Title: Know Yourself
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor do I make any money from this.
Pairings: LuffyxSanji, ZoroxSanji, NamixRobin, FrankyxRobin, UsoppxNami
Beta Read by: Feral Inari
Summary: A person has many secrets in their heart and often music can be used as a gateway to help with those secrets but what happens when it's used as a curse against the Mugiwara crew? LuffyxSanji / ZoroxSanji / RobinxFranky / Musical
Warnings: Naughty language, romance of all flavors! Might be some sex in there too, ^.^; but who knows who will be getting some, mainly a Yaoi / Shounen-ai story though. Also some spoilers if you're not up to date with the manga and anime.
A/N's: For anyone that does not like my warnings don't read I guess …it's not like I'm forcing you to.
There are many things I should be doing right now, but today I was just hit very hard with a plot bunny, and I could not make it get out of my face. Hopefully you all will like this story, as I know yet again I'm doing something very different, and kinda odd. I'm also spreading my wings, and trying takes on other pairings. I hope I do ok with them, though I will be honest, this story will focus mainly on Luffy and Sanji, but like with all my stories, I always let the spot light get passed around, at least a little bit to the others. This story as well will be taking place before the crew got separated and the two year time jump. It's right after Thriller arc so Zoro is still hurt.
Yes this is a musical! I will be using songs that speak to me, and that I feel are right for this story. You're welcome to offer song suggestions, but there is no guarantee I will use them. Still it would be fun to hear what you all come up with.
For this first chapter I will be using the song …
Hide & Seek By: Imogen Heap
You might wish to play it while reading to help set the mood. ^.^
Music is a powerful way to express ones self, and show ones emotions to the world. With the help of music, many people are able to get through a stressful day of work or school. Music can even help heal a broken heart, or just allow the heart to bleed letting one get out the grief they need to.
However with every blessing no matter how good it is, someone can always find a way to use it for evil.
May you all find, and know yourself, with the least amount of heartache as possible.
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- Chapter 1 / Hide & Seek
The Mugiwara crew all sat in the aquarium bar on the Thousand Sunny, in utter silence. They didn't know what to do about there current problem, and already had tried a few things now.
Yesterday they had left the latest island in their travels with no complications, and had set off with smooth sailing. Nothing out of the ordinary … for them at least. The skies had been clear, with a good steady breeze that gave way to help them make good time towards the next island, and they had been on course.
Yet when Sanji had woken up today, being the first one up as normal to start on breakfast, he at once noticed something was not right. The ship was not moving. After getting everyone up, they all ventured up onto the deck for more startling news. All around them was a thick fog. One could hardly see their one's own hand in front of their face.
Franky had been the last on watch, and when he turned in around 4AM all had been well too. So whatever had happened did so within the two hours gap, from when Franky turned in, and Sanji got up at 6AM.
Nami had tried to make sense of their location, but not being able see or having any wind, there was little she could do. Even the log pose on her wrist kept spinning slowly around crazy like. She then had tried sending Zoro up to the crows nest, but the fog was just as bad up there.
Robin had never heard anything about something like this happening in any of her books, and Franky had offered to load the ship up with a cola barrel to Coup de Burst, but most everyone was against that, as they didn't know what they would be flying into, and could end up crashing the ship.
So they had settled for waiting the fog out, and Sanji had made them a large lunch for missing breakfast. The meal had been a rather quiet one as well. Everyone seeming lost in their thoughts, all but Luffy, as he stretched his arms out grabbing at this, and that, stuffing his face as if he was starving to death from having missed one meal.
After lunch everyone, but Luffy and Sanji headed down to the aquarium bar thinking it best to stay indoors, to not let the fog in. Sanji had chose to stay in the kitchen, and clean up, while Luffy whined at the blonde to play a game with him, claiming Sanji never wanted to play with him anymore. With the whining also came Luffy's offer to help Sanji get the kitchen cleaned up, then once that was done, the cook could play for sure, Luffy thought. This of course lead to many things getting broke. Not being able to kick the captain outside, the cook had caved in saying he would play one game, anything to get the captain out of his kitchen before he broke everything.
A deal was settled they would play hide and seek, and Luffy would hide, and Sanji would seek the captain out. Luffy of course not wanting to be alone, and bored had decided to go down into the aquarium bar to find a place to hide. In his mind he had found a grand place under the sheet cover of the cannon there. Not at all seeming to get that his feet, and legs could be seen poking out as he sat on the floor, and waited.
Sanji of course had spotted the captain right away when he entered the room, but paused as he felt very off his game now… He just had a feeling inside him that he could not put into words. Thinking he should sit down for a moment, he took one of the free seats in the middle of the long curved sofa, which called to him. It was near his darling Nami-swan, but also put him right next to the moss-head. The blonde sat down, and said not a word, like the others were doing, all in their own thoughts.
It was almost eerie how hush it had become. Brook was by the balcony door staring out the window at the fog, as nothing else could be seen, and Chopper sat on the floor by the bar on a new rug holding nails for Usopp, as the long nose man was paused in the middle of action, of hanging some pictures on the services elevator. Franky was by the entrance sitting on the sofa with his head down staring at his glove that normally covered his mechanical hand making it look normal, Nami was sitting at the bar with a map looking it over for clues, while Robin stood at her side with a hand to the navigator's shoulder.
Nami frowned at the map, her frustrations with it, and this being the first time Robin had touched her in days, all coming to peak to the limits of red head's cool, as she was not able to enjoy the attention from the older woman due to the predicament at hand. Nami had to figure out a way of this, everyone was counting on her, this was her job!
Nami put the map down from her hands, then and sang out "Where are we?" her voice smooth yet tinged with worry, and went on now with more anxiety "What the hell is going on?" Her eyes looking up to Robin, only then to see the woman had her blue eyes turned on to Franky, and only him.
Robin watched the large man, her heart feeling as if it were clenching within in her chest, as his pain seemed so clear to her, making her long to go, and comfort him with some kind words, but she did not know what to say that would help. She knew it was not just this situation that had him so down. It had to be about yesterday, on the island.
Not taking her eyes from the blue haired man the historian replied in song back to Nami as her hand dropped from the other woman, "The dust has only just begun to form." her voice holding a touch of darkness, and gloom to it, as she could see things were going to get worse for Franky, and maybe with this jam they were in too.
Chopper dragged a nail along through the carpet as yesterday played within his mind. The doctors had laughed at him, making him feel so alien, when he was just as smart as them if not more so. "Crop circles in the carpet." his little voice lifted up, as his emotions bubbled with in him, "Sinking, feeling," he sang out wondering if it would always be like this for him.
Nami frowned at the woman she loved so, and watched the dark haired beauty look longingly at another, "Spin me around again." Nami sang to Robin missing those days before Franky had come, when the woman seemed so much more interested in her. "And rub my eyes." She just wanted this sight over with, and stood up, letting her voice sing out louder as her heart tightened with in her chest. "This can't be happening." her voice so very sorrowful as she just knew they would be over soon.
Chopper's voice lifted up again, "When busy streets, a mess with people, would stop to hold, their heads heavy." His fear would always be met no matter where he went. The doctor sniffled as tears started to come down his cheeks. No matter how much stronger he got, how much smarter, people would see him as a toy, or a monster, nothing in between. How could people be so empty headed to not see him for who he truly was?
Luffy peeked out from the sheet he was under, and looked to Sanji forcing a smile to his face. Silly cook, he just needed to be reminded, "Hide and seek" came Luffy's voice in song with a hint of worry.
Franky went on staring at the glove in his hand, the rip in it that Nami had sewn up for him last night. He had never really been embarrassed before about how he was, but yesterday in the middle of that busy street market, it had made him feel so small. His eyes turned then to his metal uncovered hand. It's not like he wouldn't have done what he did all those years ago again, but was it wrong to wish to be like others now, and then? "Trains and sewing machines." Franky sang his voice sounding rather mournful.
Brook's head turned back to the room, and the crew that now replaced his old one. Even in a room with them all, he could still feel all those years he had been alone chocking at him. "All those years." came his well practiced voice, as it felt like his heart had just fallen to his stomach … he didn't even have will to make a joke about such a thought right now. He could tell a million jokes, but it never did take away the pain. "They were here first." he then sang, thinking back to the crew he had lost, the years, and how he now tried to go on in this so called life of his, in this other time, that truly made him feel like an old man, even if it seemed like only yesterday he was in his prime dancing, and singing with that first crew of his.
Usopp's hand gripped tighter on the hammer he held, as his eyes watered staring at that nail he had put in the wood of the services elevator. This small action had flared up such a powerful memory with in him. After his mother had passed away, he had removed the pictures from the walls, and here he was now putting up some. It seemed wrong somehow. "Oily marks appear on walls." He sang as the tears in his eyes started to spill down his cheeks. Lifting up his arm he wiped as his eyes with the back of his hand as he then sang out again only to make himself cry that much more, "Where pleasure moments hung." She had been a good woman, a good mother, it was not fair she had been taken, that all those pictures mocked him of days she lived, only then to rub his face in the fact she was not there anymore. Would it be like that for these photos now too, of this crew he thought of as family? Of course if something like that did happen, he would fight against it like he had back then, and how he now strongly stood up to such dangers with this new family's help, but in truth was he not still just some scared little boy that told lies to please people?
Having still gotten no responses out of Robin, as the historian went on looking at Franky, Nami's head turn to Usopp seeing him crying. She took a step toward him as her eyes fell to the framed group photo in his hand. They were all so much like family. Was that why Usopp was crying? Was he missing his own family? She knew his pain of losing a mother. "Before the takeover." Nami sang to Usopp drawing the man's attention to her, and making them both take steps to each other. "The sweeping insensitivity." If they had not come into Usopp's life when they had, he could have suffered a fate like her own village or worse. She would never wish that on anyone, especially not Usopp.
"Of this still life." Robin cut in finishing for Nami, as her attention had finally been drawn back to the other woman, only to now see Nami seemed so intent on the long nose man. Now it was Robin that was ignored as Nami and Usopp looked into each other's eyes sharing a moment of understanding on some other higher level with each other.
"Hide and seek" butted in Luffy keeping his voice light, and as happy as he could, as his eyes watched Sanji's hand, and Zoro's slowly creep closer together, till they were touching.
Franky's voice again sang out, "Trains and sewing machines." As he kept staring at his hands he wondered if the people, from yesterday, were right. He then slipped his shades down over his eyes as they started to water. He didn't want to be thought of as something cold and unloving. He had tons of love to give. He was not a "thing", things could not love and he could. He had tons of love to give. Yet with so much of him machine did it really make him different?
"You won't catch me around here." Usopp sang over Franky as he stared into Nami's eyes. He felt closer to her then anyone on this ship, as she really understood him, but how, how could he forget about Kaya?
Standing there now alone, ignored, Robin could not help but remember that first time loneliness set in her. People always turning their backs on her, and finally then when she had her mother back, she was gone. "Blood and tears." sang the raven haired beauty, her voice cracking on the last word, as tears burst to her eyes all at once due to the stabbing feeling within her heart. Franky looking up to her and at once she went to him, letting him hold her in a hug.
Brook's ever skillful voice came out again, "They were here first." He then turned back to look out to the fog, as tears dribbled down from empty eye sockets. Even if these people were so kind to take him in, they would never be able to truly understand him. Part of that loneliness he had picked up over the years, would never be washed from him. He had to remember he was the new person not them, or better yet a resold item that could not be used anywhere else.
Sanji's hand tightened over top of Zoro's, and he lifted his head, and looked at the green haired man that was looking back at him. His heart started to speed up. If only Zoro would say it, he could let himself say it, as well knowing it would not be weakness. "Mmm, what'd you say?" he sang to Zoro.
Seeing that look in that one visible blue eye, a worry set in Zoro. Was the blonde worrying over what had happened yesterday again? Letting himself give into the need of the blonde, he tried to comfort him, "Mmm, that you only meant well?" sang the swordsman, his hand tightening on the blonde's only to end up with Sanji pulling his hand away. Zoro questioned if the blonde was really that hurt by yesterday, and tried again, "Well, of course you did." He sang this time with more feeling.
"Mmm, what'd you say?" sang Sanji with a touch of anger to his voice. He sought for understanding, and love, and the damn green-top threw his feelings in his face, by bringing up yesterday? How could he like such an insensitive man?
Zoro frowned losing his patience, seeing the anger rise within the blonde, "Mmm, that it's all for the best?" As Sanji looked away from him, he reached out to the other man's face, not wanting Sanji to turn away from him anymore, and tugged the blonde's head back by his chin. "Of course it is." assured Zoro, trying now to sound more sure, after all, what had happened yesterday, had not been planned out in that town. It was not Sanji's fault it had happened.
Sanji's anger was starting to get hard to hold, as yesterday's memories started to play again in his mind making the tears come up again, yet still he fought against the feelings, "Hmm, what'd you say?" his voice this time coming out softer more fragile.
"Hmm, that it's just what we need." sang Zoro feeling hope within him that he was getting through to the idiot now. How could he like someone so much, when they were as stupid as this blonde?
Frowning Sanji reached up, and pulled Zoro's hands from him, and looked away, "You decided this." How could it ever be called a good thing what he did? It had saved Zoro's life, but at the cost of another's, not that he ever wanted the moss-head gone. Oh god no! The tears started to fall then. He could not help, but feel like a murder. "What'd you say?" he then sang, even with his tears, he refused to be fully weak in front of Zoro. If that happened everything he had been working for would fail … no not till Zoro said it. Not until Zoro said it, until then it could not be thought of as anything else, but a weakness, not until Zoro made it strength, and said it.
Zoro stiffened at the clear rejection. He was getting really tried of this. He really didn't know why he tried so much with the fool. "Hmm, what did she say?" his eyes turned to Nami, knowing full well the cook had not talked to her about it yet, and that it would hurt Sanji to be reminded such a thing. As Zoro saw Sanji started to cry harder now he knew he had gone too far, and reached out again to the blonde taking his hand. Why …why did they always have to be like this, he questioned, as a single tear came to his eye, and leaked down cheek in a long trail that then fell from his chin, and onto his and Sanji's intertwined hands.
Luffy always the happy go lucky fellow, had his face drop into heartbreak as Zoro, and Sanji acted out so publicly their feelings for each other. Of course he knew that they were together, but it had always been a secret until now, so he had always had hope. "Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth." With the way the two fought it was so clear, but Luffy would always smile, and laugh about it, making light of it as he could. Only Nami knew about his feelings for Sanji. It might be a bit of the reason she tried to split them up so much, as Luffy knew Nami felt bad for him, but he just didn't want to cause Sanji any problems. "Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut-outs" Luffy always had, had hope that Sanji would wake up, and just realize that they were made for each other. With all the kindness the cook showed him, and the words he said to him, when no one else was around, he had always been sure of that … until now.
Nami's heart cracked a little bit more as Usopp turned away from her then, to hang the picture up on the nail that was already set up for it. "Paper word cut-outs" sang Nami softly under Luffy's voice. Was rejection all she would ever get from those who she reached out to?
"Speak no feeling, no I don't believe you." Luffy sang. His and Sanji's time together, what little they have had of it, was maybe just all lies in his head. Every word the blonde said to him, he could come up with at least ten different things it could really mean. So often he would sit, and stare out at the ocean, and think about the time he had spent with the cook and what more he could do to get Sanji's attention. Yet as he watched Sanji and Zoro, maybe the words Sanji said were just words after all and nothing more.
The navigator looked back to Robin, and gasped, looking at Robin holding so tightly to Franky, as the couple were crying, and holding on to each other as if they were the last two people on earth. Robin said she loved Nami, but the red haired navigator could hardly trust those words now. "I don't believe you." sang Nami again under Luffy's voice.
The Captain now stood letting the sheet fall away from him, as he shook his head at the pair before his brown eyes, "You don't care a bit, you don't care a bit." He sang sadly wishing so much for another truth, but how could he keep lying to himself. After all he was not a very good liar. Part of him still clung to hope, more wanting there to still be hope than anything else, as it would help to dull the pain that was now tearing at his heart. "Hide and seek." came Luffy's voice with a sniffle as his head fell downwards to stare at the floor, a less painful sight.
Nami kept watching the two as her heart was breaking. Why had she told herself different all those weeks? "Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth" Robin could deny it all she liked but words meant nothing when the truth was right here so blindly bright in front of her. "Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut-outs." It should be her that the older woman went to when needing comfort not him, not ever him.
"Hide and seek." Luffy sang out weakly under Nami's voice as the tears rolled down his cheeks, and his fists balled up at his sides, trying so hard to smile, but it felt like his heart was being ripped out at the thought Sanji would never in time come to him.
"Speak no feeling, no I don't believe you." Nami's voice lifted up loudly, yet smoothly through the room, as her feelings bared themselves raw. All the times 'I love you' was whispered in the dark had been nothing, how could they have been something, with what was now before her? "You don't care a bit, you don't care." Their love, it had all been a sham. Was she just a child to the woman? Is that why Robin wanted Franky now, and not her? "You don't care a bit." Why, why would Robin not think to let her have a chance to prove she was better than that man for the historian?
Luffy stepped over to Nami, and closer to the two on the sofa holding hands, and letting their feelings show so clearly. Why, why would Sanji not seek him out like he promised? "Hide and seek." sang out the young captain again, softly under Nami's voice.
Tears started to leak onto to her flushed cheeks, as her eyes seemed to refuse to look away from the man who had his arms around Nami's lover. "Oh no, you don't care a bit" Did they not even care she could see them? Had they no shame? "Oh no, you don't care a bit." What was so wrong with her that Robin would seek another, she questioned, as her heart bled, as much as the tears poured from her eyes, making their way messily down her cheeks.
How was he supposed to give up? How was he supposed to not love Sanji? "Hide and seek." Luffy sang ever so softly now, and sniffled pulling his head away from the heartbreaking sight of Sanji and Zoro, to look to Nami, as the red head seem to finally be able to draw her eyes away from where she had been looking to gaze at the captain in return.
Together the two friends looked at each other seeing one another's tears, and knew they were suffering the same. Nami and Luffy then sang out together, "Oh no, you don't care a bit." Their heartbreak matching their sad notes in the song, "You don't care a bit." Each wanting to now be able to do something for the other, but the grief of there own heart keeping them there, in place, just looking at each other helpless to the pain. "You don't care a bit." There voices soared, and slowly came down ending the song softly, and ever so beautifully.
The room was hush again besides the soft sounds of crying from them all. Each deep in heartache, yet as the time ticked on, they started to each question how they had let themselves fall so deeply into such a depressed state, and so publicly.
Slowly those together pulled away from each other uncomfortably, as everyone was now looking at each other oddly. None of them sure if what had happened really had just happened, or not.
After some time of no one speaking up, it was finally Usopp that broke the silence. "Did we all just break out into song?" the long nose man asked, holding tightly to this weird freaked out feeling, favoring it over what had just happened, and to help keep away the feelings of pain inside his heart.
The others looked around at each other then looked back at Usopp and nodded yes. Each rather freaked out about it, and rightly so.
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A/N's: And there is the first chapter. I know a weird opening. I'm sorry x.x; hopefully I have not scared you all away by now and you all will keep giving it a try, as I promise to work on making it, striving to make it better for you all.
Next Chapter ~ Flashback to play out what happened yesterday before they all found themselves cursed. Letting you see all of the drama that each Franky, Chopper and Sanji went through as well as some other stuff!
I hope to get some reviews, as I would love to hear what you guys think so far of this first chapter.
Also for all of you interested I made my very first forum and would be honored if you came to check it out. *x* (Chopper star eyed face!)
It can be found on my profile by clicking the forums button up top.
Thanks for your time and hope you're enjoying the story so far!