Author's Note: My friend Ara just told me last night that they got the house in Florida! So, we'll be moving to Florida in November! I'm so excited! :D We'll finally be able to finish the first book of the book series! :D Anyway, it's another long chapter, really long chapter, haha. Enjoy it! xD
Possession
Chapter 25
Staring back at Zoro for some time as his mind raced, Luffy could think of nothing, and instead just said again, "I don't know what you're talking abou-"
"Like hell," Zoro said, trying to keep calm as he frowned back at Luffy. "There's no way you could honestly have no idea what you are, and it's obvious to those who know what to look for. You're a grimlock."
Luffy's breath caught within his throat, but then he suddenly turned away from Zoro. He did not speak for some time, and eventually, he moved to sit on a tree stump. With a sigh, he gave a nod and muttered, "Yeah… I'm a grimlock…"
Zoro grabbed his head and turned away. "Aww, bloody hell! You're a damned grimlock!"
"What the hell!? You were just spouting that I was, and now you sound like you didn't believe it!" Luffy exclaimed, completely agitated and on edge.
"I know that, damn it!" Zoro exclaimed, but then he sighed as he turned to look at him over his shoulder. "I know that… but I was hoping… Hell, I was even praying it wasn't true… but you're suddenly getting stronger, not that you weren't already, and your display back at that city… and your sudden… strange behavior change over the past few weeks… and just now… I knew it had to be that…" Turning fully back to Luffy, his concern was adamant, and then he said, "Luffy, grimlocks may be rare, but stories about them are all horror stories… They're… ogres… monsters… the kinds of myths and legends people tell to frighten children and even themselves! Have you any idea how dangerous it is for you to be around so many witches?"
"Of course I do!" Luffy exclaimed as he stood up again to take a few steps away. "Why do you think I had to leave that cottage!? And then that happened…" He then huffed out in agitation and cried, "I know what grimlocks are! I know all the stories! More than you probably do!"
"Damn it," Zoro whispered and grabbed his head. "Of all the…" He sighed deeply, trying to calm his racing heart. Knowing for sure actually terrified him… He then looked over towards Luffy again and said, "Why would you allow yourself to remain with her if you knew it was dangerous, and now with all these witches here…?"
"Because," Luffy said with a sigh as he plopped back down on the stump, "I didn't have a choice-"
"Like hell you didn't! You never should have allowed her to-"
"I had no choice!" Luffy yelled as he shot to his feet once more and stood back up to face him.
Zoro instantly sucked in his breath and went for the dagger given to him by Robin for hunting, since he had lost his. His heart nearly stopped and the terror was spreading. Seeing his reaction, Luffy recoiled and instantly took steps back. "I'm sorry," he whispered and grabbed his head as it dropped. "I'm sorry… You're right… my control is slipping… I thought I could - I didn't… I didn't think it would be this hard…"
"Then why?" Zoro whispered, unable to speak any louder.
"I had no choice… She would have hurt them all if I hadn't… I couldn't allow her to hurt anyone else… and even if I try and leave now… I couldn't…" Luffy just sighed out, and his body completely wilted.
"Luffy… the alternative is worse," Zoro replied, speaking only just above a whisper. "Witches and warlocks are easy to hunt if you take the right precautions… There are wards – I mean, these tattoos," he pulled his shirt open slightly to show them, "and... there are ways to resist their magic, but with you…" he took a deep breath and whispered, "Luffy… with you… if you lose your control completely… I can't do shit…"
"I know…" Luffy muttered, sounding completely disheartened.
"None of us can… not even the witches – Luffy… you can't stay here," Zoro said as he shook his head and took a step forward.
"No!" Luffy said and lifted his head, but he did not look at Zoro. "No, I can't do that. I can't!" he exclaimed with conviction, but then he said more softly, "I can't do that, Zoro. I have to save her. I have to… I don't believe it can't be done. Not even after what just happened back in the city. It can't just be this way…" He then clutched his head harder as he took in a deep breath and yelled, as if hoping the whole world could hear him, "We're not born monsters!"
Zoro swallowed down hard, feeling the pressure of it weighing him down, but then he had to think about… just how much weight Luffy was carrying… "Luffy…" he whispered, but then he sighed and said, "I understand… and you're right… As a witch hunter, I suppose I did feel that way. Maybe it was easier for me to think about all of you… as just monsters. I'm sorry… but Luffy… in your case… you can be made into a monster. With you, there is no choosing to be good or bad. It just happens on its own, and you knew that. You knew it could be dangerous for you, and yet… you would still go through all of this trouble. I understand why you want to do this, but… with the way she is… is it really worth it?"
"It is," Luffy muttered quietly as he closed his eyes. "I know why she does it… I know how she feels… Don't you get it? We all have a choice… and sometimes we choose the wrong one. Sometimes we're pushed into choosing the wrong one. I had to try and save her anyway, despite the risks… even though I knew it was possible…" he then raised his head to look up at Zoro, and his eyes were once again ice, "that no one could save me."
Zoro released a quivered breath, as he thought about Luffy's words, but then he finally nodded his head slowly and whispered, "I understand…"
Luffy suddenly sighed and dropped his head. "I wasn't counting on the others coming around, though… and it's different with that healer and the other one… but Hancock… I didn't expect her to stick around. It's worse with her here… Both her and Nami's magic together is more than I can bear…"
"With her around too, it's accelerated the change, hasn't it?" Zoro whispered, looking even more concerned.
"Yeah… I feel it…" Luffy said, clutching at his chest. "The darkness is overwhelming… I can't control it… and with that healer…"
Zoro began to frown, and then he asked, "Is it darker, then?"
"No," Luffy whispered and frowned softly as he shook his head. "It's just the opposite… His magic is pure… I've been tainted to the point that his magic… it's unbearable for me… It causes… a huge turmoil inside of me… and it makes me remember before…" He then quickly looked up at Zoro and said, "You can't tell the others about this… Promise me… if the witches find out… if Nami or Hancock find out…"
"I know," Zoro said and nodded slowly. "I understand we can't tell the witches… but Luffy your behavior is erratic… They'll begin to notice on their own, and the others… the blonde and the long nose… especially the blonde. He's already noticing… They need to be told what they're up against. It might be best we tell them to leave."
"Yeah," Luffy whispered and looked away again, "that might be best… We should leave this cottage too… I'll heal just fine on my own now."
"We could always tell that other witch to get lost," Zoro said and pursed his lips with narrowed eyes. Luffy turned a look at him that read, 'Yeah right…' Zoro sighed and muttered, "You're right… Witches do whatever the hell they want to… Maybe Nami can make her leave…"
Luffy just sighed as he leaned back over the stump. "Maybe… I doubt she'd want her sticking around, but if she refuses to leave, I'll just have to deal with it. Besides… I'm not sure I want to send her away either," he whispered, gazing up into the dusk sky as the sun set within the horizon. Already a few stars had begun to show themselves.
Zoro sighed helplessly at this and muttered, "You wish to save this one too, then?"
Luffy kept his gaze on those stars as he took a very deep breath and whispered, "Everyone deserves a second chance, don't they? I really believe she does too. I like to think they do… I refuse to believe that they can't change. Everyone has the choice to be who they are, don't they? I believed that I did too…" he muttered quietly, and his eyes saddened as he whispered, "but I was wrong…"
"I refuse to believe that, but I'm sure the orange haired witch would love hearing you say that. After all, that was her goal, wasn't it? To taint you? I guess you just have to change her before she finds out," Zoro muttered and sighed.
"Yeah… I've come too far to give up now. I know she can change… but damn it… After what happened in the city… she will be even more afraid; even more guarded… Already she's building her defenses back up. You saw it…" Luffy muttered tiredly as he rested his elbows over his knees and let his head hang down.
"Yeah… but you did save her… She has to acknowledge that," Zoro said, taking a few steps towards him, and then he said, "My first intentions when I decided to come with you was to see if you could really change her… I didn't believe that you could, and so I came, intending to get rid of her when you failed, but I was wrong. I know you can do it… and I will continue to help you… but now… I will also make sure you don't lose control. And besides, it'd be too dangerous not to."
"Zoro," Luffy called quietly as he watched the breeze sway the tall blades of grass at his feet, "if I ever do lose control… I want you to make sure I can't hurt anyone. I want you to stop me… even if it means you have to kill me."
"Like hell," Zoro replied, frowning back at him deeply. "If you will go so far as to save these witches, then there's no way in hell I'm about to abandon you."
Looking over to him in some surprise, but also with concern, Luffy then shook his head and said, "There's too much at risk-"
"There's a lot at risk with you trying to save these witches, and damn it, for the longest time, I always had to question if it was worth it, but it is worth it. Taking that risk with you is more than worth it. You deserve it, but you're strong. I don't think it'll ever come to that," Zoro said and crossed his arms before him.
Luffy huffed out in mirthless amusement and again rested his elbows upon his knees. After a while, he took a breath and replied back quietly, "Thanks…"
"Any time… I'm going to head back. I know you needed this time alone," Zoro said with a nod, and then he turned to head back.
Luffy was not sure how long he remained where he was, but he knew eventually he would have to return. Standing up slowly, he sluggishly made his way back towards the cabin. However, as he came out of the tree line, he noticed someone sitting next to the shoreline near the cottage and gazing off at the waterfall. He took a few more steps and noticed it was the witch he had not met before.
As if sensing his approach, Robin turned and smiled back at him. "Hello, it's nice to finally meet you, Luffy. I'm Robin."
"Oh… yeah… It's nice to meet you, Robin," Luffy said, slowly making his way towards her. There was something about her… "Do you… mind if I sit here?"
"Not at all, please," she said, smiling gently to him, but more broadly as she patted the place beside her.
Coming up beside her, he sat down next to her and just stared back at her. "You're different from the others…"
"Am I?" she asked, smiling much more softly to him.
"Yeah…" he replied, finally turning to gaze at the massive waterfall in the distance. "There's no darkness… and there's no light… You just are…" he replied quietly, and before he knew it, his head was resting upon her shoulder. "It's… calming…" he whispered, his eyes growing heavy. He had not felt such peace in what seemed like forever.
"Is it?" she replied in a very quiet voice, as if she did not wish to disturb his peace.
"Yeah… is it okay if I just stay here a little longer?" he whispered sleepily, and before he knew it, he was fast asleep.
Smiling down at him even more softly, she reached across and pet over his head gently as she whispered, "You can stay as long as you wish… You've been fighting for so long now…" She gently eased his head down to rest on her lap, continuing to soothingly pet over his head, and then she whispered, "Just rest now… I will keep you safe… and remove some of the darkness which causes you pain…"
Nami stood just to the side of the cottage, her eyes on the pair by the shoreline, and her hands closed tightly into fists.
Author's Note: D'aww… ;_; Luffy…! Let me be a resting place for you head too! What's up with that anyway? –Snicker– Also… uh oh… u.u Is there about to be trouble? Stay tuned for the next chapter! :D
P.S. Yes, I am aware of the Transformer named Grimlock, and no the recent Transformers movie that just came out isn't what reminded me. xD I remembered about the name way before finding out Grimlock was in this movie, (though I haven't seen it yet), but I liked the name, because it reminded me of a warlock, but clearly Luffy isn't a warlock, and the word Grim is always associated with death and fear. It's also what the beings are called in my favorite show Grimm, and their reactions to him are much the same. :3 A lot of this was actually inspired by Grimm. xD I love Nick and Monroe!