An Old Cliche:
the desert's rose
Chapter 10 - Barefoot and In A Dress Only
-Final Performance: Kanashimi-
By: L.R. Pelgina
beta read by: Starfirehime
Authors Note pt.1: I already gave my reasons earlier for this being late! I sorry! Anyway this was suppoused to be up just in time for Vivi's B-Day which was 2/2! So,HAPPY BIRTHDAY VIVI! Even if it is late. And……Alrighty on to business, does anyone watch Teen Titans Go on Cartoon Network? Well in case it hasn't hit you yet I used Raven from Teen Titans Go as my, shall we say Muse, for Somber. I LOVE Raven from Teen Titans and I wanted to make Somber's powers as similar to Raven's as possible, so it took me a while to figure out a good fruit for Somber to have eaten in order to get powers like Raven's! Then it came to me! The SHADOW fruit! Anyway I don't wanna get to into it now, but on my author's page I'm gonna put up a full list of Somber, Taso, and Gare's powers and looks etc, i.e. they're profiles and I'll be doing this for every Island we go to, and every physical enemy they run into. So go there if you are curious! I would also like to say that this chapter was planned the way it was (or the fights were) because Vivi needs to learn to trust Robin I think and I figured this was the best way for them to start gettting along. And also that the SanjixNami fans shouldn't assume this is the end of it for them, I got more stuff planned. :sniker sniker: Anyway, Happy reading! Oh yeah! And you can go ahead and reveiw now, or...reveiw again I guess. Also my Microsoft word is out so until the next update try and put up with the bad spelling.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece! I DO however own A One Piece. Hahahahaha (you know, like a bathing suit ) I'll bet I'm not the FIRST loser to come up with that one :sweatdrops:
Bang bang, I shot you down
Bang bang, you hit the ground
Bang bang, that awful sound
Bang bang, I used to shoot you down
--Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down); Nancy Sinatra
Lucky for Vivi Luffy was right. Robin realized almost instantly what Somber was going to do and took and action against it.
"Cincuenta Fleur!" Robin shouted and hands sprang down from the ceiling and lifted Robin and Vivi off of the floor just before they were engulfed by the living shadow.
Somber re-appeared a moment later, rising up from the shadow on the floor. She looked up, unemotional, at the ceiling from which Robin and Vivi now hung. She smirked ever-so-slightly.
"Very clever," Somber raised her voice so they could hear her from the distance, "You seem to have figured out my powers,"
"Something to do with the shadow right?" Robin shouted in return, smiling bitterly, obviously nervous, "Though I don't know your abilities with them yet. Like what you did with our Captain for example,"
"Let me enlighten you a little then," Somber replied, "I ate the Kage kage fruit. I simply put your Captain in my shadow and am holding him there, and the only way to get him out is if I want him out, or if you beat me,"
Just then the floor next to her exploded, Vivi had extended her peacock slashers and tried to hit her. Somber jumped out of the way and was suddenly grabbed by some of Robin's extra hands on the floor.
"Just thought we'd take you up on your offer," Vivi said, smirking nervously, not really sure what she had gotten herself into.
Robin smiled at her and nodded, they were going to have to let their shadowed past no pun intended go for this one and work together.
"That was a nice try," Somber said suddenly flaring up with anger again, "But you'll have to do better!"
Somber's shadow turned into a circle underneath her and Robin's extra arms sank into the floor.
"Tch," Robin mummered under her breath, she really wasn't going to know what to do if she didn't know the girls abilities.
"Do you think it would work better if you grab her directly instead of off the floor Miss AllSunday?" Vivi asked.
Robin shook her head, "She'd just change herself and sink into her shadow, right? How about if we broke the lights? Then no more shadows,"
"But the sun's up now," Vivi said, "And we don't know if it's just shadow or dark that she can control….." Vivi trailed off, "I can't believe she got Luffy-san… I hope he's ok,"
Robin fell silent. She was just as worried as Vivi was, but she knew that if all they did was worry then they wouldn't be able to save him in the end.
"Don't worry, Miss Wednesday, we'll get him out," Robin said, which was true she was sure, she just didn't know how yet.
"Look at the good friends getting along so well," Somber said, a dark shadow covering her face.
Robin and Vivi could feel her anger flaring up again when suddenly she disappeared into her shadow again.
"What's going on!" Vivi shouted nervously, "You don't think she's going to go after Luffy-san do you?"
Robin's heart suddenly sank.
"Didn't she say Luffy-san was inside her shadow? Miss AllSunday what should we…"
"SHUTUP!" Robin yelled, not meaning to be harsh but having it come out as so anyway, "The captain will be fine,"
"For a matter of time anyway," Somber said suddenly appearing behind Robin.
She was coming out of the shadow that was being cast from the hanging lamp. Robin and Vivi were both quite surprised.
The lamp's shadow under Somber began to grow and seeped just underneath the hands that held Robin and began to suck them up. Robin, not about to let that happen to her was about to let go and jump when she noticed something odd about the floor. It was gone.
"Do you think I'm THAT foolish," Somber scoffed, I can control all the shadows here and so I simply connected all the shadows on the floor until it engulfed the whole thing. Somber turned to Vivi, "You should not be out playing with your friends when you have royal duties to tend to. I'm going to teach you that lesson the hard way. Just as I learned it."
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
Nami and Sanji finally reached the Going Merry Gou. The ship was quiet as Nami placed Sanji on the bed in the girls room. Sure it was hers but it was the only real bed inside the whole ship. Sanji was only halfway concious by now, Nami was surprised he was even that awake, he had been fully awake when they first started but due to fatigue and blood loss he was starting to lose his grip on being awake. He had probably refused to pass out so as not to put so much strain on her in walking.
Nami looked at Sanji on the bed for a moment and decided he would be fine by himself while she went to go find Chopper and the others for help. Nami turned and got her hand on the doorknob when Sanji spoke up.
"Nami-san. Don't go."
Nami froze, then turned her head enough to talk to Sanji, "I'm just going to get Chopper for you..." Nami trailed off when Sanji shook his head in response to her words.
"Chopper's the Super Doctor. He can probably smell the blood off of me from where he's at a is on his way at this very second," Sanji said the lauged meagerly, "So...stay with me," he pleaded.
Nami reluctantly took her hand off the door knob and sat down next to Sanji. Nami was now sure he had heard what she had said to him when she thought him to be unconscious after the fight with Gare. Nami wrenched at her hands nervously, sure Sanji was going to ask her about it. But the thing was, she wasn't really sure herself if she had meant what she had said. She had never been in love before and she wasn't sure if the feeling she was feeling towards Sanji were truly love or not.
She was sure she felt something different for him than she did all the others, but whether or not it was love...she had no clue.
A silence fell on the two for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably no longer than a couple of minutes.
"Nami-san..."
"Don't!" Nami interrupted him, "Please don't ask me if I meant it!"
Sanji paused, slightly shocked. That wasn't even what he was going to say. But at least now he was sure he hadn't imagined her confession.
"Why not?" Sanji asked before he could stop himself. He hadn't meant to say it, he didn't want to aggravate her, but for some reason he felt he couldn't let this go.
"Because! I'm not even sure if I meant it myself. I've never been in love before Sanji-kun,"
Silence fell between the two again.
"So," Sanji said so suddenly that it shocked Nami.
"What do you mean 'So'."
"So what if it isn't,"
Nami stared at him aghast, "I... Do YOU know what you feel for ME? If you weren't sure it was love but we ended up in a relationship wouldn't you be scared of hurting me?" she demanded.
Sanji shook his head, "No because I know exactly what it is I feel for you. I love you, Nami-san," he said without hesitating.
Nami blushed slightly, shocked at his out front confession.
"All the more reason," Nami said quietly, "I don't want to hurt you Sanji-kun,"
"But what would be the best way to find out if it's love or not?" Sanji asked, "Wouldn't it be to try out a relationship?"
"I guess, but..."
"Then let's try!"
"But what if it isn't love? I don't want to hurt..."
"We'll cross that road when we get there," Sanji paused, "Nami-san, you'll never be able to fall in love if you don't try!"
Nami fell silent for a moment. Thinking it over. Should she just throw cation to the wind and try a relationship with Sanji despite a posibility of hurting his feelings?
"Even if you end up hurt in the end?" Nami asked queitly.
"Even if," Sanji replied confidently.
Nami sighed and looked at the floor, somehow she knew it wouldn't be of any use to argue with Sanji.
"Alright," Nami said lifting her head, "let's give...it...a...tr...,"but Nami got cut off because Sanji had sat up in bed and leaned forward, and they kissed. It was short and sweet and rather odd due to the weird angle but it took both their breathes away.
After the kiss Sanji looked her in the face for what seemed like forever to Nami then he placed both hands on the side of her face and leaned in again...
SLAM!
The door swung open with a great force and Sanji fell to the floor with the shock. Nami instantly stood up as Usoppu and Chopper rushed into the room.
"I smell blood! Is everyone okay?" Chopper shouted.
That was it. Nami couldn't take it and so she began laughing uncontrollably. Usoppu and Chopper both looked at her oddly until they noticed Sanji on the floor and ran to help him.
"See, I told you," Sanji muttered as Chopper and Usoppu lifted him onto the bed.
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
Robin swallowed hard. She was sure how to get out of this one, and more importantly how on earth they were going to get Luffy out of that girl's. . .shadow. That's when the peacock slasher wizzed just past her ear.
Somber also barely had time to react, she quickly sank herself back in to the shadow the peacock slasher followed and was jerked out of Vivi's hands and sucked into the shadow. But it didn't matter, Vivi had gotten the reaction she was hoping for. With Somber's concentration broken the large shadow engulfing the floor disappeared.
"Go NOW! Miss AllSunday! It seems she wants me! Go and I'll figure out something!" Vivi shouted to Robin.
Robin looked at Vivi shocked. After all Robin had done to her in Alabasta the princess was trying to rish her life to save her. Robin half smiled bitterly, she guessed it was normal for a princess to put themselves after others, or at least the good ones, but this was ridiculous. Robin shook her head. Nope, she wasn't going anywhere! She had promised Luffy she would take care of her! And she was going to hold up to her word!
"I'm not going anywhere!" Robin said looking at Vivi sturnly to let her know she wasn't kidding. Vivi just looked straight back.
"Yes you are," Somber said returning from the shadow. As she did so did the large shadow on the floor. Robin and her hands began to start getting sucked into the shadow on the ceiling again but this time Robin had an idea and decided to give it a test run.
"Vente Fleur," Robin shouted and a bunch of hands sprang off of the hanging light and Robin swung herself to them.
Vivi smiled and figured to herself that this was probably why she had been Crocodile's partner, she was incredibly smart.
"Alright Miss Wednesday!" Robin shouted, "I got a plan to get rid of this spoiled brat! Let's get Luffy back!"
"OH!" Vivi shouted in return as a bunch of hands came and swung Vivi onto the next hanging lamp over.
Robin whispered her plan to Vivi as they both hung off of the hanging lamps and she nodded agreeing every step of the way.
"Alright," Robin said, "Let's go!"
Vivi nodded and whipped out the peacock slasher that Zoro had changed for her and whipped it around the next lamp closest to her and one further away from Robin.
"Ciento Fleur!" Robin shouted with conviction and then hundreds of hands sparng forth around the windows covering them up one at a time.
Vivi (now hanging from the lamp in the center of the room) pulled out her extra peacock slasher from her belt and began to put out all the lamps by breaking them. Somber would have tried to stop her but they had been right in taking the chance on her being able to control darkness because she couldn't, and without the shadows of the hanging lamps on the ceiling she had to quickly go down into the shadows on the floor. There was one lamp left when she got there, the only light left in the room, it was in the far corner and she was trapped so-to-speak in the small circle of light. Because despite being the Princess of Shadows. The ruler of the Island Mayonaka, the Island of eternal (almost) midnight. Somber had a crippling fear of the dark.
As Vivi brought back her peacock slashers in order to take out the last lamp, Somber finally lost it.
"DON'T! PLEASE!" Somber screamed, pleading.
Vivi brought down her peacock slasher and she and Robin exchanged glances.
"Then give us the eternal pose for Insula and return our Captain," Robin demanded.
"I CAN'T" Somber sobbed hulding up in what was left of the light.
Vivi was begining to feel bad now, "Why not?" she asked.
"IT'S ALL I HAVE LEFT OF MY FRIEND! MY NAKAMA!"
: - : - : (Flashback for Somber): - : - : - :
Somber had lost her family at the very young age of ten and had to resume all the royal duties of Mayonaka starting at that time. She was very lonely as a child. Even if she had Gare, who was the son of an old deceased friend of the family, and Taso, who had been her childhood friend for quite some time with a mysterious past that involved pirates, she still felt lonely. They were both boys and could not give her the type of close relationship she could have with a family member or with another girl her age. Then two years ago (making Somber 12) she met the person that was to become her best friend.
At a king's meeting over the draught and recent disappearance of the Princess in Alabasta is where Somber met Rackham Moderna. She was Somber's age but she was the apparent guardian of one of the nobles from Insula there. Whatever the case Somber was surprised to see a girl as young as she was there.
Apparently Moderna was surprised with Somber's presence as well because in the after mingling of the meeting Moderna came up and introduced herself.
Lonely and desperate for a friend and suddenly feeling compelled to tell her life story Somber told Moderna about herself, to which Moderna only smiled sweetly at Somber.
She told Somber that her parents had died recently too and that they were both very strong pirates and had taught her everything they knew, which was why she was strong enough to guard one of the royal families. Only Moderna didn't seem lonely at all to Somber. The girl was so strong, seemed to strong spirited compared to herself. It made Somber hate herself.
Somehow Moderna seemed to notice and offered that if Somber was so lonely she could come and join her over in Mayonaka and be her friend if Somber wanted her to. Somber was shocked a little at first, that she could switch what country she worked for so long and just come and join her in Mayonaka, but when she ran and asked Taso who had come with her he seemed to think it was a good idea as they were on good terms with Insula anyway and the King (Horatius' father at that time ) didn't seem to mind.
And so Moderna embarked out with them to Mayonaka that day and stayed with them for over a year and Somber and Moderna. But three months ago Moderna suddenly announced that she was going back to Insula.
She said she was bored with Mayonaka and Princess Somber herself and had decided to return to where she was before. Somber tried to stop her, desperate to keep the only friend that seemed to understand her, but Moderna called her selfish for keeping Moderna from her dream just for Somber's own happiness and then left, the two of them on bad terms.
This was why Mayonaka's alliance with Insula ended three months ago. Somber had been considering following Moderna and leaving her country. But she had come to love her country and couldn't just leave her duties, and so she stayed, and kept her only eternal pose to Insula as a treasure in case she ever changed her mind to go after her only friend.
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"It's all that I have left of Moderna," Somber sobbed, "She went to Insula and I wanted to go to. But I CAN'T! BECAUSE OF MY DUTIES!" Somber screamed between sobbs, "WHY DO YOU GET TO BE WITH YOUR FRIENDS DESPITE YOUR DUTIES! IT ISN'T FAIR!"
Robin looked over at Vivi. Vivi looked like she was about to start crying herself.
"Then we'll ask her to come back for you," Vivi said so suddenly it even shocked Robin.
Somber stopped sobbing and looked up at Vivi, "What?" she asked.
"I'm not with my friends because I left my country. I'm with my nakama because I need their help to go to Insula. And if you can't go to Insula to go and get your friend then I'll ask your friend to come back to you. I'm sure once your nakama hears that you need her that she'll come back to you."
Somber continued to look at Vivi, shocked, "You'd do that for me?" Somber asked.
"If we can have the eternal pose," Vivi promised, "And you give us back our Captain,"
Somber looked at Vivi as if trying to read her to see if she was lying, but apparently decided that she wasn't because she nodded and said, "Ok."
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Zoro kicked open the door at the top of the stairs but had obviously arrived to late. Robin was lowering herself to the floor using her extra hands as more of those extra hands began to extract themselves off the windows and all the lamps in the room were broken except one.
A young girl with long purple hair and a black robe in the corner gasped when Zoro ran in and cowered when she noticed his swords.
"It's alright," Vivi said, "He's a friend of mine,"
It took Zoro a moment to realize that Vivi was hanging off of a lamp in mid-air.
"VIVI! What are you doing up there!" Kohza demanded from behind Zoro.
Vivi smiled and waved at Kohza and Zoro, "Hanging out," she said and laughed slightly at her stupid joke, "What took you guys so long?"
Robin walked over to the young girl and an unconscious Luffy seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Robin bent over to check on him.
"The swordsman got us lost!" Kohza shouted back.
"SHUT UP!" Zoro shouted.
"Come down from there!" Kohza shouted back ignoring Zoro.
"Ah! Just as soon as I figure out ho--" Vivi began when suddenly she was falling.
Zoro and Kohza both gasped but Zoro was quicker. He was under her in seconds and dove underneath her just in time to catch her before she fell.
Vivi sat in his arms shocked as he began to stand up. Zoro noticed Robin smile and wink at him just as she turned her head back to look at Luffy.
What the hell did she mean by that! It wasn't like Zoro WANTED to catch Vivi, right? Right? Zoro scowled at Robin's back and a hand grew on the lamp and untangled it from the lamp dropping it in Vivi's lap, who was still in Zoro's arms.
"You can put Miss Wednesday down now. Kenshi-san," Robin said matter-of-factly.
Zoro blushed slightly and placed Vivi down on the floor.
Vivi smiled, "Thank you Mr. Bushido," she said sweetly.
"Whatever," Zoro replied and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
Kohza just frowned at them and Robin. What was that women trying to do anyway.
: - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : -: - : - :
The next morning everyone was rested and ready to go back to the Going Merry Gou and head out for Insula. Usoppu had come back to tell everyone that Sanji, Nami, and Chopper were all fine and were waiting for them on the ship. Taso and Gare where both back at the castle and had seen a doctor and where going to be fine as well. They both apologized for causing trouble.
Luffy happily held up the eternal pose to Insula, "Man to think this little thing could cause so much trouble," he said.
"Be CAREFUL with that!" Usoppu and Kohza both shouted.
Luffy sweatdropped.
Just before they all left after saying their goodbyes Somber came and pulled Vivi off the the side.
"I just wanted to apologize again," Somber said.
"Don't worry about it," Vivi replied, "Who know what I would have done in your shoes,"
"Also," Somber paused, "I haven't got a picture of Moderna but...she, Moderna, The Black Mariah...The Witch will be barefoot and in a dress only. That's how you can tell who she is. I'm sorry but that's all I can give you,"
Vivi nodded, "I'll find her! I promise!" she said and the Luffy pirates left.
Back on the Going Merry Gou while Chopper ran off to survey the damages on everyone, Sanji and Nami quickly decided with each other that although they WERE now in a relationship that they would keep it secret from the others for the meantime, then went out to great the others as well.
"Hey Nami! We got the eternal pose for Insula! Look!" Luffy shouted excitedly at Nami as the others greeted each other loudly.
"Oh," Nami shouted, "Let me see it,"
"OK!" Luffy shouted back and tossed it over all the heads of the people in the way.
SMASH! The eternal pose broke into a thousand pieces on the wall next to Nami.
Everyone instantly fell silent and Luffy sweatdropped.
"LUFFY! YOU IDIOT!" Everyone shouted at once.
Authors Note pt.2: Ok! The next update will DEFINITELY be up on Monday Feb. 20th! Or probably sooner as I have a LOT of lost time to make up for. Sorry again guys. And Otanoshimini!