Devon impatiently pacing back and forth on the flat wooden floor. A clock stood on a nearby mantle that ticked away the seconds of the day, but still no Zoro. Not even a ship has been sighted in almost three weeks but he knew he couldn't give up hope that Zoro would return with what he needed to put a stop to Zatarra once and for all. Devon sighed deeply and rubbed his temples in a frustrated manner,

"Feeling stressed, my love?" A voice asked from the corner of the room. Devon turned his attention to a woman who stood 5'6" her red hair danced in the wind like a flame does in the fireplace. Her soft pale green eyes watched him as he reached out for her soft freckled skin.

"More than i have in some time," Devon replied as her skirts swept and jumped around her.

"You shouldn't let the little things bother you," She replied softly. A crown of daisy's sat atop her hair, strewn together and lightly sitting on her hair.

"It is no small thing," Devon said harsher than he meant. His eyes softened and a tear sprung to the side of his eyes. "You were no small thing." He corrected softly.

"I am the past," She said touching the mantle, the fire sitting at her back as she looked over the pictures that hung over the hearth. "You should not live here," She looked back to Devon who held a small golden braided band. "Not in the past,"

"But if you are there, I would live anywhere," Devon replied standing. Looking at her hand he saw the same braided band on her small finger. "Past, present, future, anywhere," His throat cut off, threatening tears. Her eyes welled up with tears as she shook her head,

"I know you would but I do not exist any longer, you must let go of me and find new purpose or this will destroy your life and everything you have." He went to her side and sighed remembering many things about her.

"Devon!" He opened his eyes as water mist hit his face. He sat up feeling sore and red from sitting outside all day, groaning he stood up and put his hand over his eyes.

"Z!" He shouted waving his hand. A young woman with cloud white hair and milk colored skin was running toward him followed by Pogo, the owner of the shipyard. They ran to each other and gave one another a quick hug and ran over to Pogo. "Where are we going to go today?" Devon asked happily.

"We will all get there soon, not to worry." Pogo replied walking slowly down the pier. "It's just down here," He waved his hand at the entrance of a sewer. Z crinkled her nose which made Devon and Pogo laugh. "Go on now, everyone is waiting." The pair of young adults looked at each other but began to head down the path of the moss ridden sewer pathway, well they hoped it was moss ridden.

"What do you think he has hidden down here?" Devon asked Z as her bright hair reflected any slivers of light. She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and kept walking, Devon knew she didn't talk often but when she did it was only to Pogo or his wife. So on they went until a silence came over the sewer that startled the pair, they froze in place and slowly Z drew a sword noiselessly while Devon pulled his tanfua's out of a holster on his thigh and went on the defensive, back to back as they traveled down the sewer.

"Do you think Pogo would send us into danger?" Devon asked to the silent Z who shook her head with positive assuraty. "Well there was that one with the snakes," Z shook her head good naturedly remembering when the pair trained together and Pogo sent them into a snake infested jungle to improve on their teamwork. "And that one time with Jericho," Devon said scanning the surrounding area on his side. Z let out a stifled laugh at the memory of the giant man who arrived on the island and scared half the residents half to death, followed by Z and Devon going into the snake ridden forest to get the giant out. "Most stressful week of my life." Devon admitted. Z shook her head with a smirk on her lips as they moved down the sewer way. Z bumped Devon and they changed position, there was a hallway closed off by a brown wooden door. Each person took a side of the hallway, Devon nodded his head as he touched the door, he backed away and Z kicked it in with a good forceful kick. Devon rolled into the room while Z jumped in headfirst and tucked her head under and her back hit Devon's feet and he launched her up. She clapped her hands and snapped a sun rod so it was hovering in the highest point she had gotten to and the room exploded in light and a scream filled the room as Z hit the ground on her feet next to Devon.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY Z!" The pair looked shocked as people appeared all over the room with gifts, treats, games and caked. Z glanced over to Devon who shook his head,

"Well if we would have told you it would only be a matter of time before I knew what we were planning." Pogo said sitting on a stool near the pair in the room. Devon laughed nodding with red embarrassed ears. "One year ago today we found you in a little boat fighting to stay alive. Happy birthday Zatarra," Pogo laid a hand on Z's shoulder and smiled a toothy grin.

"Who's that? Devon asked pointing to a woman who stood quietly in the corner. Pogo lifted an eyebrow and smiled,

"The niece of the baker, visiting or something of the like." Pogo said scratching the back of his head. Z gave Devon a push in the direction of the woman with sun red hair and a bright smile. Devon walked to her and smiled talking to her, I turned back to her friends and enjoyed her very first birthday.

"Zatarra!" Devon cried out running from one room to another. "Please! Z! STOP!" The cries and pleas became louder as the hideout Pogo gave Z for her first birthday burned, the shipyard where they worked, the jungle where they trained, it was all burning and Z was nowhere to be found.

"Devon!" Devon dug his heels into the ground and whipped his head around to see Pogo laying on the ground outside of the shipyard.

"Pogo," Devon's voice was cut off from the smoke and flames, he grabbed Pogo by the robes he wore and began to pull as hard as he could but Pogo was stuck under a beam, "Hang on, I'll get you out, I just need to move that beam," Pogo grabbed Devon and roughly pulled him down to the floor,

"Listen to me, Devon," Pogo held a small capsule in his hands and handed it to Devon, "Whatever she has done, do not blame her, she doesn't know what she's doing. I've protected her for so long from this but now there is nothing I can do, I must pass this onto you. Save her Devon, save her from the dragon which hunts her." Pogo breathed out deeply. Devon shook Pogo roughly,

"Pogo," His voice filled with tears and his eyes overflowed with pain, "Pogo!" As though Devon were an animal he let out a fearsome noise that echoed in the halls of the island. A flash of white caught his eyes, "Z," He got up with the package Pogo gave him and ran for all he was worth.

"Z?" Devon walked into a room where a pale Zatarra stood with her hand deep inside of Margarine's stomach. She pulled it out as Margarine fell to the ground, Z stood there with a blank expression and no pupils in her eyes, she looked like an angel, save it for the blood. Devon ran to Margarine's side and Z turned and jumped out of the window. "Margarine?" Devon pleaded unconsciously trying to fit what had fallen out of her body back in. "Please stay with me, we can get a doctor to look at you and fix you up," Margarine blinked softly and shook her head taking Devon's arms,

"Nothing is what it seems, my love," She said followed by a harsh coughing causing blood to spew out of her mouth. Devon tugged out a small white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her mouth.

"Shh, shh my love, you'll get better, you'll see," Devon began frantically trying to wipe her face and stomach,

"Don't trust anyone," She whispered, "Nothing is what you think it is." A last breath left her body and the one woman Devon cared for more than himself, more than Pogo, more than Z,

"Zatarra!" His strangled voice pierced the heavens and on the beach standing ankle deep in the ocean, Zatarra screamed out her pain and frustrations at the thought of loosing everything and everyone she loved. It was the price she always paid for being alive. She hit the water and screamed out in pain. She dropped to her knees, blood on her sin washing out into the water, this was the price she paid for ever being born.

"My darling," Margarine said softly smiling at Devon.

"I have nothing without you," Devon replied scared that if he blinked she would be gone once more. "If I cannot love you now or then, life is not worth living, I meant it when I said I love you and that I will love you forever." He put his hand to her face and the image of the one woman Devon ever cared about faded from the room where he stood. He grasped the cup that held an old whiskey liquor inside and threw it across the room, a gut wrenching strangled cry escaped him and the windows shook as the glass struggled to keep the cry of anguish within the room. "I will have my revenge against Zatarra if it is the last thing I ever do."

"Devon?" A small voice sounded in interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes, what is it?" Devon snapped.

"Zoro has returned," A sinister smile lit up Devon's face as he motioned to the man standing in the doorway,

"Send him up,"