WARNING: profanity and marijuana references ahead. Suicidal thoughts mentioned. Please proceed with caution.

~

Wednesday, December 4th, Just Before Dawn

"What?" Ryoku asked. He squinted at his wife. It was still dark and he could barely make out her figure in the darkness. "You want to go to Mt. Colubo?"

"Yes," she said with finality. Her voice was stronger than it had been and he could hear a very familiar tone creeping into it. When she got that tone it usually meant she got what she wanted.

Ryoku groaned. "Honey, it takes a few hours to hike up the mountain. And that's by horse."

"Well, darling, I suggest you find one," she told him firmly. "Otherwise I will make the trek alone regardless of how long it takes."

Viola walked to the bathroom and blinded her husband with a flash of light. Ryoku held up a hand to block out the sensory input just before she slammed the door shut. He could hear the shower running just a moment later.

"Ohhh," he groaned, rubbing his eyes. His body was getting older and he could feel it every time he got up. Ryoku pulled himself out of the warm covers. He reached downward and felt around.

"Damn thing," he muttered, "I know you didn't just get up and walk away."

With a grunt, Ryoku lowered himself to the floor. His hands patted around in the darkness until he finally found it. The prosthetic had somehow slid farther than it usually did. He yanked the cold carbon fiber onto what remained of his left leg. With some difficulty, he managed to pull himself back up to a standing position.

Ryoku sighed and applied weight to the leg. He could feel the air escape and his skin sucked into the makeshift leg. He was a whole man once again. Ryoku stretched and a series of cracks came from his back.

He pulled on his side of the bed to even out the sheets. It wasn't fully making it, but hey, it looked better than it did before. Ryoku walked around the bed. To be honest, he hated sleeping farther away from the door.

It was a man's job to rush into action in case something ever happened. A woman shouldn't be the one closest to the entryway. Of course, since Viola's kidneys began to shut down, she required being able to get to the restroom when she needed, and fast.

Speaking of Viola…

Ryoku paused and cocked his head. He could hear her humming in the shower. A small smile crossed his face and he crossed the threshold into the living room. It wasn't a full blown song. She didn't sing out loud like she used to. She wasn't back to her old self… but she was having a good day so far.

The merchant begrudgingly flicked on the lights, forcing himself to wake up. It took a good few minutes to adjust to the brightness. The living room was clean aside from the vicinity around his favorite chair. This week's papers were stacked up on the table and he'd been a little lazy without Kaiya around to help him. Discarded bottles stood by his chair, patiently waiting to be cleaned out and recycled. There were a few wadded up tissues and plates with crusted food on them.

Ryoku grabbed a trash bag and quickly discarded the evidence. He couldn't have his wife witnessing that, after all. He tidied up the house and slipped into the shop portion of the building. The Den Den Mushi was sleeping soundly on the countertop as he walked up to it.

The receiver clicked as he lifted it off its resting spot. It was a God-awful time to call someone but considering his wife's new gung-ho attitude, he didn't have much of a choice...

~~~~~

December 4th, 7:58am

"There you are!" Chrissy said in exasperation. Today, her snow white hair was pulled into a long, spiraling ponytail that jiggled as she hurried up to Kaiya. "We were wondering what happened to you."

"Well, I tried calling my uncle to ask about this weekend," she explained.

"Oh, yeaaah," Botan said. She yawned and didn't bother to cover it. Kaiya got a nice, unwanted glance into her mouth. She could still see bits of food on her tongue. Her fiery locks were messy and wild, as usual. The only time Kaiya had seen her do anything with her hair was when they did something involving physical activity. "Winter talent show is coming up. You two are gonna do something together, right?"

"Yeah," Chrissy said enthusiastically. "We're going to play our instruments AND dance. Just wait until you see what we've got in mind."

Kaiya sighed. "Well, I was going to ask if I could stay at your place this weekend so we could practice. My uncle's always up early. I don't know why he didn't answer…"

"Oh, I bet the old fart slept in," Botan said, waving a hand. "It's probably nothing."

A giant clock struck eight times and Kaiya gasped. "Ah! I'm late for first block! I'll see you two later!" She hurried off as fast as she could without running. When Kaiya turned the corner and vanished from sight, Botan set her gaze on Chrissy.

"You didn't tell her about those boys, did you?"

"Well, no," Chrissy said. She turned on her heel and began to walk to their first block class. "I don't see why it matters. It's not like I kissed them or anything."

Botan walked at a leisurely pace. She was often late to class but she got her shit done when it needed to be so she wasn't scolded too often. A smart slacker, that's what she was, and she took pride in the "slacking" aspect.

"Hm."

"Hm?" Chrissy repeated, irritated. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Botan shrugged. "Just thought you'd be willing to share the news with her considering how excited you were to see Klutzy again."

"So he can't ice skate," Chrissy defended. "He's super cute."

Botan made a gagging noise. "You're so weird," she said with a headshake. "Personally, I like Kaiya. I just hope your boy crazy antics don't burn this bridge, too."

Chrissy scoffed and stopped walking. Botan didn't seem phased. She kept walking towards class at her own speed. The redhead threw up a peace sign.

"See ya later," she called.

Chrissy didn't bother saying anything back.

~~~~~

Wednesday, December 4th, 10am

"Hey," Ryoku called as he banged on the door. "Open up."

The wind was colder up in the mountain and the air was thinner. Ryoku's old bones didn't enjoy the temperature and his stump was aching the worst.

"Who the hell is it now?" came an angry voice from inside. They could hear coughing from inside the hut. Ryoku opened his mouth to respond but his wife was faster on the draw. She produced a pin from her hair and made quick work of the sad lock before anyone had bothered to get up.

"Vi," Ryoku scolded.

She laughed and shot her husband a wink as she replaced the bobby pin. Even in her fifties, she was a beautiful woman and he couldn't help but get a little excitement out of her rebellious behavior. He'd missed this side of her. It had honestly been years since he'd seen it.

"Oh, my love, lighten up. Let's have a little fun."

The bandits scrambled inside the hut when they heard the door open. It had been locked for a reason, but they hadn't fastened all of the bolts. They didn't think anyone was stupid enough to infiltrate a bandit's hideout, especially theirs.

Dogra was closest to the door.

He produced his weapon and sliced through the air, ready to cut down whatever idiot dared intrude into their home. Viola held out a hand. She caught the sword between two haki-embued fingers.

"You're sluggish, Shorty," Viola said.

Dogra's face was angry at the stopped attack and the insult, but the emotion changed to surprise when he saw who he had assaulted.

"L-l-lady Viola!" Dogra gulped. "Oh, I didn't expect to see you! I, uh, thought you'd look worse!"

"Watch your mouth," Ryoku said, placing a hand on Viola's shoulder. "This is my wife you're talking to."

"Look who it is," Dadan said, getting up. "I certainly didn't expect to have you visit, of all people."

Viola spread her fingers and they returned to their normal color. Dogra gratefully took back his weapon and placed it back in its sheath.

"I wasn't really expecting to visit," Viola said, walking closer to the large woman. "But I was feeling good and I couldn't resist seeing an old friend."

"Gah," Dadan said, "c'mere, you little bitch!"

Dadan grabbed the woman and pulled her close. Viola laughed as Dadan embraced her. She'd grown larger and for a moment, Viola felt as if she would suffocate in her breasts during the hug.

"Well it's nice to see you, too, Dadan," Ryoku said with a nod. "Magra, Dogra," he acknowledged.

"Oh," Dadan said, "I see you're still with this old geezer."

Ryoku harrumphed. The only time Dadan dared insult him was when his wife was around. Viola simply laughed and took a seat by the roaring fire. There was an ashtray beside on chair. A rolled cigarette was perched on the side, still smoking, and Viola caught a whiff of something that wasn't tobacco lingering in the air.

"You're still up to the same old things, I see," Viola said cordially. Magra prepared tea while the women interacted. He always thought they had an interesting dynamic.

Dadan grunted a response and picked up her joint. She relit the tip and took a deep inhale before offering it to her guests. Viola grabbed the spliff and sucked in the dense smoke before passing it to her husband.

A cloud appeared in front of the woman's face as she erupted in a fit of coughing. Dadan laughed. It was a sound that came straight from her stomach out into the open.

"You haven't been taking your medicine, I see," Dadan joked.

Viola sputtered and gratefully grabbed the cup of tea that Magra offered. She took a deep sip of the sweet liquid before letting out a sigh. "No," Viola said, "I can't remember the last time I did that. It's been… ages."

"At least two years," Ryoku said, scratching his beard. "Kaiya's been with us for longer than that so probably closer to three."

"Shame," Dadan said. "I missed this crazy bitch."

Viola simply smiled. There were only two women who could get away with calling her that. One was Dadan. The other was dead. Ryoku, personally, didn't enjoy hearing someone refer to his wife as such. For Dadan, though, "bitch" was a term of endearment and respect, at least when it was used for Viola.

"I haven't been doing much of anything lately, I'm afraid," Viola said with a sigh. "This is the first day I've felt this good in…"

"Ages," Ryoku murmured.

Viola glanced at her husband. It had been ages. "But with the weather being as clear as it is," she finished, "I couldn't resist stopping in to say hello."

The rolled cigarette had made its rounds and Dadan offered Viola a second puff.

"Well then," the bandit leader said, "let's make sure your good day keeps on going."

~~~~~

Ace stepped inside the warm hut and breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't snowing outside, thankfully, and he'd managed to make a surprising catch today: a moose. He was in a fairly good mood, actually, and he realized it had been a while since he felt like this.

He could smell a potent aroma wafting in from the main room. He didn't care for the odor but if anything, it hopefully meant the bandits would be in a good mood as well.

"Home," Ace called. He walked into the main living area and froze when he saw the figures around the fire.

Dadan, Magra, and Dogra were sitting opposite Ryoku and his wife.

The young boy stiffened up suddenly, feeling as if he'd interrupted something. He'd walked in on the bandits' ritual before but he never imagined Old Man Ryoku and his wife would be a part of it.

"Hey," Dadan said. Her voice was less angry than it usually was. "Mind your manners and come say hi."

Ace's eyes narrowed and he walked towards Ryoku with his head held high. The last time he'd seen the old man… well, it had been a rough few days. Their last reunion hadn't ended well.

"What are you doing here?" Ace asked angrily.

"Hey now," Magra said, putting both hands up, "that's no way to treat our guests."

"I asked him to bring me here," Viola said, eyeing the young boy. When she looked him up and down, Ace couldn't help but feel as if she knew more than she let on. For some reason, he always got the feeling she was seeing into his soul. It was eerie. Unsettling.

Her upturned eyes were gold, the same color as Kaiya's, but smaller, more angular, much more serious. Firelight flickered in her round glasses. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun and it looked grayer than it was the last time he'd seen her. Her skin was tighter over her bones and he saw wrinkles on her face he had never noticed before.

"It's good to see you again, Ace," Viola said warmly. "You look well."

"Tch." Ace crossed his arms. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Dadan and I are old friends, you see," Viola said with a pleasant smile. She was unphased by Ace's rudeness.

"Huh," Dadan said, putting a cigarette in her mouth. Her face was briefly illuminated in yellow and orange as she lit the tip and took a deep inhale. "Friends, eh? I'm flattered, considering how we first met."

Viola laughed a bit and waved a very thin hand. "I wouldn't have lasted very long if I couldn't hold my own against some bandits."

Now this piqued Ace's interest. He looked at Dadan when she spoke.

"You were a tough little bitch," she said with a smirk. "A lot tougher than you looked. Still are."

"You," Viola said, tilting her head at Dadan, "were exactly as tough as you looked."

The women stared at each other for a moment before they both burst out in laughter. Personally, Ace didn't see what was so funny. He figured it was just a side effect of their fun.

"She thought for sure you'd be easy an easy target," Magra recounted with a smile. He eyed Dadan from the side. The large woman simply scowled.

"I remember that day," Dogra said, scratching his unshaven chin. "The boss said she found some classy looking broad wandering the back streets of the city. Figured she was lost."

"Prissy little bitch," Dadan muttered as she flicked the ashes off her cigarette. "That's what I said. Walking around the city in high heels. Sheesh."

Viola chuckled and looked down at her tea. Ace felt invisible. The adults were chatting about something that didn't concern him. To be honest, he would have turned around and left if it hadn't been for Ryoku staring at him intently.

"You want something, old man?" Ace asked, his eyes narrowed.

"I'd say 'respect' but it seems you aren't capable of that," Ryoku said coldly.

"Ace," Viola said, turning towards him. "How have you been lately?"

"Fine," he said between clenched teeth.

"Really?" Her voice was skeptical. Viola raised a thin eyebrow as she sipped her tea. Ace frowned. He could see her gold eyes sparkling. It was almost as if they were growing closer and closer to him until they became a portal that he was falling through. Ace found himself screaming and flailing. He simply descended down… down… down… and there was nothing he could do about it.

Memories flashed before his eyes. From their escape from the Collector to his spat with Ryoku, the tense fight with Kaiya at the river and looting with Sabo in the city. Days not so long ago were replayed in his mind like someone had hit a record button.

Viola watched Ace running from authorities, observed him being chased by a very angry waiter. Then, from his point of view, she watched Kaiya and a young blond boy, smiling and laughing as they talked. She watched her niece perform a very tricky maneuver on ice skates and she felt Ace's heartache when his friend escorted her home as they held hands.

Ace staggered backwards as the memories dissolved. He collapsed on his bottom and stared at Viola. He was breathing hard. The other adults looked curious but rather unphased.

"What the hell did you just do to me?" Ace asked her angrily.

Viola was frowning. He could see sadness in her eyes. Viola put her cup down and began to walk over to him.

"Stay away from me!" Ace told her. She didn't listen. "I mean it!"

Viola stopped and knelt directly in front of Ace. He looked at her in confusion. It looked almost like she could have cried. Before he knew it, she leaned forward and pulled him into a tight hug.

He resisted initially, of course. The woman had decades on him. She looked frail and tired but she was stronger than she looked. Ace didn't use all of his force but when he attempted to push her away, she simply held on tighter.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said into his ear. She was much too close for his comfort, but she ignored his struggling. "I didn't mean to cause you this pain."

Ace froze. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said irritably.

At last, Viola pulled away. Her eyes changed to something like pity or shame, and it made his blood boil. Ace jumped up.

"I was the one who forbade you from being around her," she said. She spoke low so the others wouldn't hear. Ace was aware of the fact they were all staring at him. "Ryoku may have carried out the order but I'm the one to blame."

"Tch. Who cares?" Ace crossed his arms and turned away from her. The look on her face is pathetic, he thought. "You're a freak, lady."

Viola smiled sadly. "Perhaps," she said. "But I am sorry. Truly. You've known far too much pain for someone so young. And I'm responsible for part of it."

Ace wanted to look away but her gaze held him like a hostage. She began to recite something like a poem as she stared.

"You can't have a rainbow without a little rain and you can't find happiness without a little pain. Be strong," she said warmly, "because things will get better. It may be stormy now but it can't rain forever."

"You're high," Ace accused. Viola laughed but she didn't dispute it.

He saw her lean forward almost like it was slow motion. He wanted to move, to get away, but for some reason he simply stood and watched as Viola's face grew closer and closer to his. Ace closed his eyes as she moved a bit of his hair and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Her lips were soft and warm. A very small part of him wondered if that's what it would feel like to be kissed by a mother. He scowled at the abhorrent idea and rubbed the kiss off his forehead. She pulled back and looked at him with a smile in her eyes. Her long, thin fingers went to the sides of his face.

"One day, dear," Viola whispered, "you will have more love than you ever imagined. You just wait." Her eyes sparkled and he worried that she might suck him into the vortex again. The last thing he wanted was for her to see more of his pain, more embarrassment.

"Tch. Whatever." Ace turned away. "Crazy old bat." Ace made sure he said it loud enough for her to hear.

"Hey!" Dadan shouted. Ace narrowly avoided the saucer that Dadan chucked at his head. "Be respectful!"

Ace flipped her off before he ran across the room and quickly scaled the ladder that led to his room. Dadan shouted after him, as usual. The boy slammed the door shut and walked over to the window. He decided to rest on his head on the windowsill as he thought.

"Crazy bitch," Ace said bitterly. "Talking about rainbows and love. Idiot."

Ace's lip quivered but he took a deep breath and willed himself to pull it together.

"Dumb bitch," Ace muttered. He said it again and again as if the words could soothe his pain. There was an ache in his chest that he had as long as he could remember.

His soul was a raging storm that nothing and no one could ever stop. If emotions were fuel, his was nothing but wrath. He lived off of hatred and anger and it made him strong. Made him resilient. It made him who he was.

"Stupid bitch," Ace said. "I don't need love. I don't need anyone. Old bag." His voice cracked. Ace looked up at the cloudless sky. Silent tears streamed down his face no matter how much he wished they would stop.

He was just… useless. He was nothing but the demon son of the dreaded King of Pirates. Damn, Roger. How dare he… bring a child into existence just so he could live out a life of isolation. Ace clenched his teeth, his hands.

"It would be better… if the world didn't know about you…" Garp once said.

Ace sniffled. It'd be better if he were dead. Or if he had never come into existence in the first place. What good was he, anyway? The son of a demon. He didn't deserve the breath he sucked into his lungs. He wasn't worth the food and resources it took to keep him alive. He certainly wasn't worth anyone's time or love. His own parents didn't even give a shit about him, after all.

Below him, coughing and laughter. It was like they were celebrating his pain, enjoying the fact he wasn't by them anymore.

Ace angrily wiped away the tears but they wouldn't stop. Birds twittered in the distance. One landed on the edge of the roof and looked sideways at the boy. It was a brilliant blue with a striking white chest.

"Shoo," Ace said, waving it away. The small blue bird whistled a happy two-tone sound and cocked its head the other way as it waited for a response.

"Get out of here," Ace told it angrily.

The bird gave another sweet call and scooted towards him. The bird's eyes were small and dark, just like Ace's heart. He was afraid that if he looked too hard, the small animal might see his pain, too.

"Go home!" Ace yelled. "Get away from me!"

The bird gave a squawk before scurrying away and left Ace alone once more. He silently began to wonder if he would feel this way forever.

~~~~~

It was dark when Ace woke up.

He wondered what time it was. It got dark so early in the winter… it could have been dinner time or it could have been much, much later.

He groaned and pushed himself off of the windowsill. A small bit of drool had pooled on the window. He could feel the imprint of the wood on his face, but it isn't like it mattered. He wasn't out to look good or impress anybody.

Ace shivered. He'd slept with his window partially open and somehow managed to not freeze to death. The anger that fueled him must have kept him warm enough, he reckoned.

The boy slid the window open and stepped onto the edge of the roof. He relieved himself with a sigh. Ace realized it actually wasn't very cold for a December day. The cool air felt nice, refreshing. It smelled clean.

Above him, stars twinkled and a large moon illuminated the forest. He stared out at the woods and took in the rolling mountains, the sea that shined in the distance. He loved scenes like this. There was something about nature that calmed him when he was angry or upset… which was a lot, if he was being honest with himself.

Ace breathed in the evening air. Below him, there was a warm glow emanating from the bandits' hut. He could hear raucous laughter and smell food. His stomach complained loudly. Ace took a deep breath to compose himself before he decided to see what all the commotion was about.

When he opened his bedroom door to take a peek, he could see Viola and Ryo were still there. There was a fire going and the adults sat around drinking and preparing to eat his kill, damn it.

They must have just set out the food because there was still a steaming pile.

Ace wasted no time. He jumped down from the balcony and ran towards the food. He slid on the floor, quickly grabbing a plate to scoop up his bounty. Usually, Dadan left a spot for him beside her but today it was taken by her.

The old bat was busy laughing away as she told a story. There was a pink tinge to her face - to all their faces, actually - and her eyes were watering.

"-and all I remember was pissing my pants before we plummeted. Oh, goodness, I still remember it like it was yesterday. I thought I was going to die."

Ryoku chuckled and stroked his beard. "I really thought we were going to make it…"

"What happened after that?" Dogra asked. He was intrigued.

"Well…" Viola and Ryoku looked at each other. "We woke up on Jaiya's beach alongside the wreckage from our ship." The jolly mood had quickly taken a turn as she murmured, "It was a miracle we didn't lose anyone."

"But we were the idiots who tried getting a ship to fly," Ryoku pointed out. Viola laughed.

"Very true, my dear. We did."

Ace didn't realize he had stopped to stare until Viola's gaze turned to him.

"Ace," she smiled, "would you like to sit by the fire with us?"

"No thanks," he said quickly. He began to walk away when he heard Magra address Viola.

"So how has your niece been?" the large man asked pleasantly. He'd liked Kaiya. She was quiet but very well-mannered during her stay.

"Kaiya has been very well," Viola nodded.

Ace bristled up at the name. He took an empty spot away from Dadan's posse but made sure he was still within earshot. He sat with his back to them.

"She seems to be enjoying school for the most part. Her grades are excellent. She's taking a lot of extracurricular classes and she's getting quite good at violin," Viola bragged.

Ace snorted between bites of over cooked meat.

"I think the academy is a very good place for someone like her," Viola said over her mug. She lifted the drink and finished what little remained. Dadan began to pour her another when Viola held up a hand to decline.

"Eh," Ryoku said with a shrug. "I think she needs something to toughen her up. She spends all day studying and doing… frivolous things." The vocabulary seemed odd on his lips but he was choosing his words carefully.

"She spends her days gaining an education," Viola said in a clipped tone. Her eyes narrowed at her husband.

"She could be learning something practical," Ryoku said. "That's all I'm saying."

"She is learning practical things."

Her husband snorted. "You think that education's gonna help her survive if she does decide to go travel the world? Huh? You want her to be 'kind' but the Grand Line won't be. She might be good at ballet but it won't pay any bills. Her art's cute but it can't kill someone. And what the hell is music theory supposed to do for-"

"If you think I'm pulling her out of the academy just because of-"

"I didn't say that I just meant-"

Ace rolled his eyes and tried to tune out their argument. The last thing he needed to hear about was that stupid girl. If he never heard her name again, that would have been just fine with him.

~~~~~

Wednesday, December 4th, 6:54pm

"They didn't answer again, huh?" Botan asked with a mouth full of food. She was busy chewing on something packed with sugar. Kaiya had seen the treats plenty of times but her aunt would rarely allowed her to have such things, especially right before she was getting ready for bed.

"I hope everything is okay…" Kaiya said. She cast a worried look at the sleeping snail as if it would ring the second she walked away. Two mornings in a row she tried calling the shop. No answer. She decided to try one more time before lights out but to no avail.

Botan took another bite of her "dinner" and said, "Well, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

Kaiya turned and looked up to her tall friend. "What?"

"You wanted to stay in town with Chrissy this weekend, right?" Botan asked.

"Right."

"So just do it," the redhead shrugged. "What are they gonna do? Kill ya?"

"Well," Kaiya said, "no, but they might wonder where I am."

"So leave 'em a note or something, geez. The docks aren't far away. Maybe you could just leave a message so they know you're alive."

Kaiya puckered her lips to the side of her face as she thought. Her feet began to carry her down the hall to her first class without her thinking about it.

"What would I even say, though? Should I apologize? It seems wrong to just go off and do something for a few days without their knowing," Kaiya told Bohan. She thought about the last time she'd gone rogue.

It ended with a broken heart and a broken ankle.

"Ah, screw it," Botan said. "Just go to Chrissy's and tell them later. Worse thing they can do is tell you not to do it again."

Kaiya frowned. After the Grey Terminal incident, they didn't tell her not to do anything reckless like that again. They simply forbade her from hanging around with the person she conned into helping her make it there.

She wasn't planning on pulling any dangerous stunts with Chrissy, but what would they do after she told them? Would they forbid her from being friends with Chrissy, too?

"You're trying to talk yourself out of it," Botan said.

"No, I'm not," Kaiya fibbed.

Botan grinned down at her. "Liar."

Kaiya sighed. "Okay, I lied. I just… don't usually do stuff like this."

"Geez, you're a real goody goody," Botan said. Kaiya looked down, somewhat embarrassed, but she didn't despite the claim. "Watch out, Kaiya," Botan warned.

"Huh?" Kaiyan looked around but she didn't see any threats in the hall.

"Good people are the ones who get hit the hardest."

"In fights?" Kaiya asked, confused.

"No," Botan said with a single shoulder shrug. "In life. It's a real bitch, you know."

Kaiya shook her head. Botan cursed more most eight-year-olds did… well, Kaiya mentally corrected, except for one.

"Come on," Botan said with a nod. "Hall monitor's coming."

Surely enough, a shadow appeared before the girl did. It was growing taller, stretching farther into the hall before she rounded the corner. Kaiya cast one last glance at the Den Den Mushi and sighed.

"Alright," she said. "Let's go."

~~~~~

Viola sucked in a deep breath of December air. She stretched out her arms and arched her back, listening. It was still, silent… other than the bandits making a ruckus inside the hut. The wind caused her to shiver, but she simply opened her eyes and stared up at the many stars.

"I've always enjoyed the view here," Viola said. Footsteps had approached but she had anticipated her friend's arrival long before she heard her.

"Yeah," Dadan said, lighting up a cigarette. Viola had always been a little freaky like that… knowing when someone would arrive before they actually did. She wasn't phased by it anymore. Not in the least. Dadan took a breath and decided she was going to enjoy the last smoke before she'd go to bed for the night. Nothing would bother her, not even Vi's psycho powers. "Sure beats living in the dump down there by the city."

Viola turned to face the larger woman. They had a staggering height difference. From below, Viola watched Dadan's face as her lighter glowed.

"Don't even think about asking me to put it out," Dadan warned. Viola knew the woman would have if she had asked but it wouldn't have been without a good amount of grumbling.

"Actually, I had something I wanted to tell you."

"Ah, shit," Dadan said. "I don't want to know."

Viola simply smiled. "Oh, but you do. You always do."

Dadan inhaled through her mouth and exhaled through her nose. White smoke blew out as she glared at Viola.

"Damn. Alright, what is it?"

"I think… you may be surprised to know you have children in your future."

Dadan was in the middle of taking a drag but the woman's prediction caused her suck in a sudden breath. It resulted in the cigarette withering down to nothing as she choked on the dense air. Viola delivered firm blows to her back.

"Ha! April isn't for another four months," Dadan told her after she'd recovered. Her voice was hoarse.

"I'm serious."

Dadan let out a string of expletives. Viola chuckled at her friend's reaction. It had been exactly as she imagined it being.

"I'm not having kids any time soon," Dadan said as she produced another cigarette. She'd savor this one. "Or ever."

Viola smiled knowingly. "Not in the traditional way."

Dadan's eyes crossed for a split second as she focused on the tip of her cigarette. When she looked up, she could see the smug expression on her friend's face.

"If I see a baby in a basket I'm walking away."

Viola laughed. "I'm afraid it won't be that easy."

Dadan growled. She hated all this cryptic nonsense. "Then how the hell am I, of all people, going to end up with children? Multiple children? Huh?"

"That, my dear, is a secret," Viola said. "But…"

Dadan held her breath. She didn't want to risk wasting another cigarette if viola had some more shocking news for her.

"One will seek you out. And soon."

"Ha!"

Viola had a stoic expression on her face.

"I have a favor to ask you," she said.

"No," Dadan said bluntly.

"It's actually more of a request…" she said, tapping her chin.

"Not doing it," Dadan told her.

"It doesn't require you going out of your way…"

"Nope."

"...or doing anything different than you now," Viola said. When Dadan looked down, she could see Viola was patiently waiting for her to react… as she always did.

"Ah, shit. Fine. What the hell is it?"

"When you do… come across those children… just be yourself." Dadan raised an eyebrow at the smaller woman as she continued speaking. "You're very strong willed, Dadan. And so is he."

"Not because of me," Dadan said. "That's just in his blood. You should know that better than anyone."

"Yes," Viola agreed, "but we are a result of both our ancestry and our environment."

Dadan made a "tsk" sound. "Your book smarts are showing," she muttered with irritation.

"Yes," Viola repeated, "it may be his blood but it is also raising him." Dadan snorted in disbelief. "I'm not joking. You are a better mother than you give yourself credit for."

"Oh, please," Dadan said with a shiver. "Don't call me that. Me? A mother? Ugh. I took him because that damn Garp would kill me otherwise."

Viola smiled.

"Well you have a good head on your shoulders and a good heart in your chest," Viola said. "You're a tough guardian but you also have a lot of love… I respect that. I trust your judgement."

"You've gone soft," Dadan stated plainly. "That girl of yours… she's nothing like you."

"I suppose I am," Viola said. She looked into the night with a frown. She used her hands to warm up her arms. "I always assumed I would be hard, like my own mother, but… I just couldn't bring myself to do the things she did."

Dadan took the last drag of her cigarette before flicking it into the can that already housed so many others. "The Grand Line," Dadan said, "must have been a tough place to live. It's no wonder Shih was the way she was. She wanted you to be ready for it, too."

Viola clicked her tongue. "It was tough… The South Blue was nothing to her," Viola said quietly. She shivered, though it had nothing to do with the cold. "I never wanted to be like her but…"

"But what?"

"...I saw Kaiya's future. Just bits and pieces of it…"

"And?" Dadan asked.

"And now," Viola said with a sigh. "I wish I'd prepared her more."

Dadan was silent. Viola had a gift with the future. She wasn't usually one to fret about the past.

"You want to know what her dream is? To travel the world as a musician. She wants to make a living playing her violin… just like Killian." Viola looked out at the East Blue. The water was dark aside from the peaks that were lit up by the moon. "She's too sweet to set sail. The sea would eat her right up."

Dadan said nothing. She hadn't seen much of the girl but she could agree on that.

"Dadan," Viola said suddenly. "If she comes to you… can you help her…"

"Toughen up?" Dadan asked with a snort.

"Yes," Viola nodded. "Look at Ace. He's been through so much for someone his age. He's a strong boy. I just… I want Kaiya to be strong, too."

Dadan was surprised at the tone in Viola's voice. It was almost as if she revered the little brat she called a son.

"Now I have something to ask you," Dadan said.

"Of course. Anything."

"Doesn't it kill you to see him?" Dadan asked softly. "He looks so much like…"

"Both of his parents," Viola finished softly. "He has his mother's face… and his father's hair. Their iron will."

Dadan shook her head. "How can you talk about Roger like that? He's the one who-"

"It's in the past," Viola said quickly, cutting her off. They were quiet for a few moments, then she chuckled humorlessly. "I was very bitter, you know. For a long time. We tried so hard. We tried to have a child for years and my boy was taken away before I even got to know him."

Dadan looked away. She knew the struggle all too well. When she was young, she dreamed of having children, too. A large family with lots of little red headed spitfires. "It just wasn't in the cards," Dadan told her. "For either of us."

Viola laughed. "And yet here we are, each with a child we didn't birth."

Dadan swallowed. "Before I took Ace… Garp said that Roger wanted you to have him. Why did you refuse?"

"The man was responsible for crippling my husband," Viola said in a dead tone. She laughed darkly. "Then he has the sheer audacity to ask us to raise his son…"

Dadan said nothing. She couldn't think of anything to say about the situation.

"But…" Viola said in a low voice. "I still wanted him. It was Ryo who couldn't stomach the thought."

"Don't you hate him for what his father did?" Dadan asked incredulously.

"They were enemies, that is true," she said simply. "Fighting is what they did. Ryo wasn't a bounty hunter for fun, you know. Roger would have been the biggest payday… if anyone was capable of taking him down."

"Back there," Dadan said, "when you hugged Ace..."

"I felt the pain in his soul," Viola said. A hand went over her heart as she said, "But he's just a boy. He just wants love and attention like anyone else. I can't blame a child for his father's sins…" Viola closed her eyes in pain. "...no matter how horrendous they may have been."