(Ved17 steps out of TARDIS)
Ved: Yes! I'm here! I thought I never see February! (checks watch)...and I still won't. (sticks head back in TARDIS) That's the last time I let you drive! (turns to audience) Hi, name's Ved17. For a while now I've been sneaking around , reading and commenting, until eventually I decided "I should give back! I should put some ideas to paper and put 'em online!" So I-on second thought, you didn't come here for my life story. Let's start this!
Disclaimer: Actually, I heard, and read, that you don't need disclaimers...but they are fun, so I'll do them anyway. I do not own One Piece. If I did, I would consider putting Luffy in the Iron Man suit (and get the heck down ASAP!).
Ved17 Presents:
The Storm Warrior, a One Piece Fanfiction
Chapter 1: The Temple of Sky
The man climbing Mt. Everest had been warned his adventure would be fruitless, a fool's errand, and pure insanity. He could care less. To all he said his favorite motto: "Mind your own life!"
This man, who laughed with those who laughed at him, was named Milo Mancini, or Mancini Milo, considering he was in Asia. He was 18 years old, 19 tomorrow, five foot seven and a half, skin complexion of a chocolate bar, short tidy hairstyle, and wire muscle frame. He was wearing an orange (ugly, in his opinion) arctic coat with the hood on his head, green cargo pants covered in pockets, snow goggles over his eyes, and hiking boots.
As he climbed higher, the wind got worse. "They did say something about a blizzard…" he muttered to himself.
-Flashback-
"I'm climbing today!"
"What!" Several of his mining party was flabbergasted.
"Didn't you pay attention, Milo? The wind's terrible! Plus, a snowstorm is rolling in! Climbing is not an option!" A lanky middle-aged Englishman with glasses and a five o'clock shadow was trying his hardest to convince Milo otherwise.
"So?" Milo was very unfazed as he still ate his grits and bacon. "Tomorrow is important. I'm not waiting for a stupid storm that didn't have the patience to come a few days later."
"Your logic doesn't make sense…" the Englishman muttered with a sweat drop.
"I can't wait to get it," Milo continued, "the Storm Sapphire!"
-Flashback end-
'I'm almost there, though,' he thought with a sparkle in his eyes. 'The Sapphire is the one thing I've always looked for! It is the most valuable treasure!' Milo slammed the ice axe above him…before the entire rock face he was mounting broke right off of Everest! "Uh-oh" was all Milo got in before he was grabbing the air, looking for a foothold. Still, he fell…and fell…and fell-
Until his hand grabbed onto some ledge! Reacting fast, Milo pressed himself to the side of the mountain as huge chunks of rock, snow, and ice just narrowly missed him. Grabbing the ledge with his other hand, he pulled himself up until he was sitting in a cave. "Phew, made it! Now, where did I make it to?"
He got up and observed his new location. "A cave…conveniently placed. Well, I lost my climbing gear. Better see where this leads."
Attaching a glow stick to his belt, he walked deeper into the cave, so deep the cold winds didn't even reach Milo anymore. Finally starting to sweat, he shed the winter coat and attached it to his bag. After a few more minutes of running (Milo thought walking takes too long), Milo came up to a door. It was ancient, stone-carved, and eight feet tall. "Huh?" Milo tilted his head to the left. "A door…why is-!"
The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Of course! This was it! Only one thing could be behind that door. This was the gateway to the Temple of Sky! Now, how to open it…
The creature was content. 40 degrees below zero was his favorite weather. As the icy wind blew through his fur, he napped peacefully. At least, until that obnoxious human had the nerve to bring down tons of ice and make a god awful din about things! Now naptime had become kill-the-stupid-human-who-ruined-my-nap time! So, he followed him as he went deeper into the mountain. The hotter it got, the more the creature sweated-but the human! He peeled his outer coat off to reveal some short black fur underneath! Here he was, sweating his ass off, and this puny human can shed his coat at will!? Oh, he was in for it now!
The longer he followed, the angrier he got. He couldn't wait to rip that human apart! That was when a whoop pulled the creature out of his thoughts to assess his surroundings. First of all, the human had reached a dead end, but was apparently happy. He kept jumping and screaming and laughing as if his life depended on it.
Secondly, the dead end looked funny-different from the rest of the cave. But the creature cared little. His target was now close and had nowhere to run. This would be fun.
"RAAAAAAAH!"
The roar shook the cave, loosened stones, and got Milo's attention. "W-whoa! What the heck was that!?"
Milo turned and looked up. "Oh…the famous guardian of the Temple of Sky…reports of him have even climbed up to a status not even scientists can ignore…he has many names, but people around this area call him…the Yeti!"
Indeed it was the Yeti! Six feet and five, white fur, bulging muscles, and sharp nails and teeth, the Yeti was known by locals as "the Mount Monster." Now, Milo was in his crosshairs. "RAAAAAAAH!" the Yeti's roar had shaken more ice and rock from the walls and ceilings.
The Yeti had seriously maimed, or killed, travelers like Milo. Any second, he'd fall to his knees, crawl to his feet, and start begging for his-
"Boy, what a great day! First, the Temple, and now its security! Happy Birthday to me!"
The Yeti's eyes widened to an incredible size. He was over six feet tall, damn it! This waste of skin should be afraid, not impressed! "RAAAAAAAAAH!" The Yeti pounded his chest and charged at Milo.
Milo glanced at the door behind him, calculating. "Hey," Milo turned his attention back to the charging behemoth. "How much do you weigh?"
The Yeti only growled as he swung all his weight into a maximum speed head-butt. Milo's smirk was the only warning the Mount Monster got before Milo vanished from eyesight. The Temple's guard hummed in surprise before-
THOOM!
The Yeti slammed his skull right into the door! Without Milo's body to slam, the beast couldn't have stopped if he tried. Milo turned to look and waited. Soon enough, a cracking noise filled the silence before-
CRASH!
The door, and Yeti, crumbled into a heap. The path was open, and Milo's smirk grew to ear-splitting grin. He walked over the pile of rubble (and Sasquatch) and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for opening the door!" Milo, very cheery, strutted into the Temple.
The Temple of Sky was as big as a football stadium, with floor-to-ceiling stone brickwork. There were words carved into the floor, and as Milo inspected closer, names as common as Evan, or as foreign as Aang. Names of cultures nowhere near the Himalayas¸ but were carved in stone eras ago. But, on the ceiling, were the strangest décor-painted pictures of monsters! Milo was uninterested in the collage, though. That alter in the center of the room had his full attention. From the entrance, you could see a pedestal with a jewel that was shining the bluest, brightest hue you could only see to believe. "…That's it," Milo murmured in awe. "The Storm Sapphire…"
He glanced at the body of the Sasquatch. "Hold this, won't you?" Milo dropped his bag and heavy jacket on him, pulling out his favorite red hoodie, and wearing it over his black long-sleeve sweater.
Sprinting up the stairs of the alter he inspected the temple, looking all around. "The stones near the ceiling can glow? Tombs don't usually have lighting…but if this isn't a tomb, what then?"
Milo, reaching the top, skidded to a halt. Looking out for traps, he crept cautiously to his prize. The Storm Sapphire was the size of a watch face, impossibly flawless and blue, with a spark inside that resembled a…hurricane? Milo shrugged; it was real-that was important.
"HEY DAD!" Milo yelled at the ceiling, "YOU WERE RIGHT! IT DID EXIST, AND I FOUND IT!"
Milo reached out and wrapped his right hand around it. The gemstone felt cold against his skin, yet a pulse went through Milo as he touched it. He shivered, but ignored it-no time for cold feet! He tugged and-
ting!
The sound reverberated across the room as Milo plucked it off the stand. He stumbled slightly, but caught his balance. Looking down at the prize in his hand, he smiled ear-to-ear.
It was then when a noise came to his attention-shifting and crumbling stone. "Huh?"
He looked up and around to confirm his fears-the Temple of Sky was collapsing!
"Time to celebrate, outside the booby-trapped room!" Milo kicked bricks (AN: Figuratively speaking, of course!) and ran down the stairs and around the gaps in the floor, keeping his prize close at hand.
'Just a bit more…' The only exit loomed over Milo as he got closer. He jumped over the last gap and landed…right onto a loose brick that gave way immediately. "Not again!"
Milo reached out, desperately wishing to grab something-anything!-but it was useless. Sapphire in one hand, air in the other, he fell…from the temple…from the world…from the light…
'…Ugh…What a headache…I thought death meant no more pain. I'm complaining to the manager.'
Milo, eyes closed, sat up and rubbed his head. 'Ok. Mental recap: grabbed the Sapphire, Temple of Sky collapses, I fall to my death, get bury alive, wake up to warm breeze and complain about headache. Huh? Warm breeze?' Milo opened his eyes scanned the area mouth agape. 'How did I fall from Everest to a forest!?'
TO BE CONTINUED!
After falling onto a mysterious island, Milo makes an ally, and an enemy-with a really weird laugh!
Milo: Next time on The Storm Warrior: Port Town Beam!
3/8/15: Ha! Got ya now! The Line Break War is over!