Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
Timeline: 10 days after his escape. Currently, Tsuna is 7.
Tree branches whipped across his face, slashing at his face and clothes, over-sized roots jutted out to trip him, bushes blocked his path, and vermin waited to be flattened. Even so, the run itself was exhilarating. He was free. And by no means was he ready to give it up.
Castle life had always been stuffy, boring, and horribly unbearable—apart from learning how to cook. But that was leading up to his escape. After all, why escape into the wild only to die of hunger the next day?
Tsuna had been living in the Eastern Forest for about ten days, give or take. It wasn't bad and it was definitely better that learning how to act like a fancy, snotty-nosed Prince.
'Keep your back straight' this, 'never avert your eyes' that! Gosh was it intolerable but that all had changed. Yes, he could do anything he wanted: climb trees (he sucked but practice could make perfect), swim in the lake, hunt game (not that he had anything to hunt animals with, but he made do with a set of knives), and just act plain wild.
Currently, Tsuna was heading to the closest town. Going by a mental map, it shouldn't be too far, maybe a mile or so from where he was. In his jacket pocket, he heard the stolen—no correction, they were his so he had a right to them—coins jingle. The money wouldn't last him, but it would get him through the first stages of life outside the palace gates.
He was planning to stock up on food during his stay in town. If his calculations were correct, the word of his "kidnapping" shouldn't have spread this far yet. Neither would the townsfolk recognize his face, they have only heard of his title. So basically, he was safe.
Finally, the signs of life began to show through the thick trees. Scents of freshly baking bread wafted through the air. Nearby, fishermen were heading home with a day's catch. In surprise, the brunet looked up to the sky and noted the setting Sun. Apparently, the trees let in very little sunlight making time seem to remain at a standstill. He had lost track of it. Not that it mattered much.
Using his nose as a guide, he followed the sweet aroma of bread. It would be a nice change of pace after days of small mice and berries. Actually, he really should pick up a small job during his stay. Money would always be welcome and he wasn't used to running out of it, being a prince and all. I mean, seriously, he used to have tons of money at his dispense.
The smell was getting stronger now. His mouth was watering in anticipation of tasting it already. At last, a small shop came in sight and he dashed in. Inside, bread of different varieties, shapes and sizes greeted him. He walked up to the counter and pressed his face to the shiny glass, taking in all the types of bread.
His stomach growled.
"Why gudday young man, what can I do fur ya'?"
A little disgusted by the poor language, Tsuna peered upwards to see the hairy face of a chubby man.
"W-what d-do you rec-recommend?" He silently cursed himself for stuttering. That should have disappeared years ago! But in the unfamiliar environment, it was expected to turn up sooner or later.
"Hmm, lessee. My customers like the sweet rolls. But the regula' loaves sell fine too."
"I-I see. I'll just take a whole loaf then."
"That's all?"
"Y-yes." The brunet handed the man a silver coin, which was returned with a tightly packaged loaf of bread. "Thank you sir."
"No problem. Come back agin' some time."
Tsuna headed out the door and stepped onto the street. It had grown dark fast. The Sun had sunken completely down the sky, replacing itself with a silvery moon, and stars were beginning to twinkle. The air was cold but not so much that he would freeze.
Leisurely, he made his way down the dirt road, slowly unwrapping the bread. Suddenly, he felt eyes on him, watching him intently. He walked on, hopefully showing no signs of knowing about his stalker.
He kept an ear trained on behind him. Eventually, he heard the telltale signs of someone following him. The footsteps were in stop and go patters but they were there, no doubt.
Thinking fast, he turned the nearest corner and broke into a run. His heart was pounding against his chest and his feet pattered loudly against the dirt. Was he causing too much noise? He hoped not. He would attract too much attention that way—an easy target.
Before he could react, he was unceremoniously tackled to the ground. He let out a grunt of pain as he landed harshly on his side. The fall loosened his grip on his bread and he watched it leap out of his grip and fall to the dirty ground. Good thing most of it was still covered.
On top, his attacker roughly held his wrists behind his back and smashed his face to the earth.
"Hand over your money." Came the sharp demand. The voice was scratchy and hoarse as if it hadn't been used in years.
"I don't have any."
"Don't lie to me. I just saw you pay for that loaf of bread back there." The voice growled angrily. "Now hand it over."
"Well I can't when my hands are bound like this." The brunet grumbled.
"Fine, fine." The person released one of his hands while the other remained firmly behind his back.
From the grip, Tsuna could tell this person was around his height, maybe more, maybe less. But either way, he was going down. He twisted his captured hand in the attacker's grip. His opponent's arm was turned the wrong way so he let go right away to prevent a broken arm. Once free, the brunet whirled around and swept his legs under his attacker's feet, effectively toppling him over. A dark hood shadowed his enemy's face. The rest of his body was also cloaked in black. But, when he fell, the hood caught air and lifted upwards, revealing the identity of the mysterious person.
Tsuna jumped back and scooped up his bread. He got ready to make a run for it but froze when he stared at the gaunt, tiny figure before him. Yes, he had been right in his assumption of the person's height. But he never expected him to look… well… like this.
"What're you staring at?" The boy growled, his emerald-green eyes shining defiantly in the gloom. In the light of the moon, his hair seemed to reflect liquid silver…unless it actually was that color.
"I… uh… don't know."
The boy scoffed. "Then are you finished? If so, you can go away. I won't attack you anymore." He pulled his hood back over his head and pushed himself into a sitting position, only to fall back down when his ankle gave way underneath him. His jaw visibly clenched and his eyes squeezed tightly shut as if to block out the pain.
"A-are you okay?" The brunet rushed to the boy's side in worry.
"Yes, now go away."
Tsuna huffed then clicked his tongue. "It sure doesn't look like it. You better thank me later on, usually I wouldn't help someone like you but I'll make an exception."
"I don't need your help." The boy retorted, but his voice wavered ever so slightly. "I can manage quite fine by myself."
"Sorry, but I can't just let a poor soul wander the streets like a helpless rat. Now show me where it hurts."
"I am not a rat!" The boy exclaimed indignantly, his face screwed up with anger.
Tsuna resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Obviously but it's just a term we noblemen like to use." Immediately, he clapped a hand over his mouth. He made a big mistake.
Thankfully, the boy didn't hear the latter part of the sentence, only hearing the first word and then shutting everything else out. "Fine! I'm not a street rat. Now for the last time, leave me alone."
Exasperated, the brunet smacked a hand over what he thought was the injured ankle, earning a squeak of pain from the recipient. Then, he took a strip of cloth from his shirt and tied it firmly around the ankle, placing two planks of what looked like wood underneath in order to keep the bone straight.
The whole time, the boy stayed silent, staring intently at a nearby shack.
Satisfied that his work was finished, Tsuna began to walk away. But something held him back. He turned his head to look at the boy once more who was still sitting on the ground, looking like he could burn holes through the side of the shack. But to no avail, of course.
Something in him felt pity for the boy while the other part told him to hold his head up and walk away. He noticed the undernourished look the boy sported as well as the dirty, torn-up clothes and long, matted hair. After ages of just staring, he finally gave up and tossed his loaf of bread over to the boy who picked it up and stared at him in surprise.
"I don't need it." Tsuna replied curtly. "It looks like you could use some food and I can always get another one."
"Th-thank you." The voice was quivering in an emotion that the brunet couldn't identify. But sure had this boy gone through a major mood-swing.
The wonders of free food.
"No need to thank me. It was just on a whim."
Tsuna tore his gaze away from the boy and ordered his feet to move. They obeyed and he made is way down the deserted street. Normally, an ex-Prince yet a Price at heart wouldn't do that for a lesser peasant like that boy. But how could he not when the boy looked so hauntingly similar to his Great-uncle, G?
A/N: Questions right? Shoot, I'll answer them to the best of my ability but be warned, there might be spoilers in my replies. I hope everything wasn't too confusing, but do keep in mind that Tsuna was a Prince so some royalty-habits might show once and a while.
Anyways, leave a review and tell me what you think.