Hey guys! - wow this is waay longer than expected. Seriously.

I am not a huge huge fan of this chapter myself but it was necessary (I think) and I do hope you enjoy it

I swear to god one day I'm going to post a nice cute chapter that doesn't involve sad topics like loneliness and stuff sadly this is not one of those days...

Btw Tsuna at this stage is able to kind of walk- as long as someone else supports him and talk with only a few baby like mannerisms- I love how you guys are able to point out these details but I maaaayy have kinda been a bit lazy so sometimes the baby-like talking will not be shown and stuff. (Plus dramatic effect is lowered when I have to make the dialogue all cutesy but I tried keeping simple words)

Also warning for severe Vindice OOCness because I have no clue about then (well thats not what you want to hear) so please give constructive criticism on what ya think.

Anyway enjoy~

Chapter 6: A Breakfast, A Burst of Emotion, And A Small New Sky

*knock* *knock*

"OI FREAKING BRAT GET UP OR I'M BREAKING THE FREAKIN DOOR DOWN!"

Tsuna immediately jolted up from his very rude, very loud awakening. Drowsily he rubbed his lidded eyes as he realised he was surrounded by Talbot's messily written notes. He was usually an early riser but the child had been immersed and mesmerised with the many theories and histories revolving around the curse, it seemed so fantastical, so magical that the young child's mind practically went into an imaginative overdrive. The brunette had easily managed to connect dots to the fact that Bermuda was one of the current Cursed Ones thanks to the man's strange appearance and Pacifier though he still didn't for the life of him understand what role the other Vindice played giving him an irritating itch at the back of his mind when he finally drifted off to sleep.

Quickly he jumped from his bed, hastily collecting the scattered pages and carefully stuffing them in his bag along with his own crystal pacifier. Something inside him was warning him against revealing this secret to the others… At least not right now.

He packed it at the bottom of the bag just in time as Jack burst open quite rudely and strode into the room.

Jack couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the startled child before him. Tsuna's hair was even messier than before as it stuck up well- everywhere and the kid was wearing orange and white striped pajamas which were a little too over sized for such a small figure. What really sealed the deal was the wide-eyed deer in the headlights expression like the brunette was just caught doing something bad. "Tch kid if you wanna survive this place ya gotta stop looking so damn... Transparent."

That seemed to snap the brunette out of whatever self induced coma he was in however as the child seem to once again stare at the taller man something seemed amiss. His eyes no longer reflected guilt but a mix of what seemed to be confusion, intrigue and fear.

"...Jack-san?"

When Tsuna snapped out of his stunned self he realized that the person - or what remained of a person - before him sounded very familiar to Jack. However instead of the usual full on bandages, long black cloak and top hat the individual in front of him had loosely wrapped bandages that exposing charred darkened skin, stitched up flesh and jet black eyes. The man was wearing black jeans and a slightly ripped leather jacket revealing a stone shaped pacifier that hung from his neck, he also had a very long silver chain wrapped around his torso. His hair was messy and coarse with faded red streaks that suggested he used to have a dark red pigment in his locks a long, long time ago.

"...Jack-san?"

The Vindice guard was confused at the question for a second. "HaA~AaahH? of course it's freaking me! Why on earth would yo-" He stopped himself as he realised he wasn't wearing his usual uniform. 'Well shit.' It had been his day off and through sheer habit he had dressed casually instead of opting for his stuffy outfit. After all it wasn't like there were outsiders to judge him. Oh. Wait.

Scowling at the still wide-eyed kid he shifted uncomfortably under the surprisingly intense gaze. He as well as every other Vindice were very self conscious with their appearance; it was not only aesthetically unpleasant and downright horrifying to look at but it was a reminder of their burdens, their curse, their death. But now since the kid saw his true form he was going to be forced to hear the child scream bloody murder and cower in fear every time they meet constantly reminding him of the undead monster he was. Not that he would blame him- Jack remembered revisiting his long time lover hoping she would still accept who he was , only to be cruelly rejected through a series of terrified screams and wails. 'Great. And I was just starting to not hate the freaking brat too.'

Inwardly Jack cringed getting ready for the high-pitched sound only dolphins and frightened children could make. He waited. And waited. After about thirty seconds the Vindice guard was getting a little impatient- maybe the kid's the type to be scared into silence?

"Umm... Jack-san? Are you okay? You look hurt? Should you go to the doctor?!" That made him pause. The hotheaded Vindice looked at the child whose eyes expressed a varied mix of emotions. But he realised the brunette wasn't scared of him but was scared for him. It was heartwarming even to Jack who didn't even posses a beating heart to warm.

However now a new sense of anxiety plagued the older male. How could he explain this situation to a mere child?! Could he understand? Would he still be as accepting, as unafraid, as warm?

There was always the option of lying to the young'n but there was something about the fluffy child that told him that lies won't work on the other. However telling the truth didn't look exactly appealing either.

"Jack-san?"

"I'm dead."

"..oh."

If the Vindice guard hadn't been ingrained to not show emotion in front of outsiders he would have ran to the nearest dark corner to cringe at himself the moment he accidentally blurted out the words. The silence was suffocatingly awkward after that as he sunk into regret, reliving the last minute and mentally listing an other thing he could have said that would have resulted in a less awkward confrontation. Thankfully Tsuna decided to be the first one to break the silence.

"... So." The brunette gave a soft gentle smile like someone hadn't just told him the person in front of him was an undead rotting corpse. " Shawll we go eat breakky?"

"...uh." Was Jack's very intelligent response.

There was no cafeteria in Vendicare, since the Vindice guards don't need to consume food other than Bermuda and the prisoners who are in the state to consume food usually get served in their cells. So instead the two quietly walked to the kitchen in awkward tense silence. It was even more awkward since Tsuna still couldn't walk properly so Jack had been forced to hold hands with the kid resulting in more than a few strange looks in their direction. Finally they arrived at the kitchen where two woman and a man ranging from late twenties to late thirties were working busily with only the sound of sizzling and cooking between them. Tsuna noticed the lack of smiles in the room, despite the flurry of activity there was a heavy atmosphere that lacked the buzzing of energy the boy was so familiar with in a kitchen which is further emphasized with the wall to wall of greys that decorated the kitchen. Finally after a few bustling minutes one of the females noticed with slight surprise the strange duo waiting politely by the open door. She tilted her head questioningly which made Tsuna realise that the trio possibly were all mute which would definitely explained the lack of talking present, not that there probably would be any conversation if they could talk.

While the brunette was mentally writing down his observations and theories about the chefs Jack stepped into the kitchen. "Oi" The tone was a little more subdued from his usual fierceness. "This freaking kid needs to eat." A look of confusion flashed upon the woman's face as well as the other two cooks who by then had stopped to watch the interaction, quickly however their curiosity was pushed down to be replaced with a mask of emotionless compliance- something that unnerved the young boy though he chose not to show it, in fact he was sure the male next to him felt the same given the strange tone of his voice.

The food given to Tsuna was simple but not completely unappealing, just a bowl of rice, a few strips of dried fish and some pickled vegetable sides. At least he had more to eat than if he stayed at home. Not wanting to look impolite he flashed a grateful smile at the chefs who seemed to pause for a moment then nod their head in acknowledgement before moving back to their tasks at hand. The pair left, food in hand to find a comfortable- or comfortable as you can in a prison- place to sit and eat in peace. Not many other guards passed them as they walked on 'Probably busy with their duties' Tsuna mused as he absentmindedly tried recalling the names of the guards who did pass.

"Oi."

"hmmm? Oh Jack-san what about hewe?"

"Yeah. Sure whatever. "

The young child plopped down onto the cold hard floor as he snuggled in-between the corner of the hall. He'd always liked darkened corners like this, it was easier to snuggle into than just a flat wall, plus being in the corner kind of gave Tsuna the idea that the room was hugging him- something he barely experienced in his short life. It was comforting.

Big brown eyes looked at his temporary guardian expectedly. Jack sighed as he too sat next to the two-year old watching as the brunette began to enthusiastically dig in.

"Oi."

"hmm?"

"Aren't you.." The older of the two hesitated "Scared?"

"Of what?" That seemed to trigger something as the undead man turned sharply to face the still eating child incredulously and a little upset. This was a seriously sensitive topic for him and the fact that this, this brat was being so damn dismissive when he was pulling at his nerves here! Well it was enough to make anyone more than a little pissed.

"Of what?! Of this!" He gestured to his appearance. "Of me! I. Am. Dead. Aren't you horrified? Disgusted?" Tsuna just watched the angered Vindice guard, his food forgotten. Other Vindice that had overheard had begun crowding at a distance but Jack was either too lost in his usually controlled emotions to notice or didn't care. The hate that controlled him was fuelling him onwards. " Don't you think I'm a monster?! A freak?! Why-"

He paused mid-rant as two small yet warm hands firmly cupped his badly bandaged cheeks. A pair of large caramel eyes gazed into the darker than night ones and Jack could have swore he saw a flash of orange in the other's.

"Is that what you think of yourself?" It was still soft-spoken however the usual mildness and timidity was nowhere to be found, instead a low serious tone replaced it. The child looked the other dead in the eyes, his expression not pitying but sorrowful like he was hurt that the other thought so low of himself. The elder's mouth suddenly found his mouth dry, it was crazy how a cute kid like this could be so damn intimidating- and coming from him that was saying something. Not really trusting his mouth he hesitantly shook his head. The hands on his face loosened and fell back to the child's side, a little part of the undead man wanted those small hands to stay where it was though, the warmth was comforting.

"Doesn't it bother you?" Jack's voice had lost his usual vigour and heat. It was uncharacteristically quiet and it cracked much more than before as if finally showing the man's true age as he carried the burdens of his experiences. The crowd of other Vindice shuffled slightly closer also intent on hearing this child's answer. They had all been through the feeling of betrayal and rejection that came from becoming who they were today and no one there had ever really recovered from such emotional damage. How could such a young naive child possibly handle the years upon years of their darkness and hatred.

"No. No it doesn't" Tsuna's gaze never once wavered, his eyes strangely a slight shade orange-r and intense. "You still have souls do you not? You still have the Vindice pride you hold so strongly. And who would I be to judge your appearances and past? To reject a person who I barely know? Yesterday you were kind and willing to be patient to my questions. Nothing since then has changed that fact or my opinion of you." His voice was clear and even with his expression not betraying even a hint of hesitation, making it as clear as night that he had meant every word. It was like everybody watching could feel fresh air in their lungs since the first time they died, maybe even longer ago but it felt like they could breath again. It felt like though the weight still hung over their shoulders it had gotten lighter, a small part of it lifted up by those words that so clearly accepted them for who or what they are. The serious rigid features softened on the child's face as a soft small smile graced him. "I don't care what you look like nor will I push you to tell me what scarred you so deeply in the past. None of that matters. Jack-san is Jack-san and I know he's a good person."

A warm silence seemed to settle over the scene until the sound of hoarse laughter tore it down.

The laugh was loud and raspy but it was full of something unfamiliar- feeling. Jack couldn't remember the last time he laughed so heartily as he hit Tsuna on the back causing the kid to almost topple face first in his unfinished food. The adorable pout that adorned the childlike features made the Vindice guard laugh even harder, enjoying the feeling of happiness that fluttered inside his body. The other must have noticed how relaxed the other was compared to before where the male would always hold a tenseness in his shoulders. Soon both were laughing ridiculously and even a few of the bystanders couldn't help but crack a rare smile or fail to stifle a chuckle at such a heartwarming scene. The young child so small and fragile had managed to open the doors that had been locked and rusted over decades of hatred- even if it was just a crack wide- to their hearts.

As the two walked back to the kitchen with Tsuna's empty plates in hand the child couldn't help but ask a question that had been nagging at him, well he had many questions plaguing him but the child was very aware they were a lot more sensitive and delicate compared to this particular one- he'll ask a little later, when he feels the time is right and for now he'll just make his own conclusions. "Ne Jack-san?" Jack responded by glancing toward him for a second. "Can you eat?" A look of incredulity so apparent flashed across the other making the smaller one blush as he felt embarrassed by his question.

"I am dead remember? I don't have to eat." The fact it was pointed out so obviously made Tsuna blush harder.

" Y-yes buwt you say you dow't 'ave to eat - not that yew cawn' t." That made the taller of the two pause slightly. He had never really tried eating after he died- after all he really didn't get an urge to eat. However thinking about it would eating food really affect him? It's not like he could die from it. God it sucked that almost none of the smarter Arcobalenos ever survived the removal of their pacifiers- at least they would probably have tried experimenting with their bodies to test their limits if they too weren't busy immersing in revenge and hatred like the rest of them.

"Heh I guess I probably can." The Vindice guard couldn't help the twitch at the ends of his mouth, honestly he had lived decades full of hatred and the need for revenge with never an expression except the occasional scowl or sneer until this child came along. It had only been a single morning with the brunette and already he had showed more emotion than all his years since his body had been mangled by Checkerface. He had smiled, he showed vulnerability- things which was almost unheard of for someone of his standing here but most importantly a little part of him felt almost healed. Like a little part of him felt more open to be more… human and he didn't feel any regret for that.

Tsuna gave a wild grin as something seemed to click in his mind. "Ok! Then when I get older I pwomise to make your favorowite dish for yew to eat!" Though it sounded very childish and naive the older could recognise a determined voice when he heard it. The twitch grew to a full smile, he couldn't help it- this boy could melt a glacier with his smile. He coughed quickly to hide the smile, he still really wasn't ready to be this emotionally open yet- years of masking himself does that to you after all- but he did ruffle the gravity-defying brown hair as if subtly trying to express how cute he thought the small child was. Jack was a little surprised how soft the other's hair was and found himself enjoying the feeling. "Tch. You better learn how to make a good okonomiyaki (a savoury japanese pancake) then brat." Said brat only responded with an even wider smile as they finally reached the kitchen.

'Hmph he really is a strange kid.' He watched the child politely thank the chefs for the meal and if he knew better he swore they blushed. Of course putting Tsuna in the equation really skewed his perspective. The urge for his mouth to twitch upwards had to be quickly brushed away with self control but if one looked really hard there was a glint in those pitch black eyes. 'A strange kid indeed. But not a bad one.'

"Bermuda wishes for your presence Tsuna-sama" Tsuna looked up from his corner where he was chatting happily with Jack and a few other Vindice who had nothing else better to do and were curious of the child. They were in the middle of telling stories about their jobs censoring the more gory parts but when they realised the brunette seemed enraptured with detail and unaffected to it they didn't exactly completely skip over the parts either, feeling a sense of pride every time they looked at the widening, adoring eyes of the youngest. Ever since Jack's little emotional outburst a week ago word spread about the young child and his touching acceptance to their appearance. The few female Vindice were immediately taken to the adorable kid as well cooing at his appearance and big doe eyes and though the other guards won't admit it even at their graves they too felt taken to such a fluffy child. To them a person so kind was rare in their company which usually comprised of lawbreaking prisoners and emotionally dead not to mention undead people and though most were still hesitant around the little one there was definitely a more relaxed atmosphere around him.

"Please Fusao-san call me Tsuna" The Vindice guard help but shuffle slightly as he felt an unfamiliar feeling of happiness hit him, it was amazing how this small kid had managed to commit as many names in his memory and even be able to identify them in their almost identical uniforms. Sometimes even the other guards can have trouble finding other people when all were dressed in uniform. It was another of the many reasons many of the guards have grown to feel something akin to affection to the kid, being with the endearing child brought out the more human side they never realised they still had.

"Ah yes sorry Tsuna-sa, I mean Tsuna." The two year old smiled and lifted up his hands as a gesture for the other to help pull the small child onto his feet and they all swore their teeth rotted a little more at the exposure to such a sweet smile. "Haai~ Shall we go then?" With just a nod the Vindice guard pulled the boy up from his sitting position and they left hand-in-hand but not without the small figure quickly turning back to wave goodbye at the group behind him who also absentmindedly waved back before dispersing to their usual routine.

Tsuna felt a mix of apprehension and excitement as they neared the throne room. He hadn't seen the cursed boss since he first was introduced to everyone. He couldn't wait to start training but he was also aware that he knew some secrets about them that they would probably rather not want him to know. He had a sneaking suspicion that the Vindice guards were the end result of the curse as he noticed that every guard had mangled corpse like appearances and held a stone pacifier around their necks, he had no idea how such a tragedy happened to them but he knew he wanted this cruel cycle to end. He had grown to like the quiet company despite only being here for a week and he could clearly see the pain and anguish hidden under their carefully calculated masks and it hurt him. It hurt him to see them suffering. And in order to even be a spark of hope he had to practice, to train and to experiment with his magical flames.

So lost in thought the young boy didn't even notice he was just standing in front of the door to the throne room, his guide already left to return back to his duties. "Young one are you alright? I think it would be easier to open the door with your hands rather than your eyes." Tsuna snapped back into reality and turned around to see a patiently waiting Jager though he did notice a slight smirk marring his features. Instead of looking cutely annoyed at himself for daydreaming the brunette observed the appearance of the Strongest Vindice Warrior's true form which over the week he had never seen.

Jager's flesh though scarred was dark indicating he probably used to have olive brown skin which would have looked beautiful on his tall yet muscular figure and dark wavy raven-hair. It seemed the man was aware and proud of his model-like figure as he wore no shirt but instead covered himself in bandages which were still a little loosely wrapped exposing his ribs that seemed to be ripped only on the left side of his torso. His pants black leather that was decorated with more bandages fashionably placed and while he held his Night Chain in his hand his torso was also covered in chains that seemed to purposely show off and highlight his features. His bandages barely covered the features of his face revealing more rotted flesh and his eyes which one of them are strangely inverted in colour with white pupils and black sclera while the other was normal with the usual pitch black iris. What was even more curious was that parts of his mouth showed signs of being sewed. Like the others he carried a stone pacifier on his neck however he still wore his top hat that like Bermuda was wrapped in bandages which probably meant that Jager was around the same standing as the Boss.

The taller male looked down to observe the small child who he noticed was doing the exact same thing as him. Big caramel brown eyes that seem to hide nothing with their foolish naivety, angelic features, gravity defying chestnut brown hair and a healthy glow so out of place in Vendicare. Jager like Bermuda was a founder of the Vindice and has seen many things come and go with nothing but an expressionless mask to adorn his features yet here he was smirking amusedly at this child who could easily pass off as a little lost animal. Something about the kid made him smile, made him feel something other than hatred and he knew the others were also feeling the change with some more comfortable with it then others. Personally he felt no qualms with a little change in such a dreary setting but the problem here was how fast this was occurring - it had only been a week since the brunette arrived and even the most composed guards seemed to crack a small smile whenever the young kid decided to talk to them or even just walk past. It both unnerved and amused the man however he still felt confident that when it came down to it the Vindice will be able to shut down their emotions and return to their old personas in the name of revenge, spending time with the little albeit charming young child will not change that.

"Ah! Good aftwenoon Jager-san!" After realising how long the two had stood and stared at the other in silence Tsuna on instinct quickly gave out his greetings flashing a shy smile. "I was told Bermuda-san wished to see me." The taller male just nodded and helped with opening the heavy door that lead to the throne room. There the bandaged baby was sitting on his respective throne patiently waiting for the two. When the arcobaleno caught sight of them he nodded in acknowledgement which the duo responded in kind.

"Child. Come closer." No hesitation was in the young one's steps despite being in the presence of two very intimidating figures which Bermuda couldn't help but appreciate, the child definitely had either a very oblivious nature or had a strong inner strength. He had suspicions it was a little of both. "You wished to train under me?" Small shoulders seemed to tense at the question and those large eyes seemed to shift slightly in nervousness. "No."

That drew some surprise. "No?" The honeyed brown eyes finally looked straight into the other's it's gaze warm and determined. "I wish to learn from you. To train with you." A small eyebrow was raised underneath bandages at the answer though it was mainly derived from amusement and not offence.

"Child is it not the same thing?"

"No- Twaining under you fewls wrong. Sometwing doesn't feel right with that.." His face scrunched up adorably as he tried to find the words to explain his meaning. The Vindice Boss however understood clearly even if the smaller child didn't. It was a matter of pride. He wished not to be seen as a lesser being but as an equal. Bermuda did not smile not even slightly. He was better than that. He did not feel something akin to affection or warmth in his body when he realised this. He was the boss of the most powerful feared group after all. He did not think how cute and fluffy the child was and he certainly did not just have the urge to hug the kid and ruffle his soft looking hair.

"I understand child. You do not need to go on." Jumping down from his extravagant throne full of furs and such he stood face to face with the brunette. "I will explain my knowledge of Night Flames to you but I must warn you I will not be lenient in my teachings." If Tsuna was anxious he sure didn't show it as he gave an unrestrained enthusiastic smile that seemed to brighten up the grey room. This time Bermuda wasn't ashamed to admit he showed a faint shadow of a smile- really this kid would be the death of them.

The two infants moved toward the training grounds that were located on a lower floor which Tsuna had never been to. Most of the guards barely used the place since they had learnt to have full control over their Night flames after being revived and had long given up on training an already dead body and only a few ever come down every once in a while to indulge in a sense of nostalgia or to release any unnecessary emotions plaguing them. As expected the place was completely empty which was perfect since there would be minimal damage if the inexperienced child accidentally lost control.

"The Night flame is a unique type of flame used by a select few-" Bermuda began explaining once they entered the grounds. Tsuna listened enraptured and Jager watched the scene amused at a distance- even when the Vindice Boss was an arcobaleno that held one of the flames of the sky he'd never taken an apprentice of any kind. It would be interesting on how things would move on now. "-the use of the flame is governed by a set of laws personally enforced by the Vindice. The first is to use the Flame, one must have a physical body, the second is the flame is fed off negative emotions so only people with enough of that is able to properly wield the flame and third the user of the flame must have a strong resolve to protect with their Vindice pride."

Dark flames covered small bandaged hands as they flexed open. "As you can see it has the distinct appearance of a heavy, inky darkness and an energy output higher than any other Flame currently in use, thus it can easily overpower the other Flames." Brown eyes widened and the two older males could swear they felt the waves of adoration and admiration coming off the small figure. "So it's one of the best flames?" The other two felt a strange smug feeling of satisfaction at that, however they decided to not answer for fear of feeding their ego all the more. "*ahem* yes well moving on. It causes explosive bursts of energy when used-" The dark flame condense and was thrown across the room leaving a small crater in the strengthened grey walls. "-can be capable of decimating entire areas in a violent burst of power. Now-" Bermuda lifted his flame covered hand up and moved it in a circular motion creating a portal filled by Night flames. "It can also connect different areas through portals for a quick escape. Another offensive option with the flame is the ability for it to coat the user, increasing their base power level." With that Bermuda finished covering the basics of his night flame. Tsuna seemed to be quickly absorbing the information as he nodded quietly to himself. The holder of the clear pacifier wondered how such an innocent young child become a night flame user, Tsuna didn't look like someone who came from any sort of dark background of course living as long as he had the arcobaleno knew he couldn't judge by appearances alone. He knew that better than anyone.

However what really intrigued the bandaged baby was that Night flames were usually an accompaniment flame meaning- the child held more than one type.

"Bermuda-san I have a question."

"Go ahead child"

"What if-" the brunette hesitated but quickly seemed to shrug it off with a burst of courage. "What if I had more than one magic flame? I-is that strange?" When he asked the question the child seemed so small.. So damn vulnerable and both makes could clearly see that this question held more weight than it seemed. With a reassuring pat on the brunette's head Bermuda gave an uncharacteristic and rare smile. They could sympathize with this child's problems after all- even Jäger moved closer yet still at a comfortable distance as if mentally trying to comfort child.

"Tsuna." Said kid looked at the arcobaleno genuinely surprised that the other had referred to him by name, the arcobaleno was pretty surprised himself but he didn't take it back either. "You are neither more different nor similar to anyone else. Having more than one flame is a little unusual but not rare." The younger of the trio still looked unsure at those words. "Look." Bermuda flicked his hand and a violet colored flame covered his hand as it flickered violently. Jäger also flicked his hand to reveal a bright blue flame though it only weakly flickered before pathetically dying out. Before Tsuna could question it the Vindice warrior answered the unspoken question. "Since we were revived with Night flames it became our major flame type greatly weakening our ability to use our previous flame." The last part of the statement seemed almost bittier but the young brunette decided not to point that out.

With a little more confidence in himself Tsuna took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he concentrated in bringing out his flames, relishing the warm feeling that came from letting his flames out as they flickered on his fingertips. It had been a whole week since he had used them all and frankly it had been a week too long for his liking. When all were brought out together it felt good like he was in harmony with everything. The two year old finally opened his eyes and froze.

When Bermuda and Jager saw the night flame flickering on the small child's finger they leaned in to see an orange flame covering the finger next to the other. It was a pleasant surprise but not a shock to see a Sky flame user especially one with such pure flames, it did explain why they felt so close to the kid as he on some level reminded them of their own Skys however they had to raise their eyebrows when another flame this time of a dark earthy-red colour began to flicker on another finger. By the end it was surprising they managed to even hold onto their crumbling masks of composure as not two, not three but ten different flames had been sparked. They weren't even aware there were even ten flames in existence! It was both a beautiful yet frightening sight to behold.

When the child finally opened his big honeyed eyes as if waking from a peaceful sleep he suddenly tensed as if sensing how uncomfortable and shocked the two before him were. For someone of such a young age he really was very perceptive though right now he would have traded this gift for anything in order to achieve the sweet bliss of ignorance.

"Y-you said that it wasn't strange." Tsuna's voice was low and hurt. The flashes of memory on that incident came back to him the moment he saw their expressions. That seemed to snap the duo back to the young, very vulnerable child before them. They suddenly understood the loneliness that seemed to emit in his Night flames and they too wanted to help ease the pain if only a little. Throwing away their masks, their stone-like frigid personas to show the little emotion they still contained they moved closer to the child and hugged tightly albeit a little awkwardly due to lack of practice. Despite the clumsy attempt at a hug it was comforting and soothing and something seemed to ease in the child making his tense shoulders relax. The memories that resurfaced had seemed to burn away into ashes as Tsuna focussed on the present warmth that was acceptance and unconsciously a few tears streamed down his eyes.

Quietly the trio broke away from the hug their reactions ranged from coughing in their hand, awkwardly rubbing the back of their neck, quickly wiping away a few stray tears and looking away from the other two in an attempt to cover up their embarrassment and the fact they actually enjoyed the moment of intimacy. None of them was used to such closeness from anyone and though they didn't regret it, it still felt strange and foreign to them.

"So… Now what?"

The older males thought about the answer to that question. Finally Bermuda spoke first.

"You will be free to use the training ground area as you please if you wish to practice alone. I will also still teach you how to control your Night flames." Tsuna seemed to feel a wave of relief wash over him. "And we will have to inform the other Vindice about your… gift." The wave froze over and the cold seep of anxiety slipped in. Upon seeing the reaction the arcobaleno's bandaged features softened slightly and Jager ruffled the child's hair gently.

"We assure you that my subordinates will not shun you or deem you anything less than human. We too have experienced our fair share of such abuse and are understanding to the insecurity you are feeling now."

Jager- not one to just watch by the sidelines also stepped up. "Though we may have lost full usage with our previous flames we will do our upmost to impart our knowledge of our skills." Tsuna looked up gratefully at the two and they swore to themselves they felt something flutter in their chests.

At the unexpected news about the potential and flames of the small newcomer the Vindice members were undeniably surprised but just as accepting as their bosses. They had grown to like the innocent child and his multitude of flames just made the brunette seem even more precious and gave a surging need to protect the spark of life in those wide caramel brown eyes.

On some level they knew they had accepted him as their sky. It was a small fragile Sky to say the least but it had accepted the likes of them.

The Night was not feared by the little Sky.

The Night that was feared and scorned by all had been accepted with warmth and light for the first time.

And for that alone the Night will protect their little Sky until it grows big and strong enough to also stand proudly by the Night.

For that is the duty of the Night.

To protect their small new Sky.