Shivered Timbers
by Kaline Reine
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters/settings. This is just a fanfiction story. I do own Shiori, she is my character. I also own a few other original characters in this story (not affiliated with One Piece), which will be introduced as they are needed.
WARNINGS: This story contains (or may contain) graphic adult content and language, explicit sex scenes, possible violence, gore, cursing, adult themes, etc. I do not censor my writing, but I do my best to warn people about the subject matter and potential subject matter. So if you don't like that kind of thing or can't handle it, then I suggest not reading this story. You have been warned. Also, I know this doesn't follow canon but it doesn't have to, that's why it's a fanfic. xD
Also... The beautiful cover image for this story is by my friend, EzariaUmiko on DeviantArt. All credit for the image goes to her. c:
Chapter 36: Fallen From Grace
The first few days hadn't been so bad... Their little group had been lucky on their expedition through the strange ice covered jungle isle thus far. It wasn't until the next day that they realized things were getting gradually colder at a steady rate, the closer they got to the mountains.
"My thermometer is frozen solid," Walter grumbled the next morning. "I can't even tell how cold it is anymore. Not that I could feel it anyway, all of my limbs are going numb."
"Me too bro..." Mitch added. He was all bundled up and his teeth were chattering incessantly. "Brrr..."
He let out a heavy sigh, looking worriedly at the others. "I know we're going to anyway, but... It could be dangerous to proceed."
Shiori had been one of the first ones up. She knew Walter was right, on both accounts. She was freezing too, but she could still tolerate the cold better than the others. She'd just been packing up her bedroll when she noticed something was off.
"Um..." Surreal pink eyes blinked at the sight, as she looked down at the ground beside her sleeping bag. "Apparently we had a repeat visitor during the night."
There were several more snow bunnies, freshly killed and deposited right where the first one had been. Her foxy friend had helped her more than she ever could have dreamed. There were easily several rabbits per person now. He must have been working diligently into the night...
"Does the damned thing have rabies or what?" The Spades' first mate laughed, doubling over with humor at his own bad joke.
"If it does, then we're about to have it too." Ace smirked, plucking each one from the ground to get them ready. After a second, he seemed to think better of it, and handed them off to Haji to prepare.
"I guess I shouldn't complain, but... Those poor bunnies..." Shiori began to sniffle. She would have cried, except she was afraid her eyelashes might freeze in these conditions.
"Too bad. They're damned good eating!" Haji took out his knife to skin them.
"I've never had rabbit before," Walter admitted. "But I'm so hungry that I'm willing to try anything right now."
The others nodded, even Ace... But he also moved closer to Shiori. Before she knew what was happening, his arm was around her and she was in his embrace again. It felt nice... Not just because it was him, but also because he was so warm and the cold was so fierce. He shielded her eyes as Haji heartlessly skinned the little beasts. She shuddered, partially from despair, and he made sure she didn't have to endure it alone. Haji and Mitch were fast at work preparing the meat to be cooked.
"I'm sorry..." He whispered to her, holding her tight.
The Valkyrie just kept her face buried in his chest. At the moment, she was at a loss for words. She hated the thought of seeing the poor things suffer, but even she knew that they had to eat. There was nothing anyone could do about it. She had to keep reminding herself that they were lucky to have it, and that it had been a gift. At least she'd managed to save the fox itself from becoming their meal and they had been rewarded for it.
Even once the deed was done, she didn't pull away right away. The rabbits were sizzling over an open fire already. Everyone was hungry and they couldn't wait. She waited until the others were busy before she looked up at him again. He leaned down so that their lips almost touched, seemingly spellbound by her. Her head automatically tilted up. Before she could move closer, his mouth twisted into a wicked smile. Shiori could only stare up in confusion, mauve meeting onyx and something profound passing between them in that moment. It was even more intimate than a kiss.
Neither of them spoke. He pulled away once the others in their group turned to glance at them again. He let her go and she allowed empty space to fill the gap between them, albeit a bit reluctantly.
"How's that coming along, eh?" He asked.
It was Walter who answered. "Not bad... You two should come try some."
"I don't know if I can-" Shiori started, but was interrupted by Ace.
"You'll be fine. You have to eat. We all do."
With that small piece of reassurance, she moved forward to receive her share. She hated the thought of it, so she resolved not to think about it at all. In her mind, she tried to tell herself that they weren't eating a living thing. She had managed the fish from last night, but somehow this was different.
There was no solace from the horrible feelings that passed through her. The only place she had left to retreat to was inside her mind... She told herself that it was tree bark they'd stripped from a nearby tree, that it had come from the forest's flora and not its fauna. It tasted woodsy enough to help pass the lie, the flavor of the wild helping to further to season the small slab. She wondered what the others thought of while they ate it... From the various expressions she saw cross their faces, it was likely to be only sated hunger, at the moment. That was what was most important. They all finished their meal in silence, enjoying the fact that they had plenty to eat to fill them all up, for now.
When the others cast their tents that night, Shiori put hers next to Ace's. She wasn't sure why, but she'd had the impulse to be close to him ever since they'd begun this expedition. Last night, she'd been fighting it, but now that was impossible. All feelings aside, it was freezing and the nights were getting progressively colder.
She noticed the difference in color of their sleeping bags... Hers was sky blue with white snowflakes, while Ace's was dark blue with swirling galaxies and white stars. Mitch's was plain yellow, Haji had been stuck with a pink one, and Walter's was brown with ironically white bunnies all over it. They'd had to make do with whatever they could get. Supplies for an expedition like this hadn't been an easy find. They had all picked from an assortment that the crew had purchased back at port before they left. Otherwise they brought things they already had with them.
The others were settling in for the night too. Everyone shivered when a fierce gust of chilling wind raked over their small group.
"We'd better zip up together," Walter said, a stern warning buried shallowly in his voice. "If we want to avoid getting sick, that is. Hypothermia is a concern too."
"I hate this..." Mitch grumbled, even though he was already zipping his bag to the medic's. He knew he was right but this seemed very un-manly, and that wasn't something that settled too softly on his mind.
"Wait, you're forgetting about me! I need to stay warm too." Haji was almost panicking.
"You can sleep next to Ac-" Before he finished speaking his Captain's name, Mitch noticed the way he tensed up.
Ace was scratching the back of his head awkwardly and gesturing toward Shiori. That was right... They had another person with them this time. The Spades were somewhat used to having to endure harsh conditions such as these from time to time, but they weren't quite used to having an extra person around. Especially not in a situation like this.
"You're small enough, there's plenty of room. Come on." He conceded, watching the little man dart over.
Haji didn't need to be told twice. He'd settled down into the bag where he would be between the other two men, before anyone could protest. However, he wore a sour look on his face. "Hey, watch who you're calling small..."
Their first mate only rolled his eyes. He said nothing, climbing into the now much-larger sleeping bag. Walter was satisfied that they'd be able to stay warm, and he followed suit, shaking his head with a heavy sigh.
"There's no winning with you guys..." The medic sighed, lying down and facing away from the other two.
They were still close enough to share body heat, and that was what counted. No one felt that their masculinity was terribly threatened, mainly because they saw each other as something like brothers. But the fact that they were all still fully clothed helped as well. It was too cold to do otherwise anyway.
Ace got up to zip their sleeping bags together, joining his to Shiori's. Half of it was now dark blue, the other half light. She watched him with a confused expression at first. She wondered if they would join the others. She didn't normally like people being in her personal space, but somehow this was different. They'd already slept next to each other before, but this felt more intimate somehow... The space would definitely be cramped though.
She realized it was going to be just the two of them. Silently, she made her way into the new bedding. Fighting down a blush, she looked up at him to see if he would be joining her. He did. He sidled up close to her, once they were both safely bundled up inside.
"For warmth..." Ace whispered, letting his breath ghost across her ear. "Sorry."
Shiori froze. "You d-don't... have to be sorry..." She said softly.
They were facing each other, with her lying on her left side, and he on his right. Things were tense for a moment. They both silently hoped that the others wouldn't say anything. It was only natural that they'd share a sleeping bag in such harsh conditions, they had known each other the longest out of anyone else there.
It was no lie that there was something else, something far deeper, between them...
Ace smiled when no one commented. He was glad that his crew knew when to keep their mouths shut. He wasn't sure if this meant they accepted it or not. It didn't really matter that much... He knew of his best friend's feeling on the subject. Mitch had never been one to keep quiet for long. But he wasn't sure how the others would take it if he kept openly displaying affection for the girl so often. It might be a bad idea, since it would be likely to put her in more danger too.
Everyone snapped to attention when the strange howling sound they'd heard for the last few nights rose up again, bellowing from deep within the snow-covered jungle. A strong gust of wind blew through the campsite. It blew out what was left of their bonfire, and the Captain didn't bother to get up to re-light it. They all knew it wouldn't last the night anyway.
"There it was again. What was that?" Shiori asked, nervous.
It was obvious that even he was nervous too. That still didn't deter him from putting his arm around her and pulling her closer. "It's just the wind, don't worry."
"Mm..." She whined, nuzzling her face into his chest. She enjoyed the feeling of his strong arms around her, protecting her.
Shiori's own arms were folded over her chest, awkwardly. She had no idea what to do with them. She tensed up when he placed one hand on her hip as she lied next to him. Slowly, she began to unfold her arms, and nervously placed one around his side, while the other was pressed against his chest. She hoped he wouldn't mind.
The albino girl turned her head to look at the others. They were already beginning to nod off to sleep.
'That's a relief...' She exhaled, watching the frost curl in front of her face with her breath.
She noticed that he was smirking at her, and her expression melted into a heated scowl. She hated being teased.
When he didn't move, she began to hesitantly move her right hand over his chest and torso, feeling his muscles. She continued for a bit, testing his reaction before finally pausing to stroke across his bicep, feeling how solid but smooth it was. It fascinated her. Even though her hands were shaking from fear, it made him smile.
Ace hugged her back, running one hand soothingly up and down her spine. He made sure not to linger in the wrong areas for too long. He didn't want to scare her away. She cuddled against him for a moment, shivering a bit.
"Ow..." She muttered, where the others couldn't hear. "The ground is really hard... I'm not used to this."
"You can rest on me." Ace whispered, moving closer but then backing away again.
He put an arm over her head, then waited for her to raise up. Following his silent cues, Shiori moved onto his arm, using it as a pillow. He felt really tense at first, but she could feel his muscles relax, after a moment.
"That's sweet. Th-thank you."
He only nodded. Ace took off his hat and put it beside him on the ground. He was getting comfortable. Well, as much as possible, given their current situation...
Shiori stared up at him in wonder... To think that someone who was so strong was being so gentle with her. It filled her with wonder, mixed with bits of excitement. The feelings surged through her, melding together until she could no longer feel them one by one. They had become something new. Things were different now, but she wasn't sure how or exactly when it happened. The shift had been gradual.
His free hand found it's way to her hips, gradually trailing lower and lower. She took in a breath sharply when she realize what he was up to. Her friend Nischela had warned her about this before. He was touching her thigh, inching closer to the inside.
She cleared her throat, but to him it sounded like a moan. Ace continued to stroke over her skin through her jeans. His fingers teased her, moving closer and then back away again. He was curious what she would do if he touched her... So he did. The others were asleep by now anyway, and it was also a good way to keep warm.
"Ace-kun..." She whimpered, her voice barely above a whisper.
The Valkyrie froze. He felt her immediately tense up, but when he found the right spot, she moved her legs a tiny bit to grant him better access. Although she was trying not to be obvious about it, he had picked up on her silent cues. He circled around the area, his skilled hands making her shiver with pleasure. He was careful not to take things too far and get carried away though. The others were sleeping right near them, after all.
She wanted him to keep touching her, but was unable to ask him to continue. All she could do was blush and deal with it. She secretly wished that his hand was still there, but she was too shy to ask him to do it again. She wondered why he would do that though... And more strangely, why he would choose to stop. It was the first time she had ever felt lust and she was clueless as to how to act on those feelings. It felt so forbidden, like maybe they shouldn't be doing it.
Before she could think about it too much more, she felt her eyelids getting heavy. She knew she wouldn't last much longer.
Just as she drifted off to dreamland, she thought she heard his voice, whispering... "You're so cute when you sleep. Goodnight." But she was too far gone to reply.
In the middle of the night, there was a loud rumbling sound. Everyone was jolted awake. They could feel the ground shifting beneath them. They had all been sleeping peacefully when it happened.
"What the-" Mitch began, but was silenced by a loud rustling in the bushes.
The underbrush was swept aside, as dozens of animals rushed past, cutting through their campsite. They seemed to be uncaring of whether they ran into anyone or not. Several rabbits left dark footprints in the snow when they ran through the ashes that remained from the remnants of the campfire. Soon it was covered in a wall of white. There was various debris distributed throughout the massive white formation.
The entire crew was on their feet, running away as fast as they could. There was no time to say anything. Everyone had gotten away so far, but the moving snowbank was encroaching on them quickly.
"Look out!" Shiori called to Ace.
In the chaos, she'd taken his hand. But it was wrenched away when he was hit in the chest by a large rock. She could only watch on in despair, as he was pushed backward by the sudden flowing white barrier.
"Shiori-chan!" He called back to her. He reached for her, already waist deep in the snow, but their fingertips brushed one another only briefly. It was too late. They couldn't reach each other.
The snow engulfed her, and she was swept in an entirely different direction. The Valkyrie felt despair and utter hopelessness creep in... There was nothing she could do except brace herself during the ride and hope she would be able to survive it somehow. It dawned on her that this was an act forged by the sheer will of nature. The avalanche was so violent that the trees themselves were stripped of their bark. The others were swept away, all of them lost in separate directions.
She was thrown this way and that, tossed about as if she were drowning. It was all the petite girl could do just to get herself up to the surface to take another breath of air. It was like a horrible icy sea. She moved her arms wildly above her head, intent on creating some kind of air pocket around herself. Using her powers out of pure instinct, Shiori used her Devil Fruit powers again, shielding herself from the natural snow with her own. She wasn't sure what kind of effect it would have, or if it would only add to the overwhelming amount of the frigid powdered ice, but she had to try something.
Her world became shaded by dark, vivid green. Before she could figure out where she was, there was a sudden sharp pain to the back of her head. She'd been launched into a low-hanging tree branch under the snow. One quick thud was all it took, and she was out like a light.
His eyes scanned the area... He was lucky to have been swept to the forefront of the avalanche. Otherwise, he would have likely been buried under the snow and debris. The velocity of the rock that hit him had caused him to be heavier, and therefore he had fallen faster than the snow could catch him.
Ace sat up, shaking the frost from his clothes and igniting himself ablaze momentarily. It caused the snow to melt faster. It would help him warm up too. He wasn't that concerned about his own well being. While he'd taken a nasty blow to the chest, he was ultimately just fine. There would be some bruising, but he didn't feel like anything was broken.
"Seems I got lucky this time..." He smirked, looking up with determined eyes.
He didn't know where he should start looking first, but upon scanning the immediate area, he spotted a body near him. About fifty feet away atop a large snowbank, sat his first mate. Mitch was lying there, groaning.
"Mitch-san? You okay man?"
"...Yeah, I'll be fine..." Came the pain filled reply. He didn't look too bad off, but like everyone, he had been shaken up a bit.
"Great, let's get going."
"What? Where?" Mitch sat up, and shook his head, looking around groggily. "I need a minute. I uhh..." When Ace approached, he clapped a hand onto his shoulder. "Be a pal, and make the room stop spinning, will ya?"
"No way!" Ace chuckled. "That'd take half the fun out of it."
They shared a laugh, and then quickly started walking back up the slope. It didn't seem like anyone else would have made it out this far. They'd been pushed back toward the sea, away from the mountain that loomed over everything. Ace hazarded a look at the great beast of a mountain... It's jagged edges and sharp peaks looked formidable. It was a typical gray rocky thing, complete with stereotypical white patches of snow.
Most of the trees around them had been buried. Every once in a while, they passed an area that was mostly protected by rocks or smaller foothills, and things were clear. He heard the sound of a voice calling from somewhere. Mitch's head turned in the same direction.
"You heard it too..." The Captain turned.
"Yeah," The rugged cowboy Pirate nodded, deciding to search for their missing crew mates. "Sounds like Haji-san..."
They rushed over to a slight outcropping, where they found a very tall tree sticking high up out of the snow. It was much too high for them to reasonably climb. Plus it looked like it would be tricky and difficult to maneuver, since most of the branches had been damaged.
"Oi! You guys! Up here!" Haji called down to them. They looked up. He was stuck at the top of the tree.
"How the hell did you get yourself stuck way up there?" Mitch was clenching his stomach and doubling over in laughter. And their Captain wasn't too far behind.
"Ehe..." A single bead of sweat rolled down his neck. "The force of the avalanche launched me all the way up here. Can someone help me get down?"
Mitch tossed him a length of rope. The short man grabbed onto it gratefully, tying it around his waist with a grin. Ace waited for him to be lowered safely to the ground.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, no sweat. Just a sprained wrist from the impact, it's nothing really." He flexed his wrist and winced a bit.
"That's good," Ace could not afford to relax. He was still worried for the rest of his crew. "Any sign of the others? Were you able to see them from up there?"
"Not a sign, boss."
His expression changed. He stared at the ground for a moment, as the dismal reality began to overwhelm him. His thoughts instantly flickered toward Shiori... He really wished he'd been able to grab her before they'd been separated. They had been so close...
"Let's get moving then." Their Captain was undeterred.
The men followed him, keeping an eye on their surroundings for any sign of their crew mates. It was a long walk and it wasn't easy trekking through the powdery snow. It did seem to make it a little easier for them to cover more ground faster. They were mostly just glad that the situation wasn't worse. At least three of them were okay. The others seemed to know exactly where Ace's mind was at the moment, even if they didn't openly say so. They all wanted to find her, and Walter too.
The gang of Pirates was headed straight toward the mountains in the distance. It was an unlikely chance that the others had fallen below them. Making their way through the fallen snow was proving to be increasingly difficult. They hoped it wouldn't shift again. The remaining Spades came to a patch of clear frost-covered grass around the base of another foothill.
Haji walked onto it, and the regret in his eyes was immediately clear. He let out a loud yelp. "Ouch! What is this stuff?!"
Mitch leaned down to inspect it more carefully. There were tiny blades of grass scattered around, at first glance. "Looks like it's made of some kind of glass... Or ice maybe?"
"There was never any of this stuff before..." Ace scratched his head, obviously confused. "Did the avalanche move the snow off of it?"
"Either way, don't touch it. And definitely do not try to walk on it!" Haji sulked, having sat on the ground and yanked off his shoe to inspect his foot.
The Captain gasped, leaning down to take a look at it too. It was bleeding heavily. "That looks bad... You'll have to stay off of it." He cast a glance at Mitch, who was adamantly shaking his head back and forth.
"No way! Carry him your damn self man!"
"I would, but that's what you're here for. And I need to make sure I keep an eye out for the others. I'll try to take care of this stuff too, if you give me a minute." He pointed at the frozen spikes angrily.
"Fine..." Mitch sighed, picking up the fallen midget and placing him atop his shoulders.
"Nice! This is the only way to travel! Haha!"
"Shut up, you." He shot his unwanted hitchhiker a stern glare.
The same howling noise they'd been hearing for the last few nights brushed past them again. This time they could feel the strong wind from it. Ace himself could barely stand up against it. The wind was nearly hurricane force, it was overwhelming. Mitch had to hold onto Haji's legs and lean into it just so they both wouldn't fall over.
"That's definitely blowing down from the mountains..." Ace remarked, steadying himself by grasping a half-fallen tree. Lots of things had been knocked around during the avalanche. "Ready to keep moving guys?"
"Ready when you are." Mitch nodded, bringing a smiling Haji with him, but not before stooping to pick up his discarded shoe. "No sense letting you get frostbite too." He reasoned.
The trip continued onward, once Ace managed to melt the small spikes. He soon realized that they were only getting larger the closer they moved toward the mountains. After going several more miles, they eventually had to face the reality... They had no idea where the rest of their group had gone. The chances were high that they'd been buried under thousands of pounds of snow.
"We'll have to turn back..." Ace explained, not wanting to face it anymore than they did. "It's too dangerous to go on without supplies. And for all we know, another avalanche could happen. We need to get back to the ship and see how they're holding up."
"We can't just leave them out there." Haji moped, resting his chin on the top of Mitch's white hat, crestfallen.
"Yeah, there's gotta be some way-"
"No." He shook his head. "They're gone. We can regroup and come back to look for them with a search party. We need more people to cover more ground. That's our best bet for their survival."
Mitch stopped talking. It was mainly because he just didn't feel like arguing. Not right now, after all they'd been through. He especially didn't want to leave Shiori way out here on her own, but he knew the chances that she'd survived at all were grim. The same was true for their medic.
'On the off chance that she did make it, at least she has her Devil Fruit powers.' Ace thought to himself. 'She's always cold, so maybe it will make it easier for her to survive. She is from a place just like this. She should be okay.'
That was what he said to comfort himself, anyway.
They took a different path, down through the other side of the forest. Ace was still holding out hope of finding the missing members of their crew. That much was clear... But the situation didn't look very hopeful...
Until he spotted it. Something solid black, against the plain white that coated everything in sight. The object was blowing across the empty tundra. It stood out, in stark contrast...
It was a hat. It was Walter's.
"That is..." Mitch trailed off, knowing that it might just as well be an ominous sign, rather than a hopeful one.
"It's his." Ace nodded. He picked it up, casting his flames all around, in the hopes of drawing someone to them with the light. It didn't work though. It did serve him well as an outlet of emotional energy, however.
The three of them looked around everywhere, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. They kept going until they were a few hundred feet below the spot where the hat was found.
There, against the pristine white of the snow, sat their fallen comrade. He appeared to be partially pinned under a large rock. The boulder was so massive, it would be too heavy for any of them to move. That didn't stop Ace and Mitch from trying anyway. They shoved with all their might, and still the damned thing wouldn't budge even a fraction of an inch.
"Damn it!"
At the Captain's curse, the doctor opened his eyes. "Ace-sama?"
"Shhh, don't try to talk..." Mitch said, being surprisingly sympathetic to him now. Haji hopped down from his shoulders to assess the situation.
"It's bad... Isn't it?" Walter laughed.
"This isn't funny," Ace stared, wide-eyed. For the first time in a long time, he had no idea what to do. "Your leg is trapped. If we try to pull you out, you're going to lose it."
The words tumbled out, with grim finality.
"What else can we do for him then?" Mitch wondered out loud.
The situation was dire, and even the best possible outcome did not look good. They all stared in horror at the massive rock that held his left leg prisoner. It was already crushed, and a steady stream of crimson trickled from his open wounds. The snow was packed into it, settling against it. It would have the added effect of numbing it, at least.
"That looks really bad..." Ace commented, upon getting a closer look, still not quite sure how he could help. Cauterizing the wound wouldn't help at this point. It was probably already too late, and even if not, it would do no good to seal in an infection.
"Hurry," The injured man croaked. His voice was already dry, raspy, and hoarse. "While it's still numb. Mitch-san... Tie it off."
"That's crazy, it'll never work!" The first mate shouted at the medic. The man remained unphased. "I mean, it's too-"
"Do it now. Hurry up." Ace prompted him, his own voice stern and his tone commanding.
"You can help, Haji-kun." Mitch nudged him, not wanting to do this alone. "As soon as I tie it off, you'll need to hack it off."
"I don't know if I can-"
"No two ways about it. It's the only way to save him." The Captain confirmed their worries, in that one singular breath.
This was Walter's only chance. If he stayed under the rock, he would die of exposure, if he managed to stave off hunger long enough. It was already abundantly clear that there was no saving his leg and his life. He was going to lose it, or it was going to take him with it.
Mitch didn't want to draw this out anymore than he had to. Summoning his Devil Fruit ability for the second time that day, he coiled a single rope around the other man's leg. He tied it off about mid-thigh, hoping that would be above where the infection was. It wasn't an easy task, but he tightened it as much as he possibly could. Walter felt it tingling, then going completely numb. They gave it a minute or two, to give it time to set in.
They all waited for Haji to do what needed to be done. All eyes were on him. He took out a large serrated blade, readying it just below the place where Mitch had the ropes tied to cut off his circulation. He knew it was strong enough to cut through bone. It was the only blade he had on him that could.
Walter held up a hand to stop him. "Make sure it's a clean blade," He said, looking up at his savior, who was about to put him in a world of pain. "No poison."
Haji nodded. "Of course, I would never knowingly poison a comrade. What do you take me for? Hold still."
The little man was probably the most composed of the four of them, in that minute. He held his wrist with his free hand to steady it. He wished it hadn't gotten injured earlier. It was probably sprained worse than he thought. And he dearly wished that he didn't have to do this at all. It was clear that they all felt the same. They could wish all they wanted, but that wouldn't change the cold hard facts that were in play.
"Do it!" The doctor yelled. "Just do it already!"
He turned away, dropping the blade. "I... I can't! I'm sorry..." Haji shielded his face, not allowing anyone to see the horrors that played across his features right then.
"You have to! It's the only way!"
"Then I'll do it." Ace picked up the discarded blade. "You wouldn't be much good with your wrist half broken anyway."
He couldn't stand to see his men like this. And worst of all, in the back of his mind, there fluttered thoughts of a certain albino girl he knew they still needed to find. He knew that, but... Here was someone they knew was still alive. They'd found him, and he needed their help. So Ace would simply do what had to be done. And nothing more.
Poised above his friend, determined mercy played across his face. He winced against the biting cold, clenching his teeth. His jaw was set, his eyes glued to the rope that Mitch was still in control of. He knew it would need to be done quickly if Walter were to survive this ordeal. Without stalling any longer, he made short work of it... Slicing through the skin, the muscle, and finally hitting sinew and bone. He was glad to find the blade was indeed as sharp as Haji had indicated.
The doctor howled out in pain, swearing a string of curses. The serrated edges made it easy to saw through his leg. It only took a matter of minutes, but it felt like the Captain was sawing away at him for hours. He only hoped it would be enough to save him.
"There. It's done."
He tried to hand the blade back to Haji, but he shook his head back and forth with ferocious force. He refused it, tossing it somewhere behind them. But then he seemed to think better of it, and went to wash the blood off in the snow, scraping it against the tiny ice crystals.
As soon as the wound was open, Ace carefully cauterized it, letting his flames lick across the man's flesh to seal the wounds closed. Walter knew what he was doing and despite the screams of agony he let out, he knew he was doing this to help him. He didn't fight it. He'd known from the moment his leg was crushed beneath the massive boulder that he was bound to lose it. He found himself unable to say anything. He was too focused on trying to block out the terrible agony he felt on his left side.
"What about Shiori-chan? Where is she?" Walter allowed the painstaking words to slip through, even from behind the haze of pain he was forced to endure.
"We'll have to leave her behind," He stated, the very words stinging bitterly. "Walter-kun, you need urgent medical attention. At the very least, we need to get you back to the ship. It's a big area and we're probably nowhere near her right now. We can form a search party and regroup later."
"You're really leaving her behind? Why?" Something about it just didn't sit right with Mitch. He couldn't put his finger on it exactly, but it seemed so very wrong.
"We have to think about what's best for everyone in the long run. Being a leader means being able to put your personal feelings aside when the time calls for it." Ace stared down at Walter, who was bleeding badly and barely conscious. "Getting help from the others may be the only real shot we have at finding her. Even the toughest of Pirates don't want to lose a fellow crew mate. Especially their only medic. We're heading back, and we're doing it right now. If you wanna stay behind, then fine."
"No, that's not what I-"
"Enough arguing, let's go. We don't have time to waste here."
For a long time... There was nothing.
When she finally awoke, she had no way of knowing how much time had passed. Shiori was sealed in an icy tomb beneath the fallen snow. It seemed like a lot must have collapsed on top of her, because there was a lot of pressure and not much light or sound. She couldn't even sense the movement of anything across the snow above her. Nothing moved and nothing stirred. For the first few minutes, she didn't dare to move either. She was still disoriented from hitting her head and taking such a tumble.
Her plan to create an air pocket had worked... Just barely. But it was pitch black and ice cold. She felt around the small area with her hands, crawling around on her hands and knees to discover the shape and size of her prison. There didn't seem to be any way out.
"Hello?" She called, although her voice only echoed off the walls. It was sealed tight. "Anyone around? You guys? Hey?!"
There was no response.
'I'm all alone...' The thought crowded her, filling her mind with worry. 'I could try again, but I should probably save my strength. It's so cold...'
It was useless. There was no answer. Shiori could only slump against the sides of the hole in defeat. Several hours ticked by and she hadn't figured anything out yet. She knew she could always use her powers, but that wouldn't help her right now. Adding more snow would only make things more cramped and uncomfortable for her. She did decide to pack some snow tightly, to fashion it into a large column in the middle of the air pocket.
"Should help keep things stable..." The albino girl muttered, packing it in with her hands once she was sure it was solid enough. She wiped the sweat off her brow, before it had a chance to form into ice. "There. Cave in avoided."
She sighed, not really caring that much at this point. It was a sigh of pure frustration. She was annoyed that she had to be here. She dearly wished that Ace was with her. At least then she wouldn't have to feel so alone...
Then, another thought struck her. She knew enough about avalanches to know that it was completely pointless to even try to dig herself out. It could also cause a cave in and she could easily be crushed to death. She was lucky that hadn't happened already. She was entombed, and that was that... It was hard to even tell which way was up, in the first place. At least down here she would be protected from the wind.
'Great. Until I run out of oxygen.'
Shiori realized this would be a very gradual problem, but it would escalate before she knew it. Trying to move as little as possible was a smart move, because it would help to conserve the small amount of air that was trapped down there with her.
'Vanora!' She tried with all her might to get a message to her beloved pet. Even if it was the last time they would ever talk. 'Can you hear me? If you can, I'm trapped under the snow. There was an avalanche... And I'm in danger. Please send help!'
It was probably a futile effort, so she settled in for what was bound to be a long wait.
A/N: I'm really sorry about the recent lack of updates! I've had the worst case of writer's block lately... Plus I started a new job recently and was busy with the holidays also. But I'm back and now that I know where this story arc is really going... I managed to work through the block and I'm just glad this chapter is done. I'll try to update faster next time. Gomenasai. c;
-Kaline