So yes, I've started another story. But do not fear! This one will be updated when I'm feeling inspired, so it shouldn't really interfere with my other fics. Alright so I promised a few people I'd write a story about the revolutionaries, yeah? This story is divided into two timelines: Sabo's memories with his brothers on the island, and his time with the revolutionaries afterwards. Each chapter will focus more on one or the other, ranging from 1K-5K depending on how long it takes to tell that chapter's story. This one is just a little introduction to both settings. I'm not sure whether I'll be doing each chapter in order or not, but I'll be sure to let you know in the author's notes.

The timeskips are marked by symbol between scene breaks, so hopefully that'll get rid of any confusion. Let me know if it gives you trouble, though, and I'll try to think of something else!

Beta'd by Kitsune Foxfire/BedlamWolf

Leaving everything behind wasn't a mistake. Sabo was convinced of that when he took those first few, long strides into the gray world beyond Goa's towering walls, stepping into a world of junk and trash-vagrants and criminals, if the stories whispered about town were to be believed. Despite his resolve there was a sliver of unease buried deep within his thoughts, followed quickly by the knowledge that he now found himself in a very bad place, at least according to his parents…

Shaking his head to free it of doubts, the blond pressed forward, his mouth pulled taut as he nervously slipped between the mounds of trash. He was starting to understand where it got its name; everything was bland, devoid of colour and life. Dead. There was a pungent smell lingering around him that had him covering his nose, his face scrunched up in revolt. The people were covered in filth and grime, a state he would no doubt find himself in soon enough, and he went all but ignored amidst the crowds of pale men and women scavenging for whatever valuables might have been carelessly buried within the heaps of trash. He hunched his back, hugging his cloak around him-no more than a cloth he found, really, but he worried that he'd stand out too much in his noble garb. Everyone there wore little more than rags, clothes worn from overuse… and that would be him, eventually. He was… alright with that.

What he wasn't alright with was his steadily growing hunger, his stomach voicing its unrest and causing him to pout. He'd walked around a few hours, trying to get settled in and… honestly, he wasn't sure where he could stay. The huts and structures he'd seen looked self-built, not exactly the sturdiest of homes but still enough to protect from the elements. He wasn't really strong-he was just a boy-and was only one person. Metal was just as heavy as it was abundant in Gray Terminal and he was beginning to have doubts. That wasn't to mention the horrible, gnawing feeling that, staying there, he wouldn't be able to find food… How did everyone else eat?

His thoughts were brought to a sudden halt when he caught a mesh of greens out of the corner of his eyes, stark against the gray world around him, and his head snapped up, eyes wide as he spotted the lush, vibrant foliage of a forest just beyond the dump. His eyes lit up, the cloak slipping through his fingers ever so slightly, and a slow grin stretched across his face.

That was where they got their food!

Excitement suppressing the gnawing hunger in his gut, the cloth draped around his shoulders fell to the ground as he hurriedly ran towards it, narrowly avoiding tripping on a stray metal beam thrown carelessly onto the cleared path he'd been following. The closer he got the more foreboding it looked, and while he could see from afar that the greenery surrounded and climbed up a mountain, he hadn't seen just how big everything was. That realisation had him slowing to a halt right at the edge. Trees stretched into the sky, a blanket of leaves blocking the sun, leaving the forest itself considerably darkened. Now he wasn't afraid of the dark, but… it was a bit… daunting, and that was ignoring the unruly undergrowth that spread onto what looked to originally be a dirt path, now severely overgrown. He was almost tempted to try his luck in Gray Terminal.

It was his stomach that decided for him, reminding him of just how long it had been since he'd eaten. Compared to some of the people in the terminal he doubted it was even half as long, but… back home he was on a schedule. He ate at the same time every day and never skipped a meal. So, now that it was long past mealtime for him, he needed something.

The first few steps were the worst. Suddenly everything was darker, dimmer, the sounds of the forest drowning out everything beyond, as though he was being sucked in. But then, gradually, the feeling began to fade, fear taking a back seat to wonder and the small, barely-there thrill he felt being someplace he knew he didn't belong. When nothing happened, no monsters coming out of the trees to eat him, he started to feel that maybe it… wasn't as dangerous as it first appeared.

Now for food, though…

Looking around at the treetops he pouted when he found them completely bare, and as his eyes scrolled downward he found a lot of grasses and plants, but… he didn't know which ones were safe to eat, if any. He didn't see anything he recognised. That only had his pout deepening and he continued further up the mountain, eyes ever searching for something he could eat.

But there was nothing. He found water and thought that maybe he'd be able to catch himself some fish, but the realisation that he didn't know how to cook fish soon followed, and that was ignoring the large mounds poking out of the water, ridged backs and small eyes that stared forward as the creatures remained still amidst the ripples. He decided he didn't want to risk getting into the water with them and kept to land. They were unnerving, even if they never made a move towards him…

Sabo's eyes lit up, though, when in a tall, nearby tree, he spotted a bundle of fruit towards the top. His stomach growled and he hurried over to the trunk, only… how was he supposed to get it?

Pressing his lips together, the child placed his hands against the trunk, running them over the rough texture of the bark-not rough enough to grab, though, he found as he attempted to get himself up off the ground only to fall back on his arse with a pained whine. Nevertheless he got right back up, walking around the base. It was too wide to wrap his arms around… There was a knot in the wood, though, and he grinned, gripping it with one of his hands. The fingers of his other pressed against a ridge and, with a little effort, he managed to get off the ground. A surge of triumph rushed through him, self-pride giving him the motivation to slowly inch his way up a little higher, and he thought that maybe, if he was careful, he just might be able to reach it.

His hopes were soon dashed when a boy appeared standing on one of the large, protruding roots at the base. Sabo paused in his efforts when he heard the other's steps and he carefully maneuvered himself to look down at him. The kid looked no older than himself, staring right back with disinterest. But he ignored the look and smiled.

"Are you hungry, too?" There was no answer but he went undeterred. "If you wait I can… get us…"

Sabo's voice faded as the boy pressed his hands to the trunk and quickly hauled himself up, taking only a few moments to pass the blond completely. He watched with wide eyes as the child climbed to the top and proceeded to fill his bag with the fruit and jump right back down.

A noise of alarm escaped him, his eyes glued to the stranger. "A-are you alright?"

The boy rose to his feet, sending him a dark glare before walking away.

"Ah, wait! I was-" Before he could finish the child was gone, and he pouted. "Was… going to eat those…"

The blond sighed, his motivation quickly deflating as he looked around himself, eyes falling to the ground far below.

"...How do I get down?"

With the descent of darkness Sabo left the forest, disheartened and hungry just as he was a few short hours before. It wasn't that he didn't find any food, oh no. He found food; it was getting it that was his problem. His tree-climbing skills were definitely subpar, at least when compared to that other kid, clothes tattered and covered in dirt from the many falls he'd taken. Much of the food on ground level had animals around it… He'd seen a bear on one or two occasions. And naturally, much of the foliage he just… wasn't sure of how edible it was.

Was that what the people there had to deal with? He wondered how they managed…

By the time he reached Gray Terminal the sky was dyed a deep, inky black, lit only by the vast clusters of stars sprawled across. It was pretty and he smiled, momentarily forgetting his sullen mood. The men and women searching through the trash heaps had stopped for the night, returned to their homes and beds, a few groups sprawled about around fire pits, the orange glow lighting up the world around him. It looked almost… nice, the way the orange flames gleamed off the many objects piled high around them.

"Hey, kid," called a foreign voice, bringing Sabo out of his reverie, and he blinked, looking around to find one of the groups he was passing watching him. He looked down at himself, only then remembering that he'd dropped his cloak, but his clothes were dirty and ripped, so he figured it was alright… "You came from Midway Forest, didn't you?"

He tilted his head, looking back at the mass of trees he'd left behind before nodding. "Uh-huh. I was looking for food." His stomach made its hunger known, and he averted his eyes.

Another amidst the circle raised an eyebrow, leaning forward with interest. "Amazed you're not dead. Place is dangerous, y'know. Lotsa things can kill you in there."

Sabo made a face, thinking back to the many dangers he'd stumbled upon during his search. "I know…" Well, now he did.

The first man nodded him over, to which he hesitantly complied, and held out a bowl of food with a grin. Sabo's eyes widened and he reached out cautiously, a slow smile stretching across his face.

"Don't need ya starving on us."

"Thank you…" He swallowed, the savoury aroma blocking out the stench of the trash around him as he plopped down on the ground next to the others. He'd honestly never thought the people there would, well… help. From what his parents told him, they were just a bunch of crooks, and he'd seen plenty of fights break out throughout the day, threats spat between one another as soon as someone found something of value…

But well, his parents had been wrong before, hadn't they?

The woman beside him gave him a concerned look as he began eating, and he stared back confusedly until she sighed. "You shouldn't go back in there, alright?"

"Mm?" he mumbled around his food.

"The forest," she supplied, pulling her legs up to the chest. "We pretty much steer clear of it. Gray Terminal isn't safe, either, but no one goes there because of how deadly the animals can be, and there are bandits at the summit of Mt. Corvo."

No one? But…

Sabo swallowed his food and wiped his mouth, looking around at all of them curiously. "There was a boy there, like me."

"That Ace brat, eh?" One man snorted.

"Ace?" So that was his name…

The lady nodded, frowning. "That boy isn't human, I swear…"

"He lives on Mt. Corvo. Comes down sometimes to go through the Great Gate-I wouldn't pay him any mind."

Sabo pressed his lips together, twisting around to stare at the large gate he'd come through earlier in the day. He'd know for a while now that the people of Gray Terminal were partial to selling valuables they found in Edge Town to make some money. That kid, no bigger than himself, live someplace that dangerous, wandered through it to go through those very same gates... Perhaps he should have been intimidated, but…

It was kind of exciting.

He'd decided the Gray Terminal diet wasn't for him. The food tasted fine, and he ate it whenever he had to, but… finding out most of it was found amidst the trash put him off a bit. He ate it again that morning but, despite the warnings from the small group he'd found himself a part of, he returned to the forest. It was early in the day, the sun still high, and the shade beneath the trees was more an escape from the summer heat than a frightening place of mysteries like it had been the previous day. Today he was determined to find something to eat, even if small. He was going to get food, and he was going to explore.

Sabo tried a different route than what he'd taken yesterday-a little trickier to navigate, but he didn't think following the same path would prove very lucrative. At first he was having the same dismal results, and he made a mental note that tree climbing would be very helpful in the future, but after a good half hour he spotted flecks of bright colours at the base of a tree. His face brightened and he hurried over, crouching down in front of them.

Mushrooms.

He grinned and picked one, holding it up to his face and twirling it in his hand. He could bring them back to the group, see if-

"Idiot."

The blond's face fell and he blinked, his eyes scrolling upward as he followed the voice to the treetops. A familiar mop of dark hair was what brought back the memories of the day before, and he pouted. The boy was leaning back against the trunk on one of the upper branches, munching on some fruit he no doubt gathered from the top.

"They're poisonous."

Sabo blinked, looking down at the mushroom in his hand before hurriedly dropping it and nudging it into the grass with his foot. "I knew that…" Or he would have, had he gone back to ask the people of Gray Terminal like he planned. But he shook himself free of that thought, giving the stranger a warm smile. He hadn't seen many kids his age since he left Goa. "You're Ace, right?"

Gray eyes turned to him, a frown on the child's face. Well… at least he was being acknowledged, right?

"I'm Sabo," he stated, giving a slight bow in greeting. "Wanna be friends?"

Eyes narrowed and frowned deepening with those words, Ace looked none too pleased about his proposition. Then again, he did a lot of frowning, Sabo noticed… "Why?"

"Why?" he echoed confusedly. "Well… isn't it boring, being alone?"

Ace pressed his lips together and reluctantly started down the tree, leading Sabo's grin to stretch. But soon the boy was standing there in front of him, silent and glaring hard at the ground at his feet, looking far more awkward than Sabo had ever expected. It looked like he wasn't much of a conversationalist. Well, that could be easily rectified.

"How'd you learn?" he asked, wrapping his arms around Ace's shoulders and earning an annoyed growl. "To climb like that, I mean. You're really good! I can barely get off the ground."

"That's 'cause you suck," the other snorted, earning a pout.

"Teach me?"

"Why should I?"

"Because…" Good question. "Because we're friends!" His grin was back and he took Ace by the hand, dragging him deeper into the forest. "Help me find food? I'm hungry."

"...Fine."

Ace took the lead and Sabo was happy to fall into step, looking around at the forest surrounding them as they walked, trudging deeper into the foliage. Living out there wasn't so bad, he'd decided. The pressure from his parents had lifted and now, well… He already had one more friend than he did back there.

Now if only he didn't embarrass himself every time he tried to climb a tree.

-oOo-

The blond yawned and stretched, turning his head to watch the sky outside his window, soft white clouds rolling along as he looked on in a daze. The longer he stared the more it looked like that room back thin, stuck in a mansion with a guard stationed outside his door, a notebook before him on the desk just like now with a few barely-legible words scribbled across the page, his inkpot half empty.

He frowned, scratching at the bandages concealing the left side of his face. As much as they'd told him that the irritation was a good sign, that it was healing, it changed nothing of the fact that it itched like hell. The ones on his chest didn't have the same feeling, but perhaps that was because they were worse off, and still had a long ways to go before they got to where the rest were.

Heaving a sigh he slumped over the desk and picked up his pen, dipping the tip in the ink pot once more as he continued to scribble down his thoughts, getting out as much of the past few weeks as he could recall. He wouldn't miss anything. No, he promised he'd detail his journey and, damn it, that was what he would do.

But soon the motions of his hand slowed, and he pressed his lips together as the ink pooled onto the page from the top of his pen. He wondered if they were mad. He would be if one of them had left without a proper goodbye… even if he understood their motives. Ace would be, he had no doubt about that, and Luffy, well… Luffy was harder to predict.

It would be okay in the end, though. Because those were his brothers, and even if they were pissed at him, nothing would change that. He may get a good few punches in the face, maybe a few more scars to add to his already hefty sum, but they'd forgive him. He knew they would. Even if they were angry… they'd understand.

He didn't want to grow up to become his parents.

The creak of the door opening brought him from his thoughts and he blinked, turning to watch as a tall, muscled man with green skin entered with a tray. He smiled in greeting, rolling over to him on his chair to take it with gratitude, an assortment of scents wafting his nose as he started at the various dishes he'd been brought. "You always know when I'm getting hungry."

Hack smiled back, waving the boy's words off as he took a seat on one of the empty chairs in the corner. "It's nothing."

"No, thanks. Really. I'd be lost without you."

The fishman nodded in acknowledgement, leaning back as Sabo cut into a slice of meat. "How've you been feeling? Any better?"

"Yeah! Itches like hell, though…" He frowned at the amused look he was getting, knowing that it had something to do with the rant he'd gone off on about the subject the previous day. "Um, Hack…?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think Dragon would train me?" He never missed the way Hack's eyes narrowed, watching him, but didn't call attention to it. Sabo knew he was asking a lot, but… Ace and Luffy wouldn't wait. They would still be training, still be getting stronger, preparing to set out, and all of the sitting around he'd done those past few weeks was driving him mad. He didn't want to fall behind, and he'd found that Dragon was a man he could respect. They shared similar ideals, a similar worldview, and…

If anyone was to lead him, he wanted it to be that man.

"I've though about it a lot lately… I want to join." He pressed his lips together, staring down at his food. "D'you think he'd agree?"

Hack snickered, closing his eyes. "We'll see, brat. You're too young to join the army."

"But I'd be a good student; you know I would be…"

"We'll see."

He heaved a sigh. That was the second person he'd asked, and the second time he'd been given that answer.

But that just meant he'd have to keep trying, didn't it?

Aaaaand there's your intro. Hope you lovelies enjoyed it, and I'll see you around next update!

Adieu~