Sup!

Don't have much to say right now… hmmm oh!

People have pointed out to me my last chapter Tsuna's way of speaking (so sorry! it was pure laziness and autocorrect- goddamn autocorrect…) Anyway I changed it and made sure to keep it consistent.

Well I hope you enjoy this~

Please review and tell me if ya like-y XP

Chapter 5: A Separation, An Old Man's Gift and Introducing the Vendice

Tsuna woke up at 5am bright eyed and bushy tailed. For some reason he felt rejuvenated after that good sleep, especially since manipulating multiple flames -though only to a small extent- really wore the brunette out. After spending an hour the night before in deep thought the brunette had decided his choice.

Summoning a night flame with the inky black edges threatening to spill from his hands he quietly whispered Bermuda's name. It took a few minutes before a large black portal made from the same dark flames opened up in his room with the tall figure known as Jager walking through and the smaller baby sitting on his shoulders.

"You've made a decision?"

Hesitatingly the child gave a shy nod.

"And?" Jäger prodded a little rudely Bermuda thought but he too was a little impatiently curious,

Golden brown eyes that his nothing and showed everything met with the two pairs of hidden ones. "I will live with yew." A weight the the highest ranking Vindice duo didn't even know they had was lifted off their shoulders. "Howewer- I hawve a wequest" The two older males paused at that. It was rare for people to even have the gall to negotiate with them, usually only people of high status can do so and even then there must be equal exchange after all they were the Vindice. A request was unheard of, it was considered a sign of selfish weakness to ask for something with nothing in return. They allowed the child to live with them in exchange for keeping a very valuable secret but even then the deal being of equal exchange was pushing the mark a little and now the young brunette wanted a request?

"Child we do not do requests or favours. It is on the same level as grovelling and begging. We are the Vindice and the Vindice have pride. If you want something you must give something of equal value. An eye for an eye. A life for a life. Do you understand?"

The tone was harsh and scalding like ice, cold enough to burn. A normal child-hell a normal man would have felt the need to cry over the tone alone but Tsuna wasn't just any grain of sand on the beach. His usual wide eyes sharpened ever so slightly as he nodded absorbing the information quietly. He understood where the two were getting at, yes he felt a little regretful at his choice of words and shamed at himself for causing such disappointment but the brunette just bit his trembling lip in order to stop himself from looking even more weak. "T-Then I hawv conditiowns to my choisu."

Bermuda nodded in approval encouraging the two-year old to continue.

"I cawn visit one a mownth for twee day."

"That... can be arranged easily." The young kid was a little shocked at how easy the acrobelano agreed but decided not to question the other. Even Jäger was a little blindsided (however he was able to disguise it better) since Bermuda could be quite childish when he wanted to and getting him to agree to something was no easy feat.

What they didn't know was the bandaged baby had already decided to let the brunette visit his home, he was only a toddler after all and the love of a parent is considered irreplaceable. Bermuda admitted that a child carrying a night flame intrigued the man greatly but he was not so heartless to deny an innocent kid his family.

"We will allow you till the end of the day to pack and say your farewells. Call the same way as before and we will locate your unique flame signature."

It really wasn't required for the child to speak his name for the Vindice boss to be summoned- after all the brunette other than himself was the only night flame user. Though if the child really thought he was using magic, telling him to summon the other really helps reinforces that fantasy as he sure as hell wasn't going to be the one to tell him otherwise and destroy his dreams- that's what subordinates are for.

And with that another night flame portal opened leaving the child alone in his room.

As fast as his tiny limbs could go the brunette began packing what little material belongings he had- some clothes, his orange toothbrush, some pencils, a few pages of stickers, the two magic books and his little black notebook. It was a meager amount of stuff he owned compared to his brother but it was things filled with memories that he would never replace or throwaway for any price. Satisfied Tsuna hid his little dufflebag under the bed and crawled downstairs to inform Nana and Ieyasu of his decision.

"Mama."

The older woman looked down in shock partly due to the fact she hadn't even noticed when the boy had gotten so close to her and partly because said boy was actually talking to her. She couldn't explain it herself but ever since that incident what little love she held for her youngest died out, extinguished by fear and… disgust. She had always dismissed these dark feelings she held toward the brunette trying to convince herself that she did love the two equally even when she would forget the younger in preference to spoiling the blonde many a time however seeing her beloved son being burned by a fire that no matter how she thought about it came from no natural means… It was the first time she had really looked at her other child, sadly the first thing she thought of when she saw the young baby holding a blood red flame which seemed to flicker menacingly as it reflected in those brown large eyes was fear. The words demon, monster, inhuman screamed at her every time she saw him. She no longer saw the child as one of her own. He was no longer family.

She still allowed him in the house despite her lack of affection on any sort of emotional level for the young boy, after all what would the others think of her? She wasn't going to let one kid ruin her perfect home, if anyone questions why Tsuna was always left alone outside she would just smile her usual ditzy smile and reply lightheartedly just how adventure her dear Tsu-kun was, luckily barely anyone recognised him as part of the Sawada household considering how little he spends his time there and that's how she would prefer it to be.

The two had barely exchanged words unless necessary or to help the mother keep up her warm loving facade in front of others, it was a strained relationship at best but at least it came to an understanding- as long as the child kept his distance he could also keep a roof over his head. Which brings us back to the present with the brunette tagging at her pants, looking at her with those sickeningly large brown eyes that seemed to know more than they should.

"Yes Tsuna?"

The voice though to the average bystander was happy and cheery- only Tsuna could hear the hollow coldness that came from the woman. He bit his quivering lip in an attempt to repress any emotion, he wanted to cry, to act his age, to demand to be called his old loving nickname like before. But he didn't. He couldn't. He had to be strong.

"I-I will bee weaving house."

It was like he just told her that he managed to win the lottery and Christmas was here at the same time and the genuine smile on her face made his ever hopeful heart sink.

"Ara-That's great Tsuna! But you have to come home sometimes so mama doesn't have to be questioned. You don't want mama to suffer ne?"

Tsuna bit his lip so hard it was a wonder that he hadn't drawn blood yet. Disappointment welled up in him as if trying to drown his soul. No matter how aware he was, no matter how much he had been ignored, no matter how many times he had cried his heart out from the pain of neglect a large part of him still had faith in his mother- hell he still believed in her and it hurt so badly. Steeling himself he forced a smile to be plastered onto his small face.

"Uhn I wiw come bwak one a monh fwo twee day" The woman before him smiled even wider and even went so far as to ruffle the boy's fluffy brown hair. "Good child" A warmth spread in his small body filling the young boy with unreasonable unexplainable pride and joy from this one pathetic show of affection, this one meager act of love. The more logical part of him was disgusted with himself but he was after all a child and a very lonely one at that. For now he would push away reason and just enjoy these few seconds of this illusion known as love.

The next person he informed of his absence was surprisingly Ryouko Chisake. After helping her find and repatch her and her daughter's relationship she became a daily visitor, always making an effort to greet or make idle chit chat with the child. They weren't close friends per say but the two were good acquaintances who enjoyed each others company as the blonde realised that despite appearances Tsuna was much more than he seemed and held a smart head on his shoulders. When he informed her of his new living arrangements she immediately picked up her phone to dial everyone telling them about the child's absence being the social butterfly she was.

Soon word of the Wandering Watcher leaving Namimori spread and many people the young brunette recognised had come to meet him and thank him for his past actions as well as wish him the best for his future. It amazed Tsuna just how many people were truly touched or affected by just a meeting with a mere child such as he, even a few of the shimmering people who usually dislike being near such large amounts of the living came by just to muffle his hair and whisper their thanks and goodbyes. For the first time Tsuna didn't feel any sort of empty ache inside him- and if he could he was certainly too happy at the moment to care.

Some gave hugs, some promised to repay their favours and some gave gifts. The gifts from the locals ranged from handpicked flowers to homemade food to notebooks of very size and colour which Tsuna appreciated and accepted humbly. The most eye-opening and intriguing gifts he got were from equally eye-opening intriguing people that apparently upon hearing the child leaving had hopped onto a plane from wherever they came from to quickly visit the fluffy brunette.

A monk adorned with dark orange robes Tsuna remembered saving from hunger when they met by chance at one of his visits to the Namimori temple had rushed over from Mongolia to give him three large beads that if one looked closer one could almost see a yellow flame flickering inside the glass spheres. The monk assured the child that in times of great harm he only had to break a bead and the worst of the danger would come to pass. Apparently the monk had to pull a few favours from a very powerful martial artist acquaintance to get said martial artist's equally powerful friend to help create the beads.

A young girl a few years older than Tsuna himself with long pink hair a while back had been told to have courage in who she was and to allow herself to love freely by a certain small brunette who approached the crying hysteric girl when no one else did; had flew over from her current job in Milan to present the child with a box of heart shaped chocolates to which she said "Like my love for my beloved these will never expire. Give them to your crush and I guarantee they will reciprocate your feelings. I wish for you to be forever loved by others." When Tsuna asked curiously about what was in them the pink haired girl simply smiled proudly saying it was her only batch of love potion that had been successfully tested. The younger of the two assumed she must have been a witch who made magic potions.

A scientist who struggled with his morals as well as beliefs in God and his intellectual integrity that had been reassured by a simple visit to the Wandering Watcher who let him realise he needn't have to chose one set path while completely disregarding the other, that he was his own person in this world and only he could walk his own path. The scientist had cut his research trip short and had flown from Moscow in order to give the child a dirty silver ring that seemed to hold cross shaped markings and a thin battered book that was so old it probably could turn to dust if hit by a slightly strong burst of wind. Apparently after meeting Tsuna who showed him his star flame in an attempt to convince him of the many wonders that can't be seen with a single answer the older of the two became enraptured with the flame of stars that was thought to only be from legends. His gift to the boy were artefacts he had found that would help guide the other in his exploration of the mysterious flames saying he too wanted to be a light to help guide the lost like what the brunette had done to him.

These and so many more people visited the Wandering Watcher in the span of one day until finally the sky began to grow pink as the sun began to set. As the boy was about to pack up his various items (he was glad that he had enough space left over in his duffle bag for the trip) a wizened old man he remembered as Talbot-sama was limping over to him at a surprisingly fast pace for someone of his age. "Tsuna- thank the ancestors I made it on time."

The brunette cracked a huge smile upon seeing the strangely clad elderly man, the first time they met was at the park where Tsuna was experimenting on his magic flame manipulation. The blind man stumbled upon him when trying to trace the strange influx of flame activity in the area and they hit it off considerably well after that. Though the elder man always politely disagreed Tsuna insisted he must be a wise wizard or shaman since he knew so much about magic and curses, not to mention he made some pretty magical inventions- it also didn't help that the man dressed up with various unusual looking charms and talisman like objects usually associated with such people. In fact the child was so taken with the man he was the second person that the brunette decided to show all ten of his flames outside of his family.

"Talbot-oji sama!"

"Haaa~ I must admit I was surprised by the sudden leaving Tsuna-kun but what's done is done. I just want to give you this and wish you the best in your endeavors. Now where is it..." With his wrinkled hand he passed a very crumpled stack of hastily scribbled notes as well as a chain which hung a clear pacifier that looked similar to Bermuda's however unlike Bermuda's colorless one though this particular pacifier seemed to glint different colors depending on how the light hit. Large caramel brown eyes looked questioningly at the other individual. Recognising the feeling of a curious gaze boring into him the wizened male chuckled.

"I have been looking into a way of undoing a certain curse you see child? And honestly I was stumped before meeting you Tsuna-kun…" Tsuna waited slightly impatiently as the other paused as if trying to think. It was an annoying habit the elder man had and usually the child could let it slide but he really was very intrigued and it didn't help that the old man tended to create more questions than answers. "Anyway with your special… magic flames I realised that if you simultaneously activate all of your flames, you could agitate the curse to temporarily release it from the carrier."

Brown eyes widened and Talbot could swear he could feel sparkles were being emitted from them. It was obvious the younger of the two was excited at the idea of a curse that he could help lift with his magic, the blind man couldn't help but smile fondly if a little sadly at the innocence as he continued his explanation. "Your chain contains a… uh special charm which would help assist in weakening said curse but it would only be done by placing some of the burden onto yourself. These notes will fill you in about what I have learnt about the curse, the cursed and theories I have been working on that will help you weaken the curse- I still am unsure on how to fully lift it though." The last part was cracked with sadness in regret, it reminded the child of the other man's age. A small hand patted comfortingly on the elder's leg and though he knew the other couldn't see the brunette gave his most reassuring smile. "Talbot- oji sama I'm sure that they would be thankful for what you're trying to accomplish."

The comment wasn't flowery nor was it decorated with encouraging praise but it was truthful and filled with a warming comfort. Talbot couldn't help but grin as the words created a warm glow inside of his old aching body that seemed to promise everything would be okay. He felt almost regretful for pushing such a burden on this naive child however this unwavering strength assured him the old man had made the right decision.

"Bermuda?"

The familiar tingling at the back of his small neck that Tsuna has come to realize as the presence of a large amount of night flames as the portal opened to reveal the two strongest Vindice men. The sun had long gone and the moon has risen high in the night lighting up the three figures in the darkness.

"Are you ready child?"

Shifting nervously the small brunette nodded. Picking up his bag now filled with gifts and mementos he held his breath and stepped into the darkness.

Ieyasu woke up in the middle of the night with a sinking feeling in his stomach. The blonde threw off the covers and ran to where the nagging feeling was leading him, the feeling only worsened as he realised with unbalanced steps that he was going to his younger twin's room. Stumbling into the room his blue eyes saw nothing. The usual empty room was even emptier as what little signs of someone living there had completely vanished. The only thing that even indicated a past tenant was a ripped page out of place on the floor. The child picked it up with his small shaky hands.

The older twin couldn't read as well as Tsuna- hell who was he kidding he barely knew the alphabet off by heart but he recognised the scribbles to be his brother's.

Clutching the note to his heart like it was a baby bird he shuffled down heartened back to his room. Tomorrow he'll have to get mama to teach him to read since he was sure mama wasn't going to tell him truthfully what was written on the note. Ieyasu looked at the moon by his window slightly comforted with the idea that while he was separated by his counterpart at least the sky they share will be able to watch over him.

Caramel brown eyes looked away from the moon to move his eyes to rest upon his new room. It was larger than his old one- not that his previous living arrangements were very spacious in the first place. There was no trace of colour in the place, a blank page, a new slate. Quietly he placed his unpacked bag next to his bed as he then tucked himself in.

Tsuna looked back at the past two hours- it was more than a shock when he reentered the throne room to be greeted face to knee with what seemed to be all of the Vindice that were in the area. It was literally a sea of black top hats and bandages to the small child. As he was busy admiring the amount of Vindice in one room the brunette didn't sense the presence of Jager and Bermuda who arrived behind him. "Welcome to Vendicare child" The sudden booming intimidatingly deep voice with an edge like knife that simply demanded power and respect to those that heard made him jump and turned to the tall Vendice and the small baby sitting on top of his shoulder. "My name is Jager- Vindice's strongest warrior and as you know this-" Jager gestured toward the infant sitting on him "-is Bermuda Von Veckenschtein our boss." This voice was raspier yet softer reminding Tsuna of the crackling of Autumn leaves on a cool day while the other's while also raspy from lack of use seemed to contain a whisp of silkiness like melted chocolate.

Honey brown eyes blinked and then his cherubic features brightened into a small shy smile as he turned to everyone and bowed slightly before bring himself up to face them all. "Uh- My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi, please call me Tsuna and I thank you for letting me stay here!" Murmers of approval of the show of politeness broke out and though it was hard to see Tsuna sensed a few were even smiling causing him to blush slightly out of nervous embarrassment.

Small Gia stepped up and introduced himself, like his name was the shortest of the guards however despite his razor like tone that seemed to emit danger his voice was surprisingly one of the more expressive individuals. Big Pino followed suit in introducing himself as well as some others- he was the easiest to identify with his large build and strange language which the brunette swore he would learn- he loved a challenge when it came to decoding languages. One of the oldest Vindice members Alejandro was just as quiet as Tsuna remembered him to be yet his voice was cold and firm like ice, even with the spine chilling voice the child noticed almost a hint of tenderness. Jack was as loud as Alejandro was quiet, fiery as the other was icy, it was almost amusing how opposite the two were. by one each individual introduced themselves and Tsuna took to himself to try and memorize each guard's name associated with their subtle differences in appearance and voice.

It never ceased to maze the child how people can be so different despite first appearances and he was just twitching to write everything down in one of his new notebooks but restrained himself not wanting to be rude.

After a lot of greetings and introductions finally it was over. Apparently it had been decided beforehand that Jack was to show the new child around and by the folds of the bandages that indicating the older man was scowling, Jack was not pleased with the duty. "Oi freaking kid c'mon, let me show ya to ya freakin room!" Tsuna assumed this guard had no qualms on keeping a quiet persona like the others since this guard's voice seemed to crack the least despite the loud volume suggesting a constant use of his voice.

As they walked through the various hall toward the sleeping quarters Jack dutifully pointed out the general area of where things were and even -surprisingly-patiently answered a few stuttering questions from the smaller one. Even Jack himself was a little surprised at himself, him not liking brats was a severe understatement but somehow the kid had a calming effect on him and he begrudgingly had to admit he enjoyed and was even a little touched at how interested the other was in him and Vendicare, it also helped that the kid didn't act like a kid; more like a mature adult- no that was wrong- an adult surrounded themselves with cobwebs of lies and cruel assumptions while the brunette was still as pure and untouched as freshly fallen snow. This small fluffy brat was probably the only one who would move so willingly into the Vendicare- Jack couldn't decide if the child deserved his respect or should question the child's sanity.

When they reached to the child's room the Vindice guard expected the strange brat to complain at the small space, to whine about the lack of colour, to moan about the lack of well… anything. What he didn't expect was the kid to grin and hug him like he had given the child a gold studded mansion instead of an empty cramped room prisoners couldn't even be jealous of.

The brunette looked up to meet where the other's eyes should be, his larger brown orbs shining adorably and his whole being radiated gratefulness and happiness- something the hotheaded guard hadn't been exposed to in a long long time and to his own humiliated horror the older male could feel a warm tinge on his cheeks which could only be associated to a blush forming on his face. Quickly he gruffly muttered a goodnight and informing the young child that he would wake him up personally until they got used to a schedule. With that he left to walk toward his own room furiously trying to push away the blush still tingling on his face- he was dead for god's sakes! How could he be feeling this?!

All he knew was that Tsunayoshi was definitely a strange freaking brat.

Tsuna snuggled into his new bed. It wasn't per say uncomfortable but it was unsettlingly unfamiliar. He missed his home, he would be lying if he didn't. Maybe the child would have felt better if he gave the note to Ieyasu in person but he knew it would hurt too much in his small heart if he did that.

In order to distract himself he took out the gifts he received from Talbot. He realised the chain had a hook which served to make a necklace in which the boy wore admiring how colours seemed to shimmer off the pacifier every time moonlight bounced off it. Excitedly he pulled out the notes absentmindedly wondering at the back of his mind how the elder man could write such detailed albeit very messy notes when he was blind.

On the top of the first page in large writing Tsuna murmured and traced over the words in wonder as his inner flames flared up inside him whispering to him the significance of the words and how crucial it would be to his and many other's futures. What he didn't know was how the moment he read those words so many paths closed up and just as many hidden ones revealed themselves.

The Curse of The Arcobaleno

Trying to Lift the Rainbow