Second chapter is here! Enjoy! :D
(EDIT: 8/12/15)
It was the almost night time at Crocus's house. The lighthouse was on - which amazed Katara immensely, seeing something so 'modern' - and Katara is sitting in the living area with a towel draped on her shoulders, while Crocus was fixing hot beverages for her and himself. After being wet and cold from the ocean water, she might need it. She asked if there was any tea, and Crocus answered there is, thus he made hot tea for her and hot coffee for him. Crocus came in with two hot mugs on a tray – which of course, the mugs look foreign to her – and gave Katara the hot tea. She thanked Crocus, and palm gripped the side of the mug and on the bottom of it, and sipped it, with the unused handle poking out of the back. Crocus slightly raised an eyebrow, but paid no heed to it, and drank his coffee.
"So," began Crocus, "where do you want to start?"
Katara looked up from her tea, and began to think. "Well, like I said; I would explain the premise of bending when we got here, but again, it's…kinda complicated."
Crocus smirked. "Hey, I got all the time in the world."
Katara smiled. "Well, alright then!" She started. "Let's see, bending is…" She paused. "…um…bending is…well, you're born with it, and you put your spirit into it, but um…it's…" she stopped… "Huh. Actually, I don't know how it works, really. I guess it's just…in some way, a magic ability used by some people." Katara would naturally never say bending was magic, but that's the best description she could think of right now.
'I just hope Sokka hasn't rubbed off on me.' She made a face to that.
"Magic, huh?" Crocus grinned while taking a sip of his coffee. "That's sounds simple enough." He chuckled.
"Well, I actually don't consider bending as 'magic', per se, I consider it something more."
Crocus nodded seriously. "But of course."
Katara smiled at Crocus' understanding. "But I do know that bending consists of manipulating four of the elements, water, earth, fire and air. You can bend these elements into your control and do anything with them. I'm, of course, a waterbender."
Crocus nodded. "I see. So you can manipulate water then, huh?"
"Yes, I can. I can use them as whips, slice things with them and freeze things with water. I also can heal people with water!"
Crocus grinned. "It sounds like you can do a lot! You must be a prodigy!" He took another sip of his coffee
Katara blushed and looked away. "Well…I'm really just a fast learner. I wouldn't say prodigy…" She looked back and continued what she was saying. "But anyways, waterbenders can not also bend water, but different types of…liquid." She stopped, remembering bloodbending, and lowering her head a bit, having a grave look on her face.
Crocus noticed this and asked "Are you okay?"
Katara shook her head. "Oh, um, yeah. I just…remembered something, that's all."
Crocus decided to just leave it at that. He took another sip of his coffee.
"So, you can heal people? Does that make you a doctor as well?"
Katara looked backed at Crocus. "Well, I'm not really a doctor, per se, but, like I said, I can heal people with only water."
Crocus nodded. "I see. I'm asking, because I'm sort of a doctor myself. Actually, I used to be a physician. I worked in a clinic on the cape years ago. I also worked on a ship for a good while."
"Really? Wow…" She then thought of what he said. "Wait, you 'used' to be? What…um, happened?" Katara said, making sure she's not sounding like she's prying into Crocus' business.
"Oh, nothing happened..." He turned solemn. "Do you want to know about Laboon?"
Katara blinked. "Um...sure. What about Laboon?"
Crocus took a deep breath before starting. "Before I start though, do you know of pirates?"
"Um, actually, yes, I do." She said, remembering the pirates that Zuko…she shook her head again. She has to stop remembering the bad times about Zuko.
"Well, have you ever heard of friendly pirates?"
Katara blinked some more. 'Huh? Where is he going with this?' "Um…no, not really. To me, pirates are just mindless, thieving, money grabbing crooks who attack people at sea."
Crocus gave out a whole hearty laugh. "That's one way of putting it!" He grinned. "But believe it or not...there are good pirates on these waters."
"Wait a second." Interrupt Katara. "There are...pirates out here in this world? And they're…nice ones? I don't believe it." Katara said, crossing her arms in skepticism.
Crocus chuckled. "Well, believe what you want to believe, but I met some myself."
"You have?"
He nodded. "You see, Laboon...was not really my 'pet' to begin with. He actually belonged to a friendly bunch of pirates that came down that current you saw."
Katara looked confused, but she remembered the down sea current on the mountain she saw when she woke up and came over here to the house. "Oh yeah! What was that?"
"Well, like I said before, we're on the Red Line; a mountainous belt of land that divides the FOUR oceans."
"Four oceans!?" Katara said, in amazement.
"Yep." Crocus smirked. "And that mountain with the down current is called the Reverse Mountain. There are different seas around this world, but right now, you've entered the most popular one, the Grand Line. I would go into it more, but I'm getting off track. Perhaps another time. This is about Laboon." He closed his eyes in thought. "Like I said, he belonged to a bunch of friendly pirates. I met them fifty years ago, on this cape here."
Katara's mouth slightly opened in astonishment. "Fifty years ago?"
Crocus smiled and nodded. "These pirates and their ship came down the current, and with them, trailing along, was Laboon, who was just a little whale baby at that time. Normally, island whales travel with their kind in pods. But…for Laboon, those pirates were his kind."
Katara was getting very interested in this story now. 'Wow. Fifty years ago, Laboon came down to this current to travel with...pirates?' She still can't believe pirates could be nice, but…hey, this is a different world.
"Their ship was damaged, so they stayed at the twin capes for several months, and I got to be good friends with them." He opened his eyes and his expression changed to a more solemn look. "Then, on that day the left, the captain asked me if I'd take good care of Laboon for him a couple of years, while they sail through the Grand Line.
"He said to me and Laboon, 'We're going to circumnavigate the world and return here, so stay put!'. Laboon understood."
All was quiet. Crocus had a grim look on his face. Katara didn't like that. It could only mean one thing.
Katara bravely spoke. "They...didn't come back, did they?" It definitely wasn't a question, it was more a statement.
A pause.
Crocus nodded. "The Grand Line can be a very dangerous place, Katara. Surrounding the Grand Line are strips of ocean called the Calm Belts, where no wind goes by whatsoever."
Katara looked puzzled. "No wind? But…that's impossible."
"Nothing is impossible in the Grand Line. And on this sea, there are weather conditions that are too unpredictable, meaning they couldn't turn around if they've tried. There are some things on this sea that makes people want to go back, and abandon their ambitions. And fifty years ago...that's what they did."
Katara had a look of realization on her face. "Wait...are you saying that...they left and abandoned Laboon!?"
Crocus nodded. "I have a reliable source. They may have abandoned their voyage by crossing the Calm Belt. Those pirates…are probably dead."
Katara gasped lightly and put a hand to her mouth. They left Laboon all alone wondering? Wait…
"Does…Laboon know?"
Crocus took a deep breath. "I told him…but he wouldn't listen. He still believes they're coming back." A beat. "And that's when poor Laboon's suffering began."
Katara was starting to understand where this conversation was getting at, but she let him continue.
"After I told Laboon that they weren't coming back, he started wailing uncontrollably. After that had happened, he stood upright and waited for them, thinking they would return to him."
Katara was feeling really bad for Laboon. How could these so called 'friends' of Laboon just leave him like that?
"And then...he started hurting himself."
Katara had a look of shock. "He's hurting himself!?"
Crocus nodded once more and continued. "He was impatient one day." He closed his eyes and said, "So he started ramming himself onto the Red Line."
Katara put a hand to her mouth and gasped lightly. Then…realization hit her.
"Wait…you-you mean…those scars…?"
Crocus nodded. "And if he keeps ramming his head onto the Red Line…he will surely die."
Katara eyes were wide with horror. She stood up abruptly, letting the towel on her shoulders fall and said "Are you serious!? And you're just letting him do it!?"
"Of course not! I have my ways on dealing with Laboon's problem!" Crocus said in a more loud tone.
Katara was taken aback by Crocus' outburst. Crocus sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted. I try to take good care of him as mush as I can."
"I-I'm sorry. I just..."
"Heh, don't worry about it. Although…my method on helping Laboon is rather…unique."
She blinked. "How so?"
He looked up at Katara and smiled a small smile. "I'll have to show you, because I can't explain it well just by talking about it...but I will say...that I devoted half of my life on fixing it all up on the inside of him."
Katara once again blinked. Inside of him? "Inside of him?" She repeated her thought.
Crocus chuckled solemnly, "Believe me, it's for his own good. And I'm not crossing any line of animal cruelty, either." He then gazed at the door that led outside, with a look of sadness in his eyes.
"It's the only way I can help him."
Katara saw the look in his eyes, and felt moved.
Katara didn't know what kind of project Crocus made that would have him devote half of his life to make inside - even if that was possible - a humongous whale…but, she feels like she could trust Crocus on what he was doing.
Besides Aang with Appa, she never has seen anyone care for an animal so compassionately, so devoted, and so sympathetically…it really moved her.
Katara was holding back tears. "E-excuse me for a moment." She said as she went to the door, exiting the house. Crocus snapped his attention back to Katara as he watched her leave the house.
Outside at night with the moon shining, Katara let the small river of tears pour down her tanned cheeks. She wiped them away with her hand.
Bwwwwaaaaaa.
She jumped and turned around to see...
...Laboon. And he was facing Reverse Mountain...STANDING UP from the water!
Katara was in awe…if Laboon looked huge before, him standing from the water made him look like a towering GIANT.
Laboon's eyes – or eye, since she can only see his right side – were intent on the current. It's as if he was waiting for someone...
Katara lightly gasped.
'He's waiting for them!'
Katara just couldn't believe it. After all those years, Laboon still thinks his friends were coming back. It broke her heart. This animal that's devoted to his owners so wonderfully and loves them so dearly was waiting for them. Even if they weren't coming back, he still would wait for them...it truly certainly broke her heart.
She couldn't take it anymore. She had to knock some sense into Laboon somehow.
Katara spoke up. "Laboon!"
Labbon didn't move. He was still standing.
Katara tried to be strong in saying this without crying. "Laboon. Please don't be sad. I don't know much about your friends, but..." She let out shuddered sigh and looked down, knowing full well she was going to cry. "I know you miss them, Laboon, but it's not worth getting yourself killed!"
Laboon was still standing.
"I mean, you saw me before! I wanted to go home badly to see my friends also! I almost caused harm to myself! I don't want you to harm yourself either like I almost did! I just...I know you miss them, I miss my friends too...but you have Crocus to look after you! And if…" she choked a sob and let the tears fall again. "…And if you die, Crocus will be very sad." She choked another sob. "I'll be sad too if you died! I don't care if I just known you until now! It's just...from what I've heard…you're really suffering... "
Laboon stood there still.
"Just...please…don't be sad…and don't die." She said, in tears now. "…Please."
All was silent, save for the waves.
She looked up to gaze at Laboon with a sorrowful face. Laboon still stood there…
She sighed sadly. She went back to the lighthouse, arms wrapped around her.
While she was walking, she saw that the door wasn't completely closed. She stopped…and sighed again. She went into the house.
She closed the door behind her and saw Crocus still sitting on the couch, drinking his…what was it? Coffee? Either way, he was there.
Katara looked down. "You heard everything, didn't you?"
Crocus sat there, not looking at Katara. He then spoke.
"I appreciate what you said to Laboon. Those were kind words." He sipped the last of his coffee and placed his mug on the coffee table. "But those words will fall on deaf whale ears to him. He won't listen."
Katara looked up stunned, with her mouth slightly open.
Crocus's expression turns solemn once more. "He really believes…that they'll come back to him."
Katara looked back down again, her expression grim.
"…But…" Crocus spoke, his voice filled with a hopeful tone. "Maybe…just maybe…what you said will help put some sense into him. You never know." He turned his head to her and gave her a sincere smile.
Katara looked up in surprised hope. She gave a faint smile.
Crocus stood up. "Well, I think you need some sleep after all that you've been through today. Do you want to rest for tomorrow ahead?"
Katara nodded. "That would be a good idea."
Katara then rested up in the guest bedroom, while Crocus was at the top of the lighthouse, keeping an eye on Laboon. Laboon still looked the same, standing on the water, his eyes full of hope.
But one thing that Crocus didn't noticed about Laboon, was that there were what appeared to be small tear stains underneath his eyes.
She was dreaming. She dreamed about her brother, her grandma, her father, all her friends, all the good times. All those moments led to one particularly strange setting.
Underwater.
She was underwater. Yet she can breathe. She opened her eyes to see the ever blue water all around her. She looked ahead and saw a water serpent-like creature coming toward her. Katara felt alarmed, preparing for anything this creature would do.
The creature slowly halted two feet in front her, looking at her intently. Katara studied the serpent. It looked more like a dragon for the most part, with its horns, its face, and its long dragon like body.
She jumped when the creature spoke in a male voice. "You must understand. It was for the Avatar's and the world's own good. ...I am sorry."
And then all she could see was light.
Katara woke up abruptly from her dream. She sat up quickly on her bed, having a look of confusion on her face. What was that creature? Why did the creature say all those things? And why…was it sorry?
She sat there, wondering about this. Was the creature in her dream…the one who brought her here?
She caught something out of the corner of her eye, so she looked to her right, seeing brand new folded clothes that Crocus prepared for her. They, along with everything around here, looked foreign. The clothes looked like smaller versions of Crocus's own attire(2); a tropical shirt – except this one was blue - and khaki colored shorts. The only clothing apparel not belonging to him was her newly dried slippers.
Katara will have to wonder later. She got dressed – although feeling really different and weird on wearing someone else's strange looking clothes – and was about to head outside, when she saw a note on the table. She over to it, picked it up and read it.
Katara
I'm inside Laboon right now. And before you say anything, don't worry. I've done this a hundred times. I'm doing this to treat him. You just relax for now.
Crocus
She blinked at the letter in bafflement. He's actually in Laboon? She doesn't know if she should be worried about this or not. But she decided to trust Crocus for this bizarre treatment.
She went outside, and was greeted by a beautiful day, along with the massive standing shape of Laboon. Katara looked at Laboon with sadness. She wished she can help Laboon more, but she doesn't know what else to do to make him feel better.
She went to the far edge of the mountain cape and sat at the near edge, legs crossed. She gazed at the large down stream current that's flowing down Reverse Mountain.
'Wow! A flowing current that's going down a mountain! And to top it off, a massive gigantic animal called an island whale! Plus, all these different foreign things! This certainly is a different world!
And Crocus...even though he was weird looking, he's a very nice man. And he has such great devotion to Laboon.' Katara smiled at the sweetness of it.
She may miss her home, but at least there's a good person helping her along the way.
She sat there for a while, looking at the current, Laboon, and the waves.
All was peacefully silent...
...until she heard panic hollering coming up the current.
Katara snapped her attention to the noise and looked up to her right. Her eyes widen.
It was a ship!
The ship looked peculiarly odd to her, but one thing that she noticed was the sail. The sail has a skull with cross bones on it. But the really odd thing about the sail was that the skull was wearing what looked like a straw hat.
She also noticed that the passengers were hollering up a storm.
Then it hit her. She looked at Laboon, then at the ship. Her eyes widened.
'They're going to crash into Laboon!'
The ship was going by fast. Katara can't risk waterbending this down current, it was too powerful. If she did, the consequences could be dire. Plus, they're going by so fast, she wouldn't be able to bend the water in time.
Katara stood up, not knowing what to do. She called out to Laboon, saying, "Laboon! There's a ship! There's a ship! Get out of the way!
But all hope looked like it was lost when they were about to close in on Laboon. Katara watched in horror as she looked at what she thought was going to be a tragic disaster.
But then, just when the ship was about ten feet away from Laboon…
BOOM!
…The cannon in front of the ship went off, striking the whale, and stopping the ship – but snapping the figurehead's…well, head - in its tracks.
Katara stood there, with her jaw dropped.
'Did...did they just shoot Laboon?'
Katara wasn't too informed on modern accessories on this world, but…that sounded like a bomb going off. Except…this bomb just shot Laboon.
Speaking of Laboon, it looked like it didn't hurt him…or so she thought. The ship stopped either way, though.
The ship then steered away from Laboon into safety. Katara snapped out of her stupor, and got a little angry at the people on the ship. Even though she was kind of glad they didn't got hurt, but…
'They…they shot Laboon!'
Katara went to the other far cliff edge to where the ship was and yelled at them.
"Hey, you jerks! How dare shoot Laboon!"
The ship looked like it came to a stop, as three people - there were two people already on the deck - came to the deck and looked at her direction.
Katara could barely identify who they were, but she made them out pretty well.
One was a young woman with orange hair – she has to get used to these strange hair colors - with light blue shirt and a bright blue skirt. She also has a strange tattoo on her arm. The others with her are four young men.
The first one is a strangely long nosed man with black, somewhat curly hair, and with a bandana wrapped around the top on his head along with some goggles, and sporting some brown overalls and brown shoes. He also has a sash around his waist and a blue and white striped arm and wrist accessory.
The second one is a blonde man with part of his hair covering his left eye. He's wearing a weird black suit with a nice blue shirt under it along with a tie. He also is wearing black pants and black shoes. One other thing Katara notices is that a white stick is poking out of his mouth.
The third man has short green hair – of all colors! – with three earrings attached to his left ear. He has a white shirt, a dark green bandana on his arm, a green like sash, and really dark green pants. At the right side of his waist holds three swords.
The last guy has raven black hair, sporting a straw hat. He has a red buttoned shirt, blue denim shorts, complete with sandals. He also has a tiny left scar under his eye.
The guy with green hair narrowed his eyes at Katara and yelled, "Who are you!?"
"AND WHAT IS YOUR NAME!?" the blonde man said, swooning while his eye turn into a visible heart.
Katara blinked at the blonde man's sudden questioned outburst. "Um…Katara!" she said.
"Katara! Such an exotic name for a beautiful lady!"
Katara blushed dumbly. 'Um...am I being hit on?'
"NOT NOW, SANJI!" shouted the long nosed guy.
Then...
BWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Laboon made a fierce noise.
"OOOOWWWWW! MY EARS!" yelled the orange haired girl.
"DUAAAAAAUGHHH!" said the long nosed boy in humorous agony.
The green haired and the blonde haired – whose name was probably Sanji - men also tried to cover their ears.
Katara, caught by surprise, felt a tremor from the force of Laboon's cry and began to lose her footing. The noise was also unbearable to her as well, but as she tried to cover her ears, her foot slipped on the edge and she began to fall off the cliff.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
She kept falling...until an arm reached out and grabbed her waist.
'Huh!?'
Then the arm pulled its way to the ship.
"WOOAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
The arm retracted fast, and she sped up to the ship and was stopped abruptly, to see that she was being held by the boy in the straw hat.
She looked at him in astonishment with wide eyes. 'What...was that?'
He let Katara down. He had a serious look on his face. Katara kept her distance away from him. He looked a little scary with his face looking so determined. He's intent on something, but Katara doesn't know what.
"HEY! YOU!" He shouted – which sounded strangely childish for his age - at the Laboon. "YOU BROKE MY SPECIAL SEAT! WHY DID YOU DO THAT!?"
Katara blinked. What? His special seat?
"GUM GUM…PISTOL!"
Katara then witness something that would render herself speechless.
The boy in the straw hat threw his arm back, and stretched – STRETCHED – his arm a good distance towards Laboon's right eye, punching it.
Katara stood there…but soon slid down to the floor with her legs on the deck floor, with her jaw truly dropping this time.
Two things that rendered her speechless.
One. HIS ARM FREAKING STRETCHED!
Two. He hit Laboon in the eye, probably only angering him even more. She's speechless of this because it was a completely STUPID thing he did!
The rest spoke her mind.
"YOU IDIOT!"
Laboon's right eye – not even injured in the slightest – looked down on the ship.
The crew stood there ground.
"COME ON, DARN YOU! LET'S FIGHT!" The straw hat man said.
"SHUT UP, YOU MORON!" the green haired man and the long nosed man said.
Katara just looked at him incredulously. The straw hat guy was insane!
Katara looked backed at Laboon. She didn't know if Laboon was the violent type, but she figured she had to calm him down.
"L-Laboon? It's okay. It's…it's okay." She said, trying her best to keep the situation under control. She was kind of good at that. Key word, 'kind of'.
"You know that whale?" said the girl with the orange hair.
She turned her head to the girl. "Yeah, kind of-"
BWWWWWWAAAAAAAAA!
Laboon then lowered into the water and started to open his mouth.
Katara gasped sharply. He…he wasn't going to do that…is he?
Laboon opened his mouth and began letting all the water flow in it at a fast pace.
"NO! LABOON!" screamed Katara.
The ship was being sucked in fast. The coming speed made the straw hat boy lose his footing and balance and was thrown off the ship.
"LUFFY!" the crew said to the boy.
The ship was riding through, leaving the straw hat boy behind. The water was creating waves while they kept riding in the mouth. They were about to enter the throat.
All Katara could think at that moment was.
'Is this the end?'
She looked on with horror in her eyes.
Bum bum buuummm! Will they survive!? Oh, of course they will, don't worry! XD
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Review! :D
