Author's Note: Hello everyone! Since it's October, I figured I'd write a Halloween One-Shot. It ended up being a lot longer than I intended lol. Anyway, hope ya'll like it!
WARNINGS:
- Child abuse
- Hurt/Comfort
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Luffy was woken by loud laughter and clapping coming from downstairs. Confused, the little boy sat up and wiped sleep from his eyes.
'Why are they being so loud…' He thought, shivering in the cold room. Padding over to the door, the seven-year old exited and slowly went down the stairs. Wrapping his arms around his body, Luffy reached the ground floor and peeked into the living room to see what was going on.
His foster brother, Bellamy was twirling in the middle of the room, dressed in a really cool pirate costume.
"Wow, this is awesome!" Bellamy shouted, "I'll definitely get a lot of candy with this costume!" Luffy's eyes sparkled at the amazing outfit.
"We had it specially made for you, dear." Bellamy's mom cooed, "I'm so glad you like it!" His father sat in a nearby chair nodding in approval.
"Anything for my boy!"
Luffy shuffled nervously from his hiding place, wondering if they'd gotten him one too… Mustering up his courage, the seven-year-old stepped into the living room, drawing his foster family's stares.
"That's really cool, Bellamy!" The little boy said, fiddling with his pajama top, "U-Um…" Mrs. Ma'am, as Luffy knew her by, narrowed her eyes.
"What is it, Luffy?" She asked coldly.
"Um… I was just wondering… since you got Bellamy a costume…" The little boy swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing, "D-Did you get me one too?" For a moment there was silence, making Luffy feel… out of place in the room.
"Why would we get you a costume?" Mr. Sir responded with a snort, "You're not even related to us. Frankly, it would be a waste of money." His wide nodded in agreement while Bellamy just sneered at him.
Luffy sniffled and felt tears welling up in his eyes. All the other kids at school had talked about how awesome Halloween was and he really wanted to experience it for himself. Having lived at an orphanage for as long as he could remember, he'd never gone trick-or-treating before…
Even as he stood there, nearly in tears, Bellamy's parents turned their attention back to their son, gushing over how amazing he looked and how much fun they were going to have when night fell, neglecting to even glance at Luffy. Discouraged, the boy went back to up to his room and flopped onto his bed.
It was always cold in his room since it had been used for storage and it was right over the garage. Luffy'd been so excited to finally have a family, at least for a little while, but it was nothing like he'd imagined it. Rolling onto his side, the boy clutched his stuffed lion close, getting tears onto its fluffy mane.
"Ne, Sunny… D-Do you think I'll ever have friends… or a family, a real family?" Of course, Sunny didn't respond, but it still made Luffy feel a little better to have someone to talk to. After laying in bed for a while, the boy decided it was time to get up and stop feeling sorry for himself. Slapping his cheeks, Luffy quickly got dressed and threw on a long-sleeved shirt to go with his shorts and sandals.
Packing his blue backpack with snacks he'd been stealing from Bellamy's parents for a while now and Sunny, Luffy was ready to go on his daily adventure.
Slipping past the still cooing adults, the little boy opened the front door and entered into the chilly outside. Immediately smiling, Luffy trotted down the sidewalk towards town. His foster family didn't live very far from downtown Goa, and boy was that nice. Especially when he missed the bus.
Once he turned onto Main Street, Luffy's eyes lit up at all the decorations and bales of hay. Everyone was getting ready for Halloween! Breaking into a jog, the little boy went window to window checking out all the scary skeletons and stuff they had on display. Eventually, he came to a costume store and Luffy gazed in awe at their selection, pressing his face up against the glass.
"Luffy?" A voice called, causing the little boy to remove his face from the window. Recognizing the kind voice as Makino's, Luffy swirled around and threw himself into her arms.
"Good Morning, Miss Kino!" The lady laughed and hugged him back. Makino worked at the local flower shop down the street and would always give him snacks and talk with him when she wasn't busy.
"Good Morning, Luffy! Are you excited to go trick-or-treating tonight?" She asked, releasing him from the tight hug. The boy immediately drooped, his eyes darting down to the ground.
"I don't think I'm gonna get to go…"
"What? Why not?" Makino asked, kneeling down on the sidewalk to look into his eyes. Luffy sniffled.
"I don't have a c-costume and…" The boy wiped at his nose, "I don't have anyone to go with." The green-haired woman looked down at him in contemplation before scooping him and his backpack up into her arms.
"Well, those are both things that can be fixed." Nuzzling his face into her shoulder, Luffy couldn't help but smile. Makino always knew what to do and was so nice.
Walking down the street to the flower shop, Luffy was placed inside and immediately inhaled, enjoying the nice smell. Makino told him to wait there while she got something out of the back, so the little boy flitted around, touching the soft petals. The entrance bell rang signaling someone came in.
"Hanging out with Makino again, brat?" Luffy turned and greeted a tall, gruff looking man with a smile.
"Smokey, good morning!" Smokey was a police officer and really cool, or at least Luffy thought so. The man sighed and ruffled his hair.
"It's Smoker, brat." The police officer knelt down next to him before asking, "How's your face?" The little boy reached up to run his hand over the new scar under his left eye. He'd had to go to the hospital a few months ago when Bellamy's dad had pushed him and Luffy's face hit the side of the kitchen counter. Granted, no one else knew that. Mr. Sir had threatened to send him back to the orphanage if he told and Luffy really didn't want that.
"It's good. It doesn't hurt anymore." Smokey looked him in the eye.
"You trust me, right brat?" Luffy nodded. "So, if anything ever happened, you'd tell me?" The boy nodded again, not sure why Smokey was telling him this. Was he worried about him?
"Ah, Captain, welcome!" Makino called as she entered the front of the store, a box in hand. "Can I help you find anything?" Smokey stood up and ran a hand through his hair.
"W-Well…" Makino's smile widened.
"Let me guess, flowers for Hina? I have just the thing." The man cleared his throat and seemed nervous but didn't object. Luffy pulled on Smokey's trousers.
"Ne, who's Hina? Are you getting married?" One of the other employees snickered and Smokey turned bright red.
"She's…. uh…."
"And here we go, Captain, I'm sure she will love them!" Paying for the bouquet, Smokey ruffled Luffy's hair again and quickly left the shop.
"Luffy, come here for a second, I have something for you." Makino called from where sat on a short stool, a box in her lap. Padding over, the little boy looked at the box in anticipation. Was it food? It had to be an awesome snack or something!
"Happy Halloween!" She said with a big smile, handing the box to him. Not waiting another second, Luffy opened the box and his eyes widened. Small hands reached in and pulled out a black zip-up jacket with soft, blue bunny ears sown onto the hood. Turning it around, there was a blue fluff ball on the back of it…
'A tail!' Luffy realized. Had Makino made him a costume!?
"It's not much, but I know how much you love animals…" Luffy put his backpack on the ground and slipped the jacket on. Not only was it warm, but it was a costume! A real costume! He reached back and pulled the hood up to cover his hair, smiling widely when the ears flopped down with it.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Miss Kino! It's so awesome!" He spun around and pet the soft ears in glee. Makino laughed.
"I'm so glad you like it, Luffy, though the sleeves seem a bit too long…" Reluctantly taking off his costume, the little boy stayed with Makino while she adjusted the sleeves, so he could see his hands. When she finished, Luffy immediately put it back on and ran around the flower shop showing off his costume to the customers.
Hours later, when the sun finally went down, Luffy held Makino's hand as they walked to a nearby neighborhood. He was so excited! Miss Kino had even let him use one of her canvas bags for candy! He was finally going to go trick-or-treating!
Looking over the crowds of people, Luffy stopped short as he recognized a head of blonde hair.
'Bellamy…'
"Luffy, what's wrong?" Makino asked, kneeling down when Luffy started shaking.
"I… I'm nervous, Miss Kino…" She smiled warmly and hugged him close.
"Don't worry, I'll be right next to you. We'll have a great time!" As it turned out, Miss Kino was right, Luffy did have a good time. After going to a few different houses, he'd acquired a good amount of candy and was very proud that so many people seemed to like his costume. Just as they were about to head to the next neighborhood, a commotion caught his eye.
Some parents were starting to fight over… something… Luffy wasn't sure. Of course, he really wasn't expecting one of them to punch the other and start wrestling. Makino immediately told him to stay put and ran over to try and help put a stop to it.
So, the little boy sat down in the grass and began going through the candy he'd collected so far.
"What kind of stupid costume is that?" A familiar voice mocked, getting closer. Luffy looked up and saw Bellamy in his really nice pirate costume along with three other boys, also dressed up.
"Miss Kino made it for me," Luffy said, putting his candy back in his bag. The boys all laughed.
"It's so lame!"
"What a dork!"
Luffy bit his lip and tried not to let his anger build, remembering Miss Kino's lessons. Putting his candy back in his bag, the little boy stood up and tried to leave, only to be pulled back by Bellamy as he grabbed one of the blue ears.
"You shouldn't have come out of the attic, orphan." The other boys yanked his bag of candy away and dragged him just slightly past the tree line of the forest where they proceeded to rip off the blue ears and destroy his wonderful costume. Luffy tried to fight back, to protect Miss Kino's gift, but he was just too small compared to his assailants. He couldn't do anything as they tore his costume into pieces and threw the fluffy tail into his face.
As they distributed his candy amongst themselves, Luffy pushed himself up off the ground, shaking as he picked up what was left of his costume. Miss Kino had worked hard to make this for him and now…
"See ya, we've got more houses to hit." The twelve-year-old sneered as he dangled candy in front of Luffy's face. In a moment of anger, the boy lunged after them, trying to do… something, but, to his surprise, Bellamy turned and punched him right in the face, knocking him onto the ground again.
Listening to their jeering laughs fade away, Luffy sat up, clutching his eye and crying. Sitting in the woods with only the chirping of birds and distant sounds of voices to keep him company, he'd never felt so lonely. Especially since he'd left Sunny in his backpack at the flower shop.
Clutching the remnants of his costume close, the little boy ran. He didn't know where he was going, but he just wanted to get away. His eye really hurt, and he didn't want to face Miss Kino after failing to protect her wonderful present.
Tears blurring his vision, Luffy didn't see the drop off until it was too late. Crying out, he tripped and rolled down the hill, causing his costume pieces to scatter. When he finally stopped, Luffy just curled up in a ball, sobbing. Now everything hurt, and he'd lost Miss Kino's costume for good.
'W-Why am I so….'
"That was quite a tumble, little one." A smooth voice asked, "Are you all right?" Luffy sniffled as he sat up, still holding his left eye, and tried to find whoever had spoken. A woman with long black hair wearing a black trench coat stepped out of the woods. The little boy didn't move as she approached.
The lady crouched down next to him and gently touched his cheek with a cold hand, her blue eyes curious. At her prompting, Luffy let his hand fall from his face. He flinched when she touched where he'd been hit, the pain spreading down to his jaw. When the woman removed her hand, it was red with blood.
Luffy looked at the blood and started to hyperventilate. Was he dying?
"You took quite a hit, hmmm? Shhh, calm yourself, you're okay. Let's get you patched up." The lady said before scooping him up into her arms. Luffy squirmed a bit, looking back into the trees.
"M-My costume…" He started, trying to get out of the lady's arms. She just chuckled.
"You mean this?" Luffy stopped as she held up a bag full of black and blue scraps. "I took the liberty of picking them up before coming to speak with you." The boy sighed in relief that his costume had been recovered but wasn't sure how she'd been able to pick them up so quickly. Before he could ask, a wave of exhaustion swept through his body. Suddenly feeling very tired, Luffy snuggled into the lady's shoulder and fell asleep in seconds.
When he woke up, Luffy found himself in a bed of some kind. Confused he sat up, only to feel dizzy.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Your stiches re-opened and I had to redo them so, do try not to undo all my hard work." A deep voice chided. Feeling at the bandage under his eye, Luffy looked to see a really weird guy sitting on a stool by his bed. The man had dark hair, gold eyes, and lots of tattoos. He could tell because the guy didn't have a shirt on. Though, the weirdest thing was definitely the fact that he had stiches seemingly to hold on his arms, and the right one was literally coming off.
"Ne, Mister," Luffy said, staring at the arm, "Your arms gonna fall off." The man glanced over at his right arm and rolled his eyes.
"I literally just sowed this one back on…" He grumbled angerly to himself while fishing around for something in his bag. Luffy thought he was really cool.
"Are you a zombie, Mister?" The little boy asked, his eyes glowing.
"Yes." Came the curt reply, and Luffy let out an excited gasp. A real-life zombie! As Mr. Zombie worked to sow his arm back on, the lady from the woods entered what the boy realized was a tent.
"Ah, you're awake. How do you feel?" She asked sitting on the bed.
"I'm a little dizzy, but good! Thanks for helping me, lady!" She smiled and motioned to herself.
"My name is Robin, what's yours?"
"I'm Luffy!" He replied, smiling widely, "I'm seven!" Robin chuckled and turned to Mr. Zombie.
"This is Trafalgar Law, he's the one who helped you feel better, Luffy." The boy smiled at the zombie-guy.
"Thanks, Torao!" The tattooed zombie grunted in response, concentrating on his arm. Luffy swung his legs to the edge of the bed but didn't put his feet on the floor. Meeting a zombie was cool and all, but that didn't change what had happened earlier. There was a mirror on the other side of the tent, and Luffy could tell he had a black eye. Plus, his costume was still gone, and he bet Miss Kino was worried about him.
"Robin, do you still have my costume?" Luffy asked, concerned that the pieces had been lost while he slept. The woman smiled and reached into her coat, pulling out a familiar black jacket. He immediately latched onto the intact costume, feeling the blue ears and checking for the fluffy tail.
"Y-You… you fixed it!" The seven-year-old cheered, "Are you magical, Robin?" He hugged it close before slipping it on. The woman chuckled.
"Something like that, little Luffy." She waited for him to finish zipping up the jacket before continuing, "You see, I'm not human like you."
"Are you a zombie too?"
"No, I'm a vampire." Robin replied, smiling widely to show off pointy fangs. Luffy stared in awe, reaching over to try and touch them, only to be stopped by a delicate hand. "Quite adventurous aren't you."
The boy pouted, but still thought it was awesome.
"Do you even know where you are, kid?" Torao asked, having finished with his arm. Luffy shook his head. Robin helped him stand up and flipped his hood up before leading him out of the tent with Torao right behind them. The boy's mouth dropped open and he squeezed Robin's hand tight.
"Welcome to the Monster Fair, little Luffy."
He'd never seen anything like it. There were lights everywhere and booths set up all throughout the clearing where monsters laughed and ate food. It was awesome. Looking up at the sky, the stars shown brighter than he'd ever seen them, and ladies on brooms flew around overhead.
"You see, Luffy, when you fell down that hill, you crossed into our world. The realm of monsters." Robin explained, "Though, we are still not sure how you managed to get through the barrier so easily, we think it might be because it is, as you humans call it, Halloween." The little boy was barely listening, so amazed with his surroundings. There was a realm of monsters? So cool!
Now that he thought about it, hadn't Miss Kino told him about the Monster Fair once? Yeah, it was a story or something.
"Tell me a story, Miss Kino!" Luffy whined, "Please!" She just laughed.
"All right, all right. One story, and then you need to head home, okay?" The boy nodded and settled himself in the woman's lap.
"There's a legend in this town, Luffy, one of monsters. It's said that there's another world full of them and that the only thing protecting us from them is a magic barrier. Part of that barrier is thought to be located in the forest right next to town, and on Halloween night, it is said that you can hear the monsters celebrating their own version of All Hallows Eve, called the Monster Fair."
Luffy gazed up in anticipated, squirming around in Miss Kino's lap.
"No one knows exactly what they do at the Fair, only that it must be ghastly and terrifying, they are monsters after all. Twenty years ago, a man claimed to have accidently stumbled into the Fair and came back white as a sheet. So, this coming October, be careful not to be…"
Makino pounced and started tickling Luffy, making him squeal, "GOBBLED UP!"
"Miss Kino!" He laughed, "Stop, you're just trying to scare me!" She smiled, placing him onto the floor.
"It's a myth that's been around for a while, Luffy. Who knows whether it's true or not. Now run along home before it gets dark."
"Okay!"
'It's true, Miss Kino!' Luffy thought, amazed, 'There really is a Monster Fair!' Though, it didn't seem quite as scary as she'd made it out to be.
"How do I get home, Robin?" He asked, still thinking about Makino. The vampire looked up at the moon.
"Hmmm, it'll be a few hours until the barrier is at its weakest. You will be able to return home then." Luffy huffed but looked out at the Fair with excitement.
"Then, can I…" He bounced up and down, watching the monsters munch on yummy looking food.
"Why don't we go ask?" Robin nodded to Torao who waved and went back inside the tent. "Since you're human, we need to ask the Master if it's all right." Luffy stuck close to Robin as she led them through the Fair. They got a few strange looks, but the monsters mostly focused on enjoying themselves. Eventually, they stopped in front of a massive tent and Robin told him to wait outside for a moment.
While he waited, Luffy hugged his jacket and stroked the blue ears, giggling softly. His costume was okay! He flinched when he smiled a little too big and his eye started hurting.
Robin poked her head out and beckoned for him to come in. Luffy took her hand again and trotted into the large tent. There, sitting on a huge chair, was the biggest guy the boy had ever seen.
"So, this is the human who got through the barrier…" The monster said while leaning back in his chair, "He's… tiny." Luffy broke free of Robin's grip and slowly approached the huge man, his blue, bunny ears flopping about his face.
"You're huge!" He exclaimed, running forward again, only to be caught by Robin and held tightly in her arms.
"I apologize, Master Katakuri, little Luffy is still just a babe." The large monster chuckled quietly, reaching up to adjust his scarf.
"It's no problem, Nico Robin, his spunk amuses me." Luffy pouted and squirmed in her arms, wanting to explore. The monster, who had black horns sticking out of his forehead and bat-like wings exploding from his back, leaned forward onto his knees.
"You wish to explore my Fair, young one? Very well, I'll allow it. But only if you stay close to Robin and her class until we can return you to your own realm." Luffy let out a squeak of agreement and nodded. When he was placed on the ground, Robin approached the Master guy to whisper something, so the boy glanced out of the tent, suddenly nervous.
Since it was still Halloween, this was similar to trick-or-treating right? Last time, he'd had Miss Kino with him, but even then… Luffy fought back tears as he remembered what had happened with Bellamy. Were there people like that here too? So far, everyone was nice, but…
"Is something wrong, little Luffy?" Robin asked, having noticed the distressed look on his face. The boy turned back to the Master and quietly asked,
"Mister… A-Are there mean monsters here?" The creature raised an eyebrow.
"Mean monsters?" Luffy nodded.
"Because this is like trick-or-treat, and sometimes there are mean people who-who rip up your p-present and-and-" He trailed off, lifting a small hand to touch his eye. The boy yelped when the ground moved under him, and he was raised up close to the large monster. The white stuff dumped him into the Master guy's hand.
"I know of this 'trick-or-treat' ritual you humans do, but I do not believe it involves harming each other." The monster contemplated, moving Luffy's head with a finger so he could look at the bruised skin. "That being said, there is no need for you to worry about being hurt here, little one. My Fair is a time for all monsters to come together and celebrate peace. Do not be afraid."
Luffy sniffed, nodded, and hugged the monster's hand.
A few minutes later, Robin led him away from the big monster's tent and towards a clearing just outside of the Fair. Seeing a group of kids around his age, Luffy stopped and gulped, immediately nervous. He'd never had any friends his age, and those he did know always liked to pick on him.
"It's okay, Luffy, this is the class Master Katakuri spoke of. I'm sure you can be friends with them." Biting his lip, the boy decided to trust Robin and see what happened.
"Class, there's someone I'd like you to meet! Please, gather round!" Robin called, and the monsters came running over. "This is Luffy, he's a human who will be experiencing the Fair with us this year, at least until we can return him to his own world. Introduce yourselves, now."
The first one to step forward was a girl slightly taller than Luffy with bright orange hair and a pointy hat.
"Hi, I'm Nami! I'm a witch and I love money!" She said proudly before approaching him and tugging a little on his hood. Luffy immediately tensed, afraid she would yank the ears off. But she didn't try to tear it, she just messed with it and pushed it back from his face. "Wow, is this a costume? I've heard that humans wear these on All Hallows Eve while they go house to house getting offerings! This is so adorable!"
Luffy smiled and pulled a blue ear into his hands, rubbing it absent mindedly.
"T-Thanks, Miss Kino made it as a present…" Nami then began peppering him with questions about whether money was an offering given, but Luffy wasn't sure. Next to introduce themselves was a boy with the legs of… a goat?
"Greetings, human! I am the great Usopp, warrior and sniper!" Luffy's eyes immediately lit up.
"Wow, really!? That's so cool!" While Usopp told him about the time he'd slayed a giant, evil goldfish, Robin explained that he was what was called a satyr. Luffy decided he really liked him.
"Oi, stop it, Usopp! He's actually believing you!" A blonde boy shouted, before turning to Luffy, "Yo, I'm Sanji, a vampire like Miss Robin. A word of advice… don't believe a word he says."
"Oh, why should he believe you, swirly eye-brow? You're probably the most suspicious out of all of us." A green-haired boy with dog ears and a tail said with a smirk.
"What was that, Marimo!? I'll kick your ass!"
"HUH!?" Immediately the two boys started to fight, with Sanji kicking at the green-haired one who blocked with swords. Robin just chuckled.
"They're always like this, Luffy." Nami put in, "A bunch of adrenaline-charged idiots if you ask me." She then explained that Zoro was a werewolf so him and Sanji tended to get into fights a lot, but they were still really close friends. Luffy smiled, deciding he liked these monsters. Maybe they could be…
"Well, shall we explore the Fair everyone?" Robin interrupted, "Make sure you stay together and look out for Luffy." They all cheered and Usopp even put his arm around Luffy. The boy smiled softly, hopeful that this would be fun.
The Monster Fair really was a magical place. Each booth had something different from food, to magical candies, to clothes. It was really cool!
Robin watched over them as they rushed from one booth to another.
"Here, Luffy, try this!" Sanji said, shoving something on a stick into his hands, "It's meat, but like, six different kinds put together." Luffy took a bite and immediately hummed in appreciation. It tasted amazing!
While he finished his meat stick thing, Usopp took him over to a game booth run by a familiar face.
"Torao!" Luffy called out, making the zombie wave.
"You kids want to try and knock down all the pins? If you do, you'll get a prize." Usopp immediately took out a slingshot from his shirt pocket and gave Torao a coin to play. Robin had all the coins, so all they had to do was ask for one.
Luffy watched excitedly as Usopp masterfully knocked down all the pins without even trying that hard. He really was a warrior sniper! For winning, the satyr got a nice green bandana that he immediately wrapped around his head.
Zoro and Sanji went all out for the next booth, run by a nice-looking red-haired man. They both stood up on a log and tried to knock each other off and into the water below with padded sticks. Luffy and the others cheered them both on, and in the end, they knocked each other in and it was a tie.
For their efforts, they both got really soft looking scarfs that they tied around their necks immediately.
Nami didn't participate in many games, but liked to… what did Robin call it… banter?... with the monsters around to see if she could get any money from them. It was really funny!
His new friends invited him to participate in a few games, and Luffy really had a good time. He'd never had people his age who really enjoyed being with him.
Robin directed them to a booth towards the edge of the Fair, saying they would all really like this one. The monsters running it both had really funny hair, one looked like a pineapple and the other like a… beaver maybe?
"Hey there, kiddos! Who wants to summon their own familiar?" Beaver hair cheered. His friends all started whispering excitedly, though Luffy was confused.
"What's a familiar?" The little boy asked Nami, who seemed to know everything. The orange haired girl's eyes were bright.
"A familiar is basically a creature you take care of that has special powers and stuff. I can't believe we can actually summon our own! They're friends for life, ya know!"
"Like a pet?"
"Yeah, basically. Except they're magical!" The two men ushered them inside the booth where an elaborate circle was drawn on the ground.
"It's easy, yoi." Pineapple head explained, "All you've gotta do is sit in the center of the summoning circle and it'll read you." Luffy had always wanted a pet but couldn't have one at the orphanage or at his current foster home. Zoro flipped back his hood and ruffled his hair.
"Isn't this exciting, Luffy! Our own familiars!" The raven-haired boy grinned and nodded.
Nami ended up going first. She sat cross-legged in the circle and closed her eyes, and immediately it started to glow orange. A few seconds later, a little flaming bird appeared on her shoulder. The young witch immediately cooed and brushed a finger over its feathers, apparently not minding the fire.
Zoro ended up summoning a baby wolf with dark fur, while Sanji summoned a little coeurl, a cat-like creature with really long whiskers. Luffy couldn't help but giggle when their familiars started to bat at each other.
Usopp summoned a turtle large enough that he could ride it! Luffy liked how its shell felt.
"All right, last one. You ready to go, kid?" Beaver hair asked. The seven-year old walked slowly into he middle of the circle, really hoping for something that would be his friend. Sitting, Luffy closed his eyes. After a moment of warmth, there was a soft popping sound, and then he felt something soft in his hands.
Opening his eyes, Luffy couldn't help but gasp. There, in his hands, was a tiny bunny rabbit with black fur, blue ears, and a blue fluffy tail. Bringing it closer to his face, the boy moved it to his left hand, so he could pet it with his right. The bunny was tiny, but so warm, and it thrummed happily in against his fingers.
"Would ya look at that…" Beaver hair mumbled. Standing up, Luffy left the circle and joined his new friends, the bunny nuzzling its face into his jacket. Nami immediately started to fawn over it, her bird resting contently on her witch's hat.
A few minutes later, the friends were all sitting on a moonlit hill, their new familiars lounging around them, Robin watching over them nearby, and they just… talked. Luffy found out that Zoro was actually a prince since his father was a Lord. Sanji was a noble, though he didn't seem to like his family that much. Nami's mother and sister lived nearby and she wanted to introduce Luffy to them since apparently, they'd really like him. Usopp's father was a performer in a traveling circus.
It was fun, learning about his new friends.
"So, what about you, Luffy?" Sanji asked, pulling his kitty into his lap, "What's your family like?"
"And how'd you get that shiner?" Zoro followed up, earning a slap on the head from Nami.
Luffy smiled as he listened to the young witch scold Zoro on his choice of words, though he didn't really get why it was a bad thing. His rabbit climbed up to his shoulder and settled itself into the crook of his neck.
"I-I don't have a family." Luffy said quietly, drawing everyone's attention, including Robin's. "I was found in front of orphanage when I was a baby and now I live with a temporary family who really don't want me there." He sniffed and curled in on himself. "M-My foster brother is the one who h-h-hit me…not really sure why…a-and then they tore up m-my costume…"
The bunny thrummed against his neck, helping to calm him down, but the tears came anyway. For the first time in his life, he had friends, but now they'd think he was a baby-
Suddenly he was surrounded by arms, Nami pulling him close against his chest. Usopp came close as well, rubbing a hand through Luffy's hair. Zoro and Sanji stood up and put hands on his shoulders, their eyes hard with anger.
"That's so wrong, Lu." Zoro said, tightening his protective grip on the boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."
"Yeah! I'll teach them a lesson, the jerks!" Usopp put in, his turtle butting his head up against Luffy's back. Sanji said nothing but leaned down to wipe his tears away. They stayed that way for a while until the seven-year-old had cried all of his tears.
"Thanks, g-guys." He managed to get out, snot running out of his nose. "D-does this mean we're f-friends?" They all pilled in together, their familiars as well, nearby smothering Luffy.
"Of course!" Came the consensus, making him break into the largest smile he possibly could. Friends were a nice thing to have.
Robin walked up to their little huddle and ran a hand down Luffy's face.
"Thank you for sharing, Luffy. Know that you have people who care about you, plus your little familiar here." The boy collected his bunny in his hands and watched it spin in circles happily before settling itself onto its paws.
"Bun." His new friends looked at him in confusion. Luffy rubbed his face against the rabbit's dark fur. "I'm gonna call him Bun." The group then broke out into praise for the newly named Bun, celebrating his fluffiness and cuteness. They stayed together for the next few hours, playing and trying to come up with names for the other familiars.
Luffy had never had so much fun in his life.
With Bun on his shoulder and a bag full of treats on in his arms, Luffy stood in front of the magical barrier separating him from his home. Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Nami were all there, straightening his hood and giving him little pats and hugs. Robin stood back and smiled, watching the group of kids say goodbye to their newest human friend.
"Are you ready, child?" Master guy asked, his arms crossed. Luffy's lip quivered and he turned to face his friends.
"Will I be able to see you again?"
"Of course, Luffy." Robin said quietly, "You will see them again. Give me your wrist." He did, and she traced something on the skin, causing it to glow for a second before fading. "That mark will help you find the Fair next year. Also, as soon as they graduate from the Academy, they will be allowed to exit the barrier and live in the human world."
"That's right, Lu!" Nami called out, pulling him in for a quick hug, "Young monsters like us aren't very good at disguising ourselves, but once we graduate, we'll come find you!"
"But I thought you couldn't-" Luffy started, only to be interrupted by a deep laugh from the Master.
"That's what you humans have deduced. The barrier was actually placed there to keep humans from getting lost in our realm and being consumed by magic. Your race is so fragile after all. The only thing keeping us from your realm is our own preferences. In fact, many of us have lived among you for years."
Luffy didn't really get it, but he now knew his new friends would be able to be with him! Someday.
"How long until you graduate?" He asked, hoping it would be soon. Robin replied,
"They will be able to cross over in about a year. So, come back next year, and they'll getting ready to visit the human realm for the first time." A year… he could wait that long.
"The time has come, I will now open the barrier for you." The monster with the scarf announced as he gripped the shimmering magic and pulled, creating a small hole.
Luffy adjusted his hold on his new bag and walked through the hole, turning to smile at his new friends on the other side.
"Bye! See you soon!" He called, waving. They all smiled and waved back before the barrier closed, and he could no longer see them. Huffing, Luffy started to make his way back to where the neighborhood was, hoping Miss Kino wasn't too worried. He'd been gone a long time.
Bun stayed on his shoulder until the road came into view and he hid himself in Luffy's new bag of treats.
Emerging from the woods, the little boy immediately looked around for Makino, finding her pulling an adult off another. Wait…
After she finished scolding them, she made her way over to him.
"I'm so sorry about that, Luffy, you didn't get lonely while I was over, there did you?" The boy was dumbfounded, it was like he'd never left!
"But… I was gone a long time." He said quietly, earning a confused look from Makino. Deciding not to mention his time at the Monster Fair, Luffy just told Miss Kino that he'd made some new friends while she was separating the two parents, and she couldn't have been happier. Though, he did have to come up with a story about his black eye and bandage. She definitely didn't believe him.
Yet another amazing thing was that his new bag of treats given to him by the Pineapple head monster had turned itself into the canvas bag Miss Kino had let him use. Monsters had the best stuff!
Eventually, the time came to go back home, if you could call it that. Bellamy's parents made fun of his costume when he entered the house, but he ignored them and went straight to his room. Who knows where Bellamy was at, they let him do whatever he wanted. The second he put his bag on the bed, Bun emerged and jumped around his room.
"Shishishi, it's a little small, huh Bun?" The rabbit seemingly nodded back and continued his exploration. Digging into his backpack, the boy pulled Sunny out and put him back onto his bed. Moving to the bathroom, Luffy washed dirt and grime off his face with a washcloth, since he didn't want to have to go downstairs for the actual shower. Throwing his pajamas on and snuggling into bed, Luffy felt… happy.
Bun then leapt up onto the bed and curled up right underneath his chin, making his smile widen. Despite everything that happened, he'd had a really fun day.
The next day, Luffy was dressed and ready pretty early, with Bun hiding in his hoodie pocket. His black eye had definitely gotten darker, but Torao had warned him about that before he'd left the Fair. Knowing his rabbit didn't need to eat definitely made things easier, but Luffy still wanted to at least give him some snacks, everything needed food!
Making his way down to the kitchen, the boy heard voices coming from the living room.
Trotting into the room, Luffy was surprised at how many people were there. Smokey noticed him first and quickly made his way to him.
"Luffy, are you all right?" Confused, the boy nodded.
"Why are you here, Smokey?" He asked, looking past the man to examine the others in the house. There were two other police officers and a nice-looking woman with glasses talking to Bellamy's parents who looked angry.
"WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO THE LITTLE BRAT!" Mr. Sir yelled, startling Luffy. Smokey stalked back over to them.
"I don't believe that for a second! We have it on good authority that you were the one who gave him that scar! Should I also mention that your son Bellamy has picked up your verbal and physical abuse of him! You are clearly unfit to be parents, let alone foster parents!"
Still somewhat confused, Luffy was picked up by Smokey and carried out of the house. The man said someone would pack up his stuff and move it for him, which was nice. As he was placed in the police car, the boy looked out the window and was met with bright, blue eyes.
'Robin?' Luffy thought, waving at her. The vampire smiled and waved back, switching her umbrella to the other hand.
"We're going to head to the station, okay kid?" Smokey asked, starting the car. Luffy glanced at him for a moment before turning to Robin again, only to find she had disappeared. Bun peeked his head out of the pocket and Luffy occupied himself with petting the rabbit's soft ears.
Luffy stayed with Smokey for about a week, which was fun. Even if the man was a little stern. At least he didn't have to worry about being hit or the man forgetting to feed him. That had happened a few times at Bellamy's house.
Now, the boy sat in Smokey's office, waiting for him to come back. The police officer had said Luffy needed to come with him to work today but hadn't said why. Bun chewed up a few of the man's papers on his desk but darted back into the boy's pocket when the door opened.
Smokey led him into a room with lots of chairs in it, where a stranger was pacing back and forth. When they entered, the man stopped pacing and his breath caught in his throat.
"Luffy, this is Portgas D. Ace." Smokey introduced. The boy looked up at the freckled guy in confusion, before he collapsed to his knees before him.
"L-Luffy… I-I…. I'm…"
"He's your brother." Smokey finished. Luffy's eyes widened as his heart rate sped up. Bun, sensing his distress, thrummed from inside his pocket, he reached a hand in to pet at the rabbit's fur. What did he mean… brother? He didn't have any family…
"Luffy… I'm your big brother." The freckled guy managed to get out, tears flowing down his cheeks, "I didn't even know you existed until Smoker called me! But, I'm here now, and I-I want you to be a part of my life."
The boy felt his lip quivering as the man, his brother, Ace, opened his arms to him. Feeling Bun's encouragement, Luffy rushed forward and threw himself into Ace's arms.
"You're my… my big brother?" He stuttered, "R-Really?"
"Yeah, I'm Ace, your brother." The freckled guy cried, pulling him close. "Y-You can come live with me if you want…"
Words simply wouldn't come, so Luffy just nodded again and again, feeling Smokey's approving smile from behind him.
It'd been three months since Ace had become his official guardian, and Luffy loved him. He did have to move cities, since his big brother lived in Raftel, but it wasn't that far from Goa, according to Ace.
His new brother lived in a nice little house right on the edge of a forest, that reminded him of the one the magical barrier was in. Luffy got his own room right down the hall from Ace's that was warm and right next to the bathroom! He'd even introduced Bun to his big brother, hoping the rabbit wouldn't have to hide all the time.
Surprisingly, Ace liked Bun and said he could roam around the house as long as he didn't leave droppings anywhere (did he poop?).
His brother worked as a firefighter but had taken some time off to spend some time with Luffy, which he really loved. When he wasn't home, or had to be called in to work, their neighbor, Rayleigh would come over and play with Luffy. The old man was awesome and had so many stories to tell!
Now, resting in Ace's lap, Luffy felt content. They were watching a funny movie, but his big brother had fallen asleep about halfway through. Nuzzling his face into Ace's chest, the boy sighed, enjoying the safety he felt. Bun sniffed the freckles on the man's face before coming to snuggle with Luffy.
'Not much longer now,' He thought, 'Before my new friends can come here. And now, I have a family too!'
Falling asleep, Luffy dreamed about zombies, werewolves, and vampires along with candy and bunny rabbits.
He'd had such a great Halloween and he couldn't wait until next year!
Let me know what ya'll think! Reviews are always appreciated.