.:.
"This is Christina Sherman from Namimori Live. We've invited some very special people for you all tonight. I'll give you guys a hint: they're the ones who brought the first transportation network to the nation and boast the most secure and safest services across the country. If you don't know who they are yet, you're missing out on the world, honey. All right, let's bring them in, shall we? Give a round of applause to the Vongola Transportation Services group! Yeah, welcome! Welcome! Here, take a seat you guys.
"So, Sawada-san... first of all, why are there only three of you today?"
"Ehh... well... how can I explain..."
"Haha, the other guys just had some things planned already. They couldn't make it."
"Che, you shouldn't bother about people who don't matter."
"Oh, c'mon, Gokudera-san. It's not like we don't know what they might be doing. After all, we all know how interesting a group you guys are. Isn't that right? Well! Will you listen to that? Even the audience agrees."
"Hahaha, I didn't realize we were so famous! Thanks for inviting us by the way, Christina."
"No no, it's my pleasure, Yamamoto-san. I'd never pass up the chance to interview such handsome men after all. And find out all your dirty little secrets."
"Pfft. Dirty secrets? You won't find any."
"Ahaha, aww c'mon, Gokudera. I'm sure all of us have a few dirty secrets to share!"
"Don't touch me, you bastard!"
"Hiee! You guys, don't fight in front of the audience! And when we're being broadcasted live, too!"
"There it is! There it is! The Vongola group's distinct personalities are coming out!"
"Sherman-san..."
"Haha, sorry about that, Sawada-san. I just couldn't help myself. But it's true that the seven of you are quite the characters. Tell me, how did you all meet each other in the first place?"
"Well..."
It's a long story...
.:.
The cries of seagulls. Clear sky, as blue as the human eye, glowing behind thin threads of clouds. The horizon, the only line keeping the dark ocean from reaching the bright sky, stretches beyond rocky cliffs bending into a white beach.
"Ehhh... so this is what the ocean looks like... it's so big!" A young man, with chestnut brown hair blown wildly about his head, took a step towards the old harbor, holding a blue hat down over his eyes to shade them from the sun. In his hands, a small but sturdy piece of luggage rolled to a stop beside his feet which were tucked snuggly into worn sneakers. "Ah... it seems like there are quite a few people even at this time of the year." The youth started forward once again, tugging his suitcase behind him while dodging through the people standing along the sides of the harbor. Many of them were either embracing their loved ones in grief or bidding good bye to their friends as hope shone in their eyes.
Tsuna slowed to a stop as he squinted at the ocean and then a thin frown spread across his face.
"Right, that's probably it..." He let out a short sigh and then pulled his bag towards a large cruise ship roped against one of the wooden beams.
There it was. Spearhead the III. The cruise ship that his boss had sent him to take after failing, once again, to complete a job on time. The young man lugged his things towards the whale-like vessel reluctantly. Wasn't this telling him that he should take a vacation? That he should go and 'straighten himself up' before returning to work? Tsuna laughed coldly and evaded another person passing him by. Boss, it's no use. Even if he went back to work, he'd still do as badly as before.
After all, I'm just a pathetic loser.
The blare of a sharp horn blasted from the Spearhead and Tsuna's thoughts broke off immediately. Eh? Was it going to leave soon? The young man scuttled towards the steps leading up to the entrance of the ship.
"So big... incredible..."
"Isn't it?" An almost overly cheerful voice surprised him from his stupor. Tsuna spun his head in the direction of the person and stared for a moment in silent awe. A handsome man much taller than he with spiky black hair was grinning at the Spearhead. The man wore one of the characteristic white and navy-blue sailor uniforms and from the way he stood so proudly-so calmly-it seemed like he would be a very reliable person if he got to know him better.
A sailor...?
"Oh?" The man had turned to smile at him now, "You're getting on, right? Better hurry then, we're preparing to set off!"
"Oi! Yamamoto!"
"Ah," The sailor whipped his head towards the person shouting his name, "They're calling for me. I gotta go. Anyway, hope you enjoy the trip! Bye bye!" With that, the man sprinted off towards one of the thick ropes with several other sailors grouped around.
Tsuna watched the man for several more seconds. That guy seemed so happy... if only he could laugh and smile like that as well.
"Haah..." The brunet slouched and released another sigh. He dragged himself towards the line boarding the ship and adjusted his hat as he waited for the line to move forward. After nibbling on the edge of his bottom lip, tapping his foot, fiddling with his fingers and the sleeve of his jacket, the brunet slipped one hand into his jacket pocket. Fumbling around for a while, Tsuna finally pulled out his ticket and studied it over for the twentieth time that day. It was a habit of his. Whenever he felt nervous, he would take something out-anything out-and re-read it over and over again.
"Spearhead III, 9:14..." He lifted his sleeve and checked the time. "Hmm... still thirty minutes huh..."
Suddenly, the person standing in front of him slammed back against him roughly and he would've lost his grip on his ticket if not for the fact that his fingers instinctively clutched tighter to the paper.
"H-Hey!" Tsuna started but then shut his mouth when his amber eyes met the fierce green ones of the silver haired man now leering over his shoulder at him. This man who had bumped into him frowned deeply, as if snarling in disgust, and then turned to swear at the other people who had accidentally fallen into him. Tsuna's jaw dropped open. This guy didn't even apologize to him! How rude...
The sudden cries of young girls erupted from the crowd who were seeing their friends, lovers, or relatives off. Tsuna nearly jumped from the sound and peered at the girls.
"Gokudera-sensei! Gokudera-sensei! Don't go!"
Sensei? He blinked. This rude person was a teacher...?
Putting that aside... Tsuna watched the squealing girls with round eyes. They must really like this Gokudera person... shouting so desperately... He chuckled wryly and stared dully at a dirty piece of discarded paper on the floor. How he wished he had girls who cherished him like that...
"Shit, how the hell did they find me...!" Tsuna blinked as the silver haired man standing in front of him swore again. "Dammit all... get the fuck out of my way!" The brunet gaped wide-mouthed as the rude man pushed apart the people in line and raced to the very front.
I-Incredible... that guy was really rude and reckless... but... he sure was incredible...!
"No! Gokudera-sensei! Come back!" The cries of women pierced his ears and Tsuna had to wince at the noise. He could see that the young man he assumed was named Gokudera had just disappeared into the ship and he scratched the side of his cheek. The brunet shrugged his shoulders. Oh well... it wasn't any of his business...
Several minutes later, Tsuna found himself walking up a set of stairs, carrying his luggage by the handle. Wow... they were pretty high up now... His ticket had been torn by one of the sailors earlier and now he was about to enter the dark ship. Tsuna stared at the large metal bolts in the side of the vessel. It almost seemed like... a prison. Why did people like riding these things...? Weren't they scary? The brunet climbed the last few steps to the entrance and examined the pipe-like railings seemingly suffocating the ship. He sucked in a deep breath and then let it all out in one deep and slow exhale.
There was no going back now.
.:.
The horn blared again, this time louder and longer than the last one. Tsuna closed one eye and listened to the vibrations shake his mind and body to the core. Perhaps this vacation would actually do him good... if he thought this way, his suspension from work didn't make him feel so bad anymore. He let a small smile escape from his lips and leaned over one of the railings to study the land and people he was leaving.
They all looked so small now... so insignificant. Like stubby stalks of grass in the ground. What did it all matter? All those strangers, that country... He would be leaving.
Maybe he just shouldn't go back?
Tsuna entertained that thought for a moment before shaking his head and staring straight out towards the ocean. Even if he did quit his job... what could he do after that? Find another job, show how useless he was with that one, get fired, and then find another one? It would just be the same cycle over and over again. Because he was talentless. Worthless.
The horn blared one last time and the shouting of sailors caught his attention. The brunet glanced down at the people again and then gasped as he saw the huge vessel start to inch slowly out into the unknown. The people below were now shaking their handkerchiefs and tipping their hats to the ship.
None were directed at him.
Tsuna smiled again and took his eyes away from the people below. He turned and rested his back against the railing, settling his eyes on the mast and the pure sky engulfing all of the land and ocean.
Perhaps he would quit.
.:.
It had been a day since he had boarded. Tsuna curled up against one of the walls of the metal ship, feeling his head start to spin again. How much longer would it be before they reached land again...? The brunet resisted the urge to puke and weakly stared at the other passengers who were hunched over the railings, mouths hanging open.
It was good to know that he was not the only one feeling sick.
"Here!" Someone had passed a cup of water and medicine into his hands. "This'll make you feel better to the extreme! I gotta go see to the others, so no need to thank me! Bye!" Tsuna slowly turned to see who the kind stranger was but when he finally managed to move, the man had already disappeared. He changed to look at his palm and examined the medicine.
Ahh. What was this, candy?
Tsuna chuckled and gulped it down, sucking on the slightly sour sweet. If he saw that person again, he'd make sure to thank him properly.
.:.
It was the second day. They had drifted to a place where it was dark ocean and dark ocean all around. Tsuna wondered how the captain managed to navigate in such a vast place when there was nothing but them who existed in sight right now. It was like they were the only people in the world. Suddenly, the loud speaker boomed.
"This is Captain Samuel speaking. We hope you will remain calm for the next announcement."
Tsuna blinked as he felt something wet drip onto his nose. "Eh?" The brunet looked up at the sky. When had those clouds gotten there...? Another droplet of water came falling on him and another and another until the deck started to stain a grim, glossy color.
"An unexpected storm has been sighted. We are unsure as to how bad it will be but we urge all passengers to wear a life jacket as soon as possible and to remain within the vessel until further instructions are made!"
The people on the deck were running inside, some holding their jackets over their heads, others ushering children into the dry quarters of the ship. The rain had been coming down harder and harder by the second and Tsuna watched, amazed, as the dark ocean changed to an even darker color than he could imagine. So deep that, just by staring, he felt he would be pulled in against his will.
The sky was no longer visible and the grey and black clouds were blotting out the sun. Waves lashed against the ship's side, growing stronger and stronger as time slid by, and his hair was starting to plaster over his eyes as the wind whipped more harshly around him. He suddenly felt a chill crawl over his body.
"Not going in?" A stranger's voice by his ear surprised him. Tsuna gasped lightly, jumping forward instinctively, before spinning around, eyes wide. The brunet quickly scanned the person standing beside him, whose dark blue hair stuck to his face from the rain. The man's eyes were intriguing. One red and one blue. How... odd.
Tsuna shook his head and bowed hastily, calming himself. "No, I'm going in...! Thank you!" The brunet found that he had to start shouting as the wind and waves roared at their vessel. He was about to rush inside when he realized that the stranger was not following behind. "You're not going in?" Tsuna hollered. If the strange man had said something, he did not hear it. But when he peered at the man again, he found a smile adorned on his lips, reminding him of candied strawberries.
Tsuna shook his head quickly and then entered the dry but cold vicinity of the ship. He was offered a towel and as he dried his hair, he glanced back in the direction of the strange man staying on the deck.
He was gone.
.:.
They had been locked inside. The storm had turned for the worse and the waves were so large that it seemed as though they were knocking about a small toy boat in its waters rather than a large cruise ship. The mountain-like tides swept over the deck, soaking everything in its path. If not for the strong ropes tying things down outside, they would have already been carried far far away.
An especially strong wave struck the side of the ship again and a few women screamed as people stumbled up against one of the walls, helpless against the force of nature. Tsuna crawled across the floor, trying not to hurl out his long-emptied stomach as the vessel swayed relentlessly. For the past half hour or so, he had been searching for the life jackets. Everyone around him seemed to be wearing one but somehow, he was unable to find any.
Must be some god trying to toy with me... to make me suffer more and more and more... Tsuna almost tumbled over from another wave striking from a different direction. What did I do to deserve this? What did I do...? How much longer will this last?
How much longer do I need to wait?
There was a loud cracking sound and the screams increased in volume, nearly drowning his already confused mind in more fear. He could hear something sliding towards him at great speed. What was it? What was happening? He collapsed and a loud crash blasted from behind him. The shouts and screams escalated, but a howling and roaring sound behind him drowned out most of their cries. People were scrambling past him. He fought to follow, digging his nails into the floor, feeling that he should do so. The wind was deafening around him and there was water licking at his legs. A tiny split of pain came from his fingers and he felt something smash into his back. The people were climbing over him. He could sense their desperation. Their fear. And then, there was a moment where everything went dead silent, where everything became a blur, a mesh of darkness upon darkness, and a floating, surging feeling in his stomach. Was he in mid-air...?
He felt his body suddenly contact something icy and before he knew it, he was swallowed by it. Swept away. Tumbling into the coldness and the currents that he could not unbind himself from. He held his breath. It was all he could do as he was spun around and around, carried off like a helpless fragment of dust in water. Tumbling and tumbling. All he could do was hold his breath. To keep on holding it. Holding it and waiting for whatever end might come.
Waiting... as he had always done in the past.
.:.
His eyelids felt so heavy. There was something uncomfortable pushing his chest. Ugh, this feeling... so unbearable...! His eyes snapped open and he turned on his side, head shooting up, to hurl and cough. He clutched at his stomach. His outsides and insides all felt as though they were stinging and it was as though he had been completely sapped of his life. Tsuna's head hit the ground again and his eyes darted about frantically as he coughed and hurled salt water from what seemed like his entire body.
"Ahh, thank god, you're alive...! You should rest for a bit before doing anything else. Just lie down. The sand is warm."
The brunet fell back into the coarse grains chafing his neck, cheek, and arms. He coughed again and tried to breathe through his mouth and nose, to get as much oxygen as he could into his lungs, and then coughed heavily again after accidentally inhaling some sand. When he finally calmed, Tsuna squinted at his surroundings. He had been taken off the ship by the waves... and he had survived?
The young man slowly propped himself up on his elbows and stared blankly at the calm, clear sky stretched overhead. The beach he was lying on was yellow and littered with seaweed and shells. Further inland, he noted that a vast and wild looking jungle lay out across the beach, extending from one side to the other, as far as he could see.
Where... am I?
A movement from the side caught his eyes and his head snapped around. Tsuna spluttered. That guy... wasn't he that sailor he had seen before he boarded the ship...? What...? What was he doing here?
The brunet shakily hauled himself onto his hands and knees and steadily made his way to the man with spiky black hair. To his surprise, another man lay on the beach and the sailor was currently performing respiratory aid to try and restore life into the person. Tsuna slowly climbed onto two feet and shuffled towards the sailor. Did this guy... save him?
The black haired sailor paid no attention to him, concentrated on saving the other survivor's life. Tsuna watched on silently, unable to do anything other than to watch and pray. Finally, miraculously, the man in the sand heaved and sprang into life, emptying water from his stomach and coughing in the same manner as he had done.
"Amazing..." Tsuna's voice was raspy. The brunet noticed the sailor send him a weak smile before standing up and limping off in another direction.
"You should rest. You only just recovered, too." The brunet heard the man say. Tsuna watched the man go and he felt his gut wrench. How did this guy have so much willpower? Ending up in this foreign place, not knowing whether it were an island or perhaps the coast of some new country... or if they would ever be saved... despite all this, someone was still strong enough to look after him and others. He had to at least do something to help as well; although he probably could not do much.
The man who had just been revived coughed some more and Tsuna noticed that the man's ankle was turning a hideous purple color. The brunet gasped and moved forward to examine it.
"Your foot...!"
The man abruptly stopped coughing and sent him the most feral look he had ever seen in his life. It felt as though he were being charred to a crisp by the very fires of hell. Tsuna shriveled backwards, staring fearfully at this man with smooth black hair, dotted with sand and water.
"Umm... I'll... go see if there are others...!" He tried to shout so that the tall sailor could hear but only managed to yelp the sentence out to the man sitting in front of him, who still stared coldly into his face. Tsuna hastily crawled away, mustering up all his energy to pull his body across the beach. He heard the man cough once again as he left.
Further along the shore, he found two bodies washed up on the sands. His eyes widened as he recognized the silver hair of the rude man he had met on the line three days (was it still three days?) ago. The other man was also silver haired with a well-toned physique. These guys...
Tsuna clambered to the two silent bodies. He rolled the man-whose name he recalled was Gokudera-onto his back and pressed an ear to the man's chest, listening for any sign of a beating heart. His eyes darted along the beach. Was there? Was there not?
A slow pulse was there. He could feel it thumping silently yet desperately against the man's rib cage. This guy was still alive. The sailor from before was coming towards him now.
"Ah, good job! You found more people! Is his heart...?"
Tsuna sent the tall man a nod and he was returned with a smile.
"Okay, good. You go check the other guy. I'll take care of this one."
The brunet nodded again and shuffled towards the other man with shorter silver hair. He heard the sound of coughing and he glanced over his shoulder, observing Gokudera splutter and hack.
"The hell-?" The man's voice was hoarse yet loud. His shout echoed like a piercing whistle against the gentle lullaby of the waves and the sailor chuckled. Tsuna smiled gently. That guy was so full of energy. The sailor had moved to his side now.
"My name's Yamamoto Takeshi, by the way. How's this guy's condition?"
"Ah." Tsuna paused, surprised by the sudden introduction. "Umm, I haven't checked yet."
"Okay, go take care of that other guy. I'll see to this one."
Tsuna nodded and was about to hobble towards Gokudera when he paused again. The brunet licked his dry and cracked lips and stared at Yamamoto for a few seconds with a half open mouth. The man had already started performing the procedure and was currently doing chest compressions. After licking his lips once more, Tsuna finally spoke as loudly and confidently as he could with his hurting throat and slightly muddled mind,
"I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi..."
He saw the sailor's lips quirk upwards in a smile.
.:.
"Did you hear that, everyone? These guys were stranded on an island! That must've been quite the experience, huh."
"I guess you could say that... Well truthfully, we didn't get along that well before. It took a while to get us all to work together."
.:.