A Country Girl's Fall

She was very sore and tired, yet Mouda felt cheerful following Ace through the small port town they'd stopped at. The two of them had gone to sleep on Ace's boat that night, the rocking waves and consistent fear of falling off the side keeping the blonde from ever drifting off completely. She had huddled herself up in the deepest area of the watercraft for comfort as the pirate slept impossibly well.

Now it was morning, the warmth of the sun and the feeling of solid ground beneath her feet putting the girl in a very good mood. The market was lively, full of people and their wares. Ace said he planned on getting supplies here. What sort of supplies did he need? It was a mystery to her.

Supplies? The girl thought to herself, glancing at the red skirt and white top she had on, which were both a bit dirty. Underneath that…

Blushing, Mouda decided that maybe she needed some supplies too.

"Hey, would it be okay if I got something while we're here?" she blurted, hoping the man could head her over the many other voices in the crowd.

The farmer opened her mouth to try again before Ace mumbled uncertainly. "Uh…sure…?"

She decided his answer was more positive then negative and dashed off towards the section of the market that sold clothing, forgetting to ask him where he could be found once she was finished shopping. The girl's wallet jingled from within her leather bag and she smiled happily. With so much money, she could buy quite a few pairs and still have lots left over for other things…

Slowing her pace, the blonde glanced at the various styles of clothing admiringly, walking through the stands in leisurely content. Never had she seen such a wide range of choices. Ace called this a small town, but it was larger then hers by far. So much to choose from!

Pastel, white, patterned…daringly she picked out a black pair, too.

As the shopkeeper folded up the bag with her undergarments in them and accepted her money, Mouda couldn't help but think that his smile was a little unprofessional. "I'm sure they'll look cute on you"

The girl thanked him awkwardly while accepting her change and quickly went to go look at another stand. Skirts, dresses, blouses…

A rather pretty garment caught her eye, reflecting in the girl's eyes to make the ocean blue look sea green.

"Oh…" Mouda felt herself drawn to the fabric, which rippled in the breeze. Reaching out to touch it, her fingers curled around the yellow cloth gently. It was soft, but not the sort of thing that would become static-y, something she disliked on hot days when her clothes stuck to her as much as they could. "How nice…"

She needed more clothes, didn't she? After leaving her favorite dress back at Enies Lobby, she'd been left with only two outfits. This could be its replacement. There were no designs, certainly not fish, but the dress's solid brightness seemed perfect as it was. Peeking at the price tag, the country girl admitted it was a bit expensive, but there was still plenty of money to spare. Calling out to the shop owner, she paid and accepted the neatly folded garment.

Slipping it carefully into her leather bag, Mouda smiled to herself while pulling the bag's strap onto her shoulder.

Nothing could have prepared her for it when an arm curled around her frame and lifted her into the air, her unexpected captor squeezing her back against them so tightly she almost couldn't breathe. The girl's bag slid from her shoulder and she managed to hook her fingers into it before it fell completely.

A hand was lifted to her face, uncurling quickly as a fireball shaped from it, hovering dangerously close to her nose. Wow, there was a ball of fire millimeters away from her. For a second she couldn't think straight. Captor? The blonde tried to make sense of the hazardous situation. Fire?

"Stay where you are, captain," said the voice of Ace, sounding a bit gruffer then normal. "Or else this little lady will become a pile of bones and ashes"

"Although I hate all pirates and don't trust a single one of them, I've always had the idea that certain ones had a degree of honor to them… but I was wrong about you, Fire Fist…! There's nothing more disgraceful then taking an innocent bystander hostage"

As she let relief fill her in knowing who it was that had grabbed her, Mouda took notice of the white clad person Ace seemed to be talking to. His clothing was badly burned, but even so, the girl could make out the faint symbols marking him as a marine.

What's going on, Ace? She questioned wordlessly, her lungs still feeling strained under the man's arm. This person is a marine captain, isn't he? Is he after you?

The man laughed quietly at the marine's words, sending little vibrations through Mouda's body. "Well, we're honorable when it fits our needs. If not then we like ignore stuff like that…"

She tried to breathe, the taste of smoke in the air and unbearable heat at her lips making her throat squeeze tight. The fireball Ace had created was bright and hot, boring white holes in her vision. Her eyes watered responsively, tears slipping down her face as she tried to bear with it.

The painful grip he'd had on her suddenly loosened, still keeping her off her feet, but it was now much easier to breathe. The rippling heat remained, and she wondered how long she was going to have to be concerned for her eyelashes.

"So…" the white haired man before her let out a puff of smoke from his two cigars- something that must have been terrible for his health. "What do you plan to do now? Burn the girl to a crisp and throw her at me?"

Throw my burnt corpse at you? Mouda didn't know whether to laugh or cry in frustration. What was going on here?

There seemed to be a small wave of tension flowing over them, but the instant Ace threw the ball of fire at the smoking figure, it boiled down to heart-thumping confusion once more for the girl. Ace released his hold before pushing her away, more flames lashing out at the marine.

"Run!"

Biting her lip at the order he'd given without even looking at her, Mouda whirled towards the harbor and ran as fast as she could, more tears coming to her eyes. Her bag jostled around, hitting her side several times as she stumbled through the streets.

Soon her new dress would be wrinkled and ugly.

Her feet tapped noisily against the wooden docks as she kept running. Moving past the unfamiliar boats unsteadily, she almost fell into the water as her toe hit a loose board. Shaking her head to clear away the dizziness, the farmer trickled to a stop in front of the small watercraft she had slept in so terribly the night before.

Dropping the leather bag to the planks, the girl let herself sink down beside it. Her legs hurt so much, and so did her face. Did he have any idea what it felt like to have a searing hot ball of fire held up to your face like that?

Did he have any idea how hurtful it was to be told to just leave like that?

Letting out a whine, Mouda urged herself to believe she was only upset because she didn't know what was going on. That happened a lot. This was confusing and frustrating. She'd forget about it soon enough, when Ace explained things to her.

'You would have just been a nuisance'- what if he said something like that? It was true but…

The heavy footfalls on wood made Mouda lift her head. Ace stared down at her, breathing a bit heavily with an expression his face she could only call relief.

"Ace?" she voiced, wondering what the worry was for.

"You…came here after all…?" he breathed, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Of course…" Mouda felt her insides twist at the sudden thought that he'd wanted her to actually leave.

"Fire Fist!" raged the man from before, bursting into sigh as a cloud of smoke and singed marine attire.

Ace wasted no time in grabbing Mouda and her bag, dropping them into his boat before jumping in himself. Fire burned away the rope ties, diving into the motor and pushing them away from the dock. Joints singing from the impact, Mouda wobbled to her knees as the marine shouted something inaudible to her ears.

Tendrils of smoke coiled around her frame, trying to do the same to Ace before being chased away by licks of fire. Mouda felt her exhaustion lift from her momentarily as she herself was lifted, the dark grey vines seeming to have a nearly solid form, pulling the girl to her feet and then off the boat.

Mouda reached out blindly, her fingers skimming through warm air.

"You'd catch me?"

Then and there she made a very clear conclusion that she wasn't going to stop falling. The girl's helpless shriek filled her ears as she squeezed her blue eyes shut. Her body became surrounded by warmth, and it wasn't until they plunged into the icy water that Mouda realized Ace had caught her.

"Even if I had to throw myself in with you"

He'd done just as he'd said he would.

The pirate's arms started to loosen around her, all his warmth lost and her body becoming even colder as the pair continued to sink. Weariness pulled on her hard, and Mouda mustered all her will to fight against the ache of her muscles and the pressure of the water in an attempt to reach the surface.

Move, Ace! She pleaded in silence, pushing him upwards inch by inch. Swim!

But Ace wasn't swimming. He wasn't even moving, and now she felt like the one who was on fire, lungs burning along with the rest of her. Air. She needed air. So did Ace.

The struggling blonde felt her fingers reach the surface as she pushed the limp man, desperate to let him breath. Kicking her legs hard, she focused on keeping his head above water. She wasn't strong enough to hold him up side by side, but underneath him, there was a tiny amount of weightlessness that made it possible. As long as she felt the air licking at her fingertips, then she knew he wouldn't die.

She couldn't say the same for herself, though. The hammering of her heart let her ignore the thought.

Dark. It was always dark underwater. It scared her. When she was eight, some older kids had bullied her, forcing her head underwater to see how long she could take it before passing out. That had been scary, just like now, and the water beyond her eyelids was looking especially dark.

Before she could realize it her fingers were in the water, the girl's legs kicking weakly in response to the terror that shot through her numbing body. No! She begged, unable to voice her panic and unable to stop it from growing as her strength left her. Ace! ACE!

Bubbles surged through Mouda's teeth as she tried to scream, saltiness forcing its way down her throat. No air, no strength. There was nothing left- just water. Blackness swallowed her up and in her drowning heart she was sure she'd never escape.

He caught me like he said he would, but I can't even do this…

The girl was unable to feet the weight being taken from her as Ace was pulled from the ocean, shortly before a hand closed around her wrist.

Tada! Look, that didn't take so long, right? I think I did it in pretty good time. It took me a while to notice, but this is all one scene! Funny, huh?

So, ladies and gentlemen, this is one of those chapters that may be confusing unless you read the corresponding From A Pirate's Viewpoint chapter. It much better explains what happened while Mouda was shopping. But I suppose you could survive without knowing.

I'd been waiting to write this chapter for so long, because the chapter after this brings us into the arc I've been looking forward to! I can't tell you anything but…the people who saved Ace and Mouda are very famous! Very well-known and much loved (accept by marines and Whitebeard. And Buggy). Please look forward to it.

By the way, I made a poll on my profile page for all of you fans! I have a few OP stories I'd like to do once ACGP is finished, and I'm curious to know which one you would like to see the most!

If it interests you, then please take a moment to visit my profile and take your pick!