Welcome back!

As always, sorry for the wait! I somehow caught the flu and have been pretty sick the past two weeks! During that time I've been doing pretty much nothing but watching One Piece so as you can imagine I'm quite ready to hop back into things!

I still can't believe just how popular this story has gotten already...this is only chapter 6 you know! It's crazy! Also, thank you all for your wonderful reviews! They're what, in the end, motivates me the most to keep writing. I don't know what I'd do without you all!

Now then, I don't really have any important information to depart with right now, so we can hop into the story pretty quickly!

Happy 2017! I'm very happy to see 2016 go, and I hope for better things this year! I think we all deserve it...with that said, I've recently come up with a resolution I want to stick to. Everyday, barring Thursdays due to personal reasons, I plan to spend at least one hour writing. I hope to continue to develop my skills further and improve upon my horrid update speed in this way! Wish me luck!

I have a question though - how many of you reading this story come from one of my others? When I get notifications for follow/favorites/reviews they tend to come in hoards, as my other stories are being followed at the same time...it's pretty interesting! And motivating! Thank you!

I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

Disclaimer: (灬0ω0灬) h-happy valentine's day...

o.O.o

She'd lived a relatively simple life, if not a particularly happy one.

Her parents didn't really notice her suffering, her...problems, and she preferred it that way. They were good people, simple people, that weren't equipped to deal with her baggage. Her depression.

It was this that, over time, drove them apart - to the point where even the sight of each other nurtured hatred. She was somewhere lost in its midst, tugged back and forth in a desperate attempt to one up each other, and there was only so much she could take.

In the end, all she can remember is the water and-

A promise.

o.O.o

"I'm bored! Bored! Bored! Boooored!"

"Shut up Luffy! So annoying!"

"Lucy! I'm bored..!"

I sigh, pinching my temple irritably. Raising one of my daggers, I turn towards my brother slowly.

"What in the hell," I mutter, raising my arm, "do you want me to do about it?!"

I end my question by lashing out at him, hitting him upside the head, and the way his head bounces back from my swipe only serves to annoy me further.

I was bored too, damnit! You don't see me whining about it!

"A-ahh! Lucy's mad!" Sabo squeaks, scooting away from me desperately, "L-Luffy! Shut up! Don't anger the beast!"

"Why won't that damn overpowered noble just come here already?!" I roar to the sky, hitting the ground with my fist repeatedly, "It's been weeks already! I just want to get this story arc over with already, damnit!"

"W-what's she talking about? Story arc..? Has Lucy finally gone off the deep end?" I hear Sabo whisper to Ace, whose leaning against a tree and flipping his pipe in the air.

"I think Lucy's always been off the deep end," Ace replies blandly, and I whirl towards them with a snarl.

"What was that you bastards?! I'll kick your ass!"

"Don't get cocky Lucy! There's no way you could take me on!"

"I'll make you eat those words..!"

"Ace..! Don't rile her up…"

"I'm bored...Lucy! When's that noble guy you were talkin about gonna show up? I wanna go the Terminal!"

I look over at Luffy, dropping Ace from the choke hold I had him in - he drops with a thud, panting, and Sabo kneels beside him shaking his head - and scratch the back of my head.

"I don't know...it should be any day now, though. Ah! This is so frustrating! Why couldn't I have brought a handy-dandy guide along with me?! Maybe even one of the manga's…"

"Lucy's doing it again…"

"Just let her talk. The sooner she gets it out the better for all of us."

"And whose fault is it that I'm even here anyway?!" I start banging my fist against the ground once more, tears of sheer annoyance escaping my eyes, "Why?!"

"Is it really okay for her to continue like this?"

"There's no stopping her when she gets like this. Just let her rant."

"Lucy is funny..! Shishishishi!"

"Damnit all!"

And so the days pass.

o.O.o

I stare up at the sky listlessly, arms spread eagle, and listen to the sounds of my brothers fighting. I've already had my matches, against each of them, and the searing boredom that continues to haunt us day after day is really starting to get to me.

I try to think on what I could do to make it stop. To alleviate it.

Ace plops down next to me, and I give him a speculative once over as I tap my fingers restlessly.

"You know you're probably…" I humm thoughtfully, rolling over onto my stomach and plopping my chin in my hands.

"A Gryffindor." I nod my head resolutely, and he gives me a blank stare.

"What."

"You're brave, stupid, courageous," I begin to list off, lifting a finger for each word, "you always rush into battle without thinking, you refuse to run from a fight...yeah, I don't think I can see you in any other house."

"Any other what? What the hell is a Gryffindor?!"

"Gryffindor! House of the brave! House of the lion! Also the stupid - ah, except Hermione I suppose…"

"I feel like I'm listening to a one-sided conversation…"

"And Luffy...my first impression is that he'd be a Gryffindor too, but...maybe a Hufflepuff? I feel like it suits him better. Sabo would definitely be a Hufflepuff! Or a Ravenclaw…" I chatter away, mind rifling through what I remember about each house, and I ignore the baffled look Ace shoots me.

"I wonder what I'd be?" I roll onto my back again, "I always thought of myself as a Hufflepuff, but...neh, Ace, what do you think?" I turn towards him.

"I think you've lost it, Lucy," he tells me seriously, reaching forward to put his hand on my forehead. I try to push him away with a huff, but he persists.

"You're not running a fever…" he mutters, now placing his hand on his own forehead, "maybe I am..?"

"Ace, you're not making any sense," I sigh, shaking my head with a tut.

"The one who's not making any sense is you!" he shouts angrily, slugging my shoulder.

"Ow! Bully!"

"I'll show you bully..!"

"Ah, Ace and Lucy are fighting again."

"No fair!" Luffy shouts, "I wanna fight more too!"

"They're not doing that kind of fighting Luffy…"

o.O.o

She sometimes wished she could go back to those peaceful days. To the days before she became increasingly aware of the world around her, of her own morality and sense of self. Before she truly became aware of just how fucked up she was.

Of what she'd do.

o.O.o

"Ace, let's go to the Terminal," I call out, popping my head into the treehouse and blinking up at him.

"Eh? Sure, but why?" Ace asks, turning towards me from where he was sitting cross-legged on the ground, "what about that noble guy you were talking about?"

"I'm sick of waiting," I explain with a huff, brushing my steadily growing bangs out of my eyes, "and besides we need the cash anyway right? I want to get some proper food in town instead of more crocodile meat…"

"What? You're going into town? I wanna go to!" Luffy shouts, pumping his fists into the air, and Ace pushes himself from the ground.

"No," I say sternly, "only Ace and I will go - you wait here with Sabo, Luffy,"

"Ehh?! No fair..! Lucy!" Luffy pouts at me, and I reach forward to tug his rubbery cheeks with a smile.

"We'll be right back. Don't worry, we'll be able to go into the Terminal together again very soon! Sabo, look after him for me, would you?"

"Yeah, Lucy!"

"Ready? Then let's go,"

"Mmn!"

The walk to the Terminal is a quiet one, as Ace and I tend to be in each others company - when we weren't fighting, of course - and I hum as we jump across rocks and over streams of water.

"It's been a few weeks since we've been to the Grey Terminal huh..?" I ask idly, kicking a rock out of my way.

"Yeah, I wonder if anything's changed...ah, who am I kidding? It's the Gray Terminal, nothing's ever gonna change," Ace laughs, flipping his pipe and catching it rhythmically.

"I can't wait to beat down some crooks!" I grin, pulling my cloak up and patting my daggers, which are hidden away in small pockets I sewed on the inside, reassuringly.

"You're becoming really bloodthirsty aren't you?" Ace asks me warily, drifting from my side a bit, "at this rate, how are Sabo and I ever going to be able to handle you?"

"Handle me? What the hell are you talking about, 'handle me'?! I'll have you know that I can handle myself just fine-!"

"Yes, yes, you bloodthirsty beast," he drones, "please calm down,"

"I'm gonna kick you ass if you keep calling me that! You make me sound rabid or something-!"

"Well, you practically are rabid after all…"

"What the hell happened to my kind, cute brothers?! I change my mind, I want Luffy back! Give me my precious, sweet Luffy!"

"Oi, we're almost there so keep it down already!"

"Don't tell me what to do! I'm having a crisis, can't you see! A crisis! I've been tricked! Fooled! Bamboozled! Lured in with promises of kind, sweet brothers and instead tricked with you! It's not fair..!"

"Ah, I think I see the trash - Lucy, I'm running up ahead," Ace shouts, beginning to run from me and towards the distant light of the end of the forest.

"Eh? Wait!" I shout, running after him and tripping over a root, "I said wait damnit!"

I take a moment to dig my foot out from the roots twisting nethers, grumbling the whole while, and my head snaps up in shock when I hear Ace's distant shout.

"L-Lucy! Come quick!"

"What's wrong, Ace?!" I scramble to my feet, panic coursing thick and heavy through my veins, and I kick my foot from the root that entrapped me desperately.

Did something happen? Was Ace hurt? I knew I shouldn't have left him out of my sight, not even for a second-

We should've never come here-

"Ace!"

I run to the forests edging light quickly, smacking leaves and vines out of my way, and come to a stop beside my brother.

"What's wrong?!" He's staring ahead in something akin to shock, mouth dropped open and pupils dilated, but I pay no attention to it and instead start running my hands over his body, looking for injury.

"D-Did you hurt yourself? Neh, Ace, say something!" I bite out, tugging his shirt up and inspecting his stomach.

He slaps my hands away with a huff, brows tugging down in frustration, before grabbing my chin and pointing it forwards forcibly. I let him, confused, and blink when his hand comes to a stop.

I take in the sight before me.

"W-what the..! What the hell happened here-?!"

o.O.o

The first time they met, they were children. Small, excitable, barely contained children that had no qualms with the world and didn't truly know the struggle of adulthood. Whom didn't know what it meant to feel misery, or strife, or hunger-

Yes, this was how they met.

On a warm summer's day, the sun high in the sky, on a grassy hill not too far from their homes. Overlooking the sea, a seagulls distant call, their paths crossed for the very first time.

"What's your name?"

It's amazing, how simple words like that can change the course of a person's life entirely. That they can bind two people together so strongly.

Perhaps that was their tragedy.

o.O.o

"Over there?" Ace shouts to me from atop a burning pile of trash, wiping sweat from his forehead tiredly.

"No," I call back, puffing my bangs from my eyes irritably and wiping my sweaty palms on my pulled back cloak, "no one here either."

"Where'd they go..?" Ace asks wonderingly, looking out across the bloody, foul smelling rot that takes up every possible inch we can see.

They were gone. Every last crook, murderer, and pedophile that made the trash their home...they just. Disappeared.

There wasn't any seeming reason, only telltale hints and subtle clues to guide us, but even so-

An entire society can't just...vanish like that.

What was going on?

All we could find, despite our so far countless hours of scouring, was the remnants of dried blood spread across the trash, and the tall gates of Goa Kingdom inexplicably blown open. We haven't yet searched inside the nobles walls, but from the small angles that I have seen it looks to be empty. Maybe we could find someone further in, but for now we spend our time scaling the trash piles and calling out for someone, anyone.

"I have a feeling...that a battle took place here," Ace grunts, landing next to me and pulling me up to my feet from where I'm kneeling.

"A battle?" I ask, looking around, "Now that you mention it, that does seem to be the case. The blood, the scorch marks on the gate...like it was blown open, with force."

"Yeah," he nods, settling his hands on his hips, "in any case, it's obvious something went down here when we were away. Let's go check out the kingdom, maybe then we'll get some answers."

"Right," I nod, falling into step next to him as we leap across the piles of trash and dodge the random burning excess that occasionally falls off.

"I'm worried," I tell Ace as we go, "this is unusual isn't it? Especially when you think about the fact that the Tenryuubito is coming here soon…"

"There's nothing we can do about it for now, except try to find out what happened," he tells me, brows pinched seriously, and it is in this instance that I can see a brief flash of who it is that he will become.

"Firefist Ace huh..?" I mutter to myself with a silent laugh, and shake my head ruefully.

I often find myself forgetting that the boys I spend my days with now, running through trees and beating up crocodiles, will one day come to be the most powerful men in the world. It somehow seems like a dream.

"What was that, Lucy?" Ace asks, running close, and I freeze up.

"U-uh, n-nothing!" I lie quickly, letting out a bite of shaky laughter, "just talking to myself, as usual! Nothing to concern yourself with, nothing at all..!"

"Okay then," he gives me a weird look, frowning at me, and turns forward to focus on running, "for now let's split up. Maybe we'll find more clues that way - shout if you find something."

"Okay!" I grin, splitting off from him and towards the Great Gate.

I speed inside, ignoring the burning scorches I inspected earlier, and through the streets I have already tread upon hundreds - if not thousands - of times as I gathered information before.

It must have been a huge explosion, to have completely taken down such a large gate as that-

It's a wonder we didn't hear it.

I shake my head, turn my eyes forward, and look over the streets carefully - looking for an answer, for-

Anything.

The streets were completely empty, not even those pompous children from before running about, and it felt eerie as I took in the complete silence that should not be natural in such a carefully carved out piece of society like this.

I pass by more scorch marks, the splattering of spilt blood, and spy some burned, broken down houses. There are swords scattered about, I find, as I trip over one. I get back up, run again, and feel a vague sense of dread as I try to piece together just what happened, just what-

I had caused.

I slow to a stop, in the middle of the street, and peer around to see which house would be prime for searching. I pick a large purple one, with strange shaped hedges - that were slowly dying - and a garden of roses - also dying - in front of it. The door appeared to have been left open, cracks of sunlight filtering into the abandoned home.

I step forward, through the doorway, and take a moment to simply stand in the foyer, taking it in. The house smelt musty, cloyingly like dust, and I know immediately that it has been abandoned for awhile now. I glance down and notice a small stuffed bunny lying abandoned on the floor. Its ear is dangling over the edge of the doorway, its body face-down.

I pick it up, finger the worn-stitches, and squeeze its plush body in my hands. Its button eye was loose, and it was covered in a thick layer of dirt and dust. It had the feel of a well-loved object about it. I drop it, feeling nauseous.

I track echoing footsteps through the halls, stopping in the kitchen to crack open the fridge and wrinkling my nose at the rotten tomato that falls out. Everything else was moldy, a foul smell coming to me, and I slam the door closed to continue my track through the house.

Through the bedrooms - each of them empty, beds a mess - peering into the bathrooms, puttering about the living area, the dining room, and up the stairs to even more abandoned bedrooms and-

A study.

I step inside carefully, keeping my daggers at the ready, and take in its abandoned state.

There were papers strewn across the floor, the desk, and a lamp seemed to be toppled over and broken. A closer inspection of the desk reveals a Den Den Mushi to be lying on its side, the receiver having come off its shell.

"Looks like someone tried to make a call."

I look around, start at the way a painting seems to be standing out sharply from the wall, and walk close to see an open and empty safe.

"A safe behind a painting? Really? How stereotypical," I murmur quiety, inching forward to rub my finger across the thick layer of dust inside the safe and blowing it with a frown.

"It's empty," I think aloud, "and everything seems to have been left in a rush - almost panicked, in fact. The food is spoiled, the door is open, all of the beds are unmade...and yet they still made sure to come back here and grab whatever it was in the safe. Probably money, knowing nobles."

I puff out a huff of air and slowly turn in a circle as I inspect the room one final time, "In any case, there wasn't much here in terms of clues...I guess I'd better check out further into the city."

Nodding my head, I crack open the window behind the desk, coughing at the dust that blows into the air at my motions, and jump out and into the street below. Just as empty as before.

I begin running further into the city, weaving around lampposts and the occasional abandoned wagon - food all spoiled - and begin to feel a small sweltering of sweat at the complete absence of people.

I don't understand.

I couldn't have caused something so drastic could I? No matter how much I thought back, no matter how desperately I searched, I can't remember anything like this happening in the original timeline.

"What did I do..?!"

I bite down harshly, grind my teeth, as the stinging sensation of tears begins to tug at my eyes, and I wipe my arm across them angrily. There isn't any time for that.

"Lucy!"

"Ah, Ace!" I turn around at the voice, feet sliding to a stop, and watch as he runs his way toward me, sweat pouring down his face.

"Lucy," he says when he comes to a stop, resting his hands on his knees as he pants, "I found some survivors of whatever happened here - they said they'll tell us what happened. They're from the Terminal though,"

I startle, relief spreading through me sharply - survivors! Survivors! - and grab onto Ace's hand.

"Lead the way," I say, determined, and clutch his hand tight as he nods and begins to run, following close.

o.O.o

She had been a coward, through and through. Running, constantly running, from her problems and troubles with seemingly no regard for others.

There was a lot of things she hated, she remembers, too many to count.

Her life, herself, and her cowardice was just a few of them. Even so, there was at least one thing she didn't regret, in the end.

Even if, sometimes, the memory of before leaves a thick sensation of guilt clogging her throat, leaves her heaved over and empty.

At least then she can say she only has a few regrets.

o.O.o

"It was an all out battle, there was nothing we could do. We in the Terminal had known for a while, of that group's intentions, but even so..! We didn't expect it to end like this."

"So then it was…" I utter out, shocked, and watch blankly as the old man before me nods.

"Yes, it was Captain Bluejam and his pirates...they destroyed everything," the old man wheezes out, scratching his bearded chin, and the men next to him nod "they came in the middle of the night with explosives - the same ones that the nobles had apparently given them to burn down the Terminal in preparation for the Tenryuubito…"

"How…" I hear myself asking, vaguely, and I clutch my robe covered knees tightly, "how do you know all this..?"

"He told us," the old man says, "before he attacked. He said, 'those nobles are rotten and don't deserve their title. So I will use the weapons they gave me against them and create a new society for myself.'"

"What a cocky man," Ace spits, lips curling in disgust. He always did seem to hate Bluejam, after the...incident.

"After that he blew the gates open, and they attacked the nobles inside. There was screaming all night...now the Bluejam pirates are holed up on their ship, making plans, and what's left of the nobles have made a barrier in the center of the Kingdom. The King seems to have closed off the palace completely, and is trying to save himself…"

"W-what does all of this mean..? I don't understand I-" I bark out, mind racing, and Ace is looking at me worriedly, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Lucy, calm down," he tells me, voice soothing, "there's nothing we can do about it. Oi, old man, what about the Tenryuubito that was supposed to be visiting?"

"Ah, that?" The man rubs his beard, "it's only rumors, but I heard that the Navy is sending some higher ups to resolve the situation...and then the inspection will continue as normal. It's Government - Tenryuubito - orders after all..."

"A-Ah," I choke out, a little bitterly, and I let Ace tug me to my feet.

"Thanks old man, we'll be going now," Ace says, latching onto my wrist and tugging me away - which I allow, with nary a sound of protest.

I was drained.

I think back to the stuffed bunny I found, lying so close the steps of the entrance, and feel queasy. I wonder if that child made it out alive.

After all, all of this it-

It was my fault.

Completely.

In my efforts to save my brothers, to selfishly protect them from things I knew they could handle I-

I ruined the lives of so many - killed, so many.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know."

I clench my eyes closed, fighting against the tears because I-

"Would you like to know a secret?"

This was all my fault! I should have just stayed out, should have just-

Let things continue the way they were? Let that horrible thing happen to Sabo? To Luffy? To Ace? Would you really do that..? Would you really be okay leaving things like that?

"What's your name?"

"Lucy..!"

There's something shaking me, roughly, but I ignore it, sitting on my heels and resting my head in my hands.

"You don't really mean that, do you? Saying such terrible things...please, don't die! Don't leave me alone! Ta-"

I can't stop the sobs now, can't stop choking on them, and I gasp desperately against my own fingers.

"I don't know what to do-" I cry, "I don't know what to do!"

Because I don't. I don't know what to do. I've already destroyed things - already forced this world into no semblance of its previous self, and I feel like I'm drowning against the weight of it all.

The water - the horrible, beautiful water, that could carve any shape it wanted into the world - was filling my lungs, choking them, and I could taste the salt of it in my mouth, feel it in my nose, dragging me down, down, down-

"Lucy, snap out of it!"

A stinging pain in my cheek makes me gasp, pull in desperate wheezes of air, and I fall backwards. The world is suddenly quiet, shockingly so, and the only thing I can hear is my own breathing and my heart pounding through my veins. I pant, desperately, against the weight of everything, feel something settle on me but ignore it, and stare up at the setting sky. I could smell burning trash, thick and cloying, in the air - could feel the weight of the dead on my shoulders.

I look down at my chest, see Ace sitting there with a frantic look on his face, and choke on a sob.

"Ace, tell me?" I ask, voice shaking and breaking pathetically, "what do I do now?"

"I don't know!" Ace shouts, grabbing my shirt and hauling me forward suddenly, "But you're not alone! No matter what you're going through, we're going to be there too! Lucy!"

The words are screamed, loud and startling, and I stare up at Ace for a long, shocked moment. My momentarily stopped tears start up again, carving paths into my cheeks, and I blink at the stinging sensation.

"M-Mmn..!"

o.O.o

"W-what?!"

"I don't get it…"

"Yeah, so that's everything that happened."

"To think that such a thing could have happened...who could have predicted it…"

I clench my teeth.

"For now, I think it's best if we stayed out of it altogether. We don't gain anything by becoming involved, and it's more of a pain than anything."

"You're probably right, Ace. Let's just stay out of it."

"I don't really get it anyway...Lucy, what's going on?"

"It's nothing important, Luffy. Ace is right, for now we should just stay out of it...the Navy will come to handle it, anyway."

"If you say so...then, dinner!"

"You just ate!"

"Meat! Meat! Meat!"

"Luffy, you're really a bottomless pit aren't you?"

That night, as I settle into my hammock and listen to the soothing sounds of my brother snoring, I find myself restless.

What was the point of me even being here, if I was just going to make things worse?

What was the point of me even-?!

"I found a cool show! Let's watch it together, okay? Ta-"

No! I abandoned that name! I'm Lucy. Monkey D. Lucy. Sister to Monkey D. Luffy, Portgas D. Ace, and Sabo!

I-

I-!

I roll over, onto my side, and bite back my tears with clenched teeth.

I can't afford to be weak now!

I will bear this guilt and take it in stride. It's too late to change my mistakes, too late to go back, and so now the only thing I can do is...move forward.

The person who held that name before could not have possibly lived on, could not have admitted to her mistakes and make herself better of it, but Lucy…

Lucy can.

I will.

For the sake of my brothers and even myself, I'll-

Never give up!

o.O.o

"Is Lucy okay..? She's been so quiet since you two came back…"

"Ah, she'll be fine. Even if it takes a while, we can wait."

"Let's get stronger and stronger! So we can protect her properly!"

"Yeah you're right...we can't let her do all the protecting around here. Let's do our best too!"

"Yeah!"

o.O.o

"C-Captain..? I-Is this okay? If the rumors are true-"

"Shut up, you fool! Rumors are just rumors! There's no way they'd send someone like that here, over something like this. Now get back to work! Our new world is waiting for us..."

"Y-Yes sir!"

"We'll take over this whole damn island...all of it! Everything will belong to us! That's why - hunt down every last noble and slaughter them! Don't leave anyone alive!"

o.O.o

She remembers dying.

Remembers the feel of it - the taste. Remembers how every last inch of who she is, was, was stripped down from the inside out, unravelled and stitched back together into a broken version of what she thinks she could have been. She remembers it so heavily, so vividly, that it's sometimes hard to remember who she no longer is.

What's real.

What's fake.

In the end, it's not that important, she supposes. Not when she's here-

In this place.

This abyss.

So, for now, she'll simply wait and remember.

Wait and remember.

Wait and remember.

Wait and…

o.O.o

Aaaand-

Done! Finished! Wahh, I'm so happy ^v^

Anyway, you guys are pretty lucky. I was going to post this last night, but decided to wait until today so I could go over it more thoroughly. As a result, you got an extra 1200 words. Yay!

Please come talk to me on tumblr!

dev-fiction . tumblr . com

Until next time!

-Dev.