An Old Cliche:
the desert's rose
Chapter 08 - Namida ga Afuretemo
-3rd Performance: Koishi-
By: L.R. Pelgina
beta read by: Starfirehime
I knew we'd always be together
when we first saw each other in
the evening glow, at the corner of the street
Authors Note pt.1: Hey everyone! Wow! I got a lot of reviewers for the SanjixNami chapter… I wonder where all the ZoroxVivi ones are at? (Besides the ones that are already reviewing of course) Speaking of which you guys need to be patient… The ZoroxVivi SERIOUS stuff won't be coming until later I know it's hard to wait but it will be well worth it I promise! Besides, I'm writing a few one shots for them which should be up within the next week or so. Hopefully that will hold you off a while! AND a Merry Christmas to you as well Vivi I don't actually celebrate Christmas, I celebrate Yule or the Solstice, but ALL my family does so I don't have a problem with it! OH! And my friend Starfirehime has put up a fanfic called Christmas in paradise, anyway she likes all the same couples as me so all the ZoroxVivi fans etc should go check it out! She's a HUGE SanxNami fan though so expect a bit more of that… Anyway HAPPY/MERRY :insert holiday of choice here: to ALL my readers and especially to my reviewers! Happy reading and OH! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHOPPER!
p.s.: Also I believe I mentioned this before but I'm gonna remind everyone I'm putting LAST NAMES FIRST (if they have one that is). So Brutus Horatius's first name is actually Horatius, and the princees of Mayonaka for example would be Grimm Somber, to her first name is Somber.
Disclaimer: Besides the villains I create I don't own any of this! And the song is by Crystal Kay and is called Namida ga Afuretemo, and therefore belongs to Crystal Kay. I say this now so I don't have to put who it's by etc after each use of the phrases in the song.
The mugiwaradan stepped into a room that was dimly lit, despite the already encroaching darkness outside.
"So you said you were ALL from Insula?" Taso asked again.
"Yes," Kohza lied.
"Oh!" Taso said setting down the things he had been carrying with him, "You people must have been away from home for a long time then,"
"A – ah, we've been gone for awhile," Kohza said nervously.
Zoro, however, was beginning to become suspicious. Why had this man let them in so easily when all the villagers had said that the princess wasn't seeing anybody recently?
"Quite some time," Taso repeated off handedly to himself, "Because if you HAD been to Insula recently you would know that the alliance between Insula and Mayonaka was broken over three months ago!"
Kohza frowned. Damn. They had been caught.
"Also," Taso picked up a piece of paper off of the things he had brought and showed it to the group, it was Zoro's wanted poster, "This man looks to be a pirate! There's one for the one with the straw hat as well," he said and pointed to Luffy who just smiled widely in return. "So why don't you all just tell me why your after our eternal pose to Insula?"
And that was when Zoro heard it, the faint clinking noise of someone wearing a sword on his belt, maybe two. And this guy had to be pretty good to have hid it from him so long. A hand immediately went to his Wadu, ready in case this guy decided to start something.
"Sorry," Luffy exclaimed taking a few steps forward so he was now in front of Kohza and Vivi in the front of the group, "We have our reasons but can't tell you! But if you won't give it to us, then we'll just have to take it!"
Taso only looked back at him, shocked for a moment.
The mugiwaras however took that as an order and each one of them prepared themselves for any sudden movements from Taso.
"Very well," Taso said and pulled out the two swords that rested at his side.
Zoro and Kohza both jumped into action the moment the swords left their holsters and blocked him from making any movement towards the others.
"Go ahead!" They both shouted at once.
Luffy nodded and grabbed Vivi and began running up a flight of stairs, Robin followed close behind. But before Usoppu and Chopper where able to follow Taso managed to throw off Zoro and Kohza and blocked their path.
"The princess can take care of those three herself," Taso said, "But the rest of you aren't passing here," he said and got into a fighting position.
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
Oh baby your lips..
The touch of your fingers going through my hair
All the things I love
make my heart tremble
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
Nami didn't know what to do. Sanji had never stayed down this long, not since Skypiea and he was hit by Enel….. Well, whatever his condition sitting around shocked wasn't going to do anything to help him!
Nami jumped up in a hurry and whipped out her climatact, ready for anything Gare might throw at her and trying to think of a quick plan to get Sanji out from under that….tree…Gare….thing.
"What fruit did you get, the plant one?"
"Isn't that obvious? I ate the mori mori fruit. It's a logia so I can change myself into one as well as control the other plants," Gare boasted.
No wonder he seemed so proud of the fact that Mayonaka never had any problems with their crops despite the short daylight hours.
"I don't care what you can do," Sanji's muffled voice said from underneath Gare, "Get OFF me!"
Nami's heart jumped in her chest. So he was ok? Well, off course he was ok? Sanji wouldn't die from THAT weak of an attack!
A sound like cracking wood was heard and tree-Gare was lying on it's side and Sanji was rolling out from underneath him.
Nami almost went and jumped on him from happiness but then remembered what she had said just before Sanji was hurt. She hadn't really meant it, she was just angry. But now how would Sanji act?
Gare transformed back to human form and was back on his feet in an instant.
"Look pal! You caught me in a really BAD MOOD right now so you picked the wrong time to start a fight with me for no reason!" Sanji yelled at Gare.
That answered Nami's question.
"I am quite far from having no reason for attacking you both," Gare replied, "But now is not the time for talk,"
Sanji took out a cigarette and lit it, "No. It most certainly is not," he said.
Gare then grew out his arms to spiked tree limbs and aimed them straight for Sanji who dodged easily. Sanji then went into a hand stand and cracked Gare's wood like limbs just as easy.
Gare smiled to himself, "I thought so," he said.
Suddenly roots shot out of the ground and wrapped themselves around Sanji's arms. Sanji landed on his back with a thud and Gare wasted no time in wrapping the rest of Sanji's body as well.
"DAMN IT!" Sanji yelled as he struggled against the roots, "Where's that stupid swordsman when you actually need him!"
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
Tears flow from my eyes
so don't let go of my hand
I just started to understand
the true meaning of the things I love
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
Zoro sneezed and Kohza tossed him a quick look.
"This is no time to me getting sick Marimo," Kohza said.
"SHUT UP SIDEBURNS!"
Zoro and Kohza had just managed to narrowly miss finding out what Taso's fruit was personally, but the had seen it evident in what Taso had done to Usoppu. Well, actually they DIDN'T see what he had done to Usoppu! They couldn't see Usoppu at all in fact.
"What did you do to him?" Chopper yelled from behind Zoro.
Kohza took a step toward Taso who smiled.
"Be careful where you step. Don't want to crush your friend do you?" Taso taunted.
"CRUSH USOPPU?" Chopper squealed.
"What did you do to Usoppu?" Zoro demanded.
"I shrank him," Taso replied, smirking slightly.
"You did WHAT?" Kohza shouted.
"Shrank him," Taso repeated calmly.
"USOPPU!" Chopper cried worried, "Zoro what are we gonna do?"
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
A few tiny stars sparkle in the night sky
Those painful days of the past
are now just far-away memories
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
"Sanji-kun!" Nami shouted and clenched her climatact. How could she help him? She couldn't CUT the roots like Zoro could… Wait! She had an idea that might work.
As Gare advanced on Sanji Nami used her climatact and did the attack were she used one of the ends as a boomerang and knocked Gare back, to get his attention away from Sanji. When it came back she caught it with ease.
"It's time for Ame Tenpo!" She smirked and began to spin the cool air stick and the war air sticks at a high speed to get a rain cloud.
Gare laughed, "A person can't call the rain unless you ate some sort of rain fruit," he said.
But then it began to shower slightly which soon turned into a downpour, but Nami kept spinning the pieces of climtact. She wanted to make sure it was really raining HARD!
Gare held out his hand meagerly to the on pouring rain, purely unimpressed, "What is rain going to do to a plant?" he taunted.
Nami smiled but didn't answer so Gare shrugged, and deciding Sanji was unable to get up, went after her instead.
He tried the same thing as he did on Sanji, turning his arms to sharp pointed tree limbs and extending them rapidly at Nami. The only difference was that Nami wasn't as fast as Sanji so she was knicked a bit when she went to dodge it. Nami ignored the pain of the small wound caused by Gare and somersaulted then attacked him with her previous attack as well. Gare dodged it this time but Nami took the few seconds he was distracted to throw more rain causing weather into the air.
Gare shook his head, "I don't know what it is you're trying so hard to do with this rain, bu—" he began but didn't get to finish because Sanji suddenly came up behind him and kicked him in the back, sending him flying forward and past Nami.
"Loosening the dirt around the roots on the ground, and therefore their grip on Sanji-kun," Nami answered smirking.
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
In the pouring summer rain
we had our first argument
Time repeated itself, and without
your warmth, I was in pain
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
Luffy, Robin and Vivi all found themselves on a very LONG staircase, in fact they had been running up it all this time and had just now reached the door at the end of it.
"Where are we?" Vivi asked between pants for air.
Luffy (who didn't seem tired at all) turned the doorknob without hesitating, but it was to no avail, the door was locked.
Robin (who also didn't seem to be phased a bit after all the exercise) stood forward and crossed her arms and closed her eyes, "Tres Fluer," she said and a second later the door opened itself.
"All right Robin," Luffy smiled and walked in the room, Robin smiled in return and followed close behind and Vivi followed after her after taking a quick look from Luffy to Robin then back again.
Inside there stood only one silhouette of a young girl casting a long shadow. She wore a dark black hooded cloak and had her back was turned to the Luffy pirates present. The Luffy pirates could see her clearly because every light in the room was on.
"Excuse me…" Vivi began to say but the girl cut her off.
"Gare told Taso and I that you were here for my eternal pose to Insula…" the girl said without turning around.
Vivi wracked her brain, trying to remember the name of the princess from Mayonaka, if she could get on familiar terms with her maybe she wouldn't over react. Somber! Grimm Somber! That was it.
"Somber-san…" Vivi began and took a step forward but Luffy stopped her from going past him.
The silhouette slowly turned around to reveal a young girl about 15, with pale white skin, long dark purple hair and piercing light amethyst eyes. She wore a dark black dress underneath her black cloak.
Her eyes widened when she saw them though. She seemed to recognize somebody.
"Gare did not tell me or Taso the princess of Alabasta would be visiting us with the pirates…" She said and with that Luffy stood in front of Vivi.
Somber lowered her eyes to the floor, "I see you are with YOUR friends despite your responsibilities…." She trailed off.
There was a short pause and then Somber lifted her head again, and this time, Luffy, Robin and Vivi could she from her eyes that she was furious.
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
Then when a smile is on my face
you hold me tightly in your arms
Because you showed me,
all the things money can't buy
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
Sanji spit out his cigarette and began to inspect his muddy clothes. God these were going to take forever to clean… But before that he has unfinished business with Nami.
"Nami-san –" Sanji began but this time it was Gare who cut Sanji off mid-sentence.
A large vine burst up from the ground and a bunch of vines grabbed Sanji from behind, Gare stood slowly after having caught Sanji and angrily wiped the blood away from his mouth. He glared at Nami as if to burn a hole straight through her middle.
"That was very clever," Gare admitted, "but this vines roots run deep in the ground. In won't be coming down even for a flood! So if I can't hold this man to the ground, then I'll just keep him in the air!"
Sanji struggled in his holding trying to wriggle loose, but this only angered Gare further.
"ENOUGH!" Gare yelled and made a motion with his fist. The vines around Sanji began to tighten to the point where Nami could hear his bones begin to crack and break. Sanji only grunted with each snap signifying another rib or bone broken. "I CANNOT allow you to take the princess' last prized possession!" Gare said as the vines squeezed Sanji, "No matter WHAT you pirates need to go to Insula for! I will fight to the last for my friend, my Princess. And so will Taso."
Nami was shaking at this point, she didn't know how much more she could take from this. Nami clicked the electricity part of her stick to the top of her climatact. This was the last straw. She had all she could take and it was time to pull out the big guns so to speak.
"For your friend, huh?" Nami said and lifted her head to face Gare, tears ran down her face but everything on her face said she was enraged, "Well, we need to get that eternal pose for a very dear nakama of mine! And we'll ALL fight to the last as well! And if you don't stop hurting the nakama you've got then I'm going to DESTROY YOU MYSELF!" she yelled and got into a fighting position.
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
If right now, one wish could be granted
if my wish could reach the sky
Then I know, my wish would be
for this feeling to never change
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
"Chopper, use your nose to find Usoppu, but be careful not to get hit by this guy. Then hide yourself behind something. Sideburns, I have an idea, follow my lead," Zoro said.
Although Kohza didn't like the idea of having to follow the Marimo head he knew that this man was far more experienced not only with a sword, but in fighting people with a fruit ability. There were, after all, only TWO in his country, and he knew them both personally as friends.
"Fine," Kohza said and prepared himself to take orders from Zoro.
"Alright Chopper go! Sideburns, you distract him. GO!" Zoro shouted and everyone scrambled to their place.
Kohza ran up and crossed swords with Taso as Chopper scrambled to find a miniaturized Usoppu. Zoro however went in search of the room for a mirror! This guys powers had to be a Paramecia, it had to be a beam like Foxy's. So that meant that the mirror would reflect the beam back and then they could get the upper hand on Taso.
By time Zoro found a mirror Taso had already proved his superiority in a sword fight over Kohza and was getting ready to give Kohza just what he had given Usoppu. And as tempting as it was to let the guy get it, Zoro knew Vivi would never forgive him….. Unless he told her it was out of his hands…… Whatever the case Zoro didn't have enough time to think about it.
Zoro ran up behind him, "Sideburns! DUCK!" he yelled.
Kohza ducked just as Taso shot the beam. Zoro held up the mirror and the beam bounced back and hit Taso right in the chest who immediately shrank.
"I found Usoppu!" Chopper announced holding up a small Usoppu who was making small angry squeaking noises, "How're we gonna help him?" he asked.
"I don't know," Zoro said, but then they all heard a faint laughing, which was getting loader by the second and suddenly Taso reappeared.
"I probably should have said," Taso laughed, "I ate the size size fruit. I can shrink AND enlarge things,"
"Crap," Zoro muttered.
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
Tears flow from my eyes
so don't let go of my hand
I just started to understand
the true meaning of the things I love
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
Sanji drifted in and out of consciousness, his will alone preventing him from passing out in shock and pain from having some of his ribs and other bones broken all at once. But when he came to entirely he did not like what he saw. Gare was about to run Nami through with those branch-arms of his and she wouldn't be able to block it and seemed to be unable to move in order to dodge. Snapping himself awake Sanji mustered up all his strength and wriggled free from the vines that had a tight hold on him just in time to grab Nami and take the blow from her.
"SANJI-KUN!" Nami screamed from behind Gare.
And things seemed to move in slow motion after that. At first Sanji couldn't seem to understand how Nami could be safe in his arms and behind Gare at the same time.
Gare then pulled the sharpen limbs from Sanji making him cough up blood and jerking him just a bit at the same time, "When did she?" Gare called out in shock.
And at that moment the Nami-san in his arms, his beloved Nami-san who he had risked everything to save, slowly disappeared into the air. She became the air itself. While the Nami behind Gare stayed whole.
So the climatact could create mirages. How like Nami-san. The smart Nami was suteki as well. And with that Sanji landed on the ground finally giving into the urge to slip into sweet unconsciousness, were there was no pain and Nami never told him that she hated him.
"SANJI-KUN!" Nami screamed again just as Sanji hit the ground.
Nami no longer wishing to be careful with her lightening bolts sent a huge one Gare's way before he could even finish turning around to face her then quickly ran to Sanji's side.
"Sanji-kun," Nami said picking him up carefully by the shoulders and waited for a response. Something like this couldn't actually KILL Sanji, right? Right?
When Nami didn't receive a response from Sanji she began to shake him slightly frantic to wake him up.
"Sanji-kun!" She repeated a little louder this time.
No response.
She began to shake him harder.
"SANJI-KUN!" She yelled, Wake up! PLEASE!"
Nami was beginning to panic. Sanji had gotten hit in the chest…had Gare hit his heart? No one would survive THAT, not even Sanji!
She began to shake him still harder, "SANJI-KUN!" She was screaming now, tears running down her face.
Still nothing from Sanji.
Nami lay him back down on the grass and began crying on him. Giving up.
"Don't die Sanji," She wailed between sobs, "I didn't even get to apologize for what I said to you."
Nami took in a shuddering breath and lifted herself up far enough to see his face. He was wet and muddy from the still on going ran and her tears. They were both soaked from her rain, and yet the sun was coming up just now like everyday, despite what had happened to Sanji the world seemed to go on.
Nami dropped her head back onto Sanji's chest and pounded her head against it several time as if the action alone would bring Sanji back. If Sanji did not awake for a woman's tears then he was indeed gone.
"I was so stupid," Nami continued between sobs, "I don't hate you Sanji-kun… And – I realize that you act the way you do with Vivi with every other female… But I guess I was…jealous." She confessed, "In fact Sanji-kun… I think I've started to fall in love with you," she said the last part into his chest, as if fearful that the trees would her, "But I guess you'll never know that now," Nami sobbed.
Nami began to cry again when suddenly there was a hand on the back of her head and her tears jerked to a stop. At first Nami was fearful that Gare had awoken but then she noticed the steady rise and fall of Sanji's chest.
He was breathing?
Nami raised her head to look at Sanji's face. Sanji had a grin on his face so wide it could rival Luffy's.
"Sanji….kun," Nami said in disbelief.
Sanji only smiled wider in return and Nami smiled back, then punched him in the face.
Then when a smile is on my face
you hold me tightly in your arms
Because you showed me,
all the things money can't buy
Authors Note pt.2: GUH! I HATE writing fights… Oh well, I better get used to it! The next update will be up Dec.30th! Or otherwise it'll come sooner! And keep an eye out for my oneshots, I've got a SanjixNami, 2 ZoroxVivi, a KohzaxVivi, a RobinxLuffy, and an UsoppuxKaya all planned out so…… Otanoshimini!