Read: The guardians and boss interaction starts here. It's true Tsuna may not know a lot of the outside world and he may also not know a lot about emotions but he'll learn a lot of things pretty soon because I'm not really the type of writer to make a teenager act like a newborn baby. Also, YES Tsuna knows how to speak, technically he learned it while he was imprisoned because what else do you do when you're stuck in a glass case for most of your life? But he may not know words like: 'happiness', 'hope', and all those other words with vague similarities to these two.

Setting: This is all happening in the Vongola Mansion in Italy. However this isn't the grand castle everyone had seen in the anime. It's a secret vacation manor somewhere in Venice rather than Sicily because the ninth is trying to hide his grandson who is no doubt being pursued by the mafia law makers.

Warning: Not really angsty since Tsuna has yet to know how to be angsty and happy and all that. He's like, all emotionless (not really emotionless) and he can't understand feelings yet. So well, he doesn'tknow why he's anxious, why he's crying, why everyone is looking at him with pity, so yeah the not-so angst angst is there. Readers may feel sad for him. You have been warned!

Also, this anime is not owned by me!


Chained Away

Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains. -Jean-Jacques Rousseau


II. Beyond the Glass Prison

For the whole day, Tsuna was vaguely aware and at the same time unaware of what was happening. He would often pass out and then suddenly wake up again due to nervousness at being in an unfamiliar place.

Being outside of his container was strange to him. He no longer had to rely in the nutrition he got from his tubes, a thing he learned when a maid came in to feed him. It was a memorable experience, chewing, drinking and tasting different types of 'food' as called by the maid.

And he also had the time to fully appreciate bathing as well. Another thing he learned when a maid came in holding a 'towel' and 'bathrobe' for him. The warm water from the bath tub and the bubbles from the soap and shampoo made him feel cleaner than he had for years.

But still, he had a problem with water. Specifically cold water. Whenever he would go near it, his mind would blank out and he would feel that he was back in his human-sized container once more.

Little by little, the sores and numbness he felt all over his body were dissipating. He learned that he had been knocked out for a week after being freed and the bed rest was doing his body wonders. All his life, he'd been served constant anesthetics, so his body was something he could never control or move…

The brunet looked up at the ceiling with a blank expression. On the inside he was trying to memorize his own name. Sawada Tsunayoshi… Sawada Tsunayoshi… Sawada Tsunayoshi… Sawada Tsunayoshi… He repeated again and again.

Slowly, his eyes began to droop and he felt sleepy. The truth was he didn't want to sleep, he wanted to know more, look around more in this strange new place… in this outside world… However, his body had needs and he had to eventually succumb to them.


His dreams started like it was a movie waiting to be played.

The images, the scenes were vivid… the color so bright it blinded him. He couldn't make out what was happening. All he knew was that someone was crying, someone was screaming, all he could see was red, all he could feel were cold hands trying to grab him, to get him away from two unfamiliar people.

The screaming continued and then with a jolt, Tsuna realized that the one screaming was actually him.

The scene had changed, the vivid red was still the only color that stood out in his dream. He was strapped down, tied down into a cold surface. He felt pinpricks in his arms, he was trashing, trying to get away from his bonds…

He wanted to die so badly…

And then the pain ended. This time ,everything was cold and dark… The feeling of chains cutting the blood circulation in his wrists and the feeling of tubes stabbed into his skin was familiar… Was he back in Vendicare?

The cold liquid around him swirled and he couldn't see anything… He couldn't breathe… Was he drowning? Where was his mask? Was he finally going to die?

Suddenly the glass cage he was in broke and he hung by the chains and tubes that kept him in place. He could feel the glass cutting his feet, pricking him, and he could see that he was bleeding…

He was shivering, cold from the immersion in the water, his whole body hurt from the tubes and the chains, his eyes were blurry and burning from the water… He couldn't see, he couldn't hear…

Someone save me…

Somehow, the scene shifted. No longer was he hung by the chains and the tubes, this time he was hung by ropes and his face was covered by a cloth and around his neck, he could feel a thick rope…

This is your execution…

There was a stool underneath him. He knew that if he lost his balance or if it was pulled from under him, then that would truly be the end for him.

Suddenly, the stool disappeared from beneath his feet and he could feel himself pulled down by gravity.

Tsuna's mouth opened in a silent scream and then-

He woke up.

The brunet panted as sweat ran down his forehead. His eyes were wide and blank as he stared around for the executioner or anything related to his dream…

But nothing…

He was still in the grand bedroom with a canopy, with curtained windows, soft blankets and pillows…

Tsuna shook his head, trying to get rid of that memory. Just as he did that, the door to his bedroom opened.


The next time they saw Tsuna, was when the ninth called for them in his office. The old man was standing with the usual cane in his hand as he entered and beside him was Tsuna on a wheelchair with a blanket on his lap. He was dressed in pajamas and had no footwear.

The seven newly appointed guardians bowed at the Ninth Vongola while Tsuna stared at the ground with blank eyes. Some of the guardians exchanged looks at this. He seemed paler than when he was in the Vendicare prison… Was he alright?

"Tsunayoshi-kun seemed to have had a nightmare." Timoteo answered their unspoken question. He placed an arm around the silent brunet's shoulder. He looked at his only grandson kindly. "Tsunayoshi-kun, these are the people who saved you from Vendicare. Why don't you greet them?"

At the word 'save' and 'Vendicare', Tsuna looked up and stared at the seven people in front of him. An image of the seven shadows that saved him in his isolated prison entered his mind.

Tsuna opened his mouth and he said in a silent voice. "W-Were you…? A-Are you… the ones… w-who s-saved me?"

"Yes, that was us." Gokudera said, answering in behalf of his fellow guardians. Mukuro looked smug.

Tsuna processed what Gokudera said and then he asked, "Why?"

There was silence.

"Tsunayoshi-kun, are you regretful that they saved you?" Timoteo asked with a hurt expression. Tsuna shook his head slowly.

"I j-just…" Tsuna said weakly as he blinked his tired eyes. "I-I wondered… why after so ma-many y-years s-someone f-finally came f-for me…" Tsuna said and he stared at the guardians with blank eyes. "A-And I-I don't know t-them t-too…"

"We were ordered to by your grandfather." Hibari was the one who answered.

Tsuna blinked. "I-I see…" And then he smiled uncertainly, crinkled brows and all, at them. "T-Thank you…?"

There was another stunned silence.

"Y-You're welcome." Yamamoto answered back.

Timoteo smiled. "Saa… Tsunayoshi-kun, would you like to go outside?"

Tsuna looked up in confusion at the old man. "A-Aren't I a-already outside…?"

Timoeteo's eyes widened. "What do you mean…?"

"I'm… I-I'm no longer in my glass container…" Tsuna whispered quietly. "So I-I'm already outside r-right?"

The ninth's eyes softened. "There's another type of outside Tsunayoshi-kun." And then he looked up at the seven who were watching. "Why don't you show Tsunayoshi-kun to the garden?"

The seven guardians bowed at the request.

"Let's go jyuudaime…" Gokudera said as he stepped forward to roll Tsuna's wheelchair.

Tsuna wanted to know who this 'jyuudaime' was but his vocal chords were tired from talking so he just nodded as Gokudera wheeled him out of the door. The Ninth watched them with kind eyes and when they were gone, Reborn stepped out from where he was hiding.

"Reborn." The ninth's eyes were shadowed. "Have you found the people responsible for Tsunayoshi-kun's kidnapping yet? And why the Vindice trapped him in Vendicare after finding him?"

"Not yet." Reborn said seriously. "But we're close, I can feel it."

"Good."


The moment they stepped 'outside' Tsuna was blinded easily by the sunlight and the bright sky.

"I-I can't see…" Tsuna said as he covered his eyes. "W-What i-is that-?"

Lambo took a pair of shades from his pocket and put them on Tsuna's face. The brunet blinked when he was able to see much clearer.

"It's the extreme sun!" Ryohei shouted and then he added in confusion. "Haven't you ever since it before?"

"Sun?" Tsuna whispered the new word. "Should I know about that?"

Yamamoto and Gokudera exchanged looks.

"Of course! It's like an awesome ball of fire that makes plants and people extremely ALIVE!" Ryohei shouted into the open.

Tsuna looked up and despite the shades, the sun still blinded him so he looked at the clouds floating by instead. "And those white things?"

"They're clouds." Hibari said with crossed arms.

"When clouds get really heavy and gray they can make rain…" Yamamoto joined in with a smile.

"Rain?"

"Yes, it's when water fall from the sky…" Yamamoto explained.

"Sky…" Tsuna repeated.

"The blue space you see up there is the sky." Gokudera said. "But sometimes when there's a storm, the sky gets covered by clouds."

"There are thunders and lightning sometimes when there's a storm." Lambo commented lazily. "Lightning is a flash of light, thunder is the huge 'boom' that follows after lightning."

"Storm…thunder... lightning…"

"Kufufufu, don't forget about the mist now…" Mukuro stated.

"Mist…"

The seven guardians and Tsuna continued to take a leisurely walk down the green patch of grass until they reached the garden. Chrome picked some flowers and gave them to the brunet.

Tsuna looked at the bundle of flowers in his arms. "These are…?"

"They're flowers boss…" Chrome said and Tsuna touched them.

"Flowers…" Tsuna said and then his eyes softened. "They're beautiful…" Tsuna looked up at the sky. "Being outside, i-is nice."

The guardians were silent as they observed their frail boss.

"I wonder…" Tsuna whispered. "I wonder if I can stay…?"

"Of course you can!" Yamamoto said, breaking the silence that followed after the uncertain question. "You can be here if you want! You have the right to stay…"

Tsuna looked up at Yamamoto and at the other people behind him, nodding in agreement. The brunet smiled at them, only a small quirk of his lips that emphasized the dark bags under his eyes. "That's a relief."

Somehow the seven guardians felt their chests constrict in pain at the tired look on the other's face. They could only imagine the sadness and mental depression being in a tank for most of his life was like.

But the brunet, who was oblivious to the thoughts of the guardians, just focused on picking the petals of the colorful flower given to him. However, everyone jumped when a sudden grumbling sound was heard. Tsuna blinked.

"Saa, Sawada Tsunayoshi you must be hungry?" Mukuro said to the brunet who looked up.

"Hungry?" Tsuna patted his stomach. "Is that what you call the empty feeling here?"

"Yeah, it means you need some food." Yamamoto grinned as he went behind the brunet's wheelchair. "Why don't we go and eat?"

"I'll alert the chefs." Gokudera said dutifully as he rushed off.

Tsuna looked at Gokudera's disappearing back and gazed questioningly at the sun guardian.

"He's just off to prepare your food for you." Ryohei said kindly to the brunet with a grin.

Tsuna lifted his pale arms that had pinprick marks. "Like an injection?" The guardians frowned at the marks on the brunet's skin. Chrome took hold of the thin arm and covered the marks from Tsuna's sight. The brunet looked up at her in contemplation.

"No, boss. Real food. Now that you're strong enough, you can eat some solid food." Chrome stated as she kneeled down to the brunet and looked him in the eyes.

"Real food…" Tsuna repeated tiredly. "Huh… I never knew there was something like that before…"

"There is. And real food is more delicious and more filling than the ones you get in a dextrose." Lambo said with a yawn. "Let's get going?"

"Hurry up herbivores, I don't have all day." Hibari had already walked off and with a chuckle, Yamamoto and the other guardians followed him, rolling the brunet's wheelchair forward.

End of Chapter


Notes: Yes, it's a small scenario where Tsuna has a touching scene with the guardians. It's a calm before the storm thing. As the chapters go on, Tsuna will remember bits and pieces of his past through his nightmares and also he'll learn more about each of his guardians and the heavy pasts they carried with them. Since he's inexperienced and doesn't know much about emotions, will he be able to help them as well?

However, as Tsuna focuses on them, and while they're caught in their own little problems, they forget that among all of them, Tsuna is the one that needs to be saved the most.

Important: Thank you very much for the wonderful reviews. I feel very honored *bows to show the honored feelings* I'm sorry this took a while. Things are hectic in school, I'll try to update sometime next week and I hope everyone waits patiently until then. Your question will all be answered soon, the reviews were all amazing, everyone was really amazing too! Thank you very much, please review if you have time!