Okay… Who should my new host be… Zoro's missing again… Sanji's is pretty much out of commission… (pouts) Oh! I know! (dials up the den-den)
Luffy: Hello?
Hi Luffy! It's Cupid!
Luffy: Hi Cupid! What's going on?
Well… seeing that Zoro has gone missing, again and Sanji is out there a bit. I was wondering if you can be my host for this new fic.
Luffy: Really! So I get to read the reviews and stuff!
Yep. So, you interested?
Luffy: Heck yeah!
Great! Report here after the fifth chapter, okay?
Luffy: Yosh!
Bye now… (hangs up) Yosh! I got Luffy as my host! Enjoy everyone!
I lie here paralytic
Inside this soul
Screaming for you till my throat is numb
I wanna break out
I need a way out
I don't believe that it's gotta be this way
The worst is the waiting
In this womb I'm suffocating
*Feel your presence filling up my lungs with oxygen
I take you in
I've died
Rebirthing now
I wanna live for love wanna live for you and me
(Breathe for the first time now
I come alive somehow)
Rebirthing now
I Wanna live my life wanna give you everything
(Breathe for the first time now
I come alive somehow) *
Right now
Right now
I lie here lifeless
In this cocoon
Shedding my skin cause
I'm ready to
I wanna break out
I found a way out
I don't believe that it's gotta be this way
The worst is the waiting
In this womb I'm suffocating
**
((Bridge))
Tell me when I'm gonna live again
Tell me when I'm gonna breathe you in
Tell me when I'm gonna feel inside
Tell me when I'm gonna feel alive
Tell me when I'm gonna live again
Tell me when this fear will end
Tell me when I'm gonna feel inside
Tell me when I'll feel alive
... - Skillet
Chapter 1: Arrival
I was told while growing up that everyone has a story, but to know that story, you have to find the beginning. This is where all the pieces fall into place as well as the reason that the story went the way it went. And depending on that story, you can figure out the ending of it and, if possible, what kind of new story it becomes, or ends there entirely.
"Luf!"
I jumped as I looked at my older brother, Ace, Portgas D. Ace.
"You're still not mopping , are you?"
---
Ace it three years older than me, with a strong defined body under the loose, reporter clothes he wears everyday. His hair is black like black gold that went down in small waves from his cheek bone to his chin, when it's not in a pony-tail. His face is handsome and mature with freckles dotted across from one cheek to another, and his eyes were a nice rich dark brown with a fiery spark to them.
---
"I'm just bored." I responded. "The only good thing about planes is the taking off and landing. Everything else is not as amusing."
He laughed. "Still a child at heart I see!"
---
My name is Monkey D. Luffy, I'm twenty-five years old and a photographer for my brother, a reporter, in the height of the year 1960.
I have the same color of hair, but my style is have it a bit long in the front and a keep it a bit short in the back, but not too short. I don't have freckles, but I do have a scar under my left eye, which was a complete mystery to me, and have a boyish appearance.
I was wearing a canvas colored shirt with a tan, sleeveless sweater and tan slacks. I also have brown shoes, but I took them off as soon as I sat down in my seat. I never liked wearing these clothes, but we were going to get our first assignment as soon as we land. So we had to look professional is the bottom line.
---
"Come on Luf! She wasn't good for you anyway."
"Wasn't my idea to date her! She just one day, out of the blue, started hanging around me." I sighed. "That as she's too old for me!"
---
We were talking about a woman named Alvida back in my college, who started perusing me until I asked her why she was hanging around me. I found out that she was some slut who likes to hit on younger men, especially if they're athletically built. Thankfully I never really liked her to begin with.
---
"Whatever the case, you'll find someone. Maybe when you least expect it."
"Like you and Smoker-san?"
---
Ace however is already married to a guy. Lt. Smoker is his name and has a military background to prove it. But he's forty-three, a bit older for Ace, but he fell hard over this guy, and he isn't that bad of a guy either, once you get past the gruff authoritive persona he has put up for himself.
I on the other hand, have a hard time finding anyone to like. I would know the person is nice, but not for me. I don't think I even have a crush on someone.
Ace says I'm picky, maybe that's true, but I always keep my heart open just in case.
---
"Okay!" He said. "Since we're going to be here for awhile, let's see what your likes are!"
"Huh?"
"Look, I'm bored and you're bored. And I'm worried that you won't find somebody. So, tell me what you do like in a person."
Ace is usually cool and collected, but when I'm in some jam he worries like a mother.
"I don't know what I like." I said. "I'll know when I see that person."
"That's what you said before."
"I'm only twenty-five, Ace, I don't think I'm missing out much."
He sighed as he gulped down his third glass of root beer. "I just don't want you to be along and unhappy."
"Since when was I ever those?"
He smiled and ruffled my head, the way he always does ever since we were kids. "Well! I better go before someone else takes the toilet."
"That' what you get for drinking so much root beer!"
"Ha, ha, ha!"
When he left, I took out my wallet to see a picture of me, Ace, and our adoptive father, Red Shanks.
He was the one who told me and Ace about finding the beginning of a person's story.
But what were Ace and my beginnings?
I couldn't remember much when I was ten… All I remember was seeing the bright light of the sun and the scent of bleach. We were in the hospital when Shanks first met us. Apparently we were found in the middle of the ocean. There wasn't much to go by but our names, that were on the bracelets we were wearing. Seeing that we possibly don't have family, Shanks took us in and we found ourselves in a small town that was known for their windmills. Since then it was just Ace, Shanks, me, and everyone in town. Those were great times for me, but I'm still bugged about what my life was like before we were found.
I sighed and put my wallet back in my pocket, only to see something under Ace's seat. I picked it up and it looked like a present with red wrapping and a yellow ribbon. There was a card on it and it looked like I could open it.
Curiosity always got the best of me, even when I'm little. That's why I'm a photographer because I seek out and capture what my curiosities lead. Although it took awhile before I learned how to take the 'perfect' shot, but it's okay now.
I opened the card and read: 'If you may-' Then I suddenly blacked out.
I don't know what the hell happened, but when I came to, I was in the water! By the looks of it, the plane crashed.
I don't know how I survived, but I had to get air. I'm not a great swimmer; I can't even do the doggie paddle right! But I was climbing up towards the surface, seeing purses, shoes, and some scrap metal here and there.
---
When I finally broke out into the surface and gasped for air, I noticed somebody's luggage floating and grabbed it. I looked around to see if I could find Ace anywhere.
"Ace! Ace! Ace!" I called when I looked at a lighthouse and noticed that the land it was on was the only thing that supported it. 'Why is there a lighthouse in the middle of the ocean?' I thought as I figured Ace might be there.
---
I swam my way there only to see Boshi bobbing against the stairs.
It's a straw hat that's a bit worn, but it's lucky and things like this prove it.
---
When I got to the steps and grabbed my hat, placed it on my head, the wind went through my damped clothes, chilling me to the bone, and saw the door slightly open. I figured somebody besides me survived and went through the door. I went in thinking this and hoping it was Ace.
"Hello!" I called, not noticing the door closing on its own before I heard it slam. Needless to say it startled me until lights suddenly went on and a huge bust was revealed for a man and a banner with something written in Latin or something. Then music started to come on, which seems a bit up and triumphant, not to mention old school, somewhere late forties… early fifties…
I saw two stair cases on either side and went down to the right, where more lights were turning on as I continued one more flight of stairs before seeing a strange, spherical room that slightly bobbed up and down.
It was made of some kind of metal and it was big enough to hold about twenty people or more. The door to it acted like a bridge, and, as curiosity always makes me do, I went in and see a lever, meaning that this was some kind of elevator.
I wanted to know if Ace or anyone else was okay, but what harm would a look do?
---
I pulled the lever down, the door closed and I felt the thing go down. The large porthole window on the door showed the new-looking statues that could be used in those movie award trophy's as it read 10 fathoms, then 15… I didn't know what fathoms are, but I started to get the feeling I should have done this.
Then the window was covered and the sound of a movie projector came on.
"Hello, my name is Dragon. I like to welcome you, to which you have never seen the likes before. The city, unlike any city you have witnessed. A place where people such as yourselves feel their government, or religion, or even society itself has weighted heavily on you, while the need to express is limited to those who do not understand above. But here… you are free of that and more… Welcome…."
The cover went down, revealing through the porthole a city, an underwater city!
"To Raftel!"
"Raftel…" I said, awed by the almost impossibility of such a place!
The city looked like any other city, until I saw a school of fish swim by, and there was orb-like, almost looking like paper lanterns, which reminded me of the medieval Japan by the way the towers were architecturally made.
The strange elevator-thing went through rings, saying 'Welcome to Raftel' before feeling it coming up.
I was so excited to get out to see what the city is like on the inside.
When I felt it stop I heard two voices and the lights from some unwired plug gave enough light for me to see two men, one backing away and the other going forward. I couldn't make out their faces, but I can make out the two, hook-like weapons the guy advancing had. And before I could blink, the other man was killed instantly as blood squirted out from his throat before going down.
I was breathing heavily when I saw that, but soon stopped when 'It' was looking my way.
"Is there somebody in there?" 'It' asked as it went closer, only to jump and go around the top, creating sparks and holes before jumping back down where I could see it.
'It' laughed like a crazed person as it raised its arms with the hooks on them.
---
That is, until something else went down, literally slicing that thing in half, which each half went down on opposite sides, revealing someone else.
The new person was crouched down, but I could see and recognized the long, slightly curved blade of a sword, no doubt a katana. Then the new person got up and I could tell that this person is a guy, just as I know he was lifting his head. What I didn't expect was the glowing, light green eyes as he seemed to look at me.
I swear everything in my body stopped functioning before he put his blade away.
"Go back to the surface! There's nothing here for you!" He said as he started to turn to walk away. "If I see you wandering around, you're dead!"
Then everything went dark for a couple of seconds before the lights came on again, this time the swordsman wasn't there.
---
"Oi! Oi! You still there!?"
I jumped out of my skin when I heard someone else.
"There should be a radio where you are."
I looked and there it was, hooked on the wall.
"I'm opening the door."
I did not want to go out there!
"No way in hell! Who do you think you are!?"
"Sorry, I forgot my manners. I'm known as Cep Nian."
"Cep Nian?"
"Yes. And you are?"
"Luffy… Monkey D. Luffy, I'm a photographer."
"Photographer, huh? There's not much to take here I'm afraid."
"That's for me to decide. How do I get back to the surface?"
"I'm afraid the Nautilus you're on now is highly damaged by that Kira no Korekuta." (1)
"Kira no Korekuta?"
"Yes. I'll tell you more, but you can't stay in that vessel forever. There's more out there and all want your life."
I did want to get away from this place, but I didn't want to go wandering around some crazy shit hole either.
"Now, I'm opening your door…"
And true to his word the door to this really weird elevator opened.
"Just get yourself together and step out."
---
I took a couple deep breaths and walked out. I saw a corpse of the first man who was killed and on either side of me the halves of the thing who wanted to kill me.
"Kiddo, can you still hear me?"
"Y-Yeah…"
"I don't know how you survived that plane crash-"
"Wait! How did you know that?"
"I'm in a special room where I could see both the surface and in most of Raftel."
"Then… do you know what happened?"
"No idea. One second it was flying like it was suppose to , then the next it was going down and blasted when it hit the water."
I had to take a deep breath, thinking about Ace. "Did anyone else get on that island? I was with my brother…"
"I only saw you made it."
I didn't want to think about it anymore.
"Now… if you may head up to higher ground, you should reach to a lobby and find a busted machine with a bottle in it. Just head on in and I'll tell you what to do from there."
---
Then contact ended there and, I couldn't explain it, but I had the strength to move my legs down towards some carpeted area. Then I heard sounds of machinery working and looked up to see huge blinds going down and saw parts of the city through the huge windows.
"Sugoui…" I breathed as I continued to move.
"Pretty, isn't?" Cep Nian said through the radio. "Raftel was once a promising city for anyone to get away, but now look at it…"
I did. Signs scattered around, everything in disarray… Damn… It looked more like a panic attack went on.
I walked up the stairs, only to hear something scurry around, and it wasn't a rat.
"A little fish hopped out of the water!"
I heard someone before a light shined on it, who looked like a guy in some noh mask and a kimono, both covered in spattered blood. Then there were gun round shots coming from above, driving the creep away.
"You may need to grab a pipe or something! You're going to face more of those Kiras!" (2)
I did look and found a jutte and grabbed it, only to notice a hole in the rubble. I moved it aside to see stairs going up. I only got to a couple steps before I saw a burning crate heading down.
Good thing I react quickly, otherwise I would've been crushed and burned.
I ran up the stairs and saw the Kira no Korekuta, and my survivor instincts kicked in as I hit him over and over until he was down.
"Oi! If you may, you can search him for anything useful. Most of the machines still use money to purchase things."
It made sense, and I get the feeling I'm going to be here for awhile, so I searched and found ten belis. I continued to head up until I found myself in some lobby area.
"Keep going up. There should be a busted machine with a bottle in it. It's the purple one."
I went up the stairs and saw the machine, and I also saw the purple bottle.
"This may sound strange to you, but, if you may, drink the contents of the bottle."
It was strange, but for some reason I trust him, took the bottle and started to drink it. It tasted like shit! What the fuck was in it?! But then my body acted all funny, the painful.
"Don't worry! Your DNA is just being genetically changed! Calm down and sit it out!"
My head felt like it was going to split in half! How the hell was I going to calm down?
That's when I heard a girl scream, and it seemed to be coming from the lobby floor. I wobbled to the edge of the balcony's railing to see a girl, curled up with a Kira closing in. Before I could react to save her, I screamed and fell forward, towards the Kira.
I must've been out for a minute, for when I came to, the girl gasped and backed away.
The girl couldn't be more than six years old, with brown hair in pig tails and a slightly torn white and blue kimono. (3)But what I really noticed strange about this girl is the eyes. Like the swords guy from before, they glowed, but hers was a soft golden-yellow.
"A-Are you alive?" She asked, tilting her body to the side to match my sideway view, because I was on my back, head to my side, and slightly unfocused because of that crappy stuff.
"Rika!"
I heard a familiar voice as she looked over me and smiled.
"Aniki" She called as she raised her arms as if cheering.
"Why are you here alone!? You know you can't wander off!"
"I figured you got lost again. Then I heard from some of the Kiras that there was someone new wandering here."
News goes fast around here.
"Don't be stupid!"
"It's not! See! He's right here! He saved me from that Kira!"
I was panicking at this point, knowing he can easily slice me like I was made of butter, as I heard his footsteps going towards me, stopped where I was laying.
"He dead?"
"Nuh uh! He just drank that strange purple bottle!"
"Idiot…"
Remember, I have no function in my body except blinking when I felt him move my head so that I was facing him.
"You get to live this time, but next time I won't hold back."
I could only see the glowing eyes as the sense of my panic quickly dwindling down to the point of not being afraid of this person, but rather… respect.
"Come on Rika!" He said as he let go of my head, which went to the side again. "Get the Gensen(4) from the Kira and get moving."
"Okay Aniki." Rika said as she went to get her bag, took out some kind of needle-gun and stuck it to the Kira's chest, getting glowing red-purple stuff out into the glass tube. "All done!"
"Fine…" He said as he lifted her up so that she was holding her with one arm.
"Bye bye wanderer! Bye bye!"
"You better be quick about leaving this place." He said. "There's nothing you can do… you'll just wind up being a collector's item like everyone here."
With that they were gone and I felt my body getting its movement back.
"You okay? I tried to reach you."
"Yeah… I just fell."
"Those things are a doosey. Now you have to open that door over there. Thing is it's triggered to be a bomb. Try and see what you have."
"What I have?"
"The liquid in that bottle is known as Liquefied Demons, it gives a person a random ability depending on what formula the juice is made from. Now, if you may, try and open that door from where you're standing."
I looked at the door ahead of me and looked at my right arm. I was known to go into a few kick-boxing matches when I was in high school. So, I figured I do a punch while focusing on the door switch. I gave it a go, and to my surprise, my arm stretched like a rubber band. My fist hit the button, only to quickly snap back and punched myself in the face.
"Way to go Kiddo! Nothing like a unique ability to make you feel like you can take one the world, right?"
"I-I guess…" I said as I rubbed my face
"Now, just go down the hall and I'll tell you were to go next."
I looked at the opened door, just as the tail part of the plane went down and rammed onto the glass, but didn't bust the bridge all together. I then thought back to what Swordsman said, yeah, I'm nicknaming him Swordsman until I figure out his name. And came to a conclusion.
'Sorry… looks like you're going to have to kill me…' I thought as I walked up to the starting point of my unfortunate adventure.
'Every person has a story…'
Those words echo in my head as I took a step through the open door, where the water is starting to cover the floor. "Well Raftel… What's the beginning of your story?"
This time I wonder what it feels like
To find the one in this life
The one we all dream of
But dreams just aren't enough
So I'll be waiting for the real thing.
I'll know it by the feeling.
The moment when we're meeting
Will play out like a scene straight off the silver screen
So I'll be holding my breath
Right up to the end
Until that moment when
I find the one that I spend forever with
*Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There's gotta be somebody for me like that.
Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone.
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere.
There's gotta be somebody for me out there.*
Tonight out on the street out in the moonlight
And damn it this feels too right
It's just like Déjà Vu
Me standing here with you
So I'll be hold in my breath
Could this be the end?
Is it that moment when
I find the one that I spend forever with?
**
Ooooooh,
You can't give up!
Lookin' for that diamond in the rough
Because you never know when it shows up
Make sure you're holdin' on
Cause it could be the one,
the one you're waiting on
Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There has gotta be somebody for me
Ohhhhhh.
Nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There's gotta be somebody for me out there.
Nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There has gotta be somebody for me out there - Nickelback
Forgive me! I don't know how the Japanese do their words, but from seeing things like 'Yami no Yugi' means shadow or dark Yugi, I kinda get the idea of it, but then again I could butcher the thing entirely. If anyone knows how to do this and would like to correct me, go right ahead!
1 - Kira no korekuta: Killer Collector
2- Kiras: Killers: short form of the first, which will mostly be used throughout the cross-fic
3- Most of the characters are going to be older except the kids, because the fic wouldn't really work out if the kids were teenagers.
4- Gensen: source (more about it later)