"Destiny... fate... dreams... These unstoppable ideals are held deep in the heart of man. As long as there are people who seek freedom in this life, these things will not vanish from the earth..."

Gol D. Roger

OUR RESOLUTION

Chapter 1: From the Beginning
The Shells Town Arc (January 1st)

Whenever I look back on what happened, I still catch myself believing that, sometimes, it was nothing more but a strange dream. Could you really blame me though, considering everything that happened to us during those long yet plentiful months? It was the sort of experience that was hard to imagine…it felt all too real.

But whether it was real or simply a figment of my imagination, it was something I could never forget...something I could never let myself forget. Not after everything we been through, both individually and together. The friendships we forged that were stronger than steel and hardships we prayed to forget.

No, I still believe, with every fibre of my being, that it really did happened.

And it all began the night of New Year's Eve….

The last thing I remembered was watching TV with my younger brother in our parent's living room. It had been New Year's Eve, a time celebrated with family and friends with chance for a fresh start on an otherwise bad year, but something changed from our usual warm interactions we held every year. When the long day had dwindled down, where it was just us two, a bitter and cold atmosphere instead hung in the air so heavily that the tension could be cut with a knife.

The night had been spent mainly in silence, both of us having a quarry with the other. The bitterness of the past week had still been there between us otherwise close siblings as we watched reruns of old cartoons.

Of course, being siblings (but terribly far apart in age), it was like second nature to argue over the petty things. Over who's turn it was with the TV remote, over specific spots on the couch we'd claim was comfier than others (despite the fact they were all the same), over the last morsel of coffee caramel cheesecake.

No family was perfect.

Everyone argued and therefore there it should've been no big deal when the heated words (bitter, lousy, stupid word) were all over and done. Yet there are times, much like that day, were things so hateful were said that they leave everyone feeling all too much like shards of glass (broken, useless, shattered).

I'm sorry, I'm so very sorry, I didn't mean any of it...

I thought far too often of apologizing to him yet I stubbornly never uttered a single word, knowing perfectly well he would neither accept nor return the same to me. And why should he? To be the one to apologize for hurting someone when that person hurt them all the same. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right, it was just all too wrong. Stinging bitterly, it made my chest tighten uncomfortably and I felt only hot anger bubble in the pit of my stomach.

That idiot...

I had been angry at him for not trusting in me yet again and myself for becoming lost in my temper, I wanted nothing more than to simply cry in useless frustration. I had thought to myself that things would be better the next day, we'd make up and spend our last day together in the comfort of peace. But I felt as if I were nothing but a fool to believe in such hopeful thoughts, nothing would change between us because we knew each other far too well. That only added more fuel to our brightly burning fires, but we stayed silent out of respect to our parents' wishes that we would get along.

At the very least, that was one course of action we agreed we should do. Our problems weren't there's to deal with, as much as they wanted to help us. We were adults, this was something we had to learn on our own to move past.

I wondered if we even could….

Close to midnight, I remembered counting down for midnight but for some reason, the final number was the only thing I couldn't recall. Not even falling asleep on the couch in the living room.

When did I even fall asleep?

I was awake now, however. Whistling wind roared deafeningly in my ears as I felt the air around me whiz by, not even aware of my impending doom below.

Was I falling?

I didn't know, it was hard for me to tell. I was only aware of what laid in front of me; the afternoon sun that shined bright against clear blue skies, warm rays of sunlight kissing my skin and yet the cold wind folded in all around like a blanket to leave me feeling numb.

Was I dreaming?

I couldn't tell, though I've never fallen in a dream before to know the sensation. Or have I? But one question had stood out strongest among the many which floated around my mind as it quickly started to clear up from its hazy heaviness. But as quickly the question came, it left, leaving the familiar bitterness that I had trouble placing.

Slowly, I wake from my dreamless state to realize what was going on. My eyes widened with horror, I could feel my heart hammer hard against my chest, as if it were about to burst from fear. I begin to panic, my body twisting and turning to see what was going on, to see the ground coming very quickly closer. I wanted to scream, but my voice was lost in complete confusion as to what the hell was going on.

My mind quickly went to my parents, my brother, and the regrets of not telling them so many things that I probably should have said.

I love you….

I'm sorry….

Good-bye….

I covered my face and closed my eyes as if shielding myself could save me from my inevitable fate. The next thing I knew, everything was black.

Arlana was surprised to find herself alive.

Not that she was complaining, it definitely was better than the alternative, but that's twice in a short moment she's fallen unconscious. She snorted a laugh in her groggy mind, hoping that the third time wasn't the charm.

At the moment, her world was nothing more than a nauseating sensation mixed white noise which left her feeling very disoriented and tired as she tries to make sense about everything going on.

Where she was, how she got there, why she survived falling from the sky….

Her ears rang with a high pitched whistling, like the noise on a TV during an emergency broadcast, making her already throbbing headache worse. Arlana felt sore, though that was expected after having fallen from the fucking sky. As she tried to move to sit up, her joints feeling stiff and sent hot fire coursing through, she groaned in irritable pain.

This definitely doesn't seem like a dream.

What happened?

She knew she wasn't in her living room anymore and if she were more aware of that fact, she would have started freaking out (a rational response, in her mind, but the fall thankfully made her too groggy to care right now). Bits of gravel dug into her skin and the scent of earth filled her nostrils, it made her want to choke. There was the slight feeling of anxiety blooming in her chest, Arlana could feel her heart starting to quicken as she began to sweat. Her mouth was dry and stomach clenched tight but she swallowed past it to try to stay calm, panicking wouldn't be of any help.

After what felt like hours of struggling, which had actually been just a few minutes, Arlana managed to at least sit up with her left knee bent, hands propping her up from behind. Even with her eyes closed, her world felt as though it was tipping and turning, the urge to throw up rising.

Ugh, not now…

When the dizziness started passing and her hearing started to clear, Arlana began to realize that she most certainly wasn't there alone.

"Hey, woman! I'm asking if you're alright?"

Geez, well ain't he kinda rude...?

Arlana noted distastefully though it could just be the fact she was irritated by what was going on...whatever it was, "More or less.…" Grumbled the woman as she tries to calm her stomach. She very much prefers not to lose it in front of a complete stranger.

"Can you walk?"

"I think so...kinda dizzy though." Her stomach twisted uncomfortably again and it took a lot of effort not to throw up this time.

"Good, get out of here now then!"

Wait, what?

Arlana was a bit taken aback by his attitude towards her, as if she was being a nuisance by being there. Did he NOT see what happened a few seconds ago? Or was common for people to simply get up and walk away after falling from God knows how high.?

…What the hell happened again?!

Nevertheless, Arlana was going to give the guy a piece of her mind, regardless of her current situation.

"Now look here, damn brat. I don't think-" Arlana began to spit out as she carefully cracked open one dark blue eye only to stop when a bizarre sight welcomed her blurrier than normal vision (leaving her to realize that she didn't have her reading glasses with her that she usually kept in her back pocket).

Even though things were a bit blurry for her to make out the details, Arlana was puzzled by the humanoid shape in front of her. She could make out the sight of an off-white shirt, black pants, black boots, and some large green thing between the two.

Whoever, she was assuming they were tanned with what looked like either black hair or a black hat of some kind. What was even more odd was that it looked like they had their arms spread wide open but the rest of them sagged a little, reminding her of a Jesus figure someone would see on a cross. From what she could see behind the man, there was just a gray and brown background but it was hard to make out all the details.

...Where the HELL did I end up?

"That's a sharp mouth you got there…" The man growls, Arlana could feel him glaring at her, "Now get out of here now before I kick your ass."

The baritone broke her from her thoughts and she turned to glared back at the man before roughly rubbing her eyes to clear them as much as she could, all the while grumbling under her breath. Her eyesight wasn't exactly the best but she blames that on staring at her computer screen for hours on end, both at work and her free time. A pair of cheap reading glasses were good enough since she could see just fine at a distance, it's just things up close gave her trouble.

"Can you just shut up for a moment? Geez, where am I even?" Arlana snapped at the man grumpily, the pounding in her head to beginning to lessen.

"You're in a Marine execution yard so get lost!" Snapped the man who was obviously frustrated by her stubbornness of not leaving but what he said just made things MUCH worse. Arlana froze, with her thumb and index finger hovering her the bridge of her nose. Blue eyes wide and a new wave of panic, much stronger than the last, hit her.

Marine...execution yard?!

If Arlana had been calm before, she was sure as hell wasn't now. Not only because she had somehow ended up in a military base but the fact she was currently sitting in front of a man who was either a prisoner or a marine.

Both not exactly more favourable than the other.

Standing up quicker than she should have, Arlana felt a wave of nauseating dizziness wash over her again and settle in the pit of her stomach along with her anxiety as she stood a bit unsteady on her feet. She felt like now was a good time to panic, "How the hell did I end up here? Who are you even and why are you here?"

The man snorted with mild humor and annoyance, ignoring her obvious state of distress, "Shouldn't I be asking you that, you're the one who fell right out of the sky. Also it's rude to ask for someone's name without giving your own..."

What is with this prick? Well, it's a good sign he's not trying to attack or arrest me at least...

Trying to focus on something else besides the panic, less it take hold of her, Arlana opened her eyes again to glare at the man as she tries to steady herself, her vision clearing up a little more thankfully, "Given the fact that something bizarre happened to me, I think I have a right to be rude. Also, why should a criminal ask for my name?"

"I'm not a criminal!" The man protested defensively as Arlana closed her eyes again, feeling her dizzy spell finally pass and hoped the next time she opened her eyes that she could actually see. He sounded awfully offended that she labelled him a criminal, as if she insulted him, which made her even more curious.

"If you aren't a criminal then what are you.? A marine?"

"Obviously not…."

"Okay, geez. Then why, again, are you here?"

"That's none of your business."

She snorted, standing up a little straighter and opening her eyes to glance down at her clothes.

Arlana saw that she was wearing the clothes she fell asleep in which was a white button-up blouse under an open pastel purple cardigan. Her black jeans were still in good condition too but she noted that her shoes were missing as she wiggled her grey socked feet, "I wished whatever sent me here also brought my shoes..." Arlana hated being barefooted...so to speak.

"Will you just LEAVE already!" Hissed the man but Arlana didn't miss the slight frantic tone in his voice.

Curious, she looked up to finally have a better look at the man.

He seemed slightly taller than what she expected, having a couple of inches more than her. The black thing on top of his head had been a bandana and Arlana could make out pieces of minty green hair sticking out from the sides. The green thing around his stomach was a band that had slightly darker green stripes along its width. She felt slightly alarmed to see several small patches of blood stains on his shirt and skin but they didn't seem to be his, she didn't see any sort of injuries on him that were bleeding. If she could describe the man's general appearance though, she would probably say he looked like the kind of guy you'd not want to cross. She wasn't sure if it was because of how he was glaring at her (sharp, focused, burning) or by how he was built (strong enough to take you down but lean enough to catch you if you run), but Arlana simply knew that this guy wasn't someone she wanted to be near.

Dammit, Arlana! Now is not the time for that to be checking out people! Focus!

"The fuck is with your hair?" Was what she decided to blurt out lamely because she felt like she should say something, just probably not what she was thinking.

The sudden question seemed to throw the guy off as his glare disappeared and was replaced with a very confused look for a few seconds before settling back into a harsh scowl, "What kind of question is that? That's my natural hair, asshole!"

Ah so his hair colour also seems to be a sensitive topic, but I call bullshit about that being a natural colour...

Arlana frowned, there was something familiar about the guy that she couldn't quite place, like she had seen him somewhere, "Who are you?"

"Why the hell are you so interested?"

"Cause I swear I've seen you before...like I should know who you are but its...fuzzy..."

Now the man looked at her curiously, almost as if he was trying to remember who she was as well, "Can't say I've seen you before but that doesn't exactly matter right now" His change from annoyance to serious was a bit shocking but she decided it wouldn't hurt to not mouth him off for not answering her questions, "You don't get how much danger you're in right now. If they find you here, they'll kill you…."

Arlana froze and paled, her eyes widening in shock as cold dread washed over her.

This was all starting to become too much for her to handle and immediately, her first instinct was to run and hide. Arlana didn't understand how much danger she was in for just being there, talking to this man, but with out serious and earnest he's being with her to leave…

Arlana felt lost, confused, and terrified all at the same time. It was making her feel sick.

Abruptly, she turns on her heel and books it towards the building in the distance, ignoring the man's startled shout at her about going the wrong. All she knew right now was that she had to hide, not bothering to try and find an exit out of the yard if whoever was suppose to be in the yard would show up. She didn't care where she chose to hide, all rational thoughts far from her mind. Arlana put all her effort into kicking her feet as fast as she could to get as far away as she could. Her feet aching from stepping on the gravel but she paid no attention to it, instead trying to focus on where she was going. After a while, she turned and dove behind a stack of crates that hid her from view of anyone passing by, feeling a little bit safer from the outside.

She tried to calm her breaths less she pass out from lack of air, closing her eyes and gripping her arms so tightly that they shook.

Arlana keeps trying to rationalize what was going on but nothing made enough sense to her. She wanted nothing to make sense, she only wanted to be back home. This wasn't her home, she knew that without a doubt, and that's what scared her.

Arlana knew this wasn't even her own world.

No one falls out of the sky and lands nearly unharmed.

She draws her legs up to hug them close and wraps her arms around them, resting her head on her knees as she bites her lip to keep from sobbing. The world felt large and vast and deafening, despite the soft sounds that settled outside her bubble. The more she thought about it, the more she felt it's weight on her trying to crush her. Over and over, Arlana kept telling herself that this was just a dream and she'd wake up to find herself in her parents' cozy home in the suburbs, where it was safe.

All of her fibre wanted to believe that none of this was real but the sad reality wasn't blind to her, she wasn't stupid nor slow. Arlana was always one to pick up on thing easily, that didn't mean she could easily accept things as fact.

Arlana felt like she was going to either pass out or cry, her breath quickened into panic gasps and her heart hammer against her chest. Her eyes stung with tears as she desperately tried to keep the last bit of calm she had in place but felt that slip from her grasp.

No, no, no! What the fucking hell is going on?!

"Why can't I be home?" The woman quietly sobs, clutching on even tighter as she grits her teeth.

Time passes on and she doesn't notice when her body finally starts to relax, her mind starting to slip away from mental exhaustion, the warm sun and the sound of a nearby ocean beginning to lull her senses.

And this time, Arlana Durand truly falls asleep, hidden from the rest of the world and unaware of what was about to unfold for not only her…

…but for her brother as well.

This story is being brought back from the dead after almost 5 years of being unable to write after an incident with where I use to live. If my writing is rusty than please forgive me as I try to get back into my mojo. I'll update when I can which can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks but I hope you all like this story as much as I like writing it.

The story itself is rather simple, much simplier than you'd expect. It's not a teen out searching for love, it's not a young woman with a troubled and dark past.

This is a story of two siblings, one already past the threshold of adulthood and the other coming very close, who have lived normal lives and who wish for normal lives. They fight, like siblings do, it's just that this one fight was rather nasty and people who shouldn't be meddling in it are.