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. c;

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 12: The Purge

Although it was only autumn now, she felt a shiver run through her entire body. Shiori had thought she would be fine on her own. The sweater she had should have been enough to keep her warm. She thought it was so pretty, with it's white and pink stripes and long hanging sleeves. But it was obvious that even that wasn't going to be enough to get her through the whole winter.

She'd grown up in a frigid environment. It snowed so often where she was from that some people had doubted whether she even had powers to begin with. There had been a few Nuns who were like that. But she tried not to think about any of them... The memories were too painful, as it was.

Her best guess was that maybe she'd gotten used to a warmer climate, after having lived away from it for a while. It was a gradual change and now she was slowly getting used to seasons other than just winter. It was late autumn now, and multicolored leaves were falling from the trees.

It had been a while since she'd seen any of the others, including Ace. She hadn't spoken to him since their argument, and there was a part of her that felt like maybe they just couldn't be friends... She'd been deeply hurt by the situation, but she had come to realize that it was no one's fault. They seemed to be on opposing sides, and no matter how much she might wish it, it was ridiculous to expect him to back down on his dreams and goals just because someone else disagreed with them.

'I've been learning a lot about people lately...' She thought, lightly humming to herself as she brushed out her hair. It was growing a bit, but still just barely reached the top of her shoulders.

The young Valkyrie noticed something as she went to get up... There was something wrapped around her. She went to move, but every time she tried to disentangle herself, she felt constricted even more. There was a fabric surrounding her. Reddish eyes gazed downward and were greeted with magnificent blue waves. They were the color of the sky reflected on the seas...

"A b-blanket?" She blinked.

"Oi, Shiori-san! You're awake!" There, standing beside the entrance to her vehicle and greeting her with a warm smile, stood Ace. "I was wondering when you'd finally wake up..."

"Good m-morning Ace-san..." Shiori remarked coldly. "What's g-going on?"

"I hope you don't mind, but I got you a little something," He gestured toward the robin's egg blue blanket that was spread out over her. "To say I'm sorry."

"You're s-sorry?"

"Yeah... I acted like a jerk yesterday, and well-"

"Th-thank you so much!" She squeaked, instantly perking up. "This is s-so beautiful..." She rushed over to him and gave him a hug, before remembering herself. The shy girl pulled away, a slight blush tinging her cheeks.

Shiori admired the gift he'd gotten her. She didn't know where he'd gotten it, but she really did like it. It was the softest material she'd ever felt and it was very warm and snuggly.

The truth was, he had realized that he would have to show her that he respected her choices, if he could expect her to ever accept his. He'd seen the error of his ways, but neither of them were perfect. There was no right side in this matter, only two different perspectives. And she saw that too.

He knew he couldn't steal a gift for her, so he'd asked Curly Dadan, his guardian, if he could take one from their hideout. To his surprise, after he'd explained the ordeal to her, she'd agreed to let him take the one he'd been using and he was given a new one. No matter how strict she was, she seemed understanding about his situation.

Ace wanted to tell her where he'd gotten it, but he was at a loss for words. Seeing her reaction was so cute that he couldn't even manage to tell her. After she hugged him like that, he just stared at her for several long seconds, their eyes meeting and locking into place. Brown met fuchsia and it was magnetic... They were lost in that one perfect moment. Neither could explain the feeling that passed between them, but it brought a smile to both of their faces.

The Valkyrie could feel herself blushing, her cheeks warming and darkening. She thought it was adorable the way his did too. And then there came a somewhat awkward silence, and he cleared his throat. The moment, whatever it was, had passed.

"I told you, it's not my fault!" Sabo was arguing with Luffy. The sound of their voices gradually grew nearer.

"But we got it, fair and square... It isn't right that we have to give it back! Why go through all that trouble?"

"Luffy, you're being a child about this! Just be quiet until we find Ace-san..."

"Whatever." The child had appeared to agree with him, but it was obvious to anyone who could see that he was still clearly irritated. His arms crossed over his chest and he began to silently sulk.

"Oh, there you are!" The blond boy called to Ace, seeing him talking with Shiori. "Nii-san, we need to talk..."

"What's going on? What's wrong?" He asked.

"No, I mean... Look, we need to talk in private. Something happened. At... At home."

"Your home or mine?" Ace seemed skeptical, at first. Things were always happening at the bandit's hideout where he and Luffy stayed. It was nothing new. And there shouldn't be any reason they couldn't talk about it in front of Shiori, unless...

Unless... 'Uh oh...'

"I got in trouble. I need to talk to you at the clubhouse, alright? Let's go."

"Uhh... Sorry, Shiori-chan, but will you excuse me for a bit?" He tried his best to act calm, although he closed his eyes before taking a deep breath and reopening them.

Shiori's eyes widened. She didn't fully understand what was going on, but she knew it was not good. Everyone looked so worried.

"N-no problem... Go ahead. I'll b-be here, don't worry."

He nodded, before turning away and following his brothers. While she had been inducted into their group of friends, they knew they had to be careful just how much they revealed to her. It was as much for her own protection as it was for theirs. His thoughts immediately drifted to the little black bag that was stashed on one side of the treasure chest they kept hidden in a secret location... It was a secret shared by only the three of them. No one else knew about it. The trio rushed into the woods, disappearing down the narrow winding path.

The albino girl folded her new blanket and stashed it under the front seat. Hopefully no one would find it or take it. She knew something was up, and it was obviously something they didn't want her to know about.

'I trust my friends, but... I have to follow them! They were always there for me when I needed them. They probably just don't want me to get hurt. But if something's happened, I need to know if there's some way I can help.'

Feeling guilty for some reason, Shiori went down the hidden path that she knew would lead to the clubhouse. She'd gone out there a few times by herself and so far she hadn't run into any major trouble. She knew the way by heart, so at least she would be able to find them easily, even if they were way ahead of her.

When she got there, she could hear their voices speaking in hushed tones from inside the wooden treehouse. She crept closer, gradually beginning to hone in on their conversation. Leaves crunched beneath her feet, making her wince, hoping they wouldn't hear.

"You guys, please don't fight like this," Luffy was saying. "It's not like it's gonna help."

"I don't see why we can't just tell her the truth." There was a sad lilt to Ace's voice as he spoke.

"Because she wouldn't understand! And it isn't worth losing a friend over. We'll figure something out!" Sabo was raising his voice the most, shouting over the others while still trying to keep it down.

"What if we just give it back to her?"

"Yeah," Luffy agreed. "We could make it look like an accident or like somebody else did it."

"I say we leave it in her car..." Ace's voice was firm, and unwavering. He held his ground. "While she's gone. Maybe some of us can lure her away, and keep her distracted while someone puts it back."

Something must really be wrong... A sense of dread filled Shiori's mind, flooding her with a multitude of emotions that she couldn't sort out. It was becoming apparent that they were talking about her.

'So that's why they didn't want me here...' She thought, feeling betrayed on some level.

"No way!" The blond was adamant about not giving up any more of their ill gotten gains. "We already have to give up part of our treasure because my father is making me return it! I already got scolded for getting mixed up with you guys! I ran away for you... But they made me go back. I can't wait to put our plan into action. I'm sorry, but... If we give hers back too, it will take even longer for us to save back up to that amount!"

"You know what you sound like?" Ace challenged him. "You sound like a typical Noble right now! Only concerned about money and yourself! Can't even see how selfish you're being..." He balled up his fists, gritting his teeth angrily.

"Don't fight over it," Luffy was actually trying very hard at being the peacemaker here. "It's just our stupid savings..."

The blond boy was annoyed. "It's ours. And if she knows we're the ones who stole it, we'll be screwed! She'll hate us anyway, if she finds out. Besides, I thought you guys wanted to save up so we can buy a ship and become Pirates someday? We've all contributed to the treasure with our own money too, so she shouldn't mind..."

"What if she needed that money? We could have asked her!" Ace was flat out yelling now. He didn't give a damn. "We took it before we knew she had no intention of becoming a Pirate with us. It messed everything up... But that isn't her fault. And we can't expect her to just leave with us because we say so. She's dead set against it and I won't be a part of this."

"Well that's too bad," Sabo spoke in a condescending tone. "This is just like last time when Luffy almost told Porchemy about the location of our treasure! What's the point of having it if we give it all away or let others take it?"

"I understand, but we've got to sort all of this out."

"I'll have to lay low for a while... I have to stay home more until it's safe to hang out again, to throw my father off the trail. He still doesn't like me being around you two. I'll still hang out when we can, but-"

"That was how we all became brothers, when I was part of the group too!" Luffy chirped happily, semi-oblivious to what was going on. "It was when we first found out you were a Noble too, Sabo-kun. We shouldn't let this stop us from being friends either."

"And I'm not... It's only temporary. I have to at least pretend to listen to him for now. If not, you two could be seriously hurt. Thankfully, he doesn't know about Shiori-san yet."

"I know," Ace sighed, conceding victory over the argument to Sabo for now. "Let's keep it that way... Well, we should go check on our stash one more time, at least. We may need to change our hiding place."

This was a lot to take in... Her sense of betrayal was stronger than ever. The only real friends she'd ever made on her own had stabbed her in the back... It didn't feel good at all. They'd stolen from her. Shiori couldn't wrap her mind around why anyone would do something like that.

Without warning, they came out of the clubhouse. They were greeted by the sight of the tiny and frail albino girl, crying her ruby-esque eyes out. They knew instantly that she'd just heard everything.

"I... I t-trusted you!" Was all that she could manage, before turning and running away.

Shiori was so upset... She didn't even want her money back! Unable to bring herself to even speak to them, she ran all the way back to the junkyard. She hoped they wouldn't follow her. She didn't want to be around them or deal with them right now.

She knew Sabo was in trouble at home and felt that it was at least partially her fault. She felt terrible about all of it. Just being his friend had complicated things for all of them. Friendship had turned out to be a lot more complicated than she'd ever thought possible. For some reason, even though it had caused her a lot of problems, she still wanted them to keep the money... Regardless of whether they were planning to do something with it that she was wholeheartedly against. And yet, she felt bitter about it too.

Sabo grabbed his arm. "Don't worry about her. She already thinks the worst of us. Trust me, even if we give it back, it won't make a difference. So we'd might as well keep it."

"I don't know about that..."

It was obvious that what they were doing really didn't sit right with Ace. The freckled boy had been all for it at first, before he'd gotten to know her. The plan was to recruit her into their crew, eventually. But recently, she'd squashed that idea when she'd revealed her true feelings about Piracy. There was no way he could ever convince her... He knew better than to even try. He imagined it would feel the same if someone were to try to talk him out of becoming a Pirate. Hell, she already had tried it!

He shouldn't have to give up his dreams for anyone... But neither should she.

Sighing, Ace decided to stay there with his friends. He knew that they had lost her. There was no way they could ever make things right... Not after this. It was hopeless.

It had been several more days since she'd seen any of them. Shiori missed them, but she also felt that it was probably for the best. Now that she knew the truth, she didn't want to see them anyway. Yet, she couldn't get them off of her mind.

For the last few nights, she had resisted the urge to use the blanket Ace had given her. Now, left with little other choice, she'd chosen to surround herself with it in an effort to keep warm. It was freezing out tonight and she had no other means of fighting off the chill night air. She burrowed closer to the silken cerulean waves... An image of a goofy freckle-faced boy with an arrogant grin flashed through her memories.

'Was this... Was this his blanket? It smells so much like him...'

Shiori sighed. She hadn't wanted things to turn out like this. She couldn't believe her best and truest friends had all turned out to be bad people in the end... She really thought they'd had something special between them, but she was wrong. That still didn't stop her from missing them like crazy, however. It hurt more than anything else she could think of. Well, almost anything... She shivered, trying to block out all of the painful memories that flooded her senses, threatening to plague her mind.

The small girl clung to her gift protectively. It was very late, the wee hours of the morning. Recently, she'd been unable to sleep until she was at the point of passing out from exhaustion. She tried to force herself to fall asleep, but her brain was insisting on keeping her awake. Just as she was beginning to drift off, there was a bright flash of light that caused her to open her tired eyes.

"What's g-going on...?" She wondered aloud, rubbing her eyes sleepily. The frightened girl looked around. What she saw was horrifying! Brilliant orange flames flared up high to consume everything in their path... And they were coming her way. "F-fire?!"

The fire was spreading, closer and closer to her end of the junkyard. Everything in Gray Terminal was burning up. The flames were quickly consuming all of it. There was barely any time for her to gather up her things. Luckily, she didn't have much. She already had her blanket and she wasted no time in putting together a small box, filling it with her minuscule belongings... Stuff like soap she used to wash in the river, a small supply of food, her water canteen, a change of underwear, hairbrush, and other things like that. There wasn't enough time to grab everything, but at least this time she'd had a little warning.

At first she'd thought she was having a nightmare or an intense flashback of some kind... She woke up in pain and surrounded by fire, so it was the only natural conclusion she could come to. But it was real. It was real and happening again! And she couldn't take it...

'This is just like what happened before!' She thought, as she panicked and ran out in the middle of the forest, clutching her few possessions close to her, the blanket being the most prominent among them... 'It's like the flames are chasing me, trying to consume me... Just like... Just like what happened to all of them!'

The albino watched on in horror as she lost her home to the fury of fire once again, for the second time in her life... Terrified, all she could do was look back and tremble in fear. What she saw was a blazing orange inferno, a hungry red flower that engulfed everything in it's destructive path. The shiny flames flickered an iridescent blue along the bottom. They seemed to dance over the landscape, overshadowing everything in bright light. She fell to the ground, unable to go on. She had already exhausted herself by staying up so late and now it was even worse because she'd had to run a good distance into the forest.

She wondered if the others had made it out safely... There was no way to tell. It was dark and she was scared, but the whole time Shiori clutched the blanket and closed her eyes. Eventually, she realized that she was actually getting dizzy... She waited until things went dark again and she passed out from the smoke and fumes.

Morning had come. It was already day time when her eyes next opened. Shiori sat up, realizing she had taken the smart route of concealing herself in the bushes right before she'd fainted.

She'd awoken to the sound of people running past her, their boots plodding across the dirt path. There were people laughing all around her, and she distinctly heard the word 'Pirate' stand out, although she was unable to make out the rest of their conversation. It was early and she was still too groggy for that. She peered through the foliage to see what they were wearing... Most of their attire looked to be of the seafaring variety- In other words, they were Pirates! It took her a minute to notice they were headed in the direction of the clubhouse and Foosha Village...

'I have to warn the others!' Were her only thoughts, as she jumped to her feet and raced toward a shortcut she knew of. 'Are these the Bluejam Pirates? I've got to make it there before they do!'

She took off running, making sure she went as fast as she could. Once she got there, she realized that she'd made it before the Pirates had. She rushed into the treehouse to warn them, scrambling up the rope ladder. She was lucky... All three of them were there, hanging out inside. It looked like Sabo had just gotten there.

"Guys!" She shouted. The others stopped what they were doing and turned to her. "There are... P-pirates coming! And there's a f-fire too!"

"I know about the fire, but Pirates? Really? Why should we believe you?" Sabo narrowed his eyes at her.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Aren't you mad at us?" Luffy asked, sheepishly. He was probably the most brutally honest of the trio.

"I d-don't care about that... I'm l-loyal to my f-friends. And you're st-still my friends! Now h-hurry, before it's too late..."

"It's already too late for that," A voice spoke from inside, as a man poked his head through the trap door. His beady eyes took in the frightened kids with a big grin. "Come on out and play!"

"Oh no!" She cried. "They're a-already here..."

"Let's go!" Ace yelled.

Ace grabbed Luffy and the two of them climbed out a window. They saw that there were lots of Pirates down below, all of them from the Bluejam crew. Luckily the entrance to their little hideout was really small. It was made for kids, after all. The man, who used two swords to cut around the door frame to let himself all the way in, tried reaching for the remaining children, but they managed to elude him.

"Shiori, come on!" Sabo grabbed her hand and pulled her out the window with him, before the swordsman could get to her.

"Grab onto Luffy!" Ace shouted to both of them, already holding onto his younger brother.

They had no choice but to grab onto the rubber Devil Fruit user's shirt. Luffy reached over to a nearby tree branch, and used his stretching ability to carry them all to safety. It was difficult for him to carry so many people at once, but he was able to manage it... Just barely.

"Th-thank you Luffy-kun..." Shiori panted.

"Don't mention it!" He quickly grabbed everyone and did it again.

He repeated the process until they were a safe distance away. He was able to move them through the trees much faster than the gang of bloodthirsty Pirates was able to follow them along the ground. They ran after the kids, trying their best to keep up. Eventually, Luffy went for some lower branches away from their pursuers. They all dropped onto the ground.

"There's a f-fire... In the j-junkyard, it's... I-it's spreading!" Shiori managed to get out the frantic words.

"A fire?" Ace was worried now. "Do you know if it spread from Goa Kingdom?"

"That's what I was trying to warn you guys about!" Sabo explained, grimacing when he landed. His tophat had fallen off and he grabbed it. "I got there right before Shiori-san did... I was going to tell you that the Nobles planned to set fire to Gray Terminal today. I came as quickly as I could! I had to sneak out so I could tell you. They're responsible for this! They want to rid Goa Kingdom of it's 'trash'... The walls still protect them from any harm, and recently they fireproofed them."

"They're wiping out the poor?!" Ace snarled, suddenly furious all over again. "All of Gray Terminal?! Why didn't you say something sooner?!"

"I couldn't, I didn't have chance and th-"

"I think they went this way!" A gruff voice interrupted them.

"Come on, hurry! Don't let them get away!"

Several of the Bluejam Pirates rustled through the underbrush, brushing past them without noticing their presence. All four of the children immediately froze. They held their breath, hoping not to be noticed. If they moved, even to hide, they would surely be spotted. One of them happened to catch a glimpse backward. The Pirate saw them, and the pursuit started up again.

"There they are! Over here!" One of the men called to the others.

The kids made a run for it, trying to loop back around toward their own territory. Shiori saw what the boys were aiming for... They might have a slight edge if they could make it back to the part of the forest that they were the most familiar with.

"This way!" Sabo shouted to his friends, leading them toward a small clearing. "There should be a path around here somewhere..."

They ran into another small faction of Pirates out that way and had to turn back. But that only put them closer to their original pursuers. The two groups collided, along with a third coming up from one side. They did a clean sweep through the woods, effectively trapping the kids against a rock face. They weren't that close yet, but it was clear that they were about to catch up to them and they would be trapped!

The moment they realized in horror that they were all trapped, Ace knew what he had to do. It might seem mean, but... If he didn't, she would be killed too. They were stuck with no way out.

'I hope you'll forgive me for this...' He thought, closing his eyes for one brief moment of silence.

The freckled boy brutally shoved the little girl into the bushes, forcing her low onto the ground. "Stay down, please..." She complied, but glared at him in irritation.

"What? B-but I-"

"It's for your own safety! Now shhhh!" He put a finger to his lips, giving her a look that said he meant business.

All of the different groups of Pirates closed in on them, although they looked to be from the same crew. There were various weapons being pointed at the children, but none of them were fired or put to use just yet... They seemed to be waiting for something. The three boys stared at them in confusion, and Shiori watched the scene unfold from her hiding place within the bushes. All Pirates looked like rough rugged surly men with deformed faces and scary attitudes, to her.

"There's nowhere to turn now..." One of the Pirates, a man wearing a blue bandana, chuckled wickedly, stepping to the front of the mob. "And there's someone who would like to speak with you." He pointed to the blond boy who was standing off to one side.

"Me? Why?" Sabo wondered what he was talking about... And then suddenly it dawned on him.

Monet wasn't the only one who could hire Pirates to come after them. His father was notorious for hiring lowlife scum to do his dirty work. It would be no surprise if-

"What are you doing out here with this trash?" A man wearing an expensive blue suit, with a big tophat and yellow feathers and flowers pinned here and there, stepped forward. "Haven't I told you enough times that you are to stay away from this common riffraff?! You keep sneaking out and running away! That's so irresponsible! It's a good thing we adopted Stelly to make sure we have an heir. You could have been killed today!"

His father, Outlook III, stood before him. The man ran his fingers along his pencil thin mustache arrogantly. His long black hair swayed in the slight breeze that blew through the forest. He was glad that the fire hadn't spread to this part of the woods yet. They would still have to be quick about this though...

"Why me...?" Sabo asked, crestfallen. He kicked a rock on the ground, knowing that his time with his friends was now forcibly coming to a close.

"I don't want to hear it!" The well-dressed Noble yelled at his wayward son. "You're going to come home with me. You'll study hard, get good grades, and learn how to be a proper human being! You'll have to stop chasing these silly dreams. You will leave the wrong crowd behind forever, marry a Princess or another Noble, and secure the future of our family line. Now let's go!"

Sabo resolved to take a stand. He had to try... It didn't matter if there were Pirates surrounding them, they could find some way out of this... Even if they were trapped. But at what cost? He couldn't risk his friends getting hurt. Luffy had almost been killed due to a brush with this same crew before.

"And what makes you think I'll do that?" The blond tried to stop his knees from shaking. He hated to admit it, but he was somewhat terrified of his father. Outlook III was not a nice man.

"If you don't comply, I am prepared to have them kill these two on the spot!" The scary man shouted, waiting to see what he would choose... "This can be difficult, or it can be easy... Your choice."

Would it really be worth it to risk his friends' lives just so he could be free?

All of the Bluejam Pirates had their guns aimed at the children that were trapped against the rocks. They looked around, desperate to find some way out of this, but there was none. Even the closest ledge they could get to was still much too high for Luffy to be able to reach, even with his powers. And there was nothing the rest of them could do.

'These two...' Shiori had noticed Sabo's father's choice of words. 'He'd said there were only two of them... That means he doesn't know I'm here!'

The sky began to cloud over, and the breeze picked up a bit more, as Shiori prepared to summon her own powers. She didn't know how snow would really help at a time like this, but it was all she could do, and she had to do something... Try as she might, no matter how hard she tried to concentrate, she was too focused on the scene in front of her to make it happen. The snow didn't fall, it simply couldn't... At most, she managed to summon maybe a few small flakes.

Sabo's head was hung low, his shoulders slumped in bitter defeat. "Alright..."

"What did you say, boy?" His father demanded.

"I said alright!" He spat. "I'll go with you. As long as you guarantee me their safety..."

"You have my word." Outlook assured him, patting him firmly on the back. "I had hoped not to have anyone killed today. Now let's go. You won't be seeing them again."

"Yes father..."

The blond gave one last sad look to his friends over his shoulder, and even cast a glance in Shiori's direction in the bushes, before turning to go with his father. He didn't want to, but he knew he didn't have a choice. He couldn't protect his friends if he was with them. He could only do that by knowing his rightful place. But he knew they would honor their word and they would all stick to the plans they'd made... That someday, they would all leave this place to become Pirates. It didn't matter what his parents said or did to him in the meantime. His dreams were too important for that.

The two boys watched in awe as the Pirates lowered their weapons. Shiori peeked out through the leaves of the bush she was still hiding in. They didn't seem to really want to hurt them, it was more like they were just there for Sabo and once his father had called them off, they retreated along with him. He'd disappeared with their friend held captive. But there wasn't much they could do about it, since the man was his father, after all...

Once she was sure they were gone, she crawled out from under the bushes. Luffy helped her up and she gratefully accepted his kind gesture.

"Wh-what are we g-gonna do now?" Shiori wondered.

"Nothing..." Ace remarked, grimly. "There's nothing we can do about it."

It was clearly evident that they were helpless to do anything about it. That was what hurt the most... It affected all of them to have someone removed from their group so hastily. They'd lost a dear friend. He'd sacrifice himself; traded his own freedom for their lives.

"It's not fair! We have to try to help him!" Luffy insisted.

"No, Luffy... It's over." The freckled boy scrunched up his face in pain, the long-kept tears finally cascading down his cheeks. "They won. It was his choice. We have to let him go." Luffy was crying too.

"M-maybe he'll find s-some way to get away..." The little Valkyrie tried her best to keep everyone's spirits up, but it was no use. Despite the way they felt about it, they still had to respect their friend's wishes. "L-like he did this time?"

A gloomy atmosphere hung over all of them that dreary day... Her rose eyes also watered. At first, she wondered what Ace's reasoning was behind letting them just take Sabo like that. But then she remembered everything they'd taught her about Nakama, and she felt that he must truly believe it. Above all else, she respected his decision. She also respected what Sabo had done for them. It was his call to make, and he'd done what he thought was in their best interest, even though he didn't want to do it at all. This was probably the first time she'd ever held respect for anyone who wasn't an adult.

The three silently made their way back to the clubhouse, to check on things and make sure they were okay. That was where Shiori had left her belongings anyway, and she had to go back for them. She'd dropped everything when that Pirate had suddenly come into the treehouse. She didn't know what to do, but she didn't want to leave what precious few things she had behind. Especially while the fires still swept across Gray Terminal, raging out of control.

"Do you th-think it would've made a difference i-if Sabo-kun had warned us before they got here?" She asked, somehow wanting to break the overpowering silence that followed the blond Noble's sudden absence.

"No," Ace said. His hands were in his pockets, and he was leaning against one wall, slouching. "It wouldn't have mattered. That's the thing about grown ups, and especially Nobles... They always do what they want and they always get whatever they want."

"True story..." Luffy sighed, also showing clear signs that he was feeling bummed out.

"Yeah... I g-guess so... Well, what n-now?"

"Why are you looking at me? I can't tell you what to do." Ace snapped, before remembering himself when her lip began to tremble. "Look... I'm sorry for what happened. I know you don't have a place to go, so you should probably stay with us for right now. It would be much safer."

"Why even b-bother?" She sighed, sitting down on one of the chairs they had in their clubhouse.

"I know it feels hopeless right now, but... That's no reason to give up."

For some reason, his words gave her the faintest bit of hope...

"At least we still have the money..." Luffy pointed out, even though he said it glumly.

"No one cares about that right now!" Ace snapped at him. "We just lost our brother..."

It had taken a while for them to figure things out. After they'd moped about for the vast majority of the day, they'd decided it was time to move on with things. Luffy wanted to go check out the damage before they went home for the night.

Ace wasn't looking forward to going home. As it stood, he barely felt welcome there himself. Dadan had made it perfectly clear on many occasions that she was only taking care of them as a favor to his grandfather, Garp. She had a habit of making it known that she didn't like having any extra mouths to feed. So he was dreading having to ask her to take in one of his friends. He didn't know what she would say.

The bandit leader was not known for being a kindhearted woman. She had a reputation for being rather abrasive and heartless. She mostly left the boys to fend for themselves, although she did provide them with shelter and basic necessities.

As the three youngsters approached Gray Terminal, they began to notice that no one was around anymore. The bitter stench of death was in the air... It was now clear that some lives had been lost in the inferno. For a while, no one said anything. They all just walked toward the place where her car had been, trying their best to find a way to recognize it. There were only ashes and bits of random debris, in most cases. The entire junkyard, all of the garbage along with it's inhabitants, had been erased.

Shiori saw the way everything was still surrounded by fire. Many of the outer reaches of the Terminal were still ablaze, the flames stretching upward like gnarled limbs reaching up from hell. The memories from her past began to creep their way back into her mind... The shock and panic that had flooded the Monastery, as every Nun did what they could to fend off the invaders... The way she'd felt, so scared and helpless back then, unable to do anything to stop it... That was how she felt now. And she could never forget the looks on their faces, as her loved ones were tortured and burned to death.

'Ruhi-san... Michiko-tan... Chiaki-sama...'

She recalled each of their faces... She preferred to remember them as they were when they were alive, smiling contently, going about their daily chores without a care in the world... Tending to her every need as if she were some kind of princess...

But that wasn't how the world worked, was it? The world was full of destruction and pain. Shiori saw that now. It was clearer than ever. Even when she'd thought she'd found some place safe, a place where she could be free and happy, it was torn away from her. Everything was destroyed in the blink of an eye.

'How can I go on... Without you?'

She fell to her knees in front of the rubble, tears streaming down her face. Before she knew what she was doing, there was fresh snow falling from the sky. Bits of pale frost drifted downward, coating everything they touched in a matter of minutes... Everywhere they landed was healing, as the frigid snowfall eventually quelled most of the flames in the immediate area. It did nothing to stop her tears, however.

Ace and Luffy stood, watching the scene unfold. They couldn't believe it. Luffy ran off to make snow angels, ignoring the grim reality that surrounded them. He came back covered in soot and ashes. His older brother just watched everything, unable to say or do anything.

Shiori was still mourning the loss of her family, and now she had to mourn the loss of her new home too. She couldn't stay here anymore. But she didn't want to see the flames rage out of control any further. The Nobles had done a truly horrible thing. It could spread to their clubhouse and the neighboring villages too. She'd done what she could to help make things right.

But it was too late... Gray Terminal was gone.

"Hey..." Ace walked up behind the girl who was still quietly sobbing. "You okay?"

"I'll be f-fine..." She lamented her losses, but she knew she had to keep moving forward. That was what Chiaki had told her and that was what she would do.

"At least it didn't spread to Foosha Village..." He pointed out.

"Y-yeah... That's good."

She really wasn't up to talking much right now. And who could blame her? Shiori went over to what remained of the car she'd been sleeping in. There wasn't much left of it. It looked like there had been some kind of explosion, most likely from the gas tank once the fire caught it. She couldn't find any of her belongings in the debris.

"Let's j-just go..." She said quietly, keeping her head down.

It hurt Ace to see his friend at such a low point. He felt horrible about this. It was a grave injustice and it just burned him up inside... But he would deal with it later. Right now, his first priority was letting Dadan know about what the Nobles had done. And he would have to ask her if Shiori could stay with them, even though he was fairly sure she would refuse to have another mouth to feed. It was worth a shot and he had to try anyway. She had let Sabo stay with them when he'd run away from home a few times, but that was different. She'd known it was just temporary. But the fact remained that Shiori had nowhere else to go. It wasn't much, but it was all he could do for her right now.

The next best place for her would probably be their clubhouse, although it wasn't safe for her to stay there by herself. And it wasn't like he and Luffy were responsible for her, but... He just couldn't leave her all alone. Not even if she wished for it.

When they got through the forest, they reached a small stretch of field just before the village that she'd heard so much about. Shiori paused to take everything in... Giant windmills dotted the landscape. They were everywhere! It gave her a feeling of peace, though she wasn't sure why... There was something oddly calming about watching the clockwork-like fans turn with the breeze that blew down from the mountains.

She allowed her friends to lead her into the village where they lived. It was nothing at all like Goa Kingdom, and not like she'd imagined either. It had an old world charm about it that was hard to define.

They went through town without being asked too many questions. Many people appeared to have already heard about the fires being spread. They were barely noticed as they crept down empty alleys and past crowded streets. Shiori was relieved that news of her bounty apparently hadn't reached this town yet.

"Maybe we should go back to Goa Kingdom and rescue him..." Luffy said, as they were leaving the small village.

"Who, Sabo?" Ace still seemed upset, although he was trying to be strong. "We could probably some time, but it's not a good idea right now."

"I dunno... M-maybe we should just l-let things take their course?" Shiori suggested.

"How can you say that?" Luffy sulked, still not able to get over the fact that Sabo was gone.

"It would be b-bad to go back with a-all the fires still spreading and stuff... But its up t-to you. I won't stop you, I j-just think it's a bad idea. And at l-least he's with his family."

It looked like Luffy was getting ready to say something. And if the look on his face was anything to go by, it probably wasn't very nice.

"She's right," Ace stopped him before he could speak. "It'll be a suicide mission. That place is crawling with Nobles... And if they really did start the fire, which I'm sure they probably did, then there's no telling what's going on back there. Those people are capable of anything."

"Dang it..." The younger boy pouted. "You're right, Nii-san."

"I know I am. Now let's go, it's just a little further..." He turned to look at the girl he was bringing with him, watching her walk just a few steps behind him. "Shiori-san... You should know that our situation is... not a normal one."

"I'm n-not used to normal a-anyway..." She remarked, jaded.

For some unknown reason, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He still needed to explain things to her before they got there.

"Alright, but... To make a long story short, we live with a group of mountain bandits. It's not what you think though... My grandfather asked their leader if she would take us in. She agreed, but she doesn't really like us being around that much. She tolerates us, more or less. She's a wanted criminal and also the leader of the Dadan family. So she already has a lot to deal with. You may not agree with her criminal activities, but if you want to stay there, you'll have to respect her."

"So you aren't e-even related?" Shiori considered his words for a moment... "A c-criminal? Th-that explains a lot. Like h-how you said they d-didn't care if you came back, and stuff."

'She sounds scary...' She knew it would be best if she kept her thoughts to herself.

"Yep, exactly." Luffy grinned. "But freedom is nice! It's great not to have naggy annoying parents that hold us back all the time."

"Sometimes it's a blessing..." Ace sighed, seeing the small cottage in the distance. It was just over the next hill. "Other times it's a curse."

Shiori didn't completely understand what he meant, but she nodded anyway... She'd never known what it was like to have no one want her around, until she'd come to Goa Kingdom. After the Monastery had burned down, that was the first time she'd ever realized how cruel the world truly is. Once again, she winced at the painful memories that just wouldn't die... Even if everything else did.

It was getting late now, and she could only hope that whoever was in charge wouldn't turn her away... She inhaled a shaky breath, trying to fend off her nervousness as they approached a large wooden cottage.

A/N: Yes, I know the events happened in a different order from canon. But that's why it's a fanfic, and I feel like this way made things progress more smoothly for the plot I have in mind. Looks like her childhood is almost at an end... And lots of things are happening. The plot is going to take lots of unexpected twists and turns from here on out, I have so many fun things planned, so I hope you enjoy it. ;D

PS: Reviews are love! c;

-Kaline