PumpkinDreamer: Here is the long awaited chapter nine people! sorry for keeping you waiting! ~ enjoy


Chapter Nine: Reflection


The walk with Usopp and Sanji was more pleasant then I thought. I need to calm down a little and being near these two helped me.

"Where are we going..?" I asked.
"Were going to pick up some more supplies for food" Sanji answered. I nodded my head in understanding. Usopp looked at my hand.

"Is your hand okay? What happened?" He questioned.
"its fine, Usopp.." I answered him. I didn't want to push the matter. It sort of felt like my heart was exploding. I was forced to face myself. This is probably what is required of me. I feel okay with it because as long as Luffy stays in my heart in some way. I don't really care what my future brings anymore.

I should probably thank Amanda for her words.
'When things are back to normal it is my wish to stay friends with her.' I thought to myself. I could feel the loving energy of my angels. I was in a pretty good mood. When my eyes landed on the girl that had ran into me yesterday.

I was standing right next to Usopp. When I watched as he put her arms around him. She kissed him on the lips. That made me stare in shock. Sanji was equally as shocked as me. That dreadful image came back to me.

She released him. Usopp's entire face flushed a scarlet red.
"Sorry, when I saw, you, I couldn't help but feel happy, since I always wanted to meet you, Usopp my name is Karla" She introduced herself.
"erm, uh, hi…?" Usopp wasn't sure how to react. She smiled at him. Her eyes were shining so brightly.

"if its not too much to ask, may I spend the rest of the day with you?" She requested.
"sure.." Usopp replied still kind of out if because of the kiss.

I looked at Sanji who had a dark aura around him. I felt kind of bad for him. I felt a little wary of her. It was in the sense of dread. I kind of had the feeling that those two were going to get really close. Usopp was kind of taken away from us. I ended up with Sanji who was muttering under his breathe.

"First, Luffy, Then the Marimo and now, Usopp, why are all the beauties being taken..?" He looked kind of sad. I felt bad for him.
"don't feel that bad, I mean Law, Franky, Brook and Chopper don't have anyone special." I tried to cheer him up. He took a long drag of his cigarette.
"Your right." He said as we got back to the sunny carrying bags. I arrived back taken a step on the ship. I saw Luffy with his arms wide open. I looked at him as he stopped himself at the last second.

He went all dejected poking the ground. I nearly forgot about the punishment. I gave him yesterday. I smiled.

"Luffy, its okay, I was being a bit harsh so, I remove any and all punishments" I told him. He brighten up by my words. He was about to hug me. When Sanji slammed a bag in his face.

"Take those to the kitchen" He ordered.
"Or, I won't be feeding you tonight" He glared. Luffy sighed walking to the kitchen. I felt kind of bad for Sanji knowing why he was in such a bad mood.


Four hours or so later. I find myself worrying about Usopp. I knew he was able to take care of himself. I couldn't help but worry over him. I feel bad for not interfering but this was Usopp. He was also a valuable member of this crew.

Amanda was laying on Zoro's lap. She was touching his scars. He was ignoring her. I watched the two before sitting down next to him. She glanced over at me.

"what's up? You have that look that tells me, that something big is going to happen.." She told me.
"Do I? hey, Amanda does the name Karla ring any bells?" I quested. She paused looking at me.

"Yeah, she was in my group of friends, why?" She asked.
"I met her today in town, She kissed Usopp and then stole him away from me and Sanji." I explained.
"What!? Really?" She looked shocked. She sat up properly looking over at me.

"Yes.." I poked the ground.
"That's wonderful, she did always like his character and truthfully she was a good match for him when I matched make my friends with members of the crew.." Amanda explained.
"…Is she a good person..?" I asked her.
"Yes! Karla has always been such a kind hearted girl and she was shy at times, but it never stopped her from smiling even at the most difficult of times.." She told me.

"…I see.." I felt sort of down since feeling her energy. I don't want to say anything bad. I don't want to believe in that horrid image in my head.
"Julia, what's wrong.." She asked me. I was brought out of my thoughts.
"When I unintentionally did my reading on, Usopp, I saw her dead body in a pool of her own blood" I explained. Amanda froze.

"What!?" She looked at me in shock. I gripped on my shirt.
"that can't be true right? its not like its going to happen for real" Amanda tried to wave it off.

"I don't know, half the things, I see happening come true, its not like my gift is always given me pleasant information.." I explained.
"….Can we change it..?" She asked me.
"Of course we can change it but, its not like there will be any consequences, for it, a life is more important then anything in the world and sometimes, the cost of saving one life is taken another, depending on the situation, what if meant Usopp's own life..?" I asked her.

She went quiet taken in my information.
"What if we had somebody watching over the two of them..?" Amanda questioned.
"what if doesn't matter? There's chance that it could be putting another member of this crew at risk of being killed.." I explained to her.

"but you don't know cause the future is always changing right?" She questioned. I shook my head.
"Trust me, on this Amanda, when it comes to my feelings and my gift, they are never wrong, I can kind of feel the routes that could be taken, if we get Zoro here involved or any more of the crew members, they all will be in danger" I told her.

"But this is Usopp were talking about here, Julia, anyone here would do anything for him" She told me.
"Amanda, its not Usopp's life that is danger, its Karla.." I told her. She stopped to look at me.

"I told you it was Karla's body that was one the ground not Usopp's we intervene, it could be his body instead of hers, if anybody here were to intervene it could be one of their bodies instead of hers or if we mess with it to much, we could end up loosing two people or all three.." I explained.

"but that…" She looked at the ground.
"That isn't fair, what if he really starts to care for her" She questioned me.
"That's Usopp's call, Amanda, I don't see him regretting ever knowing her.." I looked to the side.

"Are you telling me, your going to let it happen..?" She asked me. I felt guilty for ever bringing it up but this has to happen.
"Luffy isn't the only person, I care about Amanda" I told her. She glanced at me.
"I love him and his crew, I would do anything in my power to protect them in my own way and I had to pick between Usopp and Karla, I would selfishly choose, Usopp despite the consequences…" I admitted.

She grabbed my collar.
"Your just going to let it happen!? Even if it means hurting Usopp in the process!?" She glared at me angrly. I looked at her with tears forming in my eyes.
"its not my fault, Amanda.." I told her.
"do you know how many people, I had to watch die growing up? Picking up others people energy? And seeing somebody they care about be killed?" I told her. She froze.
"I didn't ask to have this gift or know things that others wouldn't understand" I explained to her.
"I've experienced this same situations over and over again with others and there is always somebody who looses there life in the process" The tears where streaming down my cheek.

"do you understand? Sure my ability can be a gift but its also a curse, why do you think there are people in our school that pick on me all the time? Or curse me? For my abilities? It scares me, Amanda." I started crying.
"Because there's nothing I value more then Life, so don't you dare try to say that, I don't care.." I started crying on the deck.

"Julia…"

Her voice was soft and was filled with regret. I couldn't stop my tears from falling. I could feel the unimaginable pain that was slowly coming our way.

"I'm sorry.." She apologized. I could feel her hand on my back.
"Hey, will you stop crying..?" She asked me.
"I can't the tears won't stop" I sobbed some more. She looked at loss for words. She sighed to herself.
"fine then, let it all out and don't you dare hold back even for a second" She told me. I looked at her with my sadden expression.
" Because only when you finished crying, can you properly start healing yourself and who know's something good can come from it" She took my hand. I sniffed at her some more.

"you know, its okay to be afraid, its that fear that makes people strong because once they over come it, the fear goes away" She told me.
"there is one more thing, I would like to tell you.." She tighten her grip on my hands.

"When I was possessed by that demon, I was trapped within myself a lot of the times, I was reminded of that fear of taken a life or having no control over my body.." She took a deep breath.

"What I'm trying to say, that you saved me, I never properly thanked you for that" She wiped one of my tears.
"I'm thanking you now and when it comes to Karla and Usopp, none of us might not be able to do anything but maybe you could.." She told me.
"I'm not sure what, it is, that you could do, but, I have this feeling that putting my faith and trust in you won't be a bad thing" She explained to me.

I stared at her.
"What..?" I questioned.
"that's it, I made up my mind, the one person whose perfect for this job is you, because you will do anything to protect this crew" She nodded her head.

"w-why? Are you suddenly putting all this pressure on me?" I questioned.
"Who knows, I called out for somebody to help me" She admitted.
"And you're the only who heard my plea." She shrugged her shoulders. She lay her head on Zoro's lap.

"I swear for what ever may happen, I'll be there for you." she closed her eyes.
"don't you know? I was the only one whose ever watched you while others didn't, I had always wanted to be your friend and now that, I was finally able to have that chance, I won't ever let go of it understand..?" She told me. She flicked my forehead.

"Itai!" I rubbed my forehead.
"I should be thanking Luffy for breaking your shell but it honestly irks me like no tomorrow, I'm so envious of that stupid captain, cause he got to you first.." She grumbled. I wiped the rest of my tears.
"But, If it wasn't for you, Amanda, I would never have met Luffy in person in the first place.." I told her.

"Nani?" She actually opened her eyes.
"oh its nothing! Never mind" I waved my hands.
"I'll leave you to spending more time with Zoro, I'll talk to you later…" I left her with Zoro.

My worries were now gone. I was enjoying this bit of freedom from negative emotions. That odd part was looking at the beautiful blue sea. I may have found away to overcome the disaster that was going to strike with Usopp.

'My Loving Archangels please guide me and give me strength to take this course of action to protect not only Usopp and Karla but Luffy and his crew and Amanda.' I sent prayer to them. I enjoyed the rest of the day by myself reflecting on everything that had just happened.


PumpkinDreamer: sorry again for the late update don't hate me! will update more, soon, I promise till next R&R