AN: Hey everyone! Thanks for stopping by. So you may or may not know that Confession68 and Alastair had a little contest a few weeks ago. Basically, they just both wrote two very different deathfics and wanted to see who would win, or whatever. Based on that, I decided to write a fic... actually I just wrote the first paragraph for the heck of it, showed it to Con and then decided to expand it. It's sort. There isn't a lot of explanation. But too bad. I could potentially be persuaded to write a second chapter to... uh... have a more happy ending. I know where I'd go with it, at least I have two ideas. But we'll see what kind of response I get. Don't own, duh. Cool.
Please Enjoy,
Ara
* * *
When Life Gives You Lemons
She would never forget the sound of herself screaming that day. Seemed so long ago, but the pain was still so fresh. Images flashed before her eyes like a movie reel, and every time she'd cringe; the screams so clear, so vivid, so real. Clutching at her head, the orange haired woman dropped to her knees. Would the images ever leave her? There was so much blood. Blood and tears, because it had been poetic, in a sense, when the sky had opened up and cried. She watched again as his body hit the deck. Again and again and again until she felt she would die and rip apart all over again. Her tears flowed freely, unable to stop them, even if she tried. Looking down at her hands she could still see and feel them covered in his blood. The warm liquid had stained every part of her being. The cries echoed louder and not just her cries. Their cries… his cries… Until the last moment when his last breath left his lungs and his eyes stared blankly up at his crew… his friends… his family… his treasure.
Several weeks earlier
"I have a really bad feeling about this."
"You always have a bad feeling about going ashore, Usopp," Nami said, crossing her arms. "Besides, we need supplies and there is a small town here."
"I was referring to the map," the long-nosed man spoke again.
"It's a chance, why not take it?"
"Chances get people killed, Nami," Usopp sighed.
"Stop being so foreboding, Usopp. Just because we haven't been very successful in the past with treasure hunting doesn't mean we should just stop doing it."
"But I—"she cut him off.
"Don't you dare say you've contracted some disease that prevents you from going ashore, Usopp." Nami pushed off the railing and began shouting orders to prepare them to dock. "Looks like there's a river we can park it in."
The crew set off to do their tasks, following Nami's orders thoroughly. Once the ship was docked, they set off, Usopp and Chopper remaining behind to watch the ship. On land there were always possibilities for adventure. Even if it meant just simply enjoying a sunny day, strolling down streets filled with stores, markets, pubs, and with all sorts of different types of people. The group wandered about to gather the usual information: any interesting news, when the log woul set; that sort of thing. Nami and Robin even tried to gather what information they could about the map they'd found. Returning to the ship that evening the crew sat together to discuss the day.
"Log should take about two days to set," Nami said sitting back in her seat, the rest of the crew gathered around the table in the galley.
"And about the map?" Usopp asked curiously.
"We're going out tonight!" Luffy grinned; excitement filled his body, ready to go treasure hunting.
"Tonight? Did you find where we're supposed to go?"
"It's all taken care of," Nami smirked.
* * *
"Run!"
"Go! Go! Go!"
They were running. That was nothing new; usually they'd stick it out and fight their way through. This time was different and Nami didn't want to take chances with the Marines getting a hold of her treasure. So they were running. The Sunny came into view and they boarded quickly.
"Franky, you know what to do," Luffy shouted, turning to throw a pistol at the Marines trying to follow them on board. Franky immediately put the ship into Soldier Dock 0, the paddles extended out and soon the ship was moving down the river. But no avail, they were surrounded by Marine ships, blocking the mouth of the river.
"Can we fly, Franky?" Nami shouted at him from below.
"Too many trees, we wouldn't make it!"
"We're sitting ducks!"
"Fire the cannon, Usopp!"
"Full-speed ahead, force through!"
The Thousand Sunny forced through the blockade of ships and managed to get into open waters, but they were still surrounded. Cannon fire came from all around, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji doing their best to block the attacks. But still, cannonball after cannonball collided with the ship sending shards of splintered wood flying in all different directions. Nami and Robin had to dive out of the way, taking cover against the mast. Having to take more drastic measures, Luffy launched himself at one of the battleships and collided with the mast, destroying the large ship almost instantly. Zoro and Sanji followed their captain's lead and hopped ship to handle the situation on a more personal level. Explosions echoed on every side of the ship. Nami covered her head trying to blend in with the mast. Robin used her body to cover the orange-haired woman as best she could. She sprouted eyes wherever she could on the marine ships, trying to keep eyes on Luffy and the others.
Fires blazed in every direction as battleship after battleship began to sink. Luffy ran across the deck of one of the larger, armor plated ships. He was grinning from ear to ear as hundreds of Marine's chased after him. He turned a corner and came face to face with an extremely large marine captain. Luffy slide to a stop and threw a pistol, which the man was able to easily catch. Holding on to Luffy's rubbery arm, the captain began to spin Luffy over his head like a limp rag doll. Finally, he released Luffy towards where his men were waiting with a net. Luffy hit the metal net and weakened instantly as they closed the kairoseki net around the rubber man. They threw him onto the deck below, feeling completely drained of all his energy and power.
"Captain!" A Marine said to the Captain, "Strawhat Luffy's cohorts are coming this way. A lot of the other ships are destroyed."
"Drop sails and take the ship away as fast as possible," The captain said, "we've got what we've come for." He reached down and picked up the prisoner and turned on his heel dragging the net behind him.
Marines set to work dropping the sails and turning the ship about. Sanji and Zoro made note of this and instantly thought the worse. Luffy's been captured, like hell we're leaving him.The cook and swordsman boarded the marine vessel at the same time and made quick work of taking out the men, some being thrown overboard, other falling unconscious at their feet. They ran all over trying to find where Luffy was, and finally they found the Captain standing with his back to them; Luffy in the net at his feet.
The Captain chuckled as he turned to face them, "leave now and you'll live to tell your grandchildren how you let your captain be captured by the Marines.
"Like hell," Sanji spat, lighting the bent cigarette between his lips. Zoro stood by the cook's side gripping his swords even tighter, prepared to rush.
"Well, I did give you the opportunity to run," the captain spat reaching down to pick the net up. "Then how about instead you watch your captain die?"
Zoro and Sanji took off at the same time their eyes widening when the captain withdrew a combat knife from the sheath attached to his belt and sank it into Luffy's back, the tip sliding straight out through his chest. Luffy's eyes opened further, watching his nakama running toward him. The pain was intense and the next thing he knew he was falling. He hit the water and silence surrounded him.
Nami felt the blood drain from her face as she let out a high pitched scream of sheer terror when she watched him fall. She hadn't seen what happened, but she could see he was covered in blood and enclosed in the net. She watched as Sanji dove after him. Zoro staying to finish the job, his blades sinking deep in the flesh of the Marin Captain, not waiting before he was running back across the deck and jumping from the ship to the Sunny. He threw down his swords and ran to the railing knowing Sanji would be faster in the water. The others were there waiting, eyes searching for air bubbles… the water wasn't that deep… was it? Finally, after what seemed like hours, Sanji surfaced and they hoisted both on board.
"Go! Franky!" Nami screamed at the shipwright and shortly after the ship shot off into the sky away from the remaining Marine ships.
Luffy gasped when the air hit his lungs, but it hurt too much to breath and he continued to gasp for air. They freed him from the net and stepped back. The captain stood on shaky feet and looked up at his crew. They all stared at him with shocked eyes. He looked down at the where the pain in his chest was and saw the tip of a knife exposed, blood pouring freely. Chopper was at his side screaming at him, but he couldn't hear anything. Everyone was blurring. He reached up to his back and his fingers enclosed around the hilt before pulling it out. Air rushed into his lungs, blood gushing everywhere, and he felt himself falling, the grassy deck rushing up to meet him.
"Minna," their captain chocked out and managed to roll onto his back. Unshed tears welled in his eyes, frozen, like the look in his eye as the life faded from his body.
Nami paled completely and dropped to her knees, pulling the young captain onto her lap. She screamed at Chopper to get to work, but everyone was frozen, staring down at him in shock. The ship sailed through dark clouds before hitting the water. Thunder echoed all around and lighting lit up the, suddenly, dark sky. The dark cloud opened up sending tiny droplets all over the sea and the ship floating there.
How much time passed? No one could seem to remember. They say that time heals everything. But there is a kind of pain that burns deep within a person's soul and no amount of time can ever heal the wound. It's the same for the members of the Straw Hat pirate crew. Was the name even appropriate any longer? The cloud that had poured rain on them that day had never left the ship and sunlight never once graced the deck of the Thousand Sunny. Ironic, isn't it?
AN: Yeah, it's me again. Please don't hate me! I know it's sad, but... it's not too bad, I hope. Yes, the title is rather... well, I guess you can say it doesn't quite fit. But when I was thinking about titles I didn't want something lame like Death of a Captain or End of a Dream. So hate it if you like. Once I thought of it I couldn't get it out of my head. It's better than the first working titles... Horses Horses Horses. See what I mean?
Anyway, drop a review if you like. I'd appreciate it. Thanks for reading!
Ara