Unforgetable Loss

A/N: Story is, somewhat, close to 'Helping Nakama's story plot, for those who have read it, but has a lot of changes to it. Could be a sequal, or maybe not. You can decide on that one. :D

Rated: T

Nightmares

It has been about a week since the Straw Hat Pirates Entered the New World after leaving Fishman Island. Right now, the crew is asleep, except for Brook, who was on watch.

The men's quarters was peaceful. But, then, Luffy started to shuffle around in his sleep.

*Luffy's dream*

The young captain's dream takes place during the Whitebeard War. He was glad that his brother, Ace, was alive and was fighting by his side. The two sworn brothers, then, started to, on Whitebeard's orders, retreat the battlefield and head towards the ocean. Just then one of the admirals, whose name Luffy doesn't even want to remember, started to insult Whitebeard and Ace was offended by those words.

The second division commander, then, started to attack the lava man but was burnt from the failed attempt.

Luffy found Ace's vivre card flying and landed on the ground. He, then, went to pick it up. "Straw Hat-boy, you must keep on running!" Ivankov yelled. "But Ace's vivre card," Luffy said, still reaching out for the burning piece of paper, ignoring the okama. "LUFFY, LOOK OUT!" Ace yelled. Time went by to fast as when Luffy looked up, he saw his brother taking a hit that was meant for the rubber captain.

He stared in shock as the admiral removed his lava-covered fist from Ace's chest and and the said commander coughed up a lot of blood. "ACE!" Luffy screamed in horror, catching his brother before he fell straight to the ground. Just then, the whole battlefield was gone, even all the people on it except for the young brothers.

"Ace, we got to hurry and find you a doctor," Luffy said, but he noticed that no one was there but the two of them. "Hello!" he called, "Where is everybody?"

"It's no use, Luf," Ace struggled to say, "even if you were able to find a doctor, it's impossible to save me." Luffy stared at him in shock.

"You got to hang in there, Ace," he cried. "I'm sorry, Luffy, but I can't."

"But you promised that you wouldn't die," the young captain whimpered.

"I know," Ace said, "since the whole Sabo thing. I don't know what I would do if that incident never happened."

"Please, Ace, don't go."

"I'm sorry that I won't be here to see you fulfill your dream. That is the one thing that I will regret. But there is one thing that I want to say to you."

"What is it?" Luffy asked, tears wielding in his eyes.

"Thank you...for always loving me," Ace answered as he cried.

Luffy started to cry, as well. Ace started to slip away and his body fell to the ground, having a smile on his face, like the D. family always have when they faced death. And his vivre card burnt into nothing.

Luffy stared at his brother's dead body in shock. "Ace," he called. No answer. "Ace," he whimpered. Still no answer. He, then, started to blackout.

*In reality*

"AAACCCCCCCCEEEE!" Luffy cried in his sleep. The rest of his crew yelped in shock and fell out of their hammocks.

Zoro was the first to go to Luffy since he was right next to him. "Luffy, wake up," the young swordsman gently shook his captain. The young rubber man woke up, startled. "Are you okay, Captain-san?" Robin asked as she and Nami entered the room.

"Did that actually happen?" the said captain asked himself, ignoring his archieologist. He, then, rubbed on his scar on his chest and frowned.

"You had another nightmare about Ace, didn't you?" Chopper asked and Luffy sadly nodded.

"I'm gonna make some hot cocoa," Sanji said as he headed towards the kitchen, "that should help atleast."

"Thanks, Sanji," Luffy thanked in a monotone voice.

After a few minutes, Sanji came back with eight cups, since Brook is still in the crow's nest, and gave everyone one. "You're worrying us, Luffy," Nami said, "this has been going on for weeks now. Tell us what we can do to help you. You did the same for us, now it's our turn to return the favor." The whole crew nodded in agreement.

"I don't know," Luffy replied and sighed, "it seems like the nightmares get worse evertime I think about it. Ace even promised me that he will never die since that 'incident' happened."

Everyone stared at him, confused. "What incident?" Usopp asked.

Cliffhanger from here you guys. Sorry. :(

On the next chapter, Luffy will talk about the whole Sabo incident and stuff. I was thinking of making this a ZoLu story, but more towards the end.

Anyways, R&R, please. :D