Prologue: How does it feel?

How does a dragon feel when it flies? When it soars through the skies? Is it only thinking of its next meal and the weather, or does it take the time to admire the feeling of the wind on its scales and pity the creatures earthbound and wingless? I dream of being like those birds. The skies to my own, even if I can't be a mythical creature as grand as a dragon, a bird will suit me just fine. A gentle breeze passed through my open window, using enough strength to shift my brown hair.

But would I really want to fly just for a rush and feeling of superiority and wind? Am I really so shallow as to have such a dream? No, there's more to it than that. It's not the wind and power I seek... it could quite possibly be the view. Seeing more than I ever could stuck in this house and room.

Maybe it wasn't even the flying! It could be I just yearn for an adventure, be it I run or meet a unique person(s).

The sound of foot steps alerted me of someone approaching my room. The door opened, but knowing it was a family member I continued my stare up at the moon.

"It's time for bed, little sis." My brother said, gently resting a hand on my shoulder.

"I haven't changed my bandages yet." I replied absently. The night sky enraptured me, so clear at our long distance from civilization.

He gently ran his thumb along the side of my shoulder and began to leave, "I'll go get Ally."

I called out before he was gone, "Where's mom?" He winced and halted with a hand on the doorframe.

He slowly turned back to me, not meeting my eyes, "I, uh... I forgot to tell you."

Oh no.

"Mom left a few hours ago on a business trip."

Phew, I thought it would've been bad, "Oh, okay then." I smiled at him as my eyes wrenched from the twinkling dots.

A soft smile filled with hidden emotion responded and he left to go get our oldest sister.

A Sad Truth

I looked at the mirror and strained to get a look at my back while it was free of cloth and a frown settled, a skin disease I didn't bother pronouncing. Way back when I was... four? I had tried to escape from my second floor room and out the window. I fell off the house side and on my back and shoulder in a pile of wood covered in poison ivy. It cut and scarred my back and arm, repeatedly reopening and getting infected even in the slightest from perfect conditions of exposure. It turned out I bruised unnaturally easily, and a thing as small as a slightly bleeding paper cut leaves a scar. While something more than a light touch leaves a bruise.

It didn't detriment my life too much, but the few from outside I've met seem to think I missed a lot. I didn't go to public school and instead had an array of private tutors and my loving parents. I believed anything else wouldn't be quite normal.

Even with interactions with the internet, I felt a bit confined in my room, and even in my house. It became a cage within the first year. I found the key in anime and manga. One following a rubber man to becoming pirate king, and the other following a hotheaded dragon-slayer. There were others I'd seen, of course, but I was deeply infatuated with the worlds and some of their inhabitants.

The boat, the people, and the many times they enjoy.

The guild, the family, the shenanigans they accept as normal.

An Encounter

As I gently lowered my admittedly thin frame onto my bed, my elder siblings stood on either side of me.

Ally leaned down and pulled my blankets up to my chin, "I'm gonna be gone for the next few weeks for school stuff, okay?" At my knowing nod she brightened from her cautious state, "Alright, goodnight little sis. I'll see you in a bit." With a light kiss to my forehead, she left the room at a slightly hurried speed.

Connor brushed a few strands of hair from my face with a finger and gave me a caring kiss on the forehead before slowly leaving. Just as he turned the lights out his usual, "Sleep well, Kitty." Softly floated to me and rested lightly in my ears. It still echoed as the door closed and both siblings left the house.

One in full knowledge I knew would be gone, and the other rushing in an emergency to help a good friend.

Neither expecting it would be a long time before they saw their precious youngest sibling again.

I stirred lightly from my light state of slumber and sat up slowly. I gazed around my starlit room as I speedily searched for the source of the disturbance. I pushed my covers aside and padded over to the window, across the carpeted floor. I stood directly before the sill and lifted the clear pane. Silently it opened and a frigid yet calming breeze drifted over my skin. I relished in the feeling of the almost lifelike passage of air. My eyes, as always, were locked onto the sky. The beautiful, beautiful, sky that can be easily philosophically discussed.

"...sh?" A sound that formed the end of a word sank into my consciousness and I suddenly felt wide awake.

"What did you say?" Night sounds suddenly cut out, and only my heartbeat, breathing and the wind pushed through the barrier.

"W... s... sh?" It faded in and out.

My eyes continued their path, amazement becoming obvious within the grey matter powering my living body. Those lights I stared at for hours on end began shifting and they rushed towards me. As they swirled past me, through the window and spiraled my middle, they settled in a direct beam of moonlight. The pinpricks shifted like millions of fireflies and settled on a vaguely human outline.

"What is your wish?" The words were spoken as if by millions of every variation in perfect sync.

"Who are you?" My hand stretched towards it and a step forward made the form near.

Its own handish shape gripped mine and placed my palm to its face. The feeling on that portion of my skin was a good tingly and warm like hot chocolate after playing in snow. It spread up my arm and hit my core soothingly. The originating spot glowed healthily and the tiny white marks littering my skin began fading.

"What is your wish?"

In that repeat, I came to a realization, "I wish to be free, and I wish to be safe."

"Is that all? You may ask for anything."

I hesitated, itching to ask, but unsure if it would be appropriate, "Then... two more things?"

"Anything, Riifva." That was an odd name. It hurt too much to try and correct them.

"Well, I want adventure, to soar in a word." Imagination went wild and hopes bubbled in my chest.

"The other?"

"I want to be beautiful." Pink surely tinged my cheeks.

"But you already are." Confusion was evident, "Why would you think one such as yourself isn't the most beautiful in existence?"

I blushed a bit further at the complement before, "Well, I want to be stronger and bigger, not the frail form I currently have."

It nodded in understanding, "Are you sure that's all?"

I immediately became serious, "Friends and family, as many of them as I can. I want to make people happy."

There were no human facial features on this being, but I saw-No, felt a smile from it. Again containing a hidden emotion.

"Who are you?"

"A guardian." The reply was faded and I just barely caught it as the lights began swirling again. They swirled around me again and tickled my face lightly as the ethereal sparkles dissipated into the night sky from whence they came.

I smiled softly and slid back into bed, this time with my favorite stuffed tiger in one arm as the other hand was folded with fingers resting on a thread bracelet of silver, grey and white.

Sleep overcame me almost instantly and I continued to smile at the warmth lingering and the fateful encounter.

They Are…?

As the lids of my eyes lifted from their place protecting my eyes, light filtered in above me like a gentle trickle of water. Though, there was also a gentle trickle of water present. The cold stream ran over both of my ankles and feet, alerting the vast difference between temperatures of the water and my skin.

It felt as if I had a raging fever, and that was rather unwelcome even if the headache hadn't yet begun.

A rustling sound to my left made my head turn a bit against its aching will. The sight revealed a small boy in a red shirt, blue shorts, and a straw hat. Even if his features were that of a seven-year-old, he was still larger than myself. He shouted something in Japanese back towards more trees and he jogged over with a huge grin.

He began loudly talking in Japanese I had trouble translating before two more boys, older than him, emerged behind him. They appeared around ten years of age, one in orange, and the other in a… suit with a top-hat placed on his head. Both new arrivals had pipes clutched in their hands. As the first continued talking in hyper-speed, I blinked repeatedly and gazed between the three.

Hoping

The one in orange punched the first atop the head while shouting something in anger. The recipient of the blow whined and pouted while gripping his now bare head of hair. The hat previously present was now resting in my lap. I sat up and gripped the object in my grip as I struggled to sort out the odd feeling in my chest and head that's been tickling at my memory and emotions.

"Anno," I began in Japanese but froze as my own ear caught the sound of a very young child, I continued in a heavy accent, "where am I?"

They all halted their out-of-nowhere tussle and stared at me with wide eyes in either confusion or suspicion. I could see the slow transition from confused to overjoyed on the face of the youngest. I stared at them in utter amazement, the fact they could even work themselves into such a position was flabbergasting. Not to mention, following one arm, it was wrapped around the limb of every single one of them.

The blue one slowly untangled himself and politely brushed himself off before answering me. The words got a bit jumbled in my brain, but what I worked out was a bit worrying. From what he said, my earlier suspicions were proved true.

I was hopeful.

I was hoping.

Adventure.

Dream.

Family?

I gathered the items I had with me, a blanket and a stuffed white tiger with a scarf. From what I managed to translate-even with my current addled brain and slightly limited knowledge of the language-they were taking me back to their base-treehouse-so they could interrogate me.

As I walked with them, I admired their knowledge of the area and the fighting skills they showed on the few unlucky creatures to attack. I envied that strength and felt a slight sinking feeling as I inquired to myself.

Could I ever be that strong?

A thought struck me so suddenly, I halted my already slow steps and froze. The inkling slowly formed within my mind as an idea began to formulate. I'm pretty sure a cartoon lightbulb appeared over my head as the plan clicked into place.

Seeing all of my "captors" had disappeared from sight, I began frantically looking for them. A yell from in front of me and above made me move my head so fast I almost got whiplash. The treehouse far above me made me smile in awe and in amusement. It looked relatively good for three kids having made it and it brought back happier memories of the outdoors.

I approached the tree, a rickety ladder rope dropping down before me. I tied my blanket around me like a sash, placing my stuffed animal within. I gripped the rope and tugged a bit. With a burst of courage, I placed one foot on the tree and began slowly climbing. In my very own amazement alone, I made it…

Until my had slipped and I was sent sliding down the rope in pain. A pipe dropped down next to me and I gripped it for dear life, despite its growing slickness. I was pulled up to the top and my savior examined my hands. Worry creased at his brow and he asked if I was okay.

I offered a wince and a nod for the pain of oncoming scars and his question. I was touched by the uncertain look in his eyes before he led me inside. I knew they had originally planned an interrogation, but now they sat in a huddle and discussed something along the lines of what they should do. Orange about what they should ask, blue about how he believes I'm harmless and red was pretty much just talking to himself and the floor on what they should have for food. Meat specifically.

As they talked, I gently tugged my loose nightgown sleeve down and unwound some of my now unneeded bandages. With a bite and a tug, I had enough for both hands. I pulled my sleeve back up and untied my blanket, finding the air turning quite cold. I huddled under the blanket and hugged my stuffed animal to myself before drifting off with a massive headache and a single, aching thought.

Could they be replacements in this delusion within a coma?

Too Soon.

I stood between two of my recent siblings, one oldest and one youngest. It had only been… three weeks? Sure, it was enough to know and love all three of them, but it was far too little time for me. I hadn't had enough time.

Not enough time!

Why did we break apart now?

I felt-in a blunt way-that the universe was screwing with my emotions. I couldn't help but have my mind flash back to my first few days with them.

"Ah, she's waking up!"

"Shut up, Luffy!"

"Itte!"

"Are you okay?" A gentle and young face appeared over mine, and a cool object was held to my forehead,

"You're a bit sick at the moment, so you should just relax and let us take care of you."

"Bu-"

A glare was shot over his shoulder, "Because all of us are going to take care of you from now on."

It was a dream come true, but I felt a little weak despite knowing he cared.

A different time…

We were all sitting in a circle around a fire as some random creature they beat up roasted over it.

"Hey, I just realized something!" Blue exclaimed, making all of us wait in suspense, "We never introduced ourselves!"

Strawhat giggled in his 'shishishi' way and plopped himself next to me, "I'm Luffy!" He leaned on me lightly and grinned.

Blue spoke up with a smile of his own, "And I'm Sabo." Orange gave a grumble as he diverted his eyes,

"This grumpy gut is the one and only Ace!" Sabo kept his grip on the eldest's arm and squeezed in prompt.

If this was really where I was… then I knew the question the smart on was getting him to ask.

The boy became dead serious and his eyes met mine before looking anywhere but as he neared me, "If Gold Roger had a son… what would you think of him?"

I knew the answer I would provide, "Gold Roger was the Pirate King, right?"

My lungs expanded and contracted in a few deep breaths as I averted my face. I looked back up at him and smiled a bit, "Well, I wouldn't think much at all until I met him. I'm sure he's a good guy, because most monsters' kids turn out pretty okay."

I halted my monologue and I knew this was a fragile state he was put into. I knew the words those adults cut his heart with. I leaned a bit and tugged him closer. He came over and leaned to hear what I was going to say.

"I'm sure he's a good guy." My arms locked securely around him. Slowly, one by one, his arms returned the favor.

An odd warmth filled my chest and I felt as if nothing could stop me.

Sabo...

Decisions

After Dadan told us Sabo was dead, Luffy didn't cease sobbing and ran off, while Ace started destroying things. Ace had to be chained to a very sturdy tree, and Luffy was practically joining to me at the hip after the initial run-off. I knew the older boy was still kicking, and that night I ran away to where I knew he would wash up.

I never found him or the Revolutionaries.

Pain

When I returned from my daring escaped with the Revolutionaries, I went to see a still-chained Ace first.

He looked exhausted both physically and emotionally. I plopped myself in front of him and slowly untied his most likely necessary bindings. He looked up at me and the first they he did was slap my face. Which hurt like a biiiiiii- by the way. The second thing he did was harshly scold and guilt trip me. The last thing he did?

He hugged me and cried… and cried, and cried, and cried, and cried even after the mountain bandits had finished their gawking and left. Luffy joined in at some point and joined the crying huddle. I saw the tightness in their chests, and every sob and tear hit me like an earthquake.

I felt every one of their heartbeats accusing me of a lie.

I didn't tell them he was alive, I didn't say he would be back. I didn't tell them, because if I did, I would have to tell them Ace would die. I would have to tell them Luffy would cry. I'd have to tell them Whitebeard, a father to Ace, would be gone forever and the many, many divisions would grieve.

I'd have to tell them they got over the deaths, tell them the pain faded.

I would have to tell them all of this, and that would ruin everything.

The guilt settled, and I kept from shedding tears of my own. I would stay strong for them. If they were to cry, I would keep stoic and absorb those tears and fears. I would have my own, but it would be okay if I held them in for now. After all, seeing their agony created pain of my own, and that just inspired an urge to protect.

Devil Fruit

It had only been a month since we waved farewell to our eldest brother. It had only been seven years since I ate a particularly unique devil fruit.

Ah, that had been quite the instance.

I moaned in annoyance at the fact I couldn't see at the moment and grabbed the edible object Ace had placed in front of me. Luffy was sleeping beside me, his arms and legs wrapped around me three times. I shoved his hand from my face and brought the object to my mouth.

It was a cloudy winter day, meaning everyone was huddled in one place, still and trying not to expend any more energy than needed. Ace and Luffy had been out late the night before finding food to store up-at my words of wisdom-and Luffy was drowsy and bored. The oldest, however, chose to feed me instead of making me get up to get food.

With a bite, not smelling it first because Luffy is the only one who can accidentally poison me, I tasted the edible item and tried-but failed-to spit out the disgusting thing. It slithered down my throat and I began frantically coughing. A glow I sensed and a searing warmth erupted in the back of my throat.

"Woah, are you okay, sis?" Ace asked, patting me on the back none too gently.

"What the heck did you feed me?!" My voice came out high pitched and scratchy.

"Uhh…"

I let out an uncharacteristic snarl and pulled off my blindfold against my better judgement, accepting defeat in the challenge against Dadan. She told me I got first pick of the food if I kept it on for a week straight.

I looked at the fruit I still held and felt utter horror sink in.

"Ace?!" My voice pitched even higher than before with a hint of alarm.

"What? What's wrong?!"

"THIS IS A DEVIL FRUIT!" The screech that left my throat was inhuman and near the level of a dog whistle.

"NANI?!" In moments, the two bandits at the doorway and elder brother were running around screaming while Luffy woke up and laughed at nothing.

"Okay, okay, all of you calm down. It's a good thing if anything and-"

I was cut off abruptly as a shoe flew towards my head. Who threw it, I have no idea, but it went straight through said body part. When my head formed again, I blinked in surprise and stared at the puddle on the floor in suspicion. The fruit in my hand was blue and silver, covered in odd lines and streaks, the whole thing looking akin to a blue lava lamp-just spherical in shape and not shifting.

I rose to my feet, easily brushing the other brother off, "Ace." I pinned him with a "don't-mess-around-or-I-will-make-you-wish-you-never-met-me"TM glare, "Where. Did. You. Find. It."

He froze and looked a bit cowed (uncharacteristically so), "I-I was walking in the forest and it was sitting on the shore down below. It was sitting in the water and glowing."

"You thought 'Hey, let me feed my younger and easily injured sister this magical glowing and possibly poisonous fruit!'?"

"No!" He practically squeaked. Luffy and the bandits looked on in fear… of the small seven-year-old girl.

"Then why did you try to feed it to me?!"

"I just set it down at random! You're the one who tried to eat it!"

I froze and thought over it, "You're still at fault. I was practically blind at the time." I soothed my nerves and turned to Dadan with a soft smile, "I'm sure you'll allow me to pick up where I left off? Afterall, I do deserve some reward for taking care of your charges."

She squinted, but nodded with a wave of her hand.

With that, I leave, both to begin training my new power-because heck knows I'll need to-and to see if I can bump up my Observation Haki while I was at it.

I sat in a meditative position and tried to feel the objects around me and sense their movements. The stream in front of me flowed, gently brushing my consciousness both pulling at my strength and rejuvenating the damage it caused. The sapping from the hate water has for devil fruits, and the soothing from the power of the devil fruit itself.

Gently, I coaxed the water to rise, and as soon as a rustle sounded above, a spear of said water shot out at the approaching enemy.

A cry of pain sounded and I ignored my brother as I continued to shape and lift the water from the stream, a simple exercise I found to help with both Haki and controlling my contradictory powers. Controlling this was as if I had two voices in my head constantly arguing about what to do. One screaming "You can't control me! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" and the other arguing, "MY WISH IS YOUR COMMAND! …SUCKAH!"

As one could imagine, it's very headache inducing. Which means I start getting very tired and irritated. Unless I'm deadly focused, of course. If my focus is on point, no hurty. No hurty means happy. Happy means more focus. So on and so forth.

As Luffy sulked away, knowing I wasn't in the mood to talk, I smiled softly and enjoyed the short time I would have left in silence before the journey and chaos began.

One year. One singular year.

The Beginning

I stared back at the surprised villagers, bandits and Luffy. I had been saying things like "I'm going to miss this place when I set off" and "I'm going to look back on this in the future and laaaauugh" for the past few months. Honestly, how none of them had realized I didn't know.

As for the villagers, Luffy had stubbornly taken me to meet Makino, and she gave me gifts frequently. As for Dadan?

Let's just say a bond grows when you're sick and injured really often, and due to both of those I spent a lot of time with the shockingly yet not-so secretly loving woman. She was really a sweet lady if you spent enough time around her while looking frail. She even cleaned my food for me while I was especially ill. Though, the random bouts of injury and sickness ended a few years after I got my devil fruit.

As I smiled and stared out over the water around me, I subconsciously slipped into a state of thought and meditation.

The two objects I had as a memory from the life with pain and longing were rather spread out. The stuffed animal, I left it for Makino on her bar and a note with it. The white scarf that had been around the neck of the tiger was now around my own, becoming a permanent part of my wardrobe. The blanket, a quilt my mother made when she was in her young teens, was made from many different pieces of well-used articles and possible to be extended and layered further. I had attached two strong ropes made of leather strips and a clasp at the front a glimmering silver chain with a makeshift pearl both of which had been found by my two oldest brothers. The chain by Ace while he was in the Grey Terminal, and the pearl by Sabo from a venture through some random river on the mountain. All of the individual pieces together made a comforting cloak (missing only a hood) that reminded me of both families I've had.

For my journey, I couldn't decide what I would do. I knew my dream, I knew my short goal, but how should I go about doing it? Sorting them out into real ideas… the long term is too complicated, so short term. I guess the goal would be to find Ace-no, I would be searching for Whitebeard. I knew my oldest brother would be pretty annoyed with interference, but I'm sure I'm doing him some good by pushing his bonds into place faster. Wait, that didn't sound right. If I go and help nudge them all in the right place just a little sooner, I can maybe help the future out a bit.

Yeah, I'll start with that. How will I even find Whitebeard?

Also, I don't have near enough supplies for a really long journey.

A growl came from below me, and I patted my stomach with a chuckle, assuming my stomach was growling. A quick glance at the sky showed I had once again lost entire track of time and the sun was setting on the horizon. When a louder growl sounded, I froze and waited as everything went unnaturally silent.

Even the waves lapping at my boat and the wind previously propelling my boat had ceased. Rumbling rippled from directly beneath my boat and I picked up the oars, hurrying away from that spot as fast as possible. I moved just in time as a Sea King-comparatively small-burst from behind me with a roar. A squeak escaped my throat and I made a very dignified tactical retreat for a normal person in an insane world.

In my shock, I'd completely forgotten my water-controlling abilities. I had a very facepalm moment as I pulled the oars back onto my boat and rose to my feet. I planted my feet shoulder width apart and placed both arms far back behind myself. With a smirk, the dying light created a silhouette of my form and as the shadow rose over myself, fangs bared and eyes glowing red, I threw one hand forward in a Force Palm motion, the other following in an upwards rising slash, the result of both sending my boat soaring forwards. I then realized my imagination had gotten out of control, because one, there was no source of light behind me; two, the Sea King had still been underwater; three, I was using a Pokemon move; four, I was pretending to be a water-bender.

Two years after Ace left. One year until Luffy leaves.

This has officially left the prologue stage, and the first arc begins.

I will dub this arc "The Beginning!"

Ask me your questions, they will be answered! Tell me what you did and didn't like! That, or just give me a smiley/frowny face. You can even try and guess the future or give me suggestions on what you would like to see happen and what I should avoid doing.

Thank you for reading, and enjoy the rest of your day!^^

Edit: 10/7/18

Dear deities above. What was I thinking when I wrote this nonsense?

It has been two whole years since I did anything on this website, but for some reason my mind never quite left it and the stories I started here. This was the first eleven chapters of "Fly" that I combined into one bigger chapter that better represented what the rest of the story looks like and represents. I pledge here and now that I will do betterish.

I hope you've all stayed with me. Stay Awesome!