A/N: Finally, I've finished this chappie. I am so sorry for not getting it to you earlier, but I've been watching/reading stuff about Hunter x Hunter. XD And I've been writing my ZoSan drabbles. Anyway, here's a gift for you. I'll post up both chapters that I have already written! How 'bout that for a welcome back! –everyone glares at her- -cowers- My longest chapter! -celebrates-
Disclaimer: Do I really have to do this? -sighs- It ruins all my dreams you know …
Zoro: -growls-
Athe-san: -holds up hands- Okay, okay … Idon'townOnePiece. Now pay with my broken dreams! -cries-
Zoro: … okay then …
RR: Reviews Response
Well, thank you to everyone who put up with my time delay (-glares at Tammi/Kimi/whoever you are), and here are the next two chapters!
Sanji-luver: XD All hail fluff. Me likes fluff.
Thomas Drovin: Yeah, it does. Except that's too deep into the plot. -winks-
P1Nk PrIC3s5: Check next chap. XP Does it satsify your needs for a while?
Allison Peche: XD Thanks Alli. You're coming in 2/3 chappies time ... look out for ya. Oh, some costume changes are occuring as well. XD Hope you're kay with that.
Rushing wind, air pushing past her body, flicking her hair back viciously, tearing at her clothes, leaving her unable to speak-
I shuddered. I didn't want to remember the separation.
I looked around the table. These things were easy to forget as I watched the usual way we ate breakfast in the morning. At home it would be just me eating before I went to work or school …
The memories flashed up again.
"Mel, hold on!" I screamed as my friend was drawn into the vortex. I grabbed my friends hand and gripped as hard as I could. Mel hung on for dear life, but she slipped, and reached her hand up to me as I yelled for her, as she plummeted down into the blackness.
As she fell, her hair turned light silver, her body grew, and her eyes turned purple. The three of us were a bit shocked by this, but we cried out for the loss of our dear friend. I comforted myself by cursing Kitsune-sensei, and just hoped that she reached a happy world where she could survive a day, instead of a bleak and nasty one.
I shook my head sadly, as the mayhem and chaos continued. I couldn't remember it … it was too hard. Unbidden, a tear leaked out of the corner of my eye.
The ever-caring Sanji came up and put his arms around me, and whispered into my ear. "If that baka swordsman did anything to you, I'll go and bash him up." I smiled.
"No, Sanji-kun, that's not it."
"Then, why?" he asked, still behind me. But if he was looking into my eyes, I knew his would be filled with concern and care for his … dare I say it … girlfriend.
"Don't worry about it. I'll tell you later." With that I was silent, and picking at my food subconsciously.
Sanji smiled, and went to sit down and have his food. Which had, in fact, mysteriously disappeared. His face morphed into an angry one, as he yelled, "LUFFY, YOU BAKA!"
I thought to myself, Luffy wa baka desu. I smiled thinly, at constructing a sentence in Japanese which was probably wrong in the first place.
As Luffy passed the table on the chase he was leading Sanji, he sat down in the chair and asked me, "Hey, Athe, what's your dream?"
I drew back shocked, as Sanji yelled, "Now look what you've done, you baka!" and thumped Luffy on his head. The colour drained out of my face. The memories had resurfaced.
The vortex was ever tearing at us, pulling and pushing, both at the same time. Ever since the bet with Kitsune-sensei we had been stuck in space, not knowing what would happen.
We joined into a circle, holding each other's arms like they were the thread to life itself. The hole pulled at Mel the most, so I and Annie were trying to hold on to her, in fear of losing our best friend.
Annie's grip wasn't strong enough, no matter how hard she had tried. Her glasses had been ripped off by the harsh wind, and it was a matter of time before we would too, be scattered like leaves by the wind.
"Mel, hold on!" I screamed as my friend was drawn into the vortex. I grabbed my friends hand and gripped as hard as I could. Mel hung on for dear life, but she slipped, and reached her hand up to me as I yelled for her, as she plummeted down into the blackness.
As she fell, her hair turned light silver, her body grew, and her eyes turned purple. Amazingly, her face seemed to age and the three of us were a bit shocked by this, but we cried out for the loss of our dear friend. I comforted myself by cursing Kitsune-sensei, and just hoped that she reached a happy world where she could survive a day, instead of a bleak and nasty one.
We wept, as our circle went from four to three. The vortex seemed less relentless, but we knew better. My cursing grew louder.
"Damn you, Kitsune!" I screamed, and for that moment, I knew my curse had reached the heavens above.
The three of us, Victoria, with her glorious honey-blonde hair, Annie, with her happy disposition suddenly silenced, and me with my temper rising furiously, clung to each other.
Before long, the winds tugged at Annie. Victoria and I tried again not losing a companion, as we yelled and screamed above the buffeting winds for Annie to hold on.
Annie's brown eyes gazed up at us, and we knew she was ready to accept her fate, as she shouted at us to let go. As she fell, we had tears in our eyes.
The Asian's body metamorphosed as well. Her wavy black hair grew in length, and straightened miraculously. Her bones grated and grew at an alarming pace to make herself about five foot eleven. Her normally brown eyes changed into a mossy green, as she waved up at us sadly.
Now we were two. I hugged Victoria.
"Sadly," I shouted, "we, too, are going to have to go."
She nodded to show she understood. For the two of us, it was a big impact to see our two best friends lost. Each of us wept for all the times we had together, good or bad.
Me and Mel watching Bleach. Me at Annie's house, watching Naruto with her, as we both ate something her mother had given us. Mel and I running the stupid fun run we had had at the end of third term. Annie going emo, and us trying to prevent it.
The memories flowed through my brain, not even giving me time to think.
The vortex beckoned us, after what seemed like three minutes. The two of us held each other's hand, staring out into the blackness, trying to see some semblance of light. Light at the end of the tunnel.
We were pulled towards a gap in the black canvas; a black hole trying to suck in the sun. Memories of me and Victoria circled through our brains now, precious times I held dear.
Our hands slipped, but we were still standing next to each other. This was the time when our metamorphosis took effect. My normally dark brown hair turned black, and Victoria's in contrast, bleached a few shades. Her eyes stayed the same, and the two of us grew thinner, but she grew an inch or so, while I stayed 5' 8". She yelled out to me goodbye, but somehow, it was changed into, "Au revoir!" And she didn't even learn French. I smirked.
"See ya!" I shouted back, as the two of us were pulled into the hungry wound in the universe; sucked into a lifeless hole. But, I knew, that all of us would see each other in a day's time. How wrong I was.
"My … dream?" I asked incredulously. I had completely forgotten. On the Going Merry, you needed a dream to qualify. I sighed.
"Are you okay, little girl?" a husky, female voice asked.
I glanced up, and a busty red-head was looking at me concernedly. I nodded my head, and inwardly fumed. Little girl indeed!
"Well, my name's Faden. Nice to meet you."
"Yuran Athenus desu," I replied. "Pleasure's all mine." For some reason, I felt the need to use a pseudonym, to shield myself.
The older woman smiled heartily. "Good to see there's some life in you." The brogue that the woman drawled in was comforting, and I grinned unintentionally.
I stood up, and brushed my legs, noticing I was in different clothes to what I had been stranded here in. My casual jeans and two layered top was replaced with a brown tank top, and a pink mini-skirt over black leather three-quarter pants, with runners snugly fitting my still large feet.
"Well, young 'un, do you want to come back to the pub with me?" she asked amicably.
"Which pub?" I asked, the question already out of my mouth before I could do anything about it.
"Aah. We have a newcomer." Faden came over, and looped her arm through one of mine. "You have a lot to learn young 'un, if you want to fit in here."
"Fit … in?" I asked reluctantly.
Faden nodded. "Well, you don't have a job, I suppose?"
I shook my head.
"House? Relatives on the island? Money?"
I shook no to every question, and Faden's smile grew wider.
"Well, I have just the job for you."
Three years later …
The pub was widely frequented, with many pirates, bounty hunters and the like inhabiting the dingy shack. Faden-sama and I brought in a lot of customers, through advertising and the like. I was the bartender, the waitress, and the cleaner when there was a brawl, which happened almost daily.
After business that night, Faden drew me aside in a private spot. "Now, Athe-chan, I've got another job for you to do. You don't have to if you want, but if just for earning extra money when you're in a spot."
I gulped. "What is it?" I asked reluctantly.
Faden-sama took a deep breath in, and said, "Prostitution."
I jerked back in shock. "You mean, me have sex for money?" I yelled.
Faden hushed me. "Keep it quiet girl, we don't want the whole of Ischel in here screaming. Yes, I do mean that. But it's your choice."
"I'm only fourteen, for God's sake!" I protested.
"It's legal here for you to have sex when you're thirteen, you know," she pointed out.
My eyes bulged. "THIRTEEN? God, no wonder there are so many babies on this island!"
Faden chuckled. "I'm not trying to pressure you into this, you know," she said comfortingly.
"You could have fooled me," I muttered under my breath.
Faden grinned, hearing my remark. "So, do you want to try your hand at prostitution?"
I glared daggers at her.
"I take it as a yes."
"Yeah, your dream!" Luffy yelled in that annoyingly hyper voice of his.
I sat there in silence. What was my dream? Sure, I wanted to publish a book, but here, in Non-Reality, it didn't seem so important.
"SANJI!" I yelled in a fit of ecstasy.
The two of us were sweating, me and an unknown person, whom I would be forgotten by after this night.
"Why did you yell that?" he asked, interested. His voice was a flat monotone, that was raw and hoarse, and faintly smelled of smoke.
"Gomen …" I whispered. "You just reminded me of someone named … Sanji."
The man rose off the bed, and gazed out the window. With the sliver of light the moon provided, I could see lank brown hair framing his face.
He turned to face me, and I saw stitched scars. Ugly. I shuddered.
"Well, my gaishou, instead of that inferior name, please call me Sir Crocodile."
"To find my friends."
"Your friends?" he asked, puzzled.
I laughed. "My old nakama."
"Oh." For once Luffy shut up, but he was on the move again, Sanji restarting his chase again.
I smiled somewhat sombrely, and took everyone's plates for washing up, as everyone decided on what they were going to do. Usopp was on crow's nest duty, Zoro would be training/sleeping, like usual, and Nami would be sunbaking, and looking after the Log Pose. Undoubtedly, Luffy would be sitting in his seat, and Sanji would be doing what he does best. And I would be cleaning, obviously.
"PIRATES!" the scared voice of Usopp yelled. I grinned, and ran out on deck. It was time to kick some pirate booty.
Next on Cursed Love …
The Mugiwaras face a hostile pirate crew, with two stowaways. Sanji misunderstands something, and Athenus is devastated. And worst of all, now the Straw Hats have the two stowaways, who Athenus knows somehow.
The Pirates! A Mistake in the Plan!