Author's Note: Ah… trying to squeeze this into my vacation time with my mom like a hawk watching my every move is sort of hard… she doesn't even know I'm writing this, and probably would really hate me if she did XP

Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece

Chapter Nine: A Scary Old Woman

Hoshi bent down in despair. Zoro was… Zoro was…

The boss laughed. "Did you care about him?" he asked mockingly. "You shouldn't have bothered. He probably only thought of you as the monster that you are, a poor little pet."

Hoshi's eyes were shadowed. No… you're wrong…you're wrong…

He held out his hand. In it was a silver bracelet. "Come now, make this easy."

Hoshi looked up at him will dull eyes. Slowly, she started to extend her hand…

"That's it," the boss coaxed. "Nice and easy…"

IDIOT!

Hoshi snapped her hand back and clutched her head from the force of the scream. Who…?

Her form started changing. Two red eyes glowed from underneath her hair. A long pointed beak started forming out of her face, and red plumage started growing all over her body. Her arms elongated and spread, becoming two wings.

When all was said and done, a large bird sat in the middle of the room: a fully-grown phoenix. Wind swirled around the room, blowing the grey ashes up into the air and sent them circling the room, making the boss cough as some sped down his throat. Suddenly, he felt an enormous pressure squeezing him from all sides. The phoenix just glared disdainfully at him from the center of the room as he choked, trying to get air into his compressed lungs.

Really, you should know better than to just give up like that Hoshi. Your capture means mine, and I for one have no intent to go back into a cage. The voice, somehow female, reverberated through the room like a choir all on its own. It brimmed with hidden power, completely alien. It narrowed its eyes at the boss. If I come out, whoever she's fighting has absolutely no chance of victory, Devil's Fruit or no.

His eyes bulged. Realization hit him. This… has all been a mistake. We never should have made this in the first place. We cannot use this as a weapon… because we would never be able to control it…

A little tongue of air plucked open his pocket, and drew out the crystal: Hoshi's crystal. It floated through the air and settled around the phoenix's neck. I'll take this back, it stated calmly. You didn't keep the terms of the agreement. I know all about that… I was listening.

"W… what are you…?" the man choked.

The phoenix considered this question seriously. Finally, it spoke, just as his vision started to disappear.

I am many different things to many different people. However, I will say to you that I am bound to this human body through your doing, so you could call us a monster. Though I resented you at first, I must thank you for that… the people that my human host has joined up with are quite an interesting bunch. My life has purpose once again, to protect their happiness.

"T-their… happiness?"

The happiness of my human host and her chosen nakama. That is the calling of phoenixes, to act as guardians, but for what is the choice of the individual. It narrowed its eyes at him. You must pay for what you have done.

The boss gasped as the pressure increased, cracking some of his ribs. He gasped and died.

With a small sigh, the phoenix shape-shifted back and gave Hoshi back. She blinked. Who are you? she asked silently. I saw the whole thing…

I am Aurema answered the previously unknown presence in her mind. Do not call me out too often. The body we share cannot handle the required shape-shift very many times.

Okay… so are you now like the little voice inside my head?

That startled a small chuckle out of the phoenix. I suppose so. Do not worry, I will be asleep most of the time.

Why?

You are the primary spirit. This is your body, your mind. I sleep until you arouse me in some way. Hoshi could feel the phoenix settle down, ruffling its feathers contentedly. You are lucky in your choice of friends… they are quite interesting, are they not?

Hoshi chuckled. I suppose so… I've, I mean, we've had some pretty tough times before.

The phoenix didn't answer, but Hoshi sensed a dim acknowledgment before its presence faded.

Hoshi looked at the body of the man who had caused so much pain in her life and shivered. She clutched the crystal around her neck and closed her eyes, falling to her knees. This guy had done so much, but before he died, he had done the thing that had caused the most pain of all…

The spiked knife ran through her gut again. She doubled over and clutched her stomach, but no tears fell. She bit her lip, trying not to scream with her pain. Zoro was… Zoro was…

"Hoshi!"

Her eyes snapped open. Barely daring to believe it, she turned…

And saw Zoro running down the stairs. He looked worse for the wear with a gash across his chest, but he was alive.

"Hoshi, you alright?!" was the first thing he asked. Kneeling down next to her he took her shoulders in his hands and shook her gently. "Are you injured?"

Hoshi swallowed hard and forced her throat to speak. "Zoro…" she managed, before her throat closed up.

"You okay?" Zoro asked, concerned. "Dammit woman, answer me!"

Suddenly, she found her voice… and her strength again. She raised a fist and punched him in the face. "Zoro you IDIOT!" she screamed, before she put both hands over her face.

"OUCH!" Zoro fell backwards. He sat up, rubbing his head. "What the hell was that f-" He stopped. Tears were running through Hoshi's fingers and down her arms. "O-oi, what's wrong?"

"You have the guts to make me believe that you DIED, and you're sitting here… asking me what's wrong?!" Hoshi tried to scream. It came out as a strangled whisper.

Zoro stared in astonishment. Suddenly, he went and hit her on the head. "Who's the idiot?!" he asked her. "Believing what a cheating enemy told you? He slashed me then flashed down here while I wasn't looking."

"D… don't you dare do that to me again," she chided, lifting her face out of her hands and giving him a watery smile. "If you do, I swear I'm going to kill you."

"Fair enough. So are you going to do what you came here for?" he asked with a grin.

"What about your wound?"

"It's nothing." Zoro thought grimly of the cut Mihawk had given him a while ago. "I've had worse."

Hoshi wiped away the last of her tears and smiled at him. "I bet. Get down," she warned, pulling out her whip.

Zoro quickly lay as flat as he could. She closed her eyes and concentrated, before spinning in two quick circles. Parallel cracks appeared in the surrounding walls at an angle. Walking over to the wall, Hoshi kicked a section of the rock between the two walls to pieces. A spiderweb of cracks started forming between the two cuts in the stone on the surrounding walls.

As the rock started to crumble, Zoro grinned. "I get it, that's what you were doing."

Hoshi looked grim. "There's no way this place can remain standing now, with the foundation damaged like this. It's going to come crashing down." Suddenly, she ran over to him and yanked him to his feet. "Stay close," she told him as chunks of rock started falling from the ceiling. She closed her eyes, and the rocks fell against the invisible barrier of unmoving air that surrounded them.


"Yes!" Kakyou crowed, doing some cartwheels. "We're out!"

"We're free!" Uma, Raku, and Kitsune sang, dancing together in a circle.

Oso looked stunned for a second, before he roared and waved his arms around crazily with excitement, thumping Neko on the back. Neko winced, but he put up with it. It was a special occasion, after all.

Panda slumped onto the ground, panting heavily, but grinning from ear to ear. "Ah… real grass feels so nice…"

"No more cages!!" Tori sang, waving her arms around crazily and spinning in circles. "The sky and stars forever!"

Koara laughed, her sweet baby voice ringing out.

"You guys!" Everyone turned, then the kids screamed.

"653! You're okay!"

The lizard-boy leaped out of the forest and grinned. "What the hell are you talking about?! I was so worried about YOU all being okay!" he laughed, a couple tears forming in his eyes. The others swarmed him. All the girls gave him a kiss on the cheek, Oso gave him a bear hug (ha ha), Kakyou whacked him on the back so hard he choked.

Sanji took a drag on his cigarette and grinned. "Those kids look pretty happy to be out of there."

Nami nodded, tapping Koara's nose playfully. "It must've been terrible," she murmured as the baby cooed and grabbed her finger.

Usopp grinned. "Is it possible for kids to get any happier than this?"

"I, for one, doubt that, Nagahana-kun," Robin smiled.

Sakura held Robin's hand, watching the scene a little awkwardly. "Neh, Robin-san, why are they so happy?" she asked.

"They've been through some hard times," Robin explained. "And even though their hard times probably aren't over yet, things just got much better for them."

Sakura shivered. Suddenly Kitsune took Sakura's hands and laughed. "Come on!" she laughed. "What are you doing, just standin' there?!"

"Ah, hold on one second-" Sakura tried to say, but Kitsune laughed and pulled her into the circle with Uma and Raku. Sakura looked stunned as they took her hands and danced with her, but then she laughed and danced with them.

Suddenly, Oso looked back at the building. "What about those two?" he asked.

Luffy grinned. "Don't worry about them! They'll be alright!"

Of course, he had to say this just as the building started crumbling.

"OI! Everyone get into the forest, right now!" Sanji roared. "It's dangerous out here!"

Luffy stretched his arms and grabbed all the kids. "ESCAPE!!" he yelled, laughing.

"Hoshi-san!" the kids screamed as they were thrown into the forest.

Sanji kicked a stone falling towards the group into pieces. "Hurry, the rest of you!"

Robin, Usopp, Chopper, and Nami ran, following Luffy into the forest.

The noise of cracking and crashing stone was terrific, and as the group peeked through the branches, the building fell… and became nothing but a pile of rocks and pebbles. There was absolutely no movement.

The kids looked horrified.

The Straw Hats sweatdropped slightly. "Are those two… really okay?" Nami asked after a couple minutes had passed.

No one really wanted to answer that.

Suddenly, a wave of energy spun through the air, breaking a circle of stone. "TATSUMAKI!"

Then, a white blur came out of the hole and shot into the sky before slowing down and hovering. Wings churning, Hoshi slowly lowered Zoro onto the ground before pulling in her wings and landing.

An explosion of screams hit the pair, then suddenly Hoshi found herself being swarmed by eight crying kids. She fell over with a grunt as they basically smothered her with hugs. All of them were screaming different things at the same time, to a point that it was impossible to tell who was saying what, or even what was being said at all.

Hoshi laughed and peeled them off her. "One at a time," she grinned.

"Will you teach me how to fly?" Tori asked instantly.

Hoshi blinked in surprise, then thought about it. "We'll see. I can't promise anything," she said, glancing at Luffy.

He grinned. "Welcome back, both of you!" he called, waving.

"You have to give 653 a name!" Kakyou demanded. "He was out when you gave the rest of us names."

Hoshi looked at 653. "Hello! You were bonded with a lizard?" she asked after taking one look at him.

653 nodded shyly. Hoshi smiled. "You'll be Tokage. Sounds good?"

The newly-named Tokage looked ecstatic. He whooped and hugged all his friends. "Hear that? I have a name now! A name!!"

"That's great 65- I mean, Tokage!" Sakura laughed.

"Let's get going," Nami added after giving the kids a couple more minutes to celebrate. "We should get back to the tea-obassan's place."

"Is she really going to welcome ten kids though?" Usopp asked.

Tokage overheard, and he grinned. "Of course! Remember, she said so!"

Hoshi suddenly looked suspicious. "What tea-obassan?"

Nami smiled. "She lives on the edge of town in a shabby little shop. There are times where she'll just say weird stuff that doesn't make any sense, but she's got a good hea- what's wrong?"

Hoshi had blue lines on her face. "T-that old hag's still alive?!" she asked, her eyebrow twitching.

Chopper looked up at her in concern. "Is she a bad person?"

Hoshi's eyebrow started twitching. "She's not a bad person… but she's really, really scary…"

Nami raised an eyebrow. "You sure?'

Hoshi stared at the sky. "Do we really have to go there?"

Luffy nodded.

Hoshi sighed and continued to stare at the sky. "It's been such a short life…"

"WHAT?"


The old woman cracked open one eye when she heard a parade of footsteps coming up to her door. It opened.

"Tea-obassan, we're back!" Luffy called.

"So I see. 'To imagine the unimaginable is the highest form of imagination.' And I imagine that your numbers have increased somewhat since you last came."

Luffy nodded and pulled Hoshi to the front. "Er… I have no idea what you just said, but this is Hoshi, the nakama we told you about last time."

Hoshi was sweating, but she put a shaky smile on her face and raised a hand. "Yo."

The old woman smiled warmly and raised a hand in return. "Yo."

"And these kids are Kitsune, Uma, Kakyou, Oso, Neko, Koara, Panda, Tori, and Tokage. You met Tokage before, except he was 653 then!" Luffy announced.

"Remember me?" Tokage asked.

The woman smiled and nodded. "I see you've brought your friends with you."

He smiled. "Just like you said I could!"

"Well," she sighed, heaving herself to her feet, "We're going to have a splendid time now, aren't we?'

There was a moment of frozen silence… Hoshi tried to inch away, but suddenly the old woman moved faster than anyone could see and grabbed her wrist. "YOU DAMN BRAT!" she roared, throwing Hoshi into the wall.

Everyone gaped in astonishment.

"YOU! I've heard things about you over the past eight years!" she yelled.

"Hoshi, you know this person?" Luffy asked.

Hoshi picked herself off the floor and rubbed her head gingerly. Pulling herself into a small ball, she cracked open one eye. "S-sensei…"

Everyone gaped. "SENSEI?!?"

The old woman glared at her. "Going against everything I've ever taught you… getting yourself a bounty among other things… just WHAT do you have to say for yourself?!"

"Ah… that was-"

"DON'T SAY ANYTHING!!" the woman roared. She picked up Hoshi by the ankle and threw the poor girl out the door and into the group. There was plenty of shouting and yelling. "No excuses! You must face your punishment with silence!"

Everyone had blue lines on their forehead as they watched the old woman throw Hoshi around the room.

"I… is Hoshi really going to be okay?" Sakura whispered to Robin.

Robin smiled. "I would believe so," she said, just as Hoshi went flying through the wall with a crash of splintering wood.