A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, and even those who haven't. Thank you especially Charlette, who helped me see the error of my ways and start calling Robin Nee-chan instead of Nii-chan. So, what does fate hold in store for our heroes? Let's see, shall we?

Ch 8:

A Familiar Kind of Darkness

The sun had set a short time before in a dazzling display of crimson and golden radiance, the supplies were thoroughly stowed in the hold and the Merry Go was ready to depart the island of Solstin forever. The night was long, and Robin's turn at watch passed slowly. Perched in the crow's-nest with her blanket wrapped around her, and a steaming mug of coffee in her hands, her mind whirled. She knew that they would be leaving the island at first light, but something weighed heavily on her mind.

The main specter plaguing her thoughts was the Aliotto family. They were a mystery to everyone, and if there was one thing that interested Robin it was a good mystery, but now it seemed that she would never get the opportunity to find out what actually happened to them. She found the whole prospect more than vaguely irritating.

"Oi, Robin. Are you there?" Zoro called as he stepped onto the deck.

"Hai."

"I'm here to relieve you." He said, swinging up and climbing the rigging to the crow's-nest.

"Oh, Alright. Thank you Swordsman-san." She said, as she began to move out of his way.

"Robin?" Asked Zoro.

"Yes?" She replied, halting with one hand on the rail of the crow's-nest.

"Why do you do that?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why do you call everyone by a title?" He asked. Normally he didn't care about things like this, but for some reason it was different this time.

There were many things she could have told him. She could have lied. She could have been needlessly and brutally honest, but that was just not her. Instead, she just smiled and and asked the inquisitive young man. "Do you really want to know?"

"…I guess not…"

Climbing down, she started on her way back to the woman's quarters when Zoro's voice broke her concentration. "Oi, Robin!"

"Yes, Swordsman-san?"

"Actually, I do want to know." He called down, resting his head on his crossed arms as they rested on the rail.

"…It's part of who I am. Much like your desire to be the strongest swordsman is a part of you." She explained, looking up to him.

After a short while he nodded and smiled. "Ah, I think I get it." turning back to face the sea in front of him he continued, "We'll leave it at that."

"Thank you Swordsman-san." She replied, heading below deck.

Zoro's grunted response was almost too low for her to hear.

The female's quarters were a sweet smelling haven on the ship. Anywhere else onboard the scent of sweat and seawater overpowered all other smells, except for the kitchen when Sanji was cooking. The male's quarters were an oderific nightmare, but here in the girl's cabin the more delicate scents of tangerine perfume and jasmine could be detected. Slipping into her pajamas Robin crawled into the bunk she shared with Nami.

She tried to sleep, she really did, but the mystery of the island weighed heavily on her mind.

Robin loved mysteries, she always had and she supposed that that was the reason she had become a historian. However, they were slated to leave Solstin tomorrow, so it seemed that she never would get the chance to uncover what had happened to the Aliotto family… Unless she did something about it right now.

She was instantly awake as the thought came to her mind. That was it! She could sneak off the ship right now. Zoro was most likely asleep, and if she was correct it would be at least a half an hour until Luffy attempted his nightly snack raid on the kitchen.

Quickly yet silently enough not to awaken Nami, she dressed in one of her explorer outfits, a slinky little number consisting of red knee-high boots, black miniskirt, blood red blouse, and black jacket. As an after thought she donned her black cowgirl hat. With a few deft scrawls of her pen she left a note small note asking them to wait for her. She didn't know if they would, but she hoped so.

Soon she was ashore on the isle. Hurley had mentioned that the Aliottos had lived on the opposite side of the isle from Quinox, so she headed down the western path.

Good… The phantom thought as it watched Robin venture into the woods. Soon… very soon…
Something terrible and important had happened here. The Aliottos must have possessed some great secret that the World Government had deemed incredibly dangerous. Pulling out her notebook and pencil Robin set about exploring the area, searching for anything, any clue that could tell her about the people who had once lived at this location.

The signs of violence were everywhere. The evidence was so plainly apparent that even a blind man would have noticed. The marks on and around the Aliotto dwelling were hauntingly familiar to Robin. She had never been here before, but she knew the signs of a Buster Call, even if it had taken place some thirteen years earlier.

The building and surroundings were pitted and filled with craters from the barrage. After all this time without proper care of the dwelling the jungle had largely reclaimed the edifice and it's environs. Curious, Robin crept inside the house. Inside was just as worn as it was on the outside. The only difference between the inside and outside was that the all-encroaching foliage hadn't been able to force it's way too far inside.

Stepping out of the house after a time she began to pace around the jungle, ever on the lookout for oddities. As she swept away the foliage around the deepest of craters she thought she saw an odd glint. Bending down even further she brushed at the loose dirt piled in the bottom by erosion.

It was metal. Under the rock and stone of the island was an odd metal that had a peculiar sheen in the moonlight. This puzzled Robin. Why would there be metal under the ground? This Island kept getting stranger and more mysterious as she dug deeper into its secrets.

As she noted all of her findings in her notebook a faint melody caught her attention. Somewhere close by someone was whistling a rather morose and melancholy tune. Odd, hadn't Hurley-san said that no one ever sang or made music on Solstin ever since the Aliottos perished?

Intrigued, she followed the faint noise and her questing fingers uncovered a metallic hatch well hidden in the undergrowth. The hatch was of the same metal that was exposed in the craters and seemed to be bolted directly into the ground of the island. As she opened the hatch a shaft of moonlight streamed in, barely illuminating the darkness below. When the light fell on what seemed to be a globe of glass the globe flickered to life with the same soft silvery light. It wasn't long before the light spread off down a man made corridor running through what should have been the bedrock of the isle.

There was no doubt in her mind that this was the place that the music was coming from, for as she opened the hatch the melody swelled subtly softer. With one last look toward the night sky and at her surroundings, Robin let herself gingerly down the hatchway and into the tunnel, the silvery glow seemingly coming from all around her.

One way or another, she would soon solve Solstin's mystery.

Unheeded by Robin the cloaked form of the phantom slipped into the tunnel using the same hatch a good while after her.

A/N: Wow, I think I'm actually not taking as long to get chapters out as I used to. Hopefully ch. 9 will be out even sooner. Well, spring break might have something to do with my speed. As always, R&R!