A Look Through Glass

Pairing. Hinted at K27, I-PinLambo and AriaGamma, rumours of KyokoXanxus and KyokoReborn, one-sided MMxMukuro, past one-sided Haru27
Rating. PG-13
A/N. last chapter you guys! it's my first finished multi-chapter, i feel so mature now -sob-


Tsuna had never intended to be a Mafia Boss. He absolutely abhorred the idea - was well-known for rejecting the title for much of his teenage years. At least until he began to realize that for every bad element he attributed to the Mafia, there was something that made life better for his Family.

Because at the end of the day, Reborn was right. Tsuna was no hero. Tsuna was a kid who had friends he cared deeply about enough to consider them Family, and that he was willing to go to great lengths to protect. At the end of day, Tsuna was indeed a selfish person, who was willing to sacrifice the happiness of others or harm them, if it meant protecting and making life easier for his Family. And he was then willing to bear the burden of guilt himself, making him inherently selfless and what many might call a walking contradiction. In fact, it made him human.

Although this was simply one of many, it was one of the main reasons why the Ninth had handpicked him to be the Tenth - because the Vongola needed a human Boss. Tsuna's selfishness, which he both reproached himself for and acknowledged, made him the ideal candidate. He was benevolent for the most part, especially to members of his own Family, but whenever someone crossed swords with the Vongola, he would not hesitate to turn them into dusting charcoal, or to calmly order their assassination, or quietly threaten them with bodily harm should they even suggest harming anyone he was close to. Tsuna would be remembered in Vongola history as a benevolent, but nonetheless powerful and almost deceptively cunning Boss - Reborn had taught him well.

For as the bearer of the Vongola Sky Ring, it meant he had to shoulder a great responsibility and have a strong will to protect. Yet at the same time, he had to be benevolent and forgiving, thus gaining powerful allies.

The Tenth Generation Vongola Guardian's would come to be revered through history as similar to their Boss in that they were all smiles and laughter but strong-willed and almost savage when the time called for it. And all of these mafiosi answered to their Boss with the utmost degree of loyalty, although in some cases it was questionable, because of the trust and care he invested in each one of them.

The Storm Guardian of the Tenth Generation was but a child when she was originally selected, and indeed Tsuna had been absolutely against her becoming a Guardian at first. She was too young, unaware of the dangers of the world she was entering. However, as time passed and they all grew, he began to realise what I-Pin herself told him when she visited from the future - that she enjoyed the craziness that living in the Sawada household meant, that she loved everyone and liked playing with them, that the Vongola had allowed her to meet once of her dearest friends (and perhaps more): Lambo. And that, for all the dangers they faced, she felt herself a part of a whole, of a Family, for the first time in her life. Thus, Tsuna relented and recognized her as his Storm Guardian, earning her respect and loyalty for she felt his recognition, making her proud to gain it from someone she still revered to this day as an older brother.

The Rain Guardian, who had originally intended to become his wife but soon relented, was a dear friend, someone whom he turned to often when he needed a new perspective on the situation. For all of the girl's tears in their first confrontation with the Varia, she had grown to become a mild-tempered, calm voice of reason whenever the rest of the Guardian's or the Boss needed it. She had been offered to leave once, and it now shames her to say that she ever considered the offer, because Haru cannot - will not - imagine what her life would have been like had she not stayed with them. Because although she grew as a fighter and a mafiosi, she feels that more than anything she grew as a person, and that she can attribute this to her dearest friend and Boss, Tsuna, and the trust and time he invested in her and their friends. For this reason, she raises her sword against those who oppose her friends and Family, determined to gain their happiness and peace at whatever cost, always pledging her loyalty for a Boss who could have turned her out once but instead trusted her to stay.

The Sun Guardian, who had quickly become one of his most loyal and feared soldiers, was a touchy subject half the time, even to this day. That the two cared for each other as more than Guardian and Boss, or even as more than friends, was obvious as the light of day. However, due to ancient Vongola traditions originally put in place by the Eighth's father, the Boss could not be in any form of a romantic relationship with one of their Guardian's, because it unfortunately left them both vulnerable to betrayal and it promoted interbreeding. As a result, their relationship was very much look-but-not-touch, yet the persevered. Kyoko's reputation as one of the strongest Guardian's and her training sessions with Xanxus and Reborn often resulted in vicious humors by the other Mafia women. Yet none of this bothered her, even as she was witness to them throwing themselves at Tsuna. Because Kyoko was more than anything thankful to Tsuna for allowing her to grow and develop into a powerful, confident woman who had no need to be protected for she could do it herself instead of keeping her in the dark and doing the dishes. She loved him for that, of course, and she was quite certain he loved her in return, but she would never be willing to go against the decrees of the Family that had made her into who she was today, not even batting an eyelid at her gender or almost overly feminine disposition. And as for her loyalty to Tsuna, it was never questioned by those that mattered, for they all knew the harsh reality of their situation.

The Thunder Guardian was a curious case, in that very much like the First Guardian he was not even from the Vongola Family or from a not-Mafia connected household, but from a different Mafia Family altogether: the Giglio Nero. He had been vehemently denied by those in the upper echelons at first (who, strangely enough, had not been against a toddler and two middle-school girls), but Gamma's almost frightening efficiency and capability to reign in the other Guardian's, even the most problematic, eventually won them over. The fact that in his becoming a part of the Vongola they gained another allied Family was also in his favour. And his renowned skills in combat gave him plus points he did not really need. It was eventually decided that perhaps having a Guardian already familiar with the world of the Mafia in a generation that either knew nothing of it or despised it completely would be for the best. As for Gamma himself, he had been downright insulted that his loyalty had even been under question when he found out, because although he cared for the Giglio Nero and Aria deeply, to him his duty as a Right-Hand had been unquestionable since the day Sawada Tsunayoshi saved his life.

The Mist Guardian was another one that raised opposition, because despite appearances old mafiosi were not, in fact, stupid, but could tell that the girl who called herself Kuromu Dokuro was somehow related to the convict Rokudo Mukuro. Her continuous and documented mentions of destroying the Mafia and the Vongola through Tsuna were also presented as evidence against her position. The girl herself did not care for inter-Family politics, however all attempts at taking the Mist Ring from her had encountered nothing but failure. This was because although Kuromu Dokuro was many things, she was not foolish enough to let such a powerful tool slip from her fingers. As a result, she remained the Mist Guardian, and as the years passed and she did them more good than bad, the old mafiosi were forced to accept her. Not that she particularly cared, of course. She was not loyal to them, nor was she loyal to Sawada Tsunayoshi. She just happened to have the utmost respect for the man as a result of glimpses of memories of a Future That Never Was, in which she found herself owing him a great debt. Kuromu doubted he was aware of the fact, however she hated being indebted to anyone, whether they knew of it or not. Thus, she would abstain herself from completing her plans until she judged the debt paid.

If the Mist and Thunder Guardian's had been questioned, it should come as no surprise that the Cloud Guardian was as well. The woman was a loose cannon on the best days, and there was no telling what she'd do when she snapped. Amongst her victims, Vongola infrastructure was one of her favourites whenever she was mad at her Boss. Complaints about damage costs were never mentioned to her, however, and instead it was Tsuna that was hassled. Yet for all of M.M.'s destructive behaviour, it was undeniable that the woman was determined and nothing if efficient in her work, so long as she was kept away from the Mist Guardian, who was all too happy to goad her into destructive mode. Few knew of how the woman had become that destructive force, and less would have guessed that it was as a result of a lost love and what she identified as complete betrayal. Tsuna, of course, knew. And she knew that he knew, for he had just so happened to come upon her in weakest hour and served as a poor source of comfort. M.M. had grudgingly grown to respect him as of that moment, for she knew most men would have turned tail and ran instead of offering comfort, or, as she needed at the moment, offer themselves as a punching bag. Her high regard for him increased, as did her hunger to combat him, when she caught glimpses of what he could eventually become. It was in this sense that she was extremely loyal to him.

Aside from his Guardian's, Tsuna had also managed to gain all sort of powerful allies and have them pledge to his cause: Xanxus' grudging obedience (and by association that of the Varia), the support of the Cavallone, the so-called 'taming' of Scorpion Bianchi and her inclusion in CEDEF, and the contact with two up-and-coming geniuses: Irie Shouichi and Spanner. Not to mention the liaison with the Shimon Family, the respect of the Arcobaleno and the mysterious presence of a helpful Byakuran.

Becuase at the end of the day, the Sky does encompass it all. Or at least, all that it can hold dearly. Because Tsuna was selfish, choosing to only protect those important to him, but that was because he was only human.

And it was his acknowledgement of his humanity and faults which made him into what he was: the perfect candidate for the position of Tenth Vongola Boss.


A/N. aaaaaand it's done! wow. i'm sorry i left you guys hanging for so long, i finally managed to get a writing program and take some time to write this up today after being so busy moving in, getting to classes, getting used to college. aaaah, transition, fun times.

anywayy. i am actually very happy with this final chapter. i always planned to go through each of the Guardian's and show why they respect Tsuna, thus showing Tsuna himself in the process or something. i'm just mad i couldn't come up with more for I-Piiiiin. i didn't know what else to writee.

obviously, there are still many unfinished threads: Tsuna and Kyoko's relationship, Kuromu's memories, M.M.'s breakdown, to name just but a few of the ideas running through my head. unfortunately, these further explorations are further down my list of priorities fanfic-wise. i am determined to write them, just not immediately, because this finale took a lot more out of me than i thought it would, and i've got other stuff to get to.

that's it for now, ducklings. i'm off to translate Latin and read about Ancient Egypt now.

comments are always appreciated!