SmolderingMemories
It all happened in a flash, a brief instant.
His thoughts all ran together, he couldn't think clearly, he couldn't think, he couldn't think. Moments before he had been focused on his rage. It's not like he could let anyone talk smack about his father, after all. But the pain brought him back. The pain of being burnt, the pain of getting hurt for the first time in years. The boy winced and tried to recollect his thoughts. He tried to focus on the enemy he was facing.
That's right. Akainu, Akainu, Akainu. That was who he was facing up against. An Admiral of the navy. A terrifying foe. He gave the magma man an icy glare before wincing again, because, wow, he hadn't expected to get hurt like that. The Admiral gazed back, stone-faced, before saying four terrifying words.
"Watch what I do."
Akainu turned toward the right swiftly and raced toward a figure on the stone plaza, someone who was bending down, reaching, his movements weak, his energy gone. It didn't take the boy long to recognize just who it was who was crouching down like that. It was Luffy.
Oh God, oh God, oh God, no no no no no no no no don't you dare touch him, don't touch him!
The boy's mouth couldn't find the words to string together a sentence. All he could do was watch, in horror, his mind and heart racing as he saw the large man raise a hot fist, ready to strike down his little brother.
He was running now. He didn't remember getting up, but he must've at some point or another. His mind was screeching. Screeching the name of Luffy, his little brother. Luffy, who had come all this way to save him. Luffy, who had gone through hell and back just for his sake.
Luffy, Luffy, Luffy…
The fist was scorching hot. It burned, oh it burned. It burned throughout his body, he felt his body heating up more and more and more until the pain was so much that he couldn't feel it anymore. The boy's racing mind slowed to a crawl.
Luffy, Luffy, Luffy…
The fist slid out of his chest, leaving a clean hole, although it was hard to call it clean since it was so bloody. He didn't care about the blood. All he cared about was his brother.
Luffy, Luffy, Luffy…
He felt his little brother's arms around him. Good, he was safe. He saved his little brother.
Tears.
He couldn't tell if they were his own or his brother's. Maybe it was both. He felt his brother's hand probing his back for something, anything that remained from his back minutes before. There was nothing but a gaping hole. He could tell who was crying now. It was himself. Luffy looked him straight in the eyes, which were torn with grief and disbelief. He opened his mouth to say something and-
"SABO!" A familiar shout jolted him awake. The revolutionary glanced to his right and saw Koala and Hack, both of whom looked pretty concerned. His face felt damp, he noted. Had he been crying?
"Are you okay?" Koala worried, "It seemed like you were having an awful dream again... How many times has it happened this month now? Four? Five?"
A dream? He remembered it a little and winced. He could still almost feel the gaping hole in his chest, the burns on his arm, and, and…
"I'm fine," he responded, faking a smile for his friends. He held the smile for a few seconds in hopes that they'd take the bait and leave him alone. He really didn't want to talk about the dream with anyone right then.
Koala looked like she was about to say something (she was probably going to force him to talk about his dream, Sabo guessed), but Hack gave her a side-glance to stop her from prying any more than needed. "Okay then, Sabo," the fishman discussed, "We'll leave you here, then. If you ever need anything, make sure to tell us, though."
Hack maintained eye contact with the blonde boy as he talked. It was obvious that he knew something was wrong. He always did. But he and Koala left the room quietly, Koala hesitating at the door for a moment before exiting. He heard their voices outside the door for a few moments after it had clicked shut. The two of them sounded concerned, but he couldn't quite make out their words. He didn't really feel like trying to.
Breathing in a deep sigh, he flopped backwards onto the bed and gazed up at the ceiling. It would be a few days until they arrived back at Baltigo, he guessed, and they'd probably stop at a few islands along the way to restock up on supplies. He lifted one hand up above his head and tried to focus on creating a small flame in his palm. At this point, the power was familiar to him, despite only having had it for a few days. After all, he had used it enough in his dreams to know how it felt to use it.
Sabo closed his hand around the flame, causing it to disappear, and began to weep.