What's up guys! So let me just get this out before it's too late.
Get ready to hate me. I am prepared for the hate mail at the end of this chapter. Okay now that I got that off my chest let's quickly get on with the review replies so you guys can read this chapter.
sereneskydragonslayer: She sure did! And here's that update for you!
hElLabErry: I wonder what they were thinking about too... maybe ponies? Haha I thought it was necessary to put some sort of Law Nightmare moment in the story since nothing relatively close to romance has been happening.
10th Squad 3rd Seat: :D OMG I love it whenever Kakashi does that! He has like the best smile even though you can't even see his mouth :)
MsWildLuck: I'm not sure *winkity wink wink*
mks 12 98: Yup they had a nice little moment, and of course Shachi and Penguin ruined it, isn't that what they're supposed to be there for? O.o
Girl-luvs-manga: Ooooooooooooo~~~ ;) ;) ;)
Dragon of Yin and Yang: Thanks a bunch! I hope you like this chapter...
Kaappimorso: Dat eye contact indeed. And thank chu~~~ :3
Connie-Ts: XD I laughed when I read "Holy Otaku God" Like yes, that is the one phrase that matters the most in life XD But even though we're getting near ch. 22 you're probably gonna hate me for this chapter... And okay, if fighting your parents is fun for you then so be it.
nannas-onepiece-adventure: :3 Touching moments!
DragonClanMaster: Thanks and haha yep, the more Nightmare gets hurt the more she has to get treated which means the more she gets to be with Law :D
Nagisaa: Thanks! And interruption is key!... I think... Probably not but yeah interruption and stuff... Eye contact ftw!
muffinman9223: Thank-you! I thought it would be necessary to add a little to the Sabaody arc in order to move the story along.
Vegetable of Darkness: Why thank you kind person, cheesiness sometimes works depending on how you use it. Apparently my cheesiness works...
Shikyo-Jinsei: Thank-you! And yup Eustass-ya deserved that one.
Okay now that's it for the review replies. Now let us get onto the chapter, which you guys will eternally hate me for...
Chapter 21: It's About That Time, Huh?
It was the next day now and Nightmare was still stuck in the infirmary. Blaze was there to keep her company, which she didn't really want. Law and the others had gone back out to the island after all the commotion died down. Apparently they would be staying there for about a week or so.
After Nightmare got some rest she was able to sit up properly and told Blaze to get one of the books she was writing and her quill. Throughout the whole day Nightmare wrote countless pages. Blaze tried to ask what she was writing about but she never answered.
It was just about dinner time now and some people were still out. Nightmare had stopped writing to take a break while dinner came. The only good part that came out of being injured is that she wouldn't have to go and get her own dinner.
"Thank-you," Nightmare muttered as Blaze gave her a plate of food.
"No problem," he said and then sat down in his chair. Other than the sound of Nightmare's fork and knife hitting the plate it was completely silent. Until Blaze started talking that is. "You seem… different," he just came out with it.
"What do you mean?" Nightmare muttered.
"Well I mean… ever since you woke up from that week of sleep you haven't been as harsh I guess," he was completely cautious with what he was saying. Nightmare was silent for a while and just ate. Right when Blaze was about to give up on waiting, she answered.
"If you hadn't heard yet then that was the first dreamless sleep I've had in years. It was so peaceful that I wanted to sleep forever. I think it released a lot of stress from my system and I also made peace with my dead friend," she explained straight out. Blaze was shocked for a moment, to think that she would just come out with it all in one.
"That's probably the longest response you've ever given me," Blaze said with a chuckle.
"Just wait until the stress piles up again," she mumbled while pushing a piece of broccoli around her plate with her fork.
"Why do you say that?"
"It doesn't stop you know. Information keeps coming and just piles up. Nothing I do helps it and with the nightmares it just gets worse. The only thing that's been keeping me sane on this submarine is human interaction and I hate that too," she told him. Silence once again took over and Blaze just stared at her as she ate.
"Are you scared?" Blaze suddenly asked. Nightmare stopped completely and looked over to him. His voice didn't sound cautious at all, he wanted to know this.
"What are you talking about?"
"Are you scared of being engulfed by nightmares all over again? Or maybe of going completely insane," Blaze went into more detail about his question. He's never been so curious about something involving Nightmare like now. He had to know.
"Do you know why I call myself Nightmare rather than giving out my name?" She wasn't looking at him as she spoke. Her eyes were planted on her plate as her fork played around with the food. Blaze shook his head. "My life is a nightmare itself. If anyone were to ever switch places with me they'd pass out within a second from all the pressure in their head. It's a job for me to just be awake like this but I've learned to live with it. So I decided a while back when my village really started to hate me that I'd be exactly what they wanted me to be; a nightmare. I wiped my slate clean and just embraced the wickedness that came along with the know-know fruit."
"But what does this have to do with my question?" Blaze interrupted. Her fork stopped fiddling with the leftover food on her plate and she set it down.
"Truth be told, I don't know what I'm afraid of in this world and what I'm not afraid of anymore. Death is something I've learned to get along with so that's the only thing I'm certain of not being afraid of. Other than that it's like a giant puzzle. Just like every human I have something I'm afraid of but humans sometimes don't pay attention to their fears," she explained now looking back over to Blaze.
"What do you mean by that?"
"To make it simple let's say this: people are afraid of death." Blaze nodded to say he was following along. "Now think of it like this. People die from lightning all over yet there are tons of people who walk out in the rain not thinking a thought about it. Why do you think that is?" Nightmare stopped and waited to see what Blaze would say to that.
"Because people don't think that they'll die in that moment by just walking in the rain," was all he could come up with. Nightmare didn't expect anything more though.
"Now think about that question you just gave me and give me the answer," she told him. Blaze was stuck in thought for a moment. Why did she have to speak in riddles like this? It was so damn confusing. How did that explanation even give him the answer anyways?
It stayed quiet for a full five minutes while Blaze thought. Then he finally came up with something. "So you're saying that… you actually are afraid it might happen but you don't think it will even if it can?" He was questionable on his response, but it was the right one. Nightmare only nodded and said nothing.
Once it was obvious that she wouldn't eat anymore Blaze got up and took her plate. "You know… you've opened up a bit more ever since that dreamless sleep of yours," he said with a small laugh trying to lighten the mood.
"I guess you could say that you all deserve it," she said with a shrug. Blaze let out another chuckle and then left to bring the plate back to the kitchen.
After Blaze came back he just cleaned medical tools as Nightmare began to write again. Once all the tools were clean he decided to go to bed leaving Nightmare alone in the infirmary. She didn't want to sleep. Ever since she woke up from that dreamless sleep she hadn't wanted to sleep. Though she did end up having to soon enough she still yearned for another sleep of no nightmares. It also sucked that her back was in pain every time she moved. In the end she fell asleep and had another terrible dream.
"Finally awake, Miss Mizuki," Nightmare heard just as she woke up. Her eyes slowly opened to see Law sitting in his chair reading a book on medicine. She tried to sit up but groaned from the pain of her back. "I suggest you not move so quickly."
"I forgot," she muttered and then tried sitting up again. This time she was successful at sitting up. "Why are you here anyways?"
"Shouldn't I have the right to be in my infirmary?" Law questioned with a raised brow.
"Yeah but usually you're always in your own room," she reasoned.
"That's true but as long as they still think you're asleep I won't be bothered in my reading here," he told her.
"So basically you're trying to avoid everyone," Nightmare summed up what he had just said. He just nodded and turned the page of his book. "I thought you'd be smarter than this, Captain," Nightmare said with a smirk. Law still wasn't used to hearing that from her and she still wasn't used to saying it but she was planning on keeping it. He peered up at her.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" he asked.
"Well you're a doctor for starters so this would most likely be the second or third place they'd check regardless of me being in here," she mentioned.
"So where do you suggest that I go?"
Nightmare shrugged. "A supply closet, the laundry room, or even my room; they'd never suspect you to be there," she told him.
"And here I thought that you'd hate it if I were to be in your room," he mumbled under his breath.
"I was just saying; it's not like I was inviting you to go to my room." After that they were trapped in quietness. It wasn't bad silence or anything; they just had nothing left to talk about. Then Nightmare started to think about something. Law should be smart enough to know that they'd easily find him here shouldn't he? He's been with them longer than her so he should know. Sure he stays in his room most of the time but he's sometimes in here. Was he just making an excuse to be in the infirmary? Why would he want to do that?
After a while Law snapped his book closed and got up. "I'll be going back out on the island then. You should be okay to walk around by now but try to get as much rest as possible," he told Nightmare. She simply nodded and Law left the room. Nightmare just sat there with a blank expression on her face for a moment staring at the wall. She slowly closed her eyes and then sighed.
"I guess it's about time then huh," she mumbled to herself and then got out of the bed. Law was right in saying that she still needed some rest but she ignored the dull pain in her back and made her way to her room. Moving at a slower pace than usual, because of her back, Nightmare shut her room door and walked over to the dresser. She opened each drawer, took out all of their contents and stuffed in them into her duffel bag.
While that was all going on in the submarine Shachi and Penguin were walking around Sabaody. Since their first day on the island was very eventful they weren't able to see much of it. The captain had told them to lay low for a couple of days before going back around the island because of all the marines. Now that it was a couple days later they were free to walk around. After walking around some of the groves they decided to just sit down for some water.
"You two," a voice made the two look up. It was a man in his 40s or so. He had shaggy brown hair and a beard of the same color.
"Us?" Penguin questioned as he pointed his thumb to himself. The man nodded.
"I have something to tell the two of you," he said. They stared at the man questioningly. Shachi and Penguin were a hundred percent certain that they have never seen the man before.
"Are you sure you got the right guys? We've never met you before," Shachi told him.
"I'm sure," the man sounded certain. "I saw you two running with the woman known as Nightmare a couple days ago." That's when the two gulped. If it involved Nightmare it surely wouldn't be good.
"Y-Yeah," Penguin said nervously. The man pulled up a chair at the table they were sitting at.
"What do you need to tell us about Nightmare?" Shachi questioned.
"You see boys, I'm very familiar with that woman," he started.
"How?" they asked in unison.
"I was the marine in charge of capturing her and monitoring her for five years," he stated.
"Eh! You're a marine?" Penguin said almost readying himself for battle.
"Don't worry I'm not here to fight you guys. I retired soon after Nightmare's escape," he reassured the two. After they calmed down a bit things got serious.
"Okay, if that's the case then what do you want to tell us?" Shachi spat. He was getting quite annoyed that this guy was just coming up to them saying he had something to tell him.
"I'm just giving you guys a warning," the man's tone was dead serious now. "I don't know what sides of Nightmare you guys have seen so far but let me just say that you shouldn't trust her. It's a matter of time before she leaves you all as if you were nothing less than a grain of sand."
"Is that so?" another voice popped into the conversation. Shachi and Penguin looked up to see their captain. It was obvious by the annoyed look on Law's face that he had just heard the former marine's statement.
"C-captain," the two chimed surprised to see him.
"It seems you two have made a new friend," Law said while staring at the former marine. Law now also pulled up a chair to the table.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Trafalgar. If you haven't heard then I was the marine who monitored Nightmare for the past five years. My name is Jon Bridges," the man introduced himself.
"Well then Mister Bridges, would you care to tell me what you were just telling my two crew members," Law said while gesturing to Shachi and Penguin.
"I can already see that you don't like what I'm saying but it's the truth. That girl is a heartless, cold-blooded, witch. She'll leave you all soon enough. No matter what she's done with you guys, whether it's fighting by your side or helping to get information, she'll leave you soon enough," he explained.
"And what makes you so sure?" Law countered. "The Nightmare that you watched over in that marine facility is different from the Nightmare that lives on my submarine."
"Trafalgar I'm afraid that you don't completely know the reason as to why we held Nightmare captive for so long. She may have told you because her mother wanted us to help with her mental issues or just because she was insane. As much as those reasons are true there was another reason." Law raised a brow. He didn't think that there was another reason. "Along with her mental issues and mental capability there is something frightening about that girl. Sure, fighting power is something key but even more than that is knowledge. It was enough for her to gain knowledge from that one island alone but from multiple islands it will be too much. All of the knowledge she gains with that ability is never erased from her mind. Her brain is like a giant library with new books being added almost every second. The most frightening thing in this world is knowledge whether you know it or not. She probably knows things that no other living human knows. That's the reason why we held her captive. We wanted to keep her mind as ignorant as possible but within those five years her ability had expanded to gain knowledge from even the ocean. When we realized that, we knew that there was no way we could just let her roam free. If her information were to fall into the wrong hands this world could fall into chaos." The man finally finished. Now that he thought about it, it made a lot of sense to Law. Of course the marines would be afraid of something like that going against them.
"But what does this have to do with Nightmare leaving us?" Law questioned. It didn't make much sense as to why the man would tell them that though.
"The more knowledge that girl gains the more insane she becomes; I'm surprised she hasn't killed any of you yet. If she doesn't wish to kill you then fine but let me tell you once more. I've studied that woman for five whole years and I was able to see in the first month that she will never latch on to a group of people forever. Especially not after the only human she ever liked died," he told them. The image of Nightmare's dream flashed in Law's mind when the boy was killed in front of her.
"Well Mister Bridges, I can assure you that there is no way that Nightmare will just leave us," Law was confident in what he was saying. They had just smoothed things out between each other. She calls him captain now and he knows her name.
In the meanwhile Blaze was still on the submarine. He hasn't spoken to the captain once today since he woke up not too long ago. When Blaze asked some of the others they said that he went out to the island. Blaze just nodded and went on to the infirmary. He knew that Nightmare would be able to walk around today but he wouldn't have thought that she'd already be out of the infirmary. Ever since he woke up Blaze had a bad feeling that something would happen today but he didn't think that this of all things would happen.
After seeing that Nightmare was definitely not in the infirmary he decided to check her room. He knocked once and nothing came. He knocked again and still nothing. After the third knock he decided that it was safe enough to walk in without permission. She wasn't there. That wasn't what shocked him though. The thing that shocked was that everything Nightmare had owned was gone. The pair of black gloves and boomerang, which were usually placed on her bedside table, were gone and the stacks of books she had just bought a few days ago were gone as well. He really started to worry when he saw that the big black duffel bag usually sitting empty in the corner was gone.
"Nightmare quit fooling around," Blaze muttered just hoping it wasn't true. Just as he expected there was no reply. He quickly rushed to the dresser and checked only to see that every drawer was empty. Out of frustration Blaze slammed the drawers closed and took one last look around the room. Something he hadn't seen before caught his eye. On top of the neatly made bed was a booklet of 30 or so pages that were strung together. Blaze wasted no time in rushing over to it and flipping to the first page. It was just as he thought.
Blaze didn't have any time to read any of it now so he just snapped the booklet shut, gripped it in his hand, and then took off. He wasn't sure of who he passed in the hallways or who called out to him asking what the rush was. All he knew was that he had to find the captain, and fast. Blaze simply jumped over the railing of the sub and onto the ground of Sabaody before taking off once more. He just hoped that he could find either Nightmare or the captain before it was too late.
Law was just about done with talking to Jon Bridges. Everything that man was saying was making him more and more pissed off. The only useful thing that he said was the other reason as to why Nightmare was being held captive. Right when Law was about to get up and leave he heard the voice of Blaze coming from the distance.
"Captain!" Blaze yelled and then finally made a stop when he got to Law.
"What is it?" Law asked immediately in a serious tone. Blaze may have had some urgent messages that he gave to Law before but Law has never seen his face look like that while giving news. Blaze's face has lost its color and there was a strange look in-between worry and some sort of odd desperation on his face. Whatever the news was, it couldn't be good. Law also took note of the booklet in Blaze's hand.
Blaze only needed a couple second to catch his breath because he knew that he didn't have the time for it. "It's Nightmare," Blaze said. By just hearing that phrase a slight sense of worry welled up deep within Law's stomach but also a sudden apprehension of something else. Law glanced over to the former marine and then back to Blaze. "All her stuff is gone! She's left the submarine!"
The thing that Law had apprehension about was true. Nightmare left.
A/N: Okay, you guys can kill me now. I give you complete and full permission to do so. But hey, I'm shaking it up a bit. Right when you think they're there to stay they leave. But seriously don't worry because this matter will be resolved in like the fastest way possible. I'm not even lying.
Anyways... I think that her whole conversation with Blaze was nice in the beginning and such.. Yeah and... well. NIGHTMARE'S GONE HOLY SHIT THIS IS NOT OKAY. THIS IS NOT OKAY! Yeah, that's probably what you guys are thinking. What's even worse is cliffhanger... Yup, I did it again.
Well I'm going to go now before I get murdered by you guys.
PLEASE FAVORITE, FOLLOW, and REVIEW! Because you love me 3... But probably not anymore soooo /3 ;~;
Till next week,
~Zella, Queen of the Cliffhangers