Time to Heal

Before you guys say anything, this is not the last chapter! There is still one more chapter and then it will be done!

To be honest, coming to the end makes me a bit sad. T-T

Did you guys read the latest OP chapter?! It's so sad!

Enjoy!


Chapter 9: Franky

Franky was pissed. He wanted nothing more than to blast this whole damn town to smithereens. But he was more worried than angry. He glanced at Luffy who was smiling and laughing with a street vendor. Ignoring the so-called celebrations around him-and his heart wrenched with both pride and pain.

The crew had been dangerously low on supplies and had to resort to using a Coup de Burst to reach this island in a last ditch effort to get supplies. It had worked, they were now scattered around the island gathering what they needed, and Franky had been chosen to go with Luffy when the crew had split.

However he regretted coming to this island.

All around him were street vendors and colorful balloons and street performers entertaining the crowd, dozens of delicious mouthwatering smells covered the area. Children and teenagers ran around the game booths.

The island was celebrating the Marine's victory at Marineford, celebrating and cheering over the deaths of the 'evil' pirates who deserved to die for defying the government. Celebrating the death of the late Pirate King's devil son Portgas D. Ace.

It was bullshit; none of these people had any right to celebrate the death of someone. It wasn't right, especially the death of a (as far as he was concerned) super guy who made the ultimate sacrifice for someone he loved.

All day he'd heard nothing but people saying how proud and grateful they were that the Marines had defeated the pirates and had hoe happy they were that such an evil person was dead. It was as if the whole island was rubbing his brother's death in Luffy's face. Franky had been close to snapping the first time he heard the conversations but was stopped when his little bro simply looked up at him (his wide eyes hidden in the shadows of his hat) and said "Stop." Did he imagine the slight trembling in his voice?

Franky was surprised that Luffy could walk around listening to this poison and seemingly not have a care in the world. He didn't want to imagine how much his captain was hurting at the moment; the grief and regret and longing and guilt and a whole mess of other emotions tearing apart his heart and soul.

He knew from experience how easy it was to give into the hurt and self-loathing and lash out. He also knew how hard it was to just suck it up and pretend that it didn't affect you. Franky knew from personal experience how the agony of broken bones and torn limbs didn't compare to the constricting darkness that poisoned one's heart.

And he knew that his awesome captain was the kind of guy that would rather suffer in silence than show how much something hurt him. Some people would see that as being a coward, people like the venomous crowd around them. Franky saw it as an act of bravery; if it had been him, and someone was openly mocking Tom…well there wouldn't be anything left of them. But Luffy took it all in like it was nothing and ignored the jeers; Franky wouldn't stop him if he did snap at someone.

But still...

Nothing hurt worse than the guilt.

It festered under one's skin like a second lair that burned and made you want to rip your skin off. No matter how much you smiled and put up the front that nothing affected you anymore, the self-resentment and guilt was always at the forefront of your mind and it made you want to scream in frustration until your throat was raw and you desperately wanted someone to punish you because everything was your fault and the ones who told you otherwise were wrong.

It was your fault and you deserved to feel miserable.

Franky wanted to cry.

Not for himself (he'd found forgiveness with a group of crazy/suicidal people), but for the man next to him with a pained grin and eyes that looked glassy. It was the look of a man who had never been allowed to move on and the anguish was slowly breaking him until eventually he would be destroyed-a shell of a person that would no longer exist.

And that scared him more than anything-the destruction of the light that lit the path, not only for himself but seven other people, home. Home, forgiveness, and family was where he was. And they would be lost without him.

And the only thing he could do was set him on the path of forgiveness, he (and the others) would guide him just like Luffy guided them and he (they) wouldn't let him stray. They'd guide him as long as he needed them (forever if need be), only letting go when he let the ill feelings go.

"Hey Luffy," Throwing a mischievous smile his way, "Let's show them how to throw a real super party!" If the islanders wanted a celebration, they'd get one, Straw Hat Pirates style. Instead of mourning, they'd celebrate the life that had been preserved and show the natives that they couldn't break them with their celebrations of death.

They'd show the world that they hadn't broken Monkey D. Luffy.

And if Luffy had done just a little more collateral damage than usual, Franky said nothing and he laughed as he looked at the horrified faces of the locals as their monuments glorifying the brave marine who saved them from the evil that was 'Fire Fist' Ace.

Hours later, once they were all back at sea with full supply stores and bumps on their head courtesy of Nami (ignoring the fact that she too had joined in the 'party' when she saw what they were doing) Luffy turned to him.

"That was a lot of fun! Thanks Franky!" The anguish was still there in his eyes, but not as sharp as before and Franky didn't expect it to go away all at once. It took years for people like him and Robin to find solace, and he knew that it would be years before his captain let go of his guilt. But for now this was enough.

"It was nothing bro!"

For Franky it was enough, the rest would be picked up by his nakama and time.


Well? Like it? Hate it? This chapter was really hard to write for me.

Tell me what you guys thought in a review!