Hey hey~
I really don't know where this one was heading honestly. Apparently it was more OCs (goddammit)
Also more songs in this chapter. Yes that's just going to be a thing in this. When I don't know how to work a scene I usually have one song that goes perfectly for it. Seriously I have a whole playlist perfect for various future scenes of this fic. (don't judge me)
Anyway I have put up a poll on my profile (yaaay) please check it out~~
oh also OMG GUYS I have like 26 reviews for my last chapter~ aaawww I have usually on average like 15 reviews each but this has made me sooo happy! And over 300 followers- are you kidding me?! (squeal)
That makes me like almost halfway there on being a kinda popular fanfic writer! And I'm so glad you guys like the first chapter of The Little Tunafish!
Ok I kept ya waiting long enough~~ Please enjoy!
A Game, A Fall And A Room full of Strangers
"Found you!"
The crouched Vindice gave a playful scowl of annoyance and affection as he crawled out his hiding place, unveiling himself from under the bed, covered in grey camouflage paint. The little Vindice dressed in white and orange giggled excitably, his gravity defying hair sticking out of his outfit shaking in laughter as the other 'found' Vindice guards sweatdropped. Alejandro being one of those guards couldn't help but let a small (but still dignified) sigh escape his cracked lips. Just how did they get into this embarrassing situation?
Flashback
"Alejandro-san, Alewamdro-san!" The old Vindice and the guards gathered around him holding their daily reports for the day all turned to look down at the excitable child all holding a soft gaze reserved only for the other. "Yes Tsuna-kun?" Came the raspy reply, the tone still cold but did not hold it's usual icy freeze. The young boy seemed extra adorable today, his cute puffy marshmallow-soft cheeks held an endearing pink blush and the child was fidgeting in the perfect mix of nervousness and giddiness, he must have been really excited if the brunette was reverting back to his baby-like pronunciation however it only added to his charm. "A-ano... Will you guys play hide 'n sewk wif me?"
Honeyed brown eyes looked up, so full of hope at the guards. They looked at the paperwork in their hands and thought of the work they still needed to fulfill by today, then they looked back at those large brown eyes, then back at the stack of papers. Tough decision. All the Vindice there turned to Alejandro with a glimmer in their eyes that can almost be akin to pleading. The elder Vindice looked at his subordinates dryly, he had come from a noble hard-working heritage and not once had he ever skipped out on work- no matter how mind-numbingly boring. However the guard made the fatal mistake of looking directly into those large caramel brown eyes again. Eyes so wide and full of hope that if Tsuna had been asking them to jump off a tower they'd be running toward it. Damn, they should make a law against the persuasive abilities puppy dog eyes hold, especially in the hands of a certain Sawada Tsunayoshi. It also didn't help that the boy was wearing his custom Vindice outfit from his birthday that seemed to never fail in melting any strengthened resolve they held. After a moment of internal debating the guard looked to the child and gave an exasperated smile of surrender. "What's one or two rounds going to hurt?"
End flashback
Apparently the answer was a lot. To their pride at least. The man mentally scowled as he and all the other Vindice who had been found by Tsuna walked behind the child like baby ducklings to their momma, if that wasn't mortifying enough since the child couldn't create portals like them they all had to walk around the halls searching for the other hiding guards as amused cloaked undead bystanders watched with smirks plastered on their damned undead faces. Damn the cuteness of the child and its magical persuasive properties. Maybe Small Gia was right in trying to utilize such sheer pure adorableness for interrogation purposes.
As the line of Vindice continued to follow the small cosplaying child with as much dignity and grace they could possibly muster despite their circumstances they noted with some approval that the interval between searching and finding the guards had lowered but by bit. Apparently hide and seek served as good practice for the boy's intuition. At least they had the pleasure of watching the child's talents grow, even when said child wasn't fully aware of it himself.
Their train of thought however was abruptly out to a stop when the Orange Vindice did. For a second Tsuna paused as if sensing or listening to something the other guards couldn't hear and ran off (almost tripping a few times on his cape in the process) to a seemingly random direction. Not one to be left behind the line of guards quickened their pace to follow the surprisingly swift child (another flare of pride burst inside them at the thought of the training with the kid paying off).
They entered an empty bedroom with Tsuna looking like a dog sniffing out a bone as he rummaged around however instead of a bone he was searching for a hidden Vindice guard, an individual that made even the greatest hitman not wish to cross. His brows furrowed cutely as he found almost no trace of anyone in the room. Was the little tingling feeling wrong? It hadn't been before and he didn't see why it would fail now. Just as he began the second round of searching the child clumsily tripped on nothing but the floor. The guards watching either fought the urge to sigh or coo at the sight, to their credit they still remained impassively stoic to which they all mentally patted their backs considering it to be their biggest achievement of the day. And isn't that just a little bit sad?
The brunette picked himself up and dusting himself off as he held off a sniffle at the pain. He didn't want to look weak in front of everyone and he was pretty proud that he'd managed to not fully burst into tears at all since he entered Vendicare. Well not in front of the Vindice anyway. Though something told him that Bermuda was suspecting something was wrong, however other than a few times he caught the bandaged baby staring intensely at him after he had cried himself to sleep or before and after his monthly visit to his so-called house their was no actual evidence to back the suspicion. But that strange nagging feeling was insisting persistently something else.
Where were we? Ah right. The brunette furrowed his brow further as he put his top hat which had dropped off during the fall back on his fluffy head. He could have swore that this time he didn't just trip on thin air. Waddling cutely to where he tripped the small child bent down to examine the floor, using his hands to feel rather than just relying on his eyes. It took a little while but he found what he was hoping to find, triumphantly he dug his tiny fingers into a thin almost unidentifiable notch on the grey marble flooring. Curiously he applied pressure and a small but audible *click* was heard and a small trapdoor opened revealing a sheepish looking guard.
They all swore they could hear the whirring mechanism in the brunette's head at the implication of a secret passage. Everyone tensed slightly as the short figure turned to them, eyes emitting all sorts of sparkly flowers. "Ne, does this mean their are other secret passages hidden throughout Vemdicare?!" The young child practically squealed at the prospect, his curiosity overflowing and childish excitement evident.
The cloaked jailers shuddered faintly at the sparkles emitting from the boy. Tsuna was a kind, timid, adorable kid. But hell did trouble seem to follow like a persistent stalker, only revealing itself whenever the Vindice look away for even a second. They were the most feared, powerful enforcers in the world yet they still could never quite comprehend how they lost a three-year old in their own prison nor how when they finally located said three-year old in the now ruined lower floor bathhouse, all water pipes either burst or damaged, somehow the water was a fluorescent pink color that had also spread to the rest of the water system and didn't leave for a week. They all had to do their duties at nighttime so their victims wouldn't notice the faint neon pink shade on their bandages they wore. Needless to say that giving the boy access to the various secret trapdoors and passages in Vendicare- a prison filled with the underworld's worst- was not exactly on the top of their lists.
"Tsuna-kun" A guard stepped up with a stern look that would have made most children, no, most grown men cry upon sight. Tsuna only looked quietly at the guard who had spoken with equal intensity. He knew that the guard wasn't mad and even if he was Tsuna knew showing any sign of fear or weakness would have made it worse. Luckily he had never come across a situation where he had angered any of the guards and he would very much like to keep it that way. Appreciating the strong gaze from the child the guard's own facial features softened ever so slightly on his stoic face. "It's your turn to hide."
At the statement the brunette lit up like a light. Alejandro looked to something akin to approval to his subordinate, the guard had used the child's limited concentration and attention span to distract the boy and avoid any imminent headaches or pink clothing in the future. Yes he definitely deserved a reward. Maybe a little time off which the guard would obviously spend with the child. The jailers of Vendicare had no interest in material items so raising their already high pay held no real value to them, however everyone loved Tsuna and more Tsuna time was a privilege everyone wanted.
Previous thoughts temporarily forgotten the boy decided to give his strictest face as he ordered the guards to close their eyes and count to a hundred. They all nodded as they absentmindedly thought the child's attempt at a stern look was more akin to the amusing and adorable sight of a pouting small animal. As they followed the small brunette dressed up as a fellow Vindice's order said brunette quickly scampered out of the room.
They began counting up to a hundred however midway through a guard suddenly realised something. "Uhm... Was it a good idea to let the child go unsupervised with knowledge that there is a possibility of hidden passages?" Alejandro turned so sharply that if he had a living body he probably would have gotten whiplash, his usual calm dignified composure thrown out the metaphorical window as he raised his usual soft icy voice. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?"
Making a bee-line to his room Tsuna let out a small childish giggle. Who knew this hide and seek was so fun?! He saw Ieyasu playing it with his friends the last time he visited and they looked like they were definitely enjoying themselves. A part of him wished his twin would have at least thought to offer him to join.
Tugging down his white and orange top hat to hide his deepening frown of disappointment, the brunette pushed his darkening thoughts out to focus on the more pressing issue on where to hide. He may be young but he held no delusions on his skill (or lack of it) compared to the Vindice. Not wanting to be a disappointing hider the child decided to go with the simple strategy to hide in plain sight. The jailers were used to hunting down skilled, complicated mafioso so by going to the most obvious place- his own bedroom- hopefully it would throw them off a bit.
Feeling like some sort of spy, the child cutely hugged the walls as he tried to imitate something akin to a ninja. Whenever a guard would pass by Tsuna would momentarily forget himself and happily wave, brightening especially when the other elder Vindice would return the gesture then the boy would scrunch up his face endearingly and press a finger to his mouth as a gesture of silence. Amused and inwardly squealing (which they will deny tooth and nail if questioned) at how simply precious this little brunette was. A few more tech-savvy younger guards of a more recent generation whipped out their cameras and rushed to quickly get the content printed. Though the child knew better than anyone that the guard's wouldn't disclose where he was going to hide, all the waving and picture taking was severely compromising his position; he wished he knew how to teleport like the others. Maybe after this he'll ask Bermuda to teach him that spell, he'd definitely make sure to use his biggest puppy dog eyes.
Finally he reached his room. Closing his door as quietly as possible the brunette surveyed the area with calculating eyes. In the end the boy locked in on his wardrobe, it was filled with clothes (courtesy of all the female Vindice, Jäger and surprisingly Big Pino who despite his large stature was very goof with his hands) making it a very comfortable place for a child to stay in for long periods of time. Before he made his way to the wardrobe however the child hesitated. Then quickly grabbed with tiny hands the fire red iPod and headphones the brunette had gotten for his birthday.
What? He wanted a good place to hide, not a cramp and mind-numbing boredom.
The back of his mind was warning him that the Vindice would begin searching very soon. Tsuna pouted a little at that- he was very sure it wasn't even near a hundred seconds yet! But he couldn't exactly complain right now so the brunette just swiftly jumped into his wardrobe, careful to close the doors as silently as he could whilst he snuggled into the corner.
It took only ten minutes of silent darkness before Tsuna felt bored and lonely. Who knew the hiding part was sooo boring? It was a strange feeling being bored. The boy always was doing something- physical training, play with his flames, sparring (and failing) with the guards, chatting with everyone and when he wasn't spending time with his beloved jailers Tsuna spent the rest of the time reading various books either from the large library or his own gifts, writing down notes in his notebooks or training and experimenting with his magic flames by himself. It had been around two months after Bermuda and he actually voiced that they loved each other they had been closer than ever, since both rather liked their peace and quiet they had decided to spend their peace and quiet together.
It was fun and relaxing however today Bermuda had a lot of paperwork which the brunette was not willing to help out with. No. He had tried helping out one time and it had honestly been the most mind-numbingly boring thing in the world. Childishly he swore to never be a boss with this much paperwork. But as he waited for the seconds to tick by Tsuna felt a pang of unwanted nostalgia, reminding him of that awful period before the Vindice, that time where he had no one to look for him when he was in the shadows, no one to rescue him from the inescapable loneliness that would have driven him slowly insane with only the books as comfort. He wondered what life would have been if not for such a fateful encounter, the feeling inside him squirmed as if trying to convey how very different things could have been.
Deep in his thoughts the boy unconsciously snuggled in closer to the corner, one hand tightly holding the gifts from Jack and the other grazing the flooring beneath the small figure as a support. However the free limb stopped as fingers felt something familiar in a seemingly random place on the floor of the wardrobe. A notch.
The small Vindice cosplayer gave a sharp intake of air. Not even thinking properly as all logic was promptly pushed aside and the warning ringing of his intuition was ignored by childish excitement, the child began fiddling with the notch in an attempt to find whatever secret it held. Large brown eyes squinted for a better view in the darkness as tiny fingers twiddled with the mysterious crack. As he twisted and pulled the brunette finally heard a resounding *click* before he suddenly felt the ground underneath him open up.
'Eh?'
'Eeeeeeeeeehhhhh?!'
The shocked and fairly regretful child didn't even have a chance to scream before falling into the dark abyss. Many things ran frantically in his mind. However the most prominent thought that kept popping up in his head was simply- 'I hope to god Gia-san didn't create this.'
All things occupying his mind promptly vacated however as the painful feeling of hitting a hard surface made extra sure to be very well known. "Ite, ite..." Quickly Tsuna checked his body for any injuries like he had been taught to do then began observing his surroundings. Thankfully all he gotten were a few ugly bruises but nothing broken. As the small boy looked up, the first thing he noticed was the walls unlike the walls he was used to were a blinding white. The second thing was he was in a hall with around forty square rooms with bars on them. The third was that each room held one person wearing a moss green jumpsuit similar to the design of prisoners the child had seen in books and cartoons. The fourth was these people were staring at him, making the shy boy very uncomfortable. And the fifth and probably the most important thing Tsuna noticed was... There was no door. No escape. Oh dear.
"Oi. Who the hell are you?"
"Hiee?!" Tsuna couldn't help but squeal in surprise as he turned to the unexpected voice behind him. There behind sterile white bars was a large, muscular, scarred man with semi-long uneven raven hair and scary sharp brown eyes. If the child didn't know he was in one of the prison areas holding hardened mafia criminals, he was very aware of it now. Those eyes sharpened further into a disgusted glare and scar torn lips pursed into a grimace. "I have never seen an orange Vindice. Let alone one so... small and weak-looking."
It finally dawned on the brunette that he was still dressed up in his Vindice outfit. And all these people thought he was therefore part of Vindice. The child decided that it would be bad if they found out who he really was soo... "Hai... I am Tsu. A-a new guard." Inwardly the boy winced. He wasn't good with strangers and while he could bluff easily, long-term lies were much harder to do. And this time he couldn't rely on raising his cute meter to get out of the situation. In short this was very unknown territory. Hopefully Alejandro-san and the others will realise what's happened soon. The scary man before him seemed suspicious but finally after a tense silence it seemed he accepted it. Feeling a little bit more confident Tsuna turned to face everyone else with a dazzling smile they could practically feel even under the bandages. "Uhh. So hello evewyone! I'm Tsu. And you all are?"
They wanted to ignore the tiny guard. To cuss or yell obscenities like always. They were criminals among criminals. They weren't just going to introduce themselves like kindergarteners! Not even for that strangely compelling bright sparkly aura exuding from the orange and white Vindice. They didn't care how kind of cute the jailer looked. They were criminals, they were not- "Kazumasa Dijo. Ex-Heir of the Dijo Familigia."
Surprisingly the first to break was the scary scarred samurai. However once he gave into Tsuna's adorable cuteness that not even one Vindice guard could withstand for long the other inmates soon followed.
"Marcos Rovida. One of the possible heirs of the Beck Familigia. And a delightful pleasure." A rather tall, wirey man with slicked back dirty blonde hair, dark green eyes that flashed with mischief and a smile like a fox practically purred at Tsuna as he extended his hand through the bars. The brunette was just about to respond to the gesture in turn when another voice cut in. "Ah wouldn't do that if ah was ya'll."
Turning to the cell next to the wirey man was a rather scruffy yet equally as intimidating and muscular man. "That guy'll screw anything small and even remotely alive." The man drawled in a heavy American accent, drooping blue eyes twinkled dimly under the artificial light as he scratched his messily cropped dark oak hair. "Dalt Wittmann. Bastard child of the boss of the Nuevo Familigia."
The brunette realised after about the twelfth introduction that all these imprisoned in this particular area were all possible heirs or very high ranking mafiosos related to Bosses. Tsuna didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing.
After all the introductions there was an awkward tense silence. The child fidgeted uncomfortably under the gazes of the mafiasos. A small part of him wished that he had asked more about what happens with their dealings in terms of prison treatment. Apparently the bliss that came from ignorance was only temporary. Unable to take it anymore he blurted out the first question in his head. "A-ano- so why are you all here?"
The brunette began sweating bullets as the atmosphere became almost suffocating under the disturbing mix of darkened glares and sadistic, maniacal grins. "Ah, you don't have to answer if you don't want t-" "Keh I'm here for breaking the Omertà and selling out family secrets."
The small guard was a little taken aback from the sudden answer. "Why would you do that?"He asked innocently wit a strange mix of sick fearful curiosity. The prisoner who answered smiled greedily with only a mouth half filled with teeth. "Money of course." Tsuna was shocked. He would never sell out his family for money! Many others began telling almost proudly their misdeeds and terrible actions- murder, torture, betrayal- for such petty reasons to the simple child- money, fame, satisfaction. Some like the American and the samurai refused to divulge their pasts which the boy respected, in a way happy some people in these cells held at least some sort of ruefulness for whatever actions they incurred.
"Well I, mon petite cherie- am here on a minor misunderstanding." The wirey blond said dramatically with the large smile plastered on his face. The brunette however had much experience in observing and identifying the various subtle almost non-existent changes of emotion in the stoic Vindice jailers and a half-hearted fake smile did nothing to fool the boy in not seeing the weary, guilt-scarred face underneath the mask.
Another prisoner practically spat at the other. This one had a large scare from his left eye to the bottom of his right ear. "Misunderstanding my ass! You screwed my boss's son and killed him. You damn. Fucking. Pedophile!" The last word was practically scrunched up and spat out like poison, Tsuna carefully noted to ask about that word later (Vindice around the globe suddenly as one felt a strange foreboding feeling). Apparently a lot of people held a lot of disgust to this man as they too began lashing out various obscenities, threats and other bad things that Tsuna absentmindedly thought he really shouldn't be hearing at his rather tender age. The people who weren't yelling such mean things were not exactly protecting or defending the man either. The brunette wondered why such a person who could incur such hatred, no- why such a person would personally go out of his way to incite and spark such anger smiled so sadly, Tsuna sensed the man held no malicious intent when he extended his hand nor was the child sensing any now. He didn't understand complicated social things like labels and such but the child knew that for whatever reason this man seemed intent on punishing himself by making his own life miserable. And Tsuna didn't like that one bit.
In fact Tsuna didn't like any of this. He didn't like how easily over half these people held no such remorse for what they have done. He didn't like how rude they were being to him which implies how rude they were to the actual Vindice. And he certainly didn't like how confident they were on getting out of this place- Vendicare was supposed to reform them! If they didn't learn their wrongs then the Vindice would have wasted their time and effort for nothing and if the brunette was going to have days all alone in the grey halls he would very much like to know it was for a reason. Childishly he felt himself getting angry at the raucous noise. The brunette felt he had to do something, anything to make an impact on these lawbreakers. The boy then noticed a large beautiful white cross at the other end of the hall, ironic considered where it was placed- a room filled with sinners and a child that had given up after many prayers to be forgiven by his mother, maybe it was a joke by one of the more sadistic pranksters in the Vindice or the more religious. Either way a little idea began to form. It wasn't well planned, not even remotely thought out but the child was very aware that he couldn't change these men. The least he could do was make them shut up and hopefully silenced them for a little while.
Hastily the orange and white clad mini Vindice pulled out his red iPod and scrolled down discreetly. Finally he found the song he had been searching for. Yes a song. Tsuna was going to sing, he'd been meaning to practice his singing anyway since the child wanted to start playing with the karaoke machine Jager gave him (Again the Vindice as one stopped whatever they were doing -paperwork, daily duties, torture, having a cup of tea- and shuddered subtly as an ominous feeling settled over them).
The notes of a violin was heard over the sounds of verbal chaos. A sound so foreign, so long forgotten to the inhabitants in these white walls they all stopped to listen.
I don't know if You can hear me
Or if You're even there
All eyes turned to the small Vindice that they had completely forgotten about. They could tell the bandages covering the little jailer's eyes and mouth were ripped off, yet the guard's head was down and the shadow from the orange, white top hat obscured the face from their view. The imprisoned mafiosos never imagined to ever catch a glimpse behind those bandages let alone hear such a breathtakingly pure voice.
I don't know if You would listen
To a small child's prayer
The little Vindice lifted his head and the grown hardened criminals let out an inaudible sharp intake of breath. Big wide eyes greeted them but that wasn't the reason for their gasp. It was the color. Or rather the lack of color. A faded orange shimmered sadly in the child's pupils, a similarly colored small flame burst onto his forehead as well- a mixture of the sky and the stars- yet despite the lack of saturation in those eyes they seemed to sparkle and hold a strong storm of emotions giving the young boy an ethereal beauty.
Yes, I know I'm just an outcast
I shouldn't speak to You
The tiny guard so small and fragile walked with unusual grace, so much so it could almost look like floating as he strode slowly, purposefully toward the cross at the end of the hall.
Still I see Your face and wonder
Were You once an outcast too?
Even if it was a spur of the moment. Tsuna meant everything he said. Constantly wondering, asking why he was different, why he had to be hated and ignored by his own flesh and blood. He had read the bible once. But even that held no answers. Only more questions.
God help the outcasts
Hungry from birth
Show them the mercy
They don't find on earth
The child turned from the cross to face his imprisoned spellbound audience as he continued the song. Tsuna knew- no he sensed- these people were just like him. They were not wanted in their family- whether it to be circumstances of birth, fear, the rights to inherit and more- just like him. They were outsiders like him. Outcasts. Like him. But unlike him they didn't find another to be accepted by. Tsuna had the Vindice. They had no one. And that knowledge upset the child more than anything. If no one will accept them, at least he would even despite their sins.
Please help the people
They look to You still
The prisoners listened as the hauntingly delicate yet strong beautiful voice echoed through the walls. Emotion dripped from each word and they felt every drop of it. Sadness, empathy, forgiveness and most importantly- acceptance.
God help the outcasts
Or nobody will
Suddenly the air around them seemed to distort and blur as a shimmery yet almost alive substance seeped from small bandaged hands. At first nothing seemed to happen as they all held their breath and looked in silent wonder at this strangeness, then a few of the faint sparkles seem to glow and pulse more noticeably as the air began to take a slight orange tinge. Each second felt like hours as they watched faint silhouettes of figures seem to morph from each little star as if being called by a siren's song. Each prisoner shivered in awe and fear as they recognized some of those figures, figures they knew from a life out of these bars, figures that haunted their dreams and waking moment. The figures whose souls were taken as a consequence of their sins.
You asked for wealth,
Terrifying. That was the word to describe the situation to these breakers of the law as the listened to the hollow, cold voices of the dead. Spirits flew closer to their killers as if mocking them who could feel the temperature around them dropped to spine-chilling. Raw emotions of hurt, hatred and betrayal rang out as well as the living begging for forgiveness.
You asked for fame
The shimmering translucent figures clawed at their paling makers. These were people who died because of them, because of their selfishness and greed. Tsuna watched the scene play out in curious wonder, it really had been his first time successfully calling out the spirits. Of course it wasn't that hard considering many of those ghosts were already floating around nearby their respective 'hosts'. Though it was a little harder in manipulating the paranormal figures however the child can sense more or less a willingness in the beings, a sense of vindication yet deeper down a sense of worry and responsibility.
You asked for glory to shine on your name
While each prisoner were surrounded by many souls the brunette zeroed in to Marcos Rovida who had only one lingering ghost of his past, of his sins. From the look of clear blatant shock plastered on the blonde's face it was easy to assume that this was the young man the mafioso apparently raped and killed. With a subtle wave of his bandaged covered hand all other voices quietened in volume as the young rather beautiful ghostly figure cupping gently the blonde mafioso's face opened his mouth.
You asked for love,
The ethereal translucent face neared the living being's own, lips barely brushing over each other before pulling away as Marcos could see the sadness in those dead eyes. He could see slight blurring running down the shimmering figures cheeks- tears? Could ghosts cry? It didn't matter as he felt wetness falling down his own face as well.
you can't possess
The feelings of hurt and something else was evident on the man's features. It looked very familiar to Tsuna. It reminded him strangely of the first time his mother rejected him, looked at him like a monster and he knew what was going through her head. Ah. That's right. Of course Tsuna recognized the something else. Heartbreak. The brunette realised this man must have really loved the other and vice versa if the feeling of sad affection pulsating in the flames solidifying the spirit was any indication. Slightly reluctantly the child broke up the tragic reunion as he once again called the lingering spirits to him. They began circling around the small Vindice once again singing in their hollow voices.
I ask for God and His angels to ble~ss you
Instead of the cold edge of mocking and bitterness the prisoners could feel something else in the voices that they had damned. Something they would have never believe if not first hand. Worry. Compassion. These were the people who had supported them, had looked up to them and loved them. Yet they had betrayed and in the process sold lives they had no right to take. So why did they look so worried for them? Why did it looked like... They care?
With a flourish of his hands the child waved the encircling souls away as he stepped forward and continued his song. A high voice ringing out, cutting down slowly the iron walls of selfishness and greed that had built up in these criminals hearts.
I ask for nothing
I can get by
But I know so many
Less lucky than I
A feeling was stirring in these hardened hearts. One that they had pushed away, ignored and locked in a box covered with metaphorical chains. Yet after seeing again the souls who they had taken and hearing such heart-touching words that seemed to connect deeply with them the feeling was stirring. Guilt.
God help the outcasts
The poor and downtrod
I thought we all were
Children of God
Unconsciously tears began to fall from their eyes as one by one they began to break the wall they willingly build up to blind themselves.
I dont know if there's a reason
This strange little orange Vindice was different. He looked at each of them not as a criminal, not even as the heirs or high ranking powerful mafioso but as who they are. Imperfect. Flawed. Human.
The small guard didn't seem to care about it, in fact he almost seemed understanding like he too has experienced his own sense of loneliness, of isolation, of confusion.
Why some are blessed some not
Why the few you seem to favour
They fear us, flee us, try not to se~e us,
The words the child Vindice sang clear and pure struck each of the prisoners deep inside them. It too echoed deeply in Tsuna too as his own memories of being neglected by his own family welled inside him. Still he continued to sing his heart out.
God help the outcasts
The tattered the torn
Seeking an answer to why they were born
At first the boy sang for vindictive pleasure, to silence the arrogant, rude prisoners who carelessly sin yet as he continued he almost felt a bond, an understanding between them. It was small and weak much like him but Tsuna was sure that slowly the men would reform and change for the better.
Winds of misfortune
Have blown them about
You made the outcasts
Dont cast them out.
Each prisoner woke up today expecting the usual dark, gloomy, stoic, intimidating black-clad guard to come feed them the same crap food, torture a few that were misbehaving and maybe make a haughty statement or two. Not this. They weren't expecting a timid, admittedly adorable three-year old jailer dressed in bright orange and pure white as he sang so entrancingly that spirits of the dead had come to listen. They weren't expecting to be moved to the point of tears and to feel strangely close to the tiny jailer despite not even knowing the kid for a day. They weren't expecting these emotions that had been suppressed for so goddamn long to just break through the wall they had so carefully built around their hearts.
The poor and unlucky
The weak and the odd
It had been confusing and frankly a little terrifying the sway and charm the little one had on people like them. Wild lone wolves that held more scars in the years of living in the darkness- both physical and psychological. To create a small spark, a tiny one that most wouldn't notice but they did. A spark of change. Of promise. And they as one felt the need to protect that spark. To feed it and watch it grow. Till that small spark became a huge bonfire. And this little orange guard will be there each step of the way.
I thought we all were
The children of Go~d.
"TSUUUNAAA!~~"
"COME OUT TSUNA GAME OVER!"
"You won! Now please for the love of God come out!"
"Goddamnit where is he?!"
"How in the freaking hell did you lose the kid in our own freaking prison?!"
"Shut it Jack!" The no longer composed Alejandro hissed as they sprinted through the winding halls. "If I don't recall weren't you the one who lost him the last time and for three weeks the water was pink after that?!"
"Why you-"
"Oi this is no time to fight! Tsuna could be anywhere if he came across a secret door and if Bermuda finds out we lost him..." Ario trailed off the silence speaking louder than words as all of the searching jailer's within earshot shuddered violently, not even bothering to hide it. That's how scary a protective Night Arcobaleno's wrath was.
"Thank god Bermuda and Jäger have gone to check on the tenth floor prison area."
For once Bermuda and Jäger were at a loss for words. Like really at a loss. The scene was just... So unexpected was definitely a word for it. The floor reserved for valued individual offenders in familigias was filled with sobbing grown law breakers who were all thanking and asking for forgiveness to a very familiar orange and white clad child.
Their child.
Holy shit was someone going to die.
"Tsuna what are you doing here?" Bermuda boomed intimidatingly making all the men flinch and cease talking and sobbing. Tsuna just perked up as he recognized the voice, turning around to face the duo he gave a huge dazzling smile as his now caramel brown eyes shone with joy. "Boss!, Jäger-san!" He yelped in excitement as he rushed to the two, making sure to not refer the Arcobaleno's name in order to not compromise the other's identity.
Though still a little blindsided by the strange almost surreal sight the founders of Vendicare still managed to reciprocate the adorable child's hug. "Tsuna what are you doing here?" The smallest of the trio repeated, this time in a gentler tone. The brunette tilted his head cutely as he thought about the question. Then he giggled cheerily as he waved his hands around in an excited frenzy. "I was playing hide n' sweek! And I got really good at seeking then it was my turn to hide but I didn't know where to go so I hid in the wardrobe and I found a notch which dropped me here!" The child babbled almost incoherently. Luckily the two jailers had experience in interpreting the hysterical and the over emotional. Nodding stoically at the bubbly Orange Vindice they still had another question on the edge of their tongues. "So.." Jäger began a little uncertain how to put this subtl-oh hell with it. He'll ask the way he usually does. Bluntly and reveling in other's misery. "Why are our prisoners crying and practically groveling at your feet?"
Said prisoners turned red in humilation and indignation as they stuttered out excuses and swore with a vocabulary a pirate would die for. While the reaction satisfied the rather sadistically vindictive bosses the use of expletives in front of their dear pure Tsuna did not. If the sudden temperature drop didn't shut them up, the dark aura and the sudden chill of their instincts telling them to run definitely did. The boy however remained completely oblivious as his own intuition didn't warn him of any sign of danger. Which was right. There was no danger to him. But a lot of criminals and jailers (Alejandro and co failed to suppress a shiver) were not going to be so blessed.
Maybe it was a crazy idea spurned on by the need to live. Maybe it was a stroke of genius which was formed after noting how loved the orange and white guard seemed to be. Maybe it was a naturally rebellious attitude and need for sass. Maybe it was a bit of both. But either way it ended with one prisoner (clearly lacking in morals and pride) opening his big mouth. "Tsu-sama the other guards are being mean!"
Jäger and Bermuda stopped producing a suffocatingly scary aura to now stare in a mix of aghast and bewilderment at the other, not that it could be noticed by those chained up amateurs. Did- did that man just tell on them?! For the second time that day they were rendered speechless and the two must say they did not welcome the experience at all.
Tsuna looked up at the two most powerful Vindice with eyes of a keen observer, it was possibly the first time other than the time when he first appeared in Vendicare did the two look so blindsided. It was very funny- not that he was going to voice his opinion to the very prideful Vindice bosses. Finally Bermuda quickly gathered his bearings and resumed the role of intimidation personified. "Tsuna. We are leaving."
Then the child just had to say something to blindside them again. With twinkling caramel eyes and a smile that you just couldn't say no to Tsuna asked.
"Can I keep them?"
Inwardly Bermuda groaned whilst Jäger snickered a little at the dilemma. Figures. The first time the child asks for anything for himself and he wants a prison full the mafia's worst. Why couldn't the boy have asked for a puppy or even one of those weird technologically advanced games that kids nowadays are into? Nooo it had to be a group of grown scarred men with seriously shady pasts. "Child you do realize what you're actually asking right?"
"Yes"
"They are not good people."
"I know that."
"No matter what you do it'll never change their history."
"But maybe I can change their future."
The Night Arcobaleno looked down to see determined eyes flashing a vibrant orange as it filled with determined resolve. He knew deep inside that if anyone can change these people it would be Tsuna, he had faith. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to let the boy take care of them- he was still too young and innocent!
"You would have to feed them."
"Okay."
"Make sure they have a few hours out of bars so they can stretch their limbs."
"Yup."
"Prevent anyone from murdering well... Everyone."
"I'll try my best."
"You have to provide necessary torture and other such actions to keep them in their place."
"I'll get Gia-san to teach me."
Both looked at each other tensely as neither backed down. When Jäger stopped snickering his ass off he too joined the glaring competition, suddenly there was a very real possibility the three year old would obtain a whole prison level at that was not funny in the slightest. The criminals behind bars all craned their necks and held their breaths watching the exchange and silently cheering the small orange and white Vindice. Tsuna could feel himself losing as both Bermuda and Jäger's intense gaze chipped away his own. Two against one wasn't fair! Internally the brunette pouted. Then he gave a sly grin as he decided to pull his secret weapon. He could already feel their gazes wavering as he looked up with the most adorable diabetes inducing puppy dog eyes as well as combined with a small shy yet dazzling smile. "Pwease?"
Shit. The child knew very well where their buttons were and he knew how to hit all the right ones. Hard. Finally the strongest jailers in the world had to look away at the sheer purity and raw cuteness of it all. Defeated they decided to reach a compromise. "Fine. You may be granted access to the tenth floor prisoners as well as have the authority to be in charge. However you must be accompanied by at least one of the usual five strongest guards or myself until we believe your old enough to go by yourself."
Tsuna tried to contain his excitement. It was really hard for him to maintain a business like poker face and his wide expressive eyes betrayed him as they sparkled in happiness. Luckily he maintained a very businesslike tone well as business like as a three year old can muster. "I accept these terms. But I want to be able to feed them my self."
Jäger with an amused minuscule quirk of his lips barely seen for anyone not the two smaller cloaked males promptly agreed much to Bermuda's annoyance. "Deal."
Unable to suppress the childish glee anymore Tsuna squealed in happiness as he hugged the Strongest Vindice Warrior's knee and gestured the Arcobaleno to come down to give a chaste peck on his chubby cheeks in which Bermuda promptly and uncharacteristically exploded in a pink blush. Ooooh Jäger was never going to let his master live that down. He really wished he brought his camera. Actually he needed to get one of the younger guards to teach him how to use it. Maybe Jack or Small Gia.
With a cheery wave the child Vindice finally bid a temporary goodbye to the mafiosos and now new charges who in turn stiffly (and slightly blushingly) waved back.
Tsuna couldn't wait to tell everyone about his new acquisition! Now it was like he was actually one of the Vindice- duties and all. Though he knew he was and forever be accepted as part of their family the brunette always felt some need, some insecurity inside him that made him feel so useless. Even if this was a little thing Tsuna really felt like he belonged. Not to mention now when all the guards are busy he doesn't have to feel so alone in these empty grey walls if he visits the prison. Plus it's an added bonus that now he can practice his new combination flame on some test subjects (after all he didn't want any horrible side effects due to a lack of real world application), they did say he had to dish out some sort of punishment after all and while Tsuna wasn't one for violence, if it both impresses and helps his family he is willing to do whatever it takes.
Once the two Vindice bosses were alone Bermuda couldn't help but vent his absolute frustration on a poor wall and a few rather expensive pieces of furniture that had the unfortunate luck of being placed near the Arcobaleno's vicinity. "Shit! Shitshitshit!" The smaller male swore as he uncharacteristically lost his temper. He should have refused the child, said no, given a better alternative. It was too soon. Too damn soon. Yes it appeared the prisoners would not harmed the child. The boy probably charmed them much like he had the Vindice, really those mafiosos held no chance against that smile. But while Tsuna would be a good no a great influence on them, it couldn't be said the same vice versa.
Jäger watched his boss and master destroy everything around him, he wasn't going to stop it for he too felt the same frustrations build up. It really was for the best. He knew that then and he knows it now. The brunette was at a delicate age where he needed constant companionship, something that while it physically pained them to admit they couldn't give. Taking care of something- even those human scum who had broken even the underworld's laws- would ease the pain and damage. Wouldn't it? The strongest Vindice warrior had seen his fair share of damaged people, he knew well enough that the men in those white cages found a savior in the child, however that happened and will probably never intend to harm the child if they could. Yet. It felt wrong. The less logical part of their minds, their emotions, their instincts were kicking and snarling. All they could hear in their heads were possessive screams of "MINE" ringing ferociously in their heads.
They didn't want to share Tsuna as childish and selfish as that sounded. Tsuna was theirs.
Their little gem, their little light in the darkness.
Their little Sky.
And as much as they know that one day they'll have to let go of their little Sky, they weren't going to let him out in the big wide world just yet.
Not yet.
The news had spread on what had happened during their beloved child's disappearance. And what came of it. In front of Tsuna they gave small supporting smiles and words of advice to help when 'training' his new imprisoned charges but behind closed doors they too shared the same (though varying in intensity) reaction as their bosses. 'It was for the best.' They repeated again and again in their minds like a broken tape recorder. The boy would have a taste of his inevitable future in a controlled environment. As much as they all hated it they knew that even if they pushed his bloodline aside by simply associating with them Tsuna was destined for the mafia world. And Tsuna was far too kind, too naive to survive in such a dark, cold, bloody world. In order to keep the flame alive in such a place they had to dim it for it to blend in. And it ate at them slowly knowing it was them who had to do such a cruel thing. They didn't have to do it. And that guilt hurt more than any physical pain. But they were human too. Selfish, greedy creatures.
"Bermuda..?" The soft creaking of the door revealed a fluffy bush of hazel brown hair and sleepy half-lidded caramel brown eyes. The Vindice boss always being a light sleeper immediately woke at the call of the brunette.
"Mn.. Yes Tsuna?" It really did feel strange for him to not use his boss voice, almost vulnerable but it was only he and the child and that alone was enough to relax. Though despite that he still wasn't ready to reveal his true face underneath the bandages. Only Jäger and Alejandro have seen his face since they were both Arcobaleno of the same generation but even now he refused to show anyone. Thank god tonight held no moon so his features were hidden beneath the shadows.
"I-" Honey brown orbs flickered hesitantly but continued nonetheless. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"
The question did surprise the holder of Night flames. Ever since the child's birthday they had have sleepovers ('Not sleepovers.' The boss of the most feared powerful group of enforcers known to man corrected. 'Manly shared hibernation bonding nights.' The Vindice boss don't do sleepovers.) which admittedly (not out loud obviously- he did have a reputation after all) he did look forward to and enjoy. However none of the requested times for these manly hiber- oh to hell with it- sleepovers occurred in one in the morning. But Bermuda always had time for Tsuna and so he readily if not groggily welcomed the child to his quarters.
As warm arms encased the tiny cursed figure, the smaller male couldn't help but stroke the soft fluffy hair of his beloved brunette. "Is something wrong child?" The feeling of the larger body stiffening at the question was really all the evidence he needed. "Well… What if I can't take care of the guys properly? I-I don't want to disappoint…"
He couldn't help but let out a throaty deep chuckle much like his original voice. "Child is that all?" Even in the shadows of the darkness could the smaller figure see the other's pout and once again he laughed lightly at the cuteness. Snuggling closer to the child, chubby cheek touching chubby cheek in a sign of awkward affection the Bermuda continued. "You will never disappoint us Tsuna."
"..Really?"
"Really Child."
"So do you think I'm up to the task of taking care of those prisoners?"
The arcobaleno paused. Here he had another chance to tell the boy to wait. To give a little more time, to keep the child innocent a little bit longer, in his protective embrace a little more. But while these selfish, possessive thoughts rolled in his mind the more noble part of him, the part that stood for what was right began to make itself known. Tsuna had to have independence more than ever. He could feel in his flames the time for revenge would be coming close and one day they would have to leave the boy, hurt the boy. At least they could leave him with a network of people who could protect him in their stead, another guardian, another family. This was the perfect opportunity, the tenth floor held heirs of large mafiaso familigias and powerful individuals who at this moment seemed to revere the boy. Tsuna was an enigmatic child, while he isn't aware of it now the brunette had the potential that could make men move mountains with a simple wave of his hand, to make the most stubborn twist under his thumb. And Bermuda knew that.
But still. Still Tsuna was theirs. If it was a perfect world he would keep the little boy locked from the cruelness of the outside, away from the negligence of his family, the hurt, the bloodshed. Big honey brown eyes would never see, never know the pain of suffering and betrayal like they had experienced. He wouldn't have to make painful decisions that could haunt him forever. He wouldn't hav-
"I would stake my Vindice Pride on it Tsuna."
The holder of the Clear Pacifier smiled a soft, faint smile as he saw the faint vibrant orange glow of happiness and resolve in those eyes. Was he still worried, possessively crying internally and wishing for all the things from before? Yes. But if he kept the brunette like that it would be like keeping a doll. Tsuna would have been alive but he wouldn't be living.
The Vindice boss could feel the other's breathing slowly even out as comfortable silence settled over the two. Quietly they lay together, snuggled and warm. Without even thinking about it Bermuda began murmuring a song. Maybe it was to soothe himself or maybe it was an announcement of resolve but he meant every word that escaped from his lips.
There'll be battles
And they may be too big to handle
But while there's still strength in these bones
Youll never fight them alone
When your little heart breaks
Know that we feel each and every ache
Before you, I never did know
Just how deep my love could go
His voice trailed off slowly. Placing a small chaste kiss on the brunette's forehead the Night flame user looked up into the darkness. While he didn't believe in wishes he couldn't help but ask whatever godly entity for just a small thing.
Let the Night keep the beautiful, accepting Little Sky a secret. Just a little longer.
Or. If if you couldn't do that much. At least let the Night stay by the Little Sky's side.
For as long as it can possibly can.
Songs are God help the outcasts from the disney movie Hunchback of Notre Dame and Big Bad World by Guy Sebastian
Did you like this? Really hope so~~