Updated:8/10/15
Chapter 28: Memory
Brook charged out of the tunnel and into blazing sunlight, swatting away suspended vines that dangled in his way like bothersome flies. His teeth gnashed together as he inwardly quarreled to control his elevating ire. He was furious not only at himself, but at the calamitous creature that threatened to dominate the peaceful island and his best friend.
His hollow eye sockets constricted as he marched onward.
Liara would still be here with him if only he hadn't been so imbecilic and withdrawn from her feelings! He knew that he cherished her, and that wallowing in self-pity wouldn't be meaningful for the current situation at hand, but he still couldn't help feeling responsible.
He would fight for her, and there was no way in Hell he was going to lose.
He used his thumb to pop out the handle of his sword, which was oh-so-cleverly-hidden inside the infamous cane he used to accomplish his appearance of a gentleman. As he did so, however, a thought came so suddenly into his cracked skull that he dug his heels into the rugged Earth and forced himself to halt, causing his crew mates to smack right into him.
"What the Hell?!" Zoro irritably grunted as he massaged his darkened tender nose.
Sanji regarded the skeleton questioningly and raised his visible curly brow as he puffed out curls of grey smoke.
Brook rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, his phalanges nearly getting tangled between the ebony curls of his afro. "Well, er, I'm not too sure where we should even be going".
"That's true." Usopp crossed his arms over his muscular chest, his thick lips twisted in speculation. The whole group grew nonvocal as they considered probable places.
"Miss Navigator is obtaining that information from Merida now." Robin's smooth voice drew all their attention to her as she strolled over to join her allies. "I believe she was going to talk to you about it-" her eyes focused on Brook, "-but you simply rushed out too fast."
The skeleton frowned, pondering why Merida hadn't simply stopped him on the way out or mentioned it earlier.
The feisty pirate surfaced out of the tunnel, eyes determined and focused. Brook and Luffy sped towards her, eager to hear what she would say.
"This probably won't come as a surprise, but we need to head back to the lake."
Luffy began lumbering off with his fists swinging around at his sides, but ceased all movement when Nami placed a hand on his upper back. His shoulders sagged in disappointment as the fight was once again delayed.
"Luffy, for us this is about helping Liara and getting her back. However, everybody needs to keep in mind that this thing Liara is probably going to be fighting currently possesses Merida's lover."
All the males were speechless at the shocking news, especially Brook, who was mentally kicking himself at having not realized the truth sooner. He felt pity for the old fairy, especially now that he had an understand of what she was going through.
"Liara is trapped in a separate realm away from the other spirits, not only because she is the thousandth soul, but also because she forced herself to die." Nami bit her lower lip to prevent it from trembling. "Because of this, Liara has lost her memory, and the only way she'll regain it is if her heart sees something in that world that is important to her. The shadows are going to start crawling out of the lake once the sun reaches the highest point in the sky, and if I'm correct, that gives us only about fifteen minutes. Also the creatures we're going to be fighting aren't going to vanish until Liara wins her battle, which means that every hope this island has is going to rest on her."
Brook teeth tightened together in fury. Liara, his Liara, was imprisoned and disoriented in an unfamiliar place, and to top it off, she had to fight a perilous enemy by herself? She had already suffered so much, and he'd be damned if she was the only one making sacrifices for their relationship.
An idea popped up in his skull, one that seemed absolutely preposterous but listed his hopes up nonetheless." When this is done and over with a wish can still be made, right?"
Robin crossed her arms, her cobalt eyes glazed over in deep thought. "I don't see why not," she answered. "What is it you're thinking of?"
All eyes focused on him as he faced his Captain. He straightened up, his face chiseled with determination. The raven-haired rubber man eyed the skeleton, his dark eyes brimming with curiosity.
"Captain Luffy, I have a request." Luffy nodded at him to continue. Brook took an unneeded deep breath to make sure his voice didn't falter."I want to wish for-"
The crew listened intently, but their jaws all gaped open in shocking disbelief once he finished voicing his wish. Luffy's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't yell or seem upset. In fact, he smiled. "Well, I won't stop you. You're my nakama either way, so it doesn't matter to me."
"Are you sure?!" Chopper squeaked out, his eyes practically bulging out of his head as his blue nose twitched.
Franky stood behind them all, waterfalls of tears streaming down his face as he sobbed so hard he had to remove his sunglasses. "Skull-Bro, you've got my support!" Zoro backed away in annoyance from the hysterical cyborg and rolled his eye.
Sanji flicked his cigarette to the ground and reinserted a new one into his mouth. "Makes no difference to me; I'll always view you as an annoying shithead." He smirked. "Still, I do admire what you want to do, so go for it."
"I also think you should do it," Nami chimed in with a smile. " We'll still be with you, no matter what." Robin nodded in agreement.
Brook felt pleased and proud that his friends were supporting his decision. He jutted his chin up and smiled. He cracked his knuckles and grinned in a way only a skeleton could grin. "Let's get going."
[Mass Effect 3- Stand Strong, Stand Together]
Nine silhouettes stood in the forest, all preparing for the battle that they would be facing together as friends, as nakama, as family.
Little bolts of lightning crackled off on Nami's Climatact, lighting up the shadows on her face. Usopp gripped his Kabuto and palmed a packed bag of pop greens. Chopper remained in Heavy Point, arms bulking outwards as fur lined up over his muscles. His ears wiggled around as he closely monitored for any abnormal sounds.
Sanji and Zoro put aside their disputes for a moment and instead focused their visible eyes on the lake. Franky lowered his shades and grinned at Robin, who had cloned herself and was practicing by sprouting limbs all around her. Her eyes twinkled as she returned his gaze.
Brook settled himself at the front of the group next to Luffy. The skeleton pulled his sword out of its sheath and raised it above his head, the blade glinting in the sunlight. He lowered it back down and turned around to analyze his nakama, all of who watched him expectantly.
"We're going into a fight that not only involves us, but every living and non-living thing on this island. We fight for the souls who want nothing more than to be free but can't."
A family of spirits stood in what was once their village, eying their surroundings gloomily as they recalled precious memories, the only thing that made them feel alive. A young girl reached out for a doll on the ground, only to sob when her hand went through it. The little boy who had given the orb to Liara earlier walked forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. They looked at each other and dismally smiled.
"We fight for Merida, suffered and just wants her love back."
Merida knelt next to Liara's lifeless body, her palms pressed together as if she was in prayer. Tears slid down her face as she focused on the flickering candlelight. Several fairies hovered and watched her, dispirited at being unable to help her.
"We fight to protect the faeries and other creatures who call this island home."
A large bird glided overhead, squawking in satisfaction as his fledglings flapped their petite wings proudly behind him. Below, a family of merfolk swam together, laughing in glee as they flipped out of the water.
"But most of all, we fight for Liara, who is our nakama," he finished with a raised sword, earning cheers from the rest of the group. "Now let's go!"
All of them marched forward together with their heads held high, trekking to the place where they would be battling for the island, and the newest member of their family.
[+]
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At last they reached the enchanted lake, which appeared just as tranquil as the last time they perceived it. If they didn't know any better, then they would've all assumed that nothing out of the ordinary would be taking place in just mere moments.
Nami tensed up as a formidable feeling of instability bordered around her.
The serene atmosphere altered into alarming suppression, as if time itself had suspended its course. Not even a draft streamed by, and the pool in front of them resembled a mirror, its surface motionless at it reflected its surroundings.
The crew probed the celestial sphere, surveying the sun as it positioned itself at its highest peak. A beacon of illumination cleaved the lake, blinding the Straw Hats until it disintegrated into absolute nothingness. In an instant, the lake darkened into a dusky ebony pool, eradicating any traces of sapphire.
Usopp gulped but unwaveringly held onto his Kabuto, proud that his legs weren't quivering like they used to two years ago. Zoro's eye brows lowered as he pulled out one of his swords and placed it in his mouth. Creatures began oozing out of the murky surface, their eyes and jagged open mouths flaring scarlet as released high pitched giggles while crawling over to their opponents. The Straw Hats winced at the eerie sound, but didn't back off, even as the abnormal monstrosities increased at an alarming rate.
Brook was not in the mood for games.
He lunged, hollow eyes narrowed in resentment as he heatedly roared and pointed his sword forward. Luffy sprinted after him, grinning like a madman as he propelled a fist and punctured a row of the shadows. He was rather disappointed at first over how easily the fiends were defeated, but it was short-lived when he noticed another group emerging from the hellish portal.
"This isn't good," Nami crossly voiced when she realized just how taxing their skirmish was going to be. She flashed her eyes at Robin, who nodded as they shouldered their backs against each other and commenced a broad array of onslaught that was effective but not highly-energy consuming. Their stability was going to be essential if the conflict was going to be drawn out.
Usopp arranged himself at one of the area's exits,firing left and right at any shadows that had managed to sneak by one of the members adjacent to the water.
Franky was on the opposite side of the area doing the same thing as the Sharpshooter. He mentally applauded himself for having brought along additional Cola as he shot launched one of his fists and morphed his other arm into a shield.
As much as Zoro and Sanji disputed, they made quite the team when it came to battling. They rotated around each other, with Sanji's leg decimating the creatures' heads and Zoro accelerating himself forward and impaling every dark being he saw. He was operating only two swords, as the enemies were pitiful and didn't obligate for further brawn to be used against them.
Brook pivoted his sword around, releasing pent up frustration and enmity as he beheaded any foes unlucky enough to be in proximate distance of him. His face was contorted in fierceness as he conquered one enemy after another, unsympathetic for the mutant imps that had slithered out of their obsidian Hell.
He refused to stop fighting until she came back to him.
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Liara meandered aimlessly up and down the stairs, her eyes inspecting her surroundings as she scoured for some sort of indication that would somehow inform her of who she was and what befallen her. She felt like she was detained in some sort of delusion, except everything appeared to be authentic. Every time she spotted some form of water, she would stall her journey to stare fixedly at her reflection, scrutinizing her mirrored eyes to see if she could remember anything. When she realized she couldn't, she would traipse away in discontentment.
[Inuyasha Movie 2 -Prayer, Wish]
Eventually she descended down another flight of stairs, and as she did so, her eyes rested on a briar that was abundant with ravishing blossoms. Her eyes expanded at the lovely sight, but then narrowed when she noticed one in particular that really captured her attention. It was a gorgeous violet flower with white edges, and something about it seemed really recognizable. As if in a trance, she stepped over to it and conscientiously plucked it from the bush. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she cradled the bud on her palm. Something about it made her blissful, and for the first time since she awakened from her sleep, she could feel her heart beating.
A name abruptly rolled off her tongue. "Brook." Her eyes enlarged in bewilderment as everything jolted back to her in an overwhelming assault.
The Straw Hats, Merida, her family, and Brook; how could she have forgotten them?!
All of a sudden the scenery around her began to disperse, melting away into nothingness as it was gradually replaced by a familiar area. The bushes and trees were interchanged by Chopper pounding his fists into the bodies of daunting jet black creatures that crumpled into miniscule particles with each hit.
Liara branched her fingers forward to touch him, but her hand went right through him. Her whole body was a light jade color with wavy lines glowing off of her, just like the spirits she had seen in the village only a few days ago.
"That's right," she thought to herself morosely. "I'm dead."
She sauntered ahead, calling out the name of each companion she passed by, even though she knew her endeavors were in vain. Her allies seemed exhausted as they spurred themselves forward and fought back against the never-ending wave of enemies. All of her friends were there, putting in every ounce of strength they had to support her, and she wouldn't let their efforts go to waste.
And that was when she saw him.
Brook was off to the side, hacking away anything that invaded his path. He looked frustrated and distressed, and it broke her heart to know she had been the one to make him feel like that.
She hurried over to him, gasping as he dropped to his knees. The creatures around him had vanished for now, but more were still coming out of the lake, which would only give him a brief moment of rest. He stuck his blade in the ground and hung his head.
She wanted to console him and tell him she was there, that everything would be okay. Even though she was aware that he couldn't hear or feel her, she knew that she had to do something, so she did what she would've done if she was still alive. She stood behind him, leaned over and encircled her arms around his neck so that they rested over his chest. Her eyes squeezed shut as a tear slid down her cheek and through his shoulder.
Brook lifted his head up as he felt a tingling sensation on his shoulder and chest, his jaw expanding in complete disbelief. "Liara?"
She gaped at him, her arms tightening as she willed him to feel her embrace. "Brook?" she whispered, afraid to get her hopes up in case he was only saying her name.
His skull lifelessly fell forward as verdant smoke seeped out of his eye socket, prompting Liara to recoil backwards in surprise. She shielded her eyes as intense malachite light flashed before disappearing. When she lowered her arm, he was standing in front of her.
"Brook," she breathed in awe, arms shaking in nerves over seeing him again. She'd been a sobbing mess when he'd left, and she was still hurt. If he needed to move on though, she would do her best to push forward as well, regardless of the pain. "I-"
The skeleton hunched over, fastening one arm around her waist and the other behind her upper legs as he hoisted her up so they were on the same level. He pushed her legs so they wrapped around his waist before he moved his hand to the back of her skull. His phalanges affectionately stroked her hair as he inhaled her scent and nuzzled the side of his face against her head. "Oh, my sweet Liara. I thought I lost you," his voice cracked as he shed tears.
Liara felt herself break down as she encompassed her limbs around the back of his neck and wept into his shoulder. "You fo-found me. I'd forgotten but y-you found me. I couldn't remember anything!" She pulled back and hastily dried her tears, as she understood that she didn't have time to cry. "I'm sorry I-"
"Liara."
She paused and stared at him nervously, unsure what he would say. Her face flushed when he gently rubbed a thumb on her cheek.
"I know I really hurt you and I am so, so sorry." His voice was sincere and grief-stricken. "When they told me you..." he faced away to regain composure before he looked at her again, "...died, I thought my world was over. I am so ashamed for making you cry like that. Losing you made me wish I was dead, and that I wouldn't come back. A life without you would be miserable and not worth living. I thought I was doing the right thing by giving you a chance for a happy life with somebody who wouldn't get stared at and who you could have a family with, but I can see I was wrong. I want you to know that when this is over, I want us to be together, if you'll still have me."
Liara's eyes glistened with tears as she nodded. They simultaneously leaned towards each other, and his teeth pressed against her lips.
Her cheeks turned rosy at the contact, her eyes closing as she melted against him. She didn't care if her first kiss was with somebody who didn't have lips. She loved him and that was all that mattered.
He himself was lost in his own bliss. He wished he had lips of his own so he could fully feel hers, but just the interaction with her was amazing enough. His sockets tightened as if his eyes were shutting.
They remained like that for a few more seconds before they separated and Brook pulled her securely against him as her head rested on his shoulder, both basking in romantic bliss.
Unfortunately the fight was still taking place, so he lowered her back to the ground and lifted her hand to his teeth to signal a kiss. She glowed at the affection before shifting her attention towards the darkened lake.
"I need to do my own battle now," she told him. "I promise I'll come back though."
"I know," he proudly acknowledged. "I know." He bent down and placed his teeth gently against her forehead. "Go get him sweetheart."
Liara nodded and cantered towards the lake with Brook watching her from behind. She took a deep breath and stepped towards the center, the water she had once swam in feeling like solid ground beneath her feet. She turned around and held out her hand, gripping the handle of her sword as it materialized out of thin air. "I'll be back!" she yelled out as she began descending below the surface. "I love you!" She disappeared beneath the water as Brook's spirit rebounded to his body.
He lifted his physical head and gripped his sword, grinning.
"I love you too."
Sorry if the kiss scene disturbed anybody. Lol. I know most people might not picture kissing a skeleton to be romantic or normal but love is love. : ]
