Lal snaps, more than a little on edge.

"Well it's not like he can test it beforehand" Luce replies. "But from what I've seen, this can work."

Eyes widen and Viper practically starts vibrating. Natsu decides to enter the conversation.

"I-I know it's a lot to take in, but believe me, this won't fail. I even checked with the original creator of the curse- "

"You've spoken with that man!" Viper hisses, and Natsu flinches back.

"Ah, yes. I needed to make sure h-he wouldn't interfere! But he agrees that the theory is sound."

"I would like to see this 'theory'" Verde says, joining the conversation for the first time. "I am curious as to the nature of this device."

He glances off to the side, where Talbot is setting up the glass jars. He's drawn quite a crowd, though most seem torn between watching him or the new arrivals. However, the final component is still missing…

Natsu feels the chill down his back and shudders. There they are.

The families break into panicked whispering when the blackness descends and the Vindice appear on the scene. But nothing compared to the outcry when Bermuda appears. The shock on the Arcobaleno's face at the sight of yet another pacifier is quite the sight. It keeps them frozen as Jaeger and Bermuda make their way towards Natsu.

"So, you're the one who claims you've found a way to break the curse?"

Natsu nods. "Instead of cursing flame users, we can lock the flames in these jars. But we'll need a constant night flame to keep it going. You'll essentially be in control of it, instead of Kawahira."

The two jerk at the name, but Natsu figured revealing that nugget would be best to convince the Night Arcobaleno of his sincerity. He could only hope that the appeal of 'stealing' the curse from Kawahira would be enough to win him over this time.

Thankfully, the Arcobaleno wore a look of glee – he'd read the toddler right.

The rest of the afternoon goes more or less how it had the first time. Talbot took over the explanation, and Natsu stepped back, letting the far more knowledgeable man explain what was required. The biggest worry was that the Mafioso wouldn't actually be able to help – flames and rings had been relatively new outside of the Vongola when he was 15, there was no telling if they would be able to understand the concept in this time well enough for it to take effect.

Understandable worries, but most of the higher Mafioso seemed to understand what was required, and in turn passed it down to the lower levels. There was no telling how releasing this information nearly a decade early would affect things, but there was no way to save the Arcobaleno without flames.

As it happens, even with dozens of men having to take crash courses in activating flames through mafia rings, the burst of required flame was more than enough for the jars to take effect, and he couldn't help but smile as he watched the light dim from the pacifiers, releasing the Arcobaleno from the curse.

"You should start ageing now" he explains, when Skull starts freaking out about still being a toddler. "It'll be faster than normal, but hopefully you'll be back to your original age in about ten years? I'm not positive of the length."

It was a testament to how much the curse had weighed in on the babies that the explanation gave them nothing but relief. Around them, Mafioso offer congratulations, and Natsu backs off when Iemitsu and Nono, as well as men who must be Nono's sons come over to congratulate Reborn, choosing to stay near Luce.

The Sky Arcobaleno's face is serene, but there's a light in her eyes that wasn't there before – she hadn't doubted Natsu's word, but actually experiencing the loss of the curse has replaced resignation with hope. For once she doesn't need to see the future – it's hers to live as she sees fit. It's a joyous expression to see.

Luce makes to leave, choosing to jump into Natsu's arms to work as a barrier against anyone who might want to further question him.

"The Giglionero will be leaving now" Luce informs them. "I hope you can enjoy your celebrations."

They make to leave, only for Natsu to freeze when he hears Reborn call after him.

"Wait."

Natsu has never been able to refuse Reborn. Apparently that holds true for this timeline as well.

He turns to face the hitman. "Yes?"

To his surprise, all the Arcobaleno are staring at him, standing a little further behind the hitman. Slowly, Reborn removes his hat and lowers his head.

"I might not know you, but we can't pretend we don't owe you a debt" he admits. "And I for one do not like leaving such things unresolved."

He looks up. "I can't speak for the others, but should you require my services, I will gladly offer them. Just contact Luce, and I will come."

"The same goes for me" Viper adds. "So long as it doesn't affect jobs I'm currently working. And make it soon, I dislike debt."

The mist all but spits out the last word and Natsu has to hide the smile. The rest of the Arcobaleno, bar Verde (and why does that not surprise him?) are nodding in agreement.

"I don't really care one way or another" the lightning warns. "However, if you have any more breakthrough's like this…"

He gestures to the device the Vindice are scurrying away. "I certainly wouldn't mind helping you perform the experiments necessary to complete it. Any time."

The scientist has a rather terrifying glint in his eye, and Natsu decides that's a debt he'll probably never collect.

He gives them a small bow in acknowledgement. "Thank you for the option" he says. "I'm sure one day I will have to call them in."

It's almost inevitable. At the end of the day breaking the curse is only one small issue in Natsu's world. There are so many things that might need changing and little time to do it in. The aid of the Arcobaleno take it from impossible to just very difficult. He can already think of several tasks that could use their aid.

They seem reluctant to let him go, but Luce manages to urge him back, keeping them moving until their hidden by the black tint of the limo's windows. He can still feel the eyes on him as the car drives off, and waits until the unsettling presence fades out before pulling back the hood.

"Ahh" he moans. "I can't believe I managed to get through that without anyone noticing."

Luce chuckles. "I think arriving as part of my entourage helped there. Most of Vongola were eyeing you up – they most likely held back because they assumed you were part of my family. Be warned, should you start walking through mafia circles without me, you'll get a lot more attention. Anyone who can earn the debt of the Arcobaleno is a prize for any family.

Natsu shudders. "No thanks. If there's one good thing to come out of this whole thing, it's that I'm not a mafia boss anymore. I'm not getting dragged in again."

As he spoke, he glanced down at the ring on his finger, his other hand reaching into his pocket to touch the small box that held the rest.

"I'll find flame users outside of the mafia for these. I know I can't sustain them all, but the fact that Reborn managed to find me a group of guardians that were mostly civilians means it's not impossible."

Luce nodded in acceptance. "I wish you luck. Do you have any idea who?"

Natsu slumped. "Honestly? I have no idea."

"Thank you for taking care of Tsu-kun again Sato-san."

Her neighbour just nodded as she handed over the young boy, who clung to Natsu's shirt with surprising strength. Clearly he hadn't taken the short separation well after the accident.

Natsu felt a little guilty, especially as it wouldn't be the last time. As much as he had the arcobaleno debts, some things he would have to do on his own. Hopefully his young…no, he had to stop thinking like that. Hopefully 'Tsuna' would understand. At least it was getting easier to say his name now that he was referring to himself as 'Natsu.'

Thankfully Sato-san had fed the toddler, so Natsu just had to get him ready for bed, and with an astonishing amount of will, managed to get through two bedtime stories and a song. Tsuna was elated, and went to bed with a smile for the first time Natsu had seen. Natsu smiled himself as he walked out, and headed for a drawer in the living room.

Before he'd flown back home, Luce had given him one final gift. An envelope containing a birth certificate, passport, drivers licence and full history for one 'Natsu Sawada.' A legitimate, male identity for him to use at leisure.

It was quite possibly the greatest gift he'd ever received. And solidified his next decision, the last thing to do before he could fully embrace the life of 'Natsu'. He might have to live as Sawada Nana in order to raise Tsuna, but there were certain things that he couldn't do. This had to be done, no matter what ripples it caused by sending this letter to Italy. It had taken five different attempts to write it down properly, but he hoped it got the message across. He sealed it in a small envelope, before slipping it into the larger A4 envelope.

He glanced over the divorce papers, before signing the last page and slipping them in after her explanation.

It was going to be interesting – there was no way to tell how Iemitsu would take receiving this letter. He could show up the very next day to find out what was going on, he could try to take custody of Tsuna…but this was one aspect of Nana's life he wasn't willing to pretend.

He intended to keep the Sawada name, Natsu still used it, and it would make things easier for his younger self. Besides, as much as he disliked his father, Sawada was his. The rest was baggage that neither he, or his younger self needed or required. If Iemitsu was unhappy, well…'Natsu' had eight debts of gratitude from some of the strongest in the world. He could put up a fight.

Unbeknownst to him, due to the nature of Nana and Iemitsu's relationship, such methods would not be required…

A week later

"Boss, letter from your wife! Looks like some kind of legal document."

The Young Lion of Vongola looked up from his desk, and gave a goofy grin.

"Oh? Give it over and I'll sign it. Make sure it gets back to her pronto okay? Don't want my precious Nana-chan having to wait!"

The lackey faltered, hands pausing in handing over the documents.

"Uh, boss, don't you think you should read them first?"

Iemitsu just waved it away. "It'll just be Nana wanting to get a loan for a washing machine. She was talking to me about it last time I visited."

The lackey still seemed reluctant, so Iemitsu just grabbed the forms and starting filling in his name. A few seconds later, his signature was drying on the paper, and Iemitsu handed them back.

"Send that to my beloved Nana-chan! And get me the Degrassi file, we've got some scum to clear out."

The lackey, long used to his boss's antics, merely shrugged and sent the files back to Japan.

Still hidden in the envelope, the handwritten letter that came with the form lay unread, and eventually ended up in the trash.