Author's Note

My Little Pony Mane 6 and Princesses Quotes by Ko Linken.

Elizabeth Schmidt

Nathan Schmidt

Kyanna Whitney

Alexandro Agosti

Anna Whitney

Prologue

Friendship is the true immortal piece of magic that binds us as one. The friendships you forge in life will include your most lowest point in life, and your highest. The ups and downs your friendships encompass will build up your true character and lead you to your destiny and calling in life. No doubt the journeys of friendships are bumpy, but in the end, it will make up who you are in the future and define your personality.

Manchester, England -- 2007

Silence. Among the brisk Spring night in Manchester, England, a dull silence accompanied the occasional nocturnal cooing of an owl or the chirping of crickets. Such peace lulled the notion of sleep to all of the suburban inhabitants of the neighborhood citizens. Rows upon rows of buildings were blacked out, lights flicked off as late-night workers turned in after a hard day at their jobs. To them, it was just another night, another day, coming and going.

Further along the trail of houses lies a path leading into the forest. A single driveway that stretched a quarter of mile inward until it landed upon a house, lonely and old, atop a low hill. A family of one mother and two children, a boy and a girl, lived within this house. The boy, Nathan Schmidt, had just breached the peak of his teenage years in the sweet sixteen mark of age. The girl, Maya Schmidt, was only an adolescent, a child of nine years. As with every house on the block, it, too, was blackened and without light, but unlike the other homes within the suburbs, this one was not quiet or peaceful.

"Oh, little Nathan...~ Where are you...? WHERE ARE YOU?!?!"

A loud crash came from the first story as the teenage boy jerked up from his seated position on the floor. Both he and his sister were in his room, the elder sibling watching Maya doodle and color on the notepads she had splayed out in front of her. Hearing the obvious sound of something being kicked over, the fear of a wrathful parent made him clinch up. Looking back at Maya as the footsteps drew near the staircase leading up to the second story hallway, Nathan scooped her up, covering her mouth as she began to protest. Opening his closet, he knelt down besides the dresser inside and gently stuffed his sister behind it. Before Maya made a noise, her brother put a finger to his lips.

"Mom's angry, Maya. Count to one-hundred, QUIETLY, and don't come out of this closet no matter what you hear."

"B-But-"

*CRASH*

Both children turned to the door as it rattled on its hinges. Something was thrown towards it from outside the room. Turning back to his sister, Nathan placed one of the caps hanging on the dresser on her head.

"You know how mom is when she's like this. You know what to do, sis. Close your eyes and cover your ears. I'll deal with her and come get you, okay...?"

The soft voice of his little sister came out in a slight whimper as another bang shook the door, this time coming from the rasping knocks of the bulldozing mother looking for them.

"Open this door! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!!! NATHAN!!!"

Nathan turned back to Maya, tucking her into the corner and leaning back out of the closet. Grabbing the doors, he gave her a small smile as he gently closed them.

"Trust me..."

Maya sniffled as the closet was left in the pitch blackness, the doors only opened by a crack when they were drawn closed. Nathan, turning away from it, noticed his door was about to come down. One of the hinges was giving away, and it won't be long before his mother broke the door down. Taking a breath, he reached under his bed and grabbed a wiffleball bat. He didn't want to hurt his mother, deranged as she may be, but at the same time, he had to defend himself. The only thing this cushioned bat was capable of was knocking out the older woman if he got a good swing in, but that was difficult when she was always right on top of him. Rubbing his neck, his thumb passed over a few marks, making his cough and clear his throat when touched. Gripping the bat by its handle, he steeled himself as the door finally caved, and his mother, Elizabeth Schmidt, stormed in.

"C'mere, you little scum!!"

Elizabeth was on him immediately, grabbing at his shoulders as he fought against her, shoving her back as she hollered at him.

"You think you can hide from me?! Not only did you lock the door, but you try to HIDE from me?! You're not allowed to do that to your mother! WHERE DID YOU HIDE MY PILLS!?!?!"

Nathan swung for the fences as she dove for him again, cracking her at the ribs and side-stepping her as she collapsed. Backing away from her, she hissed at him as she rose to her feet.

"You! How DARE you hurt your mother!"

"I don't have your pills, mom. You come here every time they go missing and you end up finding them someplace else, usually where YOU left them."

"LIAR!!! I KNOW YOU HAVE MY PILLS!!! WHERE ARE THEY!?!!? WHERE ARE THEY?!!? I NEED MY PILLS!!! WHERE ARE THEY?!?!?"

Nathan cringed as his mother's shrill screech nearly burst his eardrums, swinging once more as she raced towards him. She caught the bat as it neared her chest, striking her son across the cheek and drilling the handle of the bat into this stomach. Beating him down to the floor, Nathan covered up his vitals and his head as Elizabeth continued to pummel him for minutes on end. Soon, the elder woman tired out, so much so that she began to calm herself. Dropping the bat, she spat on her son's side as she stormed past him, leaving the room to search for her medication in the lower floors. Groaning, Nathan pushed himself up, bringing himself to a sit and rubbing his side. His mother really thrashed him hard this time. The bat was cracked to the side and he was sure to get some bruising from those swings. Shaking off the pain, he kicked the bat back underneath his bed and walked towards the closet. Opening it up, he uncovered Maya from her hiding spot, her eyes opening when he did so. She took one look at him and dove for his abdomen, snuggling into his belly as she began to sob lightly. Nathan took a labored breath as he wrapped an arm around her, petting her head as he glanced out the window.

Elizabeth was getting more aggressive. Ever since his father, Michael, walked out on them, she'd all but given up on life. Like any other broken woman, she resorted to medication and drugs to dull the ache of a shattered heart, but it only led her to change and morph into the violent and delusional woman she was tonight. As such, her drug-ridden state wasn't fit to keep the house in shape. She paid the bills, sure, but Nathan was doing most of the chores and housework while she wasted away. He was also the one to teach his sister about the many lessons he's learned, good and bad. She needed to be prepared for the road ahead in life. One day, they would leave this place behind, and Maya needs every lesson she could learn to be ready.

Sighing, Nathan rested himself up against the wall, closing his eyes as he would feel sleep come to him easy, considering some of those blows may have connected with his head. He'd hoped he didn't have a concussion. Right now, the last thing Maya needs is for him to be in a coma. She'd be all alone with their mother. That was something he'll never let happen. He'd sooner run Elizabeth through with something sharp than let her even graze Maya.

With that thought lost in his mind, Nathan felt himself go limp, a hand still on his sister's head as they both fell into the warmth of slumber.

Being loyal to your friends, your family, allows them to assure they will have someone to count on. Don't take that for granted, though. Never ask your friends to lend money or do favors, and start asking how they are, and how well they're coping with their lives. Get to know them! You will never know when they will need a helpful listening friend or brother by their side in times of need. Sometimes, them knowing they have a loyal and faithful companion can avert emotional problems.

"Who's crying?! I can't get any fucking sleep here!!"

Nathan's eyes snapped open as he heard the crying himself, the wails of his little sister coming from a few feet away from him. Seeing the shadow of his mother in the doorway, he sprinted for Maya, covering her with his body and shielding her from the foot coming towards her. Grunting at the kick that dug into his bruised ribs, he grabbed Elizabeth's leg and threw it out from under her. Picking up Maya, the teenager rushed out of the room, narrowly avoiding his mother's deathly grip, and raced downstairs. Slamming the door shut to the stairwell, he placed Maya down and slipped a chair under the door handle, locking Elizabeth upstairs for the time being.

So much for "one day", Elizabeth's tantrums were more fierce than ever. Not even last night did she kick that hard. If she gets a hold of them, god knows what she'll do to Maya.

"You fucking brats! You're locking the door again! Fuck you! Fuck you, you pieces of trash! I am your mother! I took care of you! I own you! I OWN YOU!!!"

Nathan grabbed a bag off the counter as Maya ran after him, afraid of what their mother will do when she gets through the door. Opening the cabinets by the fridge, Nathan began stuffing the sack he had with as much food and water as he could as well as a knife, and the loaded handgun she had on the top shelf, which had a broken lock on it for months. Taking it as well as all the ammunition Elizabeth had stored inside, Nathan tied up the sack, hefted it over his shoulder, and ran for the door. Maya held his hand firmly as they made their escape out the front entrance, racing down the dirt driveway and away from the home. The horrific shrieks of a witch was but an echo now. A horrifying, haunting echo, but a fading noise nonetheless.

Kindness is a language everyone understands. The deaf can see it. The blind can hear it. Those who don't speak your language can feel it. Doing things out of kindness means you do not expect anything in return. You just want to help somebody in need.

Over a week has passed since the two siblings escaped the horror house they used to call home. Escaping the suburbs, they lived within the city, moving alley to alley and working odd jobs under the table to earn their income. It was small, but it was enough to keep them going for the time being. Nathan was doing any and everything in his power to ensure his sister's survival, and also her happiness. He didn't care who he aligned himself with or what purpose he served. He had the means to do anything, even if it was illegal.

They were homeless. That fact kept creeping into Nathan's mind as he sat up against the wall, eyeing each corner of the passageway between roads as Maya slept comfortably against him. Taking a breath, he was half-tempted to fall asleep right there, but he knew he had to keep himself vigilant. An angry mother was the least of his worries out here. Resting the gun on his leg, he stared forward, trying to come up with the next move for tomorrow.

"Stop right here!"

"???"

Nathan looked to the left exit to the alley, seeing a car slow to a halt. Squeezing the hammer of his pistol, he trained the barrel towards the car, watching as the door opened and a girl stepped out. Nathan could make out in the dim light that she was of darker skin complexion, probably Hispanic, and her hair was a deep jet black that reached down to the middle of her back. Her attire sported a striped tank top with a style of sweatpants that appeared skin tight. Seeing her entering the alley, he reinforced his hold on Maya as he watched the girl approach them. She stopped a few feet away, turning on a flashlight and shining it at them. She yipped at the sight of a fully loaded handgun pointed at her forehead, but did only so much as to take a step back before regaining her composure.

"E-Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you, but... are you two lost?"

"..."

The girl shifted in place as Nathan didn't trust her, his frown deep and teetering onto a scowl. The girl gulped before ushering to the car.

"I-If you need to rest your head, I'd be happy to bring you back to my place."

"..."

Nathan turned his eyes to the car, then back to the girl. At first, he was going to decline her, obviously not trusting any form of sincerity from her, but a short cough from Maya stopped him. Looking down at her, he could tell she was shivering. The duo had been out in the cold for a long while now, and given a few more days, and they weren't going to make it.

"... Can you feed her...?"

"Pardon?"

"My sister... She's starving..."

The girl turned her gaze to Maya, seeing her cough a few more times before smiling.

"We have some leftovers you're welcome to. My name is Kyanna Whitney, by the way."

"Mm... Nate. My sister's name is Maya."

Kyanna kept her smile as Nathan stood up, carrying Maya in his arms with the pistol still firmly kept in hand. Eyeing Kyanna wearily, he walked after her as she turned and strode towards the car. Keeping Maya as far from Kyanna as possible, he sat in the middle as he buckled the nine year old in, constantly looking over his shoulders at both her and her driver, who he knew for a fact wasn't her father. She must have been rich or something if she was pulling up in a Cadillac with a chaperone. Taking a seat next to Maya and Kyanna, the door was pulled shut and the car was on its way.

"So, why were you two out in the cold? It's supposed to be freezing tonight."

"We ran away from home. It... wasn't a good place. Our mother became disorderly after dad left her. Not sure where he is, exactly, but when mom got too crazy, we had no choice but to leave."

Kyanna nodded, knowing the story.

"I understand what you mean. You aren't the first person I've met who has run away from home. Far from it, in fact."

She held up a hand towards the driver.

"In fact, my mother did the same for Peter up there. Took him in when she found him that very alley I found you in. Though, he was... less armed."

Nathan glanced down at the pistol holstered in his belt, shifting in his seat to keep Maya close.

"Sorry. We haven't run into good people these last couple weeks. A few thugs tried to rob us or take Maya. We managed to get away, and scrape by on the scraps of money they had on them."

"Well, I can surely say that, if things go well, you and your sister won't go hungry anytime soon."

She placed a hand on his shoulder as they began to pull into a driveway paved with brick instead of gravel.

"I promise."

Being generous, is giving others a helping hand; using your resources at stake to just help that disadvantaged person. However, we sometimes think twice about helping out due to that person's social status, wealth, etc, and are afraid of being judged by others. Why not help a beggar, just because he is filthy? We were made with two hands for a reason. One to help ourselves, and the other to help others.

"So, our little Kyanna has brought in another lost guest?"

"Oh my. So it would seem."

Nathan looked around the living area as he kept his free hand resting on his pistol. His other arm was used to hold Maya up, the little girl snoozing lightly against his chest as she rested on his forearm. Keeping her secure against him, he eyed the various people around him. Several guards, men and women, stood at the entrances of the room, hands behind their backs and their attire consisting of matching black suits with red collared shirts underneath. Keeping himself firmly in the center of them to create as much distance as possible, he had also made sure to keep space between himself and the family that took the two siblings on the street. Judging from the decor, the guards, and the few people rummaging and working in other areas of the manor, he assumed he had been brought to the house of some sort of high-ranking official.

"No need to be so tight, boy. You can rest easy. I can assure you, you are not the first to stand where you are. Our family has a known history of picking up strays off the street and giving them a temporary home."

Nathan turned back to the family, the father of the three before him sitting in a lavish chair behind an ornate desk. His wife stood beside him, looking almost identical to Kyanna, barring she was more mature.

"Who... are you?"

The man rose an eyebrow, urging Nathan to elaborate his question.

"These guards... This place. It's obvious you're not just another nobody on the block. You're either insanely rich, or insanely influential."

The older gentleman smirked as he sat up in his seat.

"That I am, son. Tell me, the name "Whitney" doesn't ring a bell for you?"

"My sister and I lived in a secluded region of the suburbs. A place where we don't get out too much, given what we had to work with."

"Mm... Understandable. Well, the last name "Whitney" is just a cover. I am Alassandro Agosti. I am the Don, the boss, of the Esecurtori Del Diavolo."

Nathan narrowed his eyes, recognizing that name from the few old magazines and newspapers he had found around his home when cleaning the house.

"The Devil's Enforcers... You're Italian, then?"

Alassandro nodded.

"You're a little far from Italy, aren't you? What's an Italian Mafia doing in Manchester?"

"My boy, the Esecurtori Del Diavolo were one of the biggest crime families and syndicates in northern Italy. Alongside other big families that held dominion over different sections of the country, we ran places like Verona and Florence like a well-oiled machine. However, what many people don't realize is that we ourselves have a lot of rules to follow, laws to enforce in the ways of the family."

Nathan stared at him for a moment, then drifted his eyes to his wife. Seeing his gaze lock onto her, Alassandro lowered his head.

"My relationships, many of them, caused problems for the Esecurtori Del Diavolo. I had to leave a lot of old flings behind, a lot of good women, to keep my position as the heir to the Don. When I eventually did become the Don, I found my wife, lost and alone on the street. I took her in, gave her food and shelter. Some years pass, and we fell in love. Some more years pass, and we had Kyanna."

"And I'm assuming the other families didn't like that?"

"Marriages in mafia families are complicated. I had no choice but to take the Esecurtori Del Diavolo and leave the city of Palermo to another family. From there, we had our own rules, our own policies. One of which is giving street rats like you a chance."

"A chance? For what?"

One of the guards stepped forward, setting down a fresh pair of clothes. It was the uniforms for the Devil's Enforcers, but instead of a red interior coloring, it was blue.

"A new life. My daughter takes after myself, and when she becomes of age, she is going to be taking my place as Don of the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo. I've lived my long years raising her, protecting her, and teaching her. All of which is to prepare her for the day she runs Manchester's own chain of underground businesses. One lesson I have yet to teach her is to be a leader. Now, from here, you have two options."

Alassandro snapped his fingers, waving over two of his guards. They approached Nathan, the female of the duo reaching out for Maya. Reeling her away, he turned back to the Don as he rose his hand.

"Hey, it's okay. They're just taking her to her room. Trust me, a little girl like her shouldn't see what's about to happen here."

Nathan kept his gaze on Alassandro for a moment, then glared at the two guards before him.

"I find a single scratch on her, your boss won't recognize you."

They said nothing as Nathan handed Maya over to them, rolling his shoulder as they marched out of the office. Looking back at Alassandro, he watched as the Don interlocked his fingers.

"As I said, you have two options. The first is to just simply turn around and walk away. There's no drama, no bad blood. Just a simple no, and you and your sister are free to leave. The second is you stay, but at a price."

"I work for you as an Associate?"

"No, my boy. You work for Kyanna as a Soldier. A made man and official member of the family. You earn the money, you take part in interrogations, and you learn to find people and wack them when told to."

Nathan glanced at Kyanna, who was staring towards the table with an unreadable expression. Hearing the doors open, everyone looked to the side door as two of the guards, whom Nathan assumed now were Soldiers of the Don's own, were dragging in a captive. He wasn't a very built man, and was dressed in rags dirtier than Nathan's own. A burlap sack was placed over his head, and a thick rope tied his hands together. Forced to his knees in front of Nathan, the Don ushered to the captive.

"This here is Lenny. He was an Underboss of mine who decided to not only steal from the family, but use his power and my name to force himself on pretty young women. People like him are scum of the scum, lowest of the low. In the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo, we do not kill who we don't have to. We do not torment the people of Manchester who are living their lives outside of our business. We do not rob, torture, or rape the innocent. Any one of those is a great offense to our name and what the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo stands for."

Alassandro stood up, placing his hands behind his back.

"Take your pistol there, son, and prove your loyalty to the family. Do this, and you're in."

Nathan looked up at him in silence, then drew his pistol. Checking the clip, he found there was only one bullet left. Slipping it back in, he stood there for a brief period, his mind slowly going over his options. Out there on the street, Nathan could barely defend himself and Maya. They're too young to be out there as they were. Compared to every criminal on the run, they were practically children, but here... here, there was a chance, but he needed to know for sure.

"If I do this... If I become yours, do you promise to keep Maya safe?"

He looked back up at Alassandro.

"The New Esecurtori Del Diavolo protects the innocent. There's no one out there more pure than her. She didn't deserve this life, and I've been trying to find something better, to keep her sane. I want her to grow up happy, and not constantly fearing if the Boogeyman's going to bust her door down and kick her to the floor."

He walked to the front of the desk, staring the Don in the eye.

"Can you protect her?"

"... On my life, on my name, and on my grave. You have my word as both the Don of the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo, and a married man and father."

"..."

Nathan turned back around, raising his hand up and aiming the pistol at the captive. In one swift squeeze of the trigger, a flash of white flashed from the barrel of the gun, and the former Underboss dropped to his side, a red blotch forming in the sack at the side of his head. Lowering the pistol, Nathan watched as the Soldiers dragged the body out, his face as unreadable as Kyanna's. Alassandro nodded to himself, placing a hand on the fresh pair of clothes and sliding it to the boy.

"Welcome to the family, Nathan."

Sometimes, there are high points, and low points in life. Those points in our lives don't matter. It's all about how we tackle them that matters. It's good to be highly enthusiastic in every situation, good and bad. Even though in a bad situation, it may seem bleak, but there is always a positive side in every situation. Sometimes, we dwell too much on the cons in a bad situation, and we are discouraged. Focusing on the positive side, no matter how small, can help us to be motivated and propelled. When you are positive in every situation, you will be able to find light under every circumstance. If you feel sad, laugh it out, then smile. In a way, laughter is infectious, and can spread to others, too.

"What is this?! What IS this?! What the fuck did I come back to?!"

Nathan held his hands out in front of him as he came out of a local shop in downtown Manchester. Having spent the last few months as the first Soldier for Kyanna, he had been spending time with the Don's daughter, and even grew closer to her mother when the Don himself was away. Her mother, Anna Whitney, was a kind, mature woman. Something you'd see out of those weird anime where the mom is a sweet housewife with a charming appeal. The two of them were great company for Maya, and while Nathan learned to be distrustful of strangers on the street, his cold demeanor would lessen some whenever he saw Kyanna or her mother entertaining his little sister. It humbled him, seeing good people in a life where all you knew was the bad. Over time, he began to look better, eating right and gaining all the weight he should have had back into his body. He had more muscle, he was thicker in all the healthy places. All in all, compared to who he was before, he looked great.

But that didn't mean everything was sunshine and rainbows. Working for the Devil's Enforcers meant doing everything the Don had warned him he would be doing. He was sent out to collect money, interrogate people, and murder whoever he was told to, and he was obviously doing it right, as the other members of the family began to respect and fear him. It's not too often you see a kid who recently turned seventeen be so efficient at a job like this, but Nathan knew this was one of his only good options left. He used to be afraid of the monsters in his closet, but now, he was a monster. Over the days he killed, tormented, and committed rigorous heists, his mind would earn another little crack. A moral conscious split into two with time.

All of that led to now, with Nathan out on a little shopping spree with Kyanna and few of the Don's people. The latter were struggling to place a large piece of exercise equipment into the truck they drove in on, several other weights and tools packed in with it. One of the Associates of Alassandro, one who runs the workout shop Kyanna was buying from, had a bead of sweat run down the side of her face, her expression pertaining a sheepish smile.

"Eheh, the Don's daughter sure does love to keep her body fit."

"Fit? She's an eighteen-year old workout model!"

"Well, she also purchases equipment to keep her breasts firm. Always comes into my store for things like that if it isn't a new treadmill."

"Keep her brea- She has double-d sized boobs that are perkier than my sister's obscene amount of bubbling energy!"

The store owner just laughed as Nathan facepalmed, sighing to himself as he was given a soft pat on the back by the woman.

"Still, good to see Alassandro's giving her good company. I haven't seen Kyanna this happy in a long while. Certainly not since she lost her uncle to those creeps."

Nathan glanced at the woman, then to where she was pointing. On the wall of the building beside them, a series of papers was put up, stamped with big letters above various pictures. They were Wanted Posters, and all from a gang Nathan had not been privy to, yet. Looking at the gang name under the individual members' identities, he rose an eyebrow at the name.

"The Pathogens?"

"A band of nasty folk that have been hounding the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo years before you became a part of their family. Word has it that the Pathogens attempted to rob a bank controlled by the family. It went bad and now they want to get even. They burn down establishments favored by the Don's moll, kill Underbosses like Kyanna's uncle, and go after anyone loosely associated with them. It's best you keep that hood up, and your name on the down low, kid. By now, they definitely know you're with the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo."

"And they'll put a target on me, too..."

"Most likely, so get good with that pistol of yours, and get yourself some new weapons. You'll need it. Till then, I'll leave you with that."

She waved to him as she walked back into her store, leaving him to watch as Kyanna was walking back over to him. Behind her, the truck used to carry the equipment was sounding like it was gonna shit itself from carrying too much weight.

"Jesus Christ, Kyanna. You actually got the whole thing stuffed in the back?!"

"Yup!~ And all it cost us was one of the Soldiers having his arm twisted by the bars!"

"Oh my lord, did you at least apologize to him?"

Kyanna waved him off.

"Yeah, he'll get patched up back at home. Nothing that hasn't happened before."

The two watched the truck pass by, Nathan shaking his head as it turned the corner.

"Don't I know it. Been here for four months, and I know you better than I hate myself."

"Pfft, you don't know me that well."

"I know you're terrible with roleplaying-based arcade games!"

The two turned and walked down the strip of shops and restaurants as they argued, their lighthearted banter drawing grins from the both of them.

"Hey! Lime was pretty cool! I was even the lemon! It matched the colors of our characters! We would be the greatest heroes in all of Yggdrasil!"

"But how the hell was "fruit juice" a superpower?"

"I-... Okay, fair enough."

The two shared a chuckle as they made their way through another shop, this time going for something that was smaller. Kyanna was attempting to find something to fit Nathan. He looked good in the uniform, but every time she got a look at him, she knew that it didn't quite fit him. He was more laid back, more casually serious than any of her father's personnel. A fighter, a killer, but all to protect, not serve. The thought made Kyanna's smile widen. How lucky she was to get a friend out of someone like him. He's been plagued with an awful life, and yet, he isn't melodramatic or resentful. Sure, he's depressed at times because of that trauma, but unlike many, he's working to move past it, to put his history behind him to become something better, and that was as her best right hand.

Nathan was looking for his own gift for Kyanna. After spending so much time with her, even for under a year, he had found the girl to be tomboyish, but still into certain cute things. Namely, sentimental items that meant a lot between the giver and receiver. Walking around near the cases holding bracelets, necklaces, etc., Nathan stopped when he found something that was only twenty dollars, but looked and felt like it could have been so much more. Taking it into his hand, he held up before himself. It was a silver wrist bracelet, big enough to comfortably fit around one's wrist, but what caught Nathan's eye was the gem in the center. A perfect piece of solid emerald, a color Kyanna favors.

Without hesitation, Nathan had called one of the staff over and purchased it, keeping it in a small case as he regrouped with Kyanna. She, too, had a small case in her hand, and was surprised to find the same in Nathan's grasp. Trading the gifts, the two opened their respective boxes, and Nathan found his to be of something similar to Kyanna's gift, but as a ring instead of a bracelet, and with a sapphire as the center jewel rather than an emerald.

Nathan took the ring out of its box almost tenderly, slowly turning it in his palm before putting it on. He flexed the fingers on his left hand as he slipped it over his third finger. It felt... good. It was actually comfortable enough that he didn't even feel it was there. Looking over to Kyanna, she was wearing the bracelet on her right arm, her face almost split with an ecstatic grin. Spinning to Nathan, she surprised him with a leaping hug and a very deliberate kiss on his cheek. Standing there, stunned, she giggled and trailed ahead back towards the mansion, the stumped young man blinking after her, noticing she had more than just the ring to give him, as she waved a bag she had in her hands at him with a raspberry being blown his way. His eyebrow twitched in irritation, and he broke into a sprint to chase down the laughing maniac that was now teasing him with a new pair of clothes.

She'd better not have bought him something inappropriate to wear around Maya.

Being brutally honest to your friends doesn't mean you're bad person. You just want them to make the decision that's best for them. Even though your opinions don't always support them, do not be afraid to speak out, and don't make a false self-opinion of yourself just to please them. Your truth is what matters, and it can help those around you make the right decisions for themselves. Nobody wants to see their loved ones happy, then angry at them for helping make a bad decision. It's always better to risk that friendship status for the sake of what's right for them.

It had happened so quickly, so suddenly. By the time Nathan had opened his eyes from his sleep, he barely had enough time to register the sickly feeling in his gut that something was wrong before many other Soldiers in the west wing of the mansion were rushing out of the shared bedroom.

"Who the fuck?!"

"Pathogens! They're in the East Wing! Get the bitch at the main gate!"

"Oh god, the moll is dead!?"

"Protect the Don!"

Nathan jumped from his bed, grabbing his gun off the stand as he ran for the exit. Following the other Soldiers to the end of the wing, he ducked in cover as a hail of bullets greeted them at the foyer. Blind firing at the aggressors, he peered over when it all stopped, seeing the people who came leave just as quickly as they arrived. Watching them go through an upper window on the second story, Nathan turned and rushed for the offices, hearing a commotion from the others gathering there. Pushing his way through, he found the Don, Alassandro holding the body of his moll, his wife. Kyanna was there, too, crying her eyes out as she tried to get her mother to wake up. Seeing them both there, Nathan's empathy returned, his sympathy for their plight not too dissimilar to his own. He lost a father, and felt the burden of leaving a mother behind, but this was more extreme than that. Much, much more.

Kneeling down next to Kyanna, he placed a hand on her shoulder, jumping in surprise when she turned and grappled onto him, clutching his uniform and drenching it with tears and blood. Holding her, he comforted her with as much experienced as he could muster. Alassandro looked up at him, the two sharing a heart-to-heart before he choked out his cries.

"O-Oh my... My Anna... Sweet, innocent Anna... I never thought this would happen. I did everything. I covered every base... Anna..."

"I'm sorry, Alassandro... I wasn't here when I should have been. None of us were... I'm sorry..."

"She didn't do nothing to nobody!! It was us Devil men who were the killers, not her! We were already settling the debt in blood! She didn't have to!"

Nathan's expression fell further as the Don was resorted to nothing but a blubbering mess, his present Underbosses and Consiglieres doing their best to comfort him while Capos and Soldiers surrounded them, some staking out to keep watch for other gang members.

One of the Underbosses, a femme fatale kind of woman, looked up at the group around her as she rubbed Alassandro's back.

"How did this happen? The Pathogens have never attempted a raid on the Whitney Manor before."

"We don't know, ma'am. Our guards outside reported that they didn't come from the main driveway, or any other access points around the brick fences and ledges. One moment it was quiet, then the next-"

"Wait..."

Everyone turned back to Nathan as he looked around.

"Where's Maya?"

The Soldier reporting to the Underboss looked up at one of his partners, then turned to the younger gunman.

"We searched the East Wing after they retreated. All of the rooms were accounted for when we arrived at the Don's bedroom. The Pathogens... They came for her."

"What? Why?"

"You tell me, kid. Seems like they have it out for you, especially."

Kyanna looked up at the Soldier, tears still brimming in her eyes as Nathan's body went stock still at the fact that Maya was taken.

"But... they couldn't know. They couldn't possibly know he was with us, nor Maya."

Nathan's eyes turned to the floor, seeing something glistening from under Anna's corpse. Taking it and uncovering it, he found it to be gold chain, broken and unusable, with a name engraved onto the flat end. A name that made his blood run cold. Slowly curling his fingers over the chain, he let out a breath.

"I know who did this..."

Everyone turned to him, even Alassandro, but Nathan kept his gaze to the piece of jewelry in his grip.

"I don't know how she convinced the Pathogens to help her. I don't even know how she figured it out. Maybe... Maybe she saw me with Kyanna at some point and figured it out, but... No..."

He shook his head.

"No... This was all my fault... I should have done more than just run away. She was a loose end, and now she has Maya with god knows how many Pathogens with her."

"Nathan, what are you talking about? Who has your sister...?"

The young man glanced at Kyanna before turning his gaze back to the Don, then down to Anna. The peaceful slumber she appeared to be in was marred by the blood that stained her clothes. Reaching over, he placed his hand on her heart, paying his respects before turning back to his boss.

"Don Alassandro, I... I'm responsible for the worst possible thing that can happen to your family. Your wife, your moll, is dead because I didn't take the right choice as far as I should have. I'm... I'm not deserving to be a part of this family, but with your permission, as one final service to the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo, I'm going to finish this."

Alassandro was silent for a moment, still hugging the body of his deceased wife. After gulping down the lump in his throat, he pointed at his daughter's Soldier.

"You make them suffer...! You hear me!? You make them regret the day they crossed the Devil's Enforcers! I want these bastards hit tonight, and I don't care if it's the milk man or the fucking pope! Whoever it is who sent them, I want the fucker DEAD!!!"

"Understood... and... I'm sorry... I am... so, so sorry..."

Alassandro sniffed as he lowered his hand.

"Son, this ain't on you. You're a damn stupid shit if you think you don't belong here! My wife loved you! She loved your sister! Whether you come back or not, you're a part of this family! If you have to leave with her, though... I ain't going to stop you. This had gone too far. I knew it wasn't a good idea for us to be pushing on the Pathogens. They owned the Northern Quarter and Spinningfields! I knew so why the FUCK didn't I pull out?!"

Nathan watched as the man returned to a rageful, sorrow-driven mess, his Underbosses keeping him stable. Nathan took Kyanna by the shoulders, pushing her from his chest and sitting himself in front of her.

"Kyanna, I gotta go. You gotta stay here..."

He took off the blazer of the uniform, setting it in her lap. Picking up the present he got for her, he placed it on top, his hand resting on both.

"You need to be here for your father, as much as you think that ain't enough for him. He needs you, just as my sister needs me, now..."

He brought the same hand up to her cheek, pressing his forehead to hers as she continued to cry.

"Hey... Thanks for giving us a better life for as long as it lasted. I gotta admit, I didn't expect to fall in love with a mafia boss' daughter."

He chuckled to himself as Kyanna snapped her attention to him, her eyes wide at the confession. Leaning back, Nathan laughed at her face.

"Ah, didn't see that one coming, didja? Take care of yourself, Kyanna. Maybe, somewhere down the line, we'll meet again. If not then, probably in the next li- Mmph--!!"

Nathan was taken aback when he felt a weight press on him, his lips caught in another as Kyanna attached herself to him. A few Soldiers and Associates whistled and muttered to each other at the spectacle, Alassandro himself momentarily holding it together to give a small smile towards them. Breaking the kiss, Kyanna wiped some of the tears away as she hugged the blazer and bracelet to her chest.

"We will... In either scenario, we will. Be well, Nathan, and save your sister. I'll take care of my father."

Nathan opened his mouth, then closed it, blinking to himself at his first kiss. Kyanna giggled as the moment turned comedic for her and a few Soldiers, reaching out and patting him on the cheek. Shaking himself out of the stupor, he looked back down at her, seeing her teary smile. Staring into her eyes for a brief period, he eventually narrowed his own and nodded, standing up and walking back into the foyer. Retreating to his shared room, Nathan quickly shed the uniform of the New Esecurtori Del Diavolo, dropping it onto his bed as he opened the closet. Digging out his old shoes, and the second half of Kyanna's gift to him, he began to change, dressing himself in a fresh pair of jeans, a black t-shirt, and a brand new, unmarked and unstained blue hoodie. Grabbing his backpack and his weapons, he moved towards the door as he put on the former, stopping only to glance at himself in a passing mirror. Examining himself, he found that his face was marred with scars and grief, a look he'd earned during his various shootouts and bad jobs under the Don's rule. Taking a breath, he grabbed the hem of the hood and brought it over his head, shadowing it from the rest of the outside world. Lowering his arms, he glared into the mirror, anger and hatred present in his eyes while he clenched his fist.

Time to go...

Feeling remorseful for the things you've done, the ways you've wronged your friends and family is normal. However, it always better to let it go. Vengeance is always a fool's game. A labyrinth with no exit. A maze with no prize. Showing remorse for the things you do means you are sincere and treasure that which you have. Constantly reminding yourself of the hurt you caused will turn you bitter and hateful, and you will distance yourself from those who love you, harming your friendships. Punishing yourself is not going to make anything better for you or those around you. What's done is done. You can only choose what you can do to move on for the better.

This was it. Back here once again. After all these months... It felt like years since he ran from here, and now it was what it really was. A disgusting open graveyard of bastard men who helped take his sister from good people, murder an innocent woman stuck with the wrong crowd. Just as he had promised, they were all dead, suffering until the very end. Nathan remembered how he killed each and every one of them. A dozen had stood in his way when he returned to his old home. A dozen that had the upper hand on him almost immediately. They had shot his pistol out of his hands, shattering it to pieces with a well-placed high caliber shot. He was left with nothing but a knife, and many makeshift weapons he used to stab, slice, or beat into their bodies till there was no life left in them.

All that led to this. Standing in front of his house, he stared up at the imposing presence of it, how something that should be welcoming was beckoning him with malicious intent. Looking down at the open front door, he slowly walked inside, his shoes thumping against the floorboard as he made his way to the living room, then towards the kitchen. A manic giggling could be heard coming from the backyard, the slider broken, yet open. Holding the tire iron he snatched from one of the Pathogen thugs in his hand, he progressed to the back of his house and out into the backyard. The crazed muttering of his mother's voice drew him closer to a table set up in the middle of the clearing. Only a few trees obscured it from view, but it wasn't long till he bypassed them, and settled onto the image that would forever haunt him.

His sister. Dear, little Maya... She was dead. Her body was propped up in a seat, fresh and dry blood trickling down her face. Her expression was one of dulled horror, but it didn't seem to matter, as the woman sitting next her was talking to her as if she was still alive.

Elizabeth, his mother, was nothing like she was before. What was once a skinny, abusive woman was now a feeble skeleton of what that person was. Not only that, but her entire body looked to be sleep deprived, completely devoid of sustenance besides whatever drug she pumped into her body. She had all but lost it, her mind trapping her in a delusion as she rambled on to her dead daughter. In that moment, seeing this scene, piled onto everything he had done for his sister; all the death, all the crime, all the love, hate, grief, friendships, and sins... For it all to mean nothing in the end, something just... snapped.

Nathan's face turned stone cold, no expression visible as he dropped the tire iron, the thunk of metal on dirt catching his crazed mother's attention.

"Hah...! Haha! Nathan! My boy! My sweet, little baby! You've returned to me, too! Hah-Hah...! You... You and Maya, you almost had me. You kids and your little tricks and games...! I-I thought you had really left me- left me to die alone in this rotten old house! B-But, then I found some new friends! T-They told me I could see you again, that I could find you, and bring us all back together like one big happy family!"

She turned back to Maya's corpse as Nathan once again slowly walked forwards, making his way around the table as she spoke to what was once Maya.

"D-Do you see, Maya? Do you s-see?! I told you he would come home soon! I told you! Now, we're all here, and nothing will ever separate us again!"

She struggled to raise her hands up, her head turning back towards Nathan as he walked towards her, a brick in hand.

"WELCOME HO-"

*CRUNCH-!!!*

Elizabeth's body swung to the side from the impact of the brick as it crashed into the side of her head, the chair collapsing backwards with her as she tumbled to the ground. Standing over her, Nathan began smashing the brick into his mother's head repeatedly, growling louder and louder every time it came down on her skull. He didn't stop. He couldn't stop. The moment every fell apart in his mind, all he could see what a cracked interpretation of reality, reddened by the blood splattering onto his face. Eventually, he did, when everything came back to him, and by the time he was able to grasp reality once more, his mother's head was nothing more than a thick, pinkish paste, a brick embedded into it.

Stepping away from her, Nathan panted the rest of his aggression out, his eyes panning over to the little sister he failed to protect. He had no words, no apologies left to give... He failed the family who took him in. He failed the sister he swore to protect. He couldn't go back, but what was left going forward? Can he just simply walk away from it all now?

Looking back at the corpse he made of Elizabeth, Nathan left their bodies to rot, heading over to the other side of the table and picking up the tire iron. Staring at them as he slung it over his shoulder, he turned and walked away, striding at a slow and defeated pace towards the forest that lied beyond his house. Gradually disappearing as he ventured onward, his dark colored meshed with the shadows of the night, and soon, all that remained was the mess he left behind.

The bad life he lived, and the one he knew would forever haunt him.