I do apologize for those of you awaiting this long. ive been sidetracked and lost interest for a while and wanted to try and get a few chapters written ahead of time and give you guys more updates. but right now I've to write two more chapters after this one and chapter seven is going through some minor grammar fixes so i can soon get this little story kicking!
Now for the disclaimer! I own nothing related to the One Piece franchise they belongs to its creator! all I own are my OC's and Jewel island and any other islands I come up with in the future of this story. Now Onwards with the story!
A Tale of a Nine Tail: Chapter 5
"You want me to do what?!" She sat up from the couch so quickly that it caused the wet rag that was laying on her forehead to fly off. Staring in disbelief and surprise at her sister's request. There was no effing way she was entering that damned pagent. No matter how much she wanted to enter!
"To enter the Miss Jubilee pageant. Come on! It's been your dream for years! This could be your chance since the town is so focused on getting ready for the festival! Plus you'll have your disguise!" She told her sister. Their mother had competed in the pageant a few times over the years and Aria wanted to at least try out the festival but ever since that one incident years ago the town has ridiculed her and outcasted her from the festivals. To which prevented Aria to truely enjoy the festival again. It also lead to herself and her sister coming up with her disguise to enjoy the festival together.
"No way in hell! I am not joining that festival to please the stupid town or even for myself! They made it quite clear that they don't want me around at all!" Aria states crossing her arms and had an angered scowl on her face. Her little sister frowned at this. It has been her big sister's dream to compete at least once in this pageant but, her own insecurities and fears were holding her back.
"Aria please enter the pageant just once! Just this once! I beg of you Aria." Ray tears up a little to help her convince her sister. She couldn't resist her own sister crying. Aria faltered and was beginning to quiver at the sight of the slight tears forming in her sister's eyes. "God dammit Ray! Why the eyes?! Why must it always be the eyes Ifall for?!" Aria groaned in frustration finalizing her own thoughts before speaking to her sister, "Fine Ray! Just-Just stop it with the damn tears already!" Aria crossed her arms and looked away from her sister in irritation.
Ray-Ray has the biggest smile appear on her face and threw herself onto her sister for a big hug. "Thank you Aria! You won't regret it I promise!" She told her older sister and right now they had to prepare for the pageant and get started on her disguise!
Later that night...
The festival was underway! Tourists both young and old walked along the streets of the lined up booths in town. Some booths held games, some were merchandise tables for the festival specifically, and there is even a puppet show going on and entertaining the young children about the Jewel Island guardian. The Strawhat crew couldn't be more impressed with the festivities going. Sanji was already planning out on flirting with all the pretty lady's roaming the festival. Nami and Robin headed towards town square to register for the pageant and the rest of the crew just enjoyed themselves.
At the registration table Aria was waiting in line to register with a bunch of other women both familiar and unfamiliar doing the same. She was really nervous at this point and she had told her sister to go enjoy the festival while she went to register and prepare for the pageant. She hadn't even noticed the Robin and Nami were standing in line with her. As Aria finally approached the table and signed her fake name and age and other talents for the pageant she hadn't noticed that her festival kimono had loosened and revealed her old scar on the back of her shoulder. Robin and Nami had noticed the scar and recognized who it belonged to and pieced it together that Aria was entering the pageant in disguise.
Aria sighed in relief as they accepted her application for the pageant, step one done. Step two a work in progress. She stepped off to the side away from the crowds and took a moment to herself to settle her nerves.
"God that was intense." She whispered to herself and let her shoulders sag in relief. Facing the townsfolk in her disguise today was extremely nerve wracking. She then began messing with her bracelet for a bit of comfort.
"I'll say." A voice said behind her making her cry out and jump in surprise. She quickly turned around and was facing Robin and Nami. "You really pulled off that disguise, didn't recognize you until your clothes slid off and revealed that scar of yours." Nami pointed out as they looked over her disguise she had a lavender wig on that reached to her shoulders and had little fake freckles decorating her cheeks and some make up to lighten up her skin tone and her clothes were still quite loose.
Aria panicked and quickly pulled her kimono closer and tightened her kimono. She couldn't believe she was so stupid to let her kimono loosen up so much that her scar had shown! She thanks the island guardian for the townsfolk not recognizing it. She looked up at Nami and Robin with slight fear of them telling the townsfolk about her entering the Jubilee pageant.
"Please don't tell anyone I'm entering the pageant. This is the only chance I've got in having a truely good time at this festival." Aria asked them with pleading eyes. Tears threatening to trail down her cheeks. Nami and Robin looked at each contemplating for a moment before Nami sighed and nods.
"Fine we'll keep your secret, for a small fee." Nami had this weird twinkle in her eyes when she asked for the fee to keep her secret. But this action only made Aria angry at the redhead. "Typical for a fucking pirate to ask for a fee in keeping a secret." Aria seethed at Nami who was taken back by the young women's sudden change attitude. "All you pirates are the fucking same! You guys never do anything out of the goodness of your hearts. Your hearts are filled with greed. Go ahead and tell the fucking town I'm entering the pageant. Then you'll get to see what they do to me! To an innocent women who has been falsely accused of being a demon!" Aria was practically crying by now and took off into the festival crowd to find her sister leaving behind a dumbfounded Nami and a even more curious Robin.
Back on the other side of the square Ray Ray was siting at an empty table waiting for her sister to come back from registering. As she waits she watches the crowd of tourists and townsfolk go on about their business in the festivities. As she looks through the crowd she spots two very familiar people she had met with earlier in the day. It brought a big smile to her face in seeing the two familiar people. She got up and grabbed her bag and jogged towards the two people forgetting about her sister for a moment. "Usopp! Franky!" She called out to them and they turned around and found her running towards them.
"Ray!" Usopp was ecstatic to seeing Ray-Ray again. Though he was still a little wary of Ray after the crew revealed that Fox demon Aria is Ray's older sister. He can't help but be werry about her sister. I mean how can Aria be a demon if Ray-Ray is so sweet?
"Hey sis! You here to enjoy the festivals too?" Franky grins as Ray-Ray nods. "I am. It just gets bigger and bigger every year I come for the festival." Ray-Ray told them smiling.
The crowd around them ignore the two teens and half naked man as they go around to do their business and enjoy the games at the game stalls.
"Have you spotted the demon yet?" Ray recognised the voice to be the daughter of the florists family in town, Rose. She frowned as Rose walks past them with her brother Antonio who flings his arm around his sister like a protective blanket. She really hates these two especially what they did to her sister a year ago.
"No need to worry sis. I won't let that bitch hurt you or anyone on the island. If she shows up I can just remind her by adding another scar to her other shoulder." The two laugh and Ray-Ray's stomach turns at those harsh words. Her hands clench at her side and she so badly wants to ram her horns into his ass as they walk away.
The memory of Aria coming home with her shoulder covered in blood and so pale, it reminded her how cruel this island can be. That was also when reality finally hit her. Her sister wasn't gonna willingly fight back and cause more problems for herself and that she was no longer safe. Ray-Ray promised herself to always look after her older sister, to keep her smiling.
Usopp had to ask Ray the big question that's been wracking through his head since this afternoon, he had to know. "So Ray, is your sister really… really a demon?" Usopp asked her and he watches this young half sheep women's body shake in anger. Her eyes turn to him and they were filled with such pain and hurt. He felt something inside him while looking into those eyes. It makes him wish that he could just take that pain away from her, and yet he doesn't know how to do that or even why he wants to do it. Sure she's pretty but they had only just met this afternoon. Plus her sister did hurt his captain so it has to be true… right?
"She is not a demon!" Ray-Ray snapped. She then realized she had just snapped at Usopp who had done nothing to anger her. She quickly calms herself down before she spoke any further. Usopp cringed and Franky sighs as they wait for her to calm down. After a moment Ray-Ray opens her hazel eyes and turns to face the two people who she had grown to like in the short amount of time she's known them. I mean you sort of connect with them when you help care for someone who was shot and flung out of a cannon.
"S-Sorry…" Usopp mumbles since that was all he could say. What else was he to say? Sorry your sister is a demon that people don't like? Yeah that will go oh so well.
"I'm sorry for snapping… I can explain to you the whole story over some chocolate cupcakes with avocado icing I made this afternoon." Ray-Ray ask as she faces the two males. She watches their noses twitch at the mention of her avacado icing and she couldn't help but giggle a little.
"I promise it tastes better than you think." Ray-Ray turns and looks back to the boys. They look at each other and shrug their sholder.
"I'm always supper down with hearing the truth." Franky says and Usopp nods. Ray-Ray grins and turns back to walk to the table she was sitting at before. She was glad to see the table wasn't taken while she had momentarily left it and it wasn't too busy around them either. This way there was no way the town can over hear and have them butt in while she told the truth of her sister to her two friends She pulls out the two cupcakes from her little basket and gives them to her new friends as they sit.
"Where do I start?" Ray-Ray mumbles as she pulls a cupcake out for herself.
"Why do the town people call her a monster?" Usopp ask as he looks at the dessert. Avocado in a desert… He wont say no to it but, he never really liked the green vegetable all that much. He slowly takes a bite and he can't believe how good it taste. It nothing like the vegetable. It sweet and soft.
"Ok… So as you know our town is rich on jewels and mining. That also means we get a lot of pirates wanting to take the island for themselves. There was a... incident that happened 12 years ago and it forever scarred the town and things went downhill for my sister." She took a bite of her cup cake and pulled out a bottle of cola to drink with her snack. "There was a man that went by the name Gold Digger Mason. Captain of the Gōrudodigā pirates. He's the reason for the incident, he came to the island to hopefully take it over. He was also in search of the Ten Sacred Jewels. It's a well known legend amongst the Grandline. They say if all ten are gathered together then something amazing will happen. Anyways he was in possession of the Ocean Sapphire Jewel and he came looking to take over the island and have someone tell him how to activate the jewel. He came looking for my uncle and my daddy since those two knew the legend so well, it was their dream to collect all ten jewels." Ray-Ray giggled remembering how much her father and uncle would speak about the jewels when she was little. She took another sip of her cola drink before returning to her story.
"Back to the story, he went towards the the mines at Mt. Jewel but he ran into my Uncle and my sister. My sister was with our uncle that day to see what our uncle and daddy did in the mines. That day was the same day she ate her devil fruit. The Kit Kit fruit: Model Fox, and from what I was told my sister was tossed up into a tree to be safe while our uncle fought Mason and his group of pirates with his own devil fruit. My sister wanted to help our uncle in the fight but when Mason was on the verge of losing he was looking to get any kind of leverage on my uncle and when my sister arrived Mason took that chance and began shooting at my sister. But her devil fruit powers gave her amazing reflexes to dodging the bullets though he managed to get my sister in the chest when she tripped herself while dodging those bullets. But then," Ray-Ray tears up a little and clutched her cola bottle. Usopp and Franky could tell how hard it was to even speak about the uncle. He seemed like a really great man. Ray-Ray took a couple deep breaths before speaking again. "Mason was about to take a kill shot at my sister when my uncle tackled Mason to throw his aim off, Mason instead turned his gun on my uncle and shot him point blanks in the heart." Ray-Ray had to wipe her eyes before continuing again. "My sister ran to my uncle in hopes of saving him but it wasn't gonna happen. He said a couple final words to my sister before he passed. My sister was devastated that she couldn't protect my uncle. And then when Mason was about to kill her with his gun, her power was unleashed and released a wall of fire that surrounded my sister like a protective barrier. Mason tried to kill her with his gun but he had dropped it because it had become so hot from the flames that lashed out around her surroundings. My sister is in possession of the Fire Fox Ruby one of the sacred jewels, and its power was that of fire and she also awakened her devil fruit power at the same time. She started attacking him and Mason fearing for his life had ran from her and headed back to the docks where his ship was in hopes of sailing away from the island but my sister was in a sense on a killing spree against the pirates. She chased him all the way to the docks where the rest of Mason's crew was and she burned the ship and the whole crew on the ship. Mason escaped the burning ship and crawled up onto the dock and my sister was about to make the killing blow and he blurts out the words 'Demon Fox' and then she killed him right there on the docks. That name rang through the villagers minds and sown the fear into their hearts of my sister." She could see the slight astonishment in both Franky and Usopp's eyes after she told them she burned the crew to death.
"You guys have to understand that this was the work of her inner animal of her devil fruit that did all this. This is the reason she hates pirates so much and why she attacked your captain. She's been ridiculed by the island in fear of her powers and of losing control of her devil fruit powers. She hasn't attacked anyone or scared anyone since that day and has been training her ass off to make sure this didn't happen again. And all these years she's been suffering just as I have hearing these insults and cruel things this island does to my sister. She's still the same sweet sister I've grown up with. She's no demon." She told them. Franky has tears streaming down his face at the sad story of Ray-Ray's sister.
"I'm sorry that happened to your sister Ray." Usopp told her to which she smiled in thanks.
"Thank you guys for taking the time to listen to the truth. It's hard to talk to anyone about my sister without the locals butting in." Ray told them.
"It's fine Ray. I'm just glad I can put my fears away of your sister back in the barrel." Ray giggled at his metaphor. She was really liking this boy. And the blue haired man made her smile as he was trying to be tough not crying when clearly he had streams of his tears running down his cheeks. She was really liking these two more and more.
Back with Aria she had hid herself in a small alleyway to calm herself down before she had a major meltdown. She was taking deep breaths and thinking happy thoughts. She couldn't lose it now! Not when she was so close to being in the pageant and she will not let that stupid redhead get the best of her! She wiped away the tears and could hear the announcer call out the last minute sign ups for the pageant. She took another deep breath and walked out of the alleyway as if she hadn't cried her eyes out just a few minutes ago. She makes it backstage and begins getting ready for the pageant.
Outside in the audience Ray-Ray was trying to get a better view of the stage for the pageant so she could cheer her sister on. She yelped as she was lifted up and settled onto Franky's shoulder. "Thought you would like the super nice view sis." He told her winking. She giggled a little.
"Thank you Franky. It's much appreciated!" Usopp on the other hand was mildly seething at his crew mate. It's like he total ignored Usopp's feelings for Ray! "Hey Usopp! Why don't you come up and join me here?" Ray asked him.
"That's a super idea!" And Franky throws Usopp onto his other shoulder. Ray giggled at how Usopp landed on the backside of the other shoulder. "The pageant is the other way silly." She told him trying to hold her giggles back. Her inner animal of her devil fruit was definitely taking a real shine to Usopp.
"Usopp! Franky!" A familiar voice called out causing all three to turn their heads over to see Luffy and the rest of the crew walking up to them. When Luffy spotted Ray his eyes lit up and was hoping she had more of those bacon bread thingies he loved so much!
"Baker! Got any more of those meat bread thingies?" Ray chuckled and shook her head. "Sorry Luffy you ate them all this after noon. But I do have some tasty chocolate cupcakes with avocado icing. Trusts me it's better then it sounds." She opened up her basket and pulled one of the cupcakes out and hands it to him. "Try it."
Luffy snatched it up and swallows it whole. Ray could only gape a little at the boy swallowing the cupcake with the paper wrapping on it. Then Sanji suddenly kicks him in the head making the Strawhat boy crash into the cobble stone ground. "You rubber idiot! You never eat off a lady's hand!"
"So what are you doing here miss Ray?" Chopper asked her and Ray could only coo at the sight of the reindeer.
"Oh my gosh your so adorable!" Ray slipped off Franky's shoulder and scoops up Chopper and just hugs the little doctor. Chopper blushed and laughed "Your compliments won't get me to like you, you jerk." If Ray didn't see him laughing and blushing she would've believed him. Ray-Ray finally spots Zoro and smiled a bit. "Oh Zoro, it's nice to see you again."
"Uh, you too Ray." He was a little wary of Ray still even if she's the fox girl's little sister. Those horns looked like they could really do some damage. "So what are you doing here?" He asked her
"Oh, I'm here to support my sister in the pageant." she replied happily smiling at the thought of her sister finally having having the chance to compete.
Before Zoro or any of the rest of the crew could ask Ray anything else the announcer called out the start of the pageant. "Ladies and Gentlemen its time to start the Miss Jubilee Pageant! This year we've got quite an array of lovely ladies competing for the grand prize of $1 million belli and a one of a kind jewelry piece from the island's best jeweler Ken Mitsu. Now we have three different rounds for the ladies to show off and prove they are the prime time winner of the pageant. First is the beauty round! The girls will be able to show off their beautiful bodies in any kind of clothing they believe will help them show off those beautiful bodies. Next we have the puzzle round! In this round the ladies must prove themselves with their beautiful and smart minds to solve the riddles given to them. And lastly is my personal favorite the talent round! Each lady will show off their one personal talent unique to themselves. Now without further ado let's start off with our first contestant!" The announcer stepped off to the side and let the pretty ladies take their walk.
Earlier...
Aria was reapplying some make up that had rubbed off when she was crying her eyes out earlier. And right now she was struggling to reach the back of her shoulder with the last of her nasty scar to cover up with make up. She could barely reach the damned thing on her skin even with the brush!
"Need help?" Her attention snapped over to the beautiful women she had encountered earlier with that stupid redhead. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion to the woman's intentions. "I promise you, I'm not here to harm you. I only want to offer my help." She gently told her and held her hands up in surrender.
Aria scanned the women's posture and she could find no deception in her posture or her eyes. "Fine, but you try anything I won't hesitate to hurt you." She warned her and gave the woman her make up brush and turned around to let the women cover up the last of her scar.
"My name is Robin and I do apologize for Nami's behavior. It's just a habit she has that's hard to break. She just loves money is all." She told her and expertly puts on a even layer of makeup on the old wound.
"Wouldn't put it past her that she's a greedy leech." She said causing Robin to chuckled slightly.
"You know you shouldn't try and let those that fear you hurt you. It's best to fight back." Robin advised her as she finally finished the cover up. Aria only scoffs.
"As much as I want to the town will never believe that I'm not a demon and its best to show them wrong by not fighting back." She choked out the last of that sentence with a bitter taste in her mouth. Even though she hasn't fought back against the people hurting her it just goes to show that these people will never be happy until she's dead or off the island. They both hear the backstage manager calling out the five minute warning for the contestants to dress up for the beauty round to which Aria was already dressed in clothing suited for belly dancers in the country of Alabaster.
"I wish you luck Miss Fox." Robin told her before leaving Aria alone to stare at herself in the mirror and think.
Back outside with the audience everyone was enjoying the show. Sanji especially as he was going nuts over the beautifully dressed women. When Nami and Robin came on the whole strawhat crew was cheering for their female crew mates.
"And our last contestant, Miria Jones!" At this Ray cheered louder then the crew as her sister about to come onto the stage. She stepped out of the shadows and was in quite a revealing orange and white belly dancer outfit that revealed a bunch of her cleavage and really well toned out stomach and her feet were bare of any shoes.
The crowd was going nuts for Ray's sister and Ray herself was just happy to see her sister finally enjoying herself at the festival. The ladies went backstage to put on some more festive clothing. Aria new what was to come in the next round, and with the amount of reading she's done on riddles she's confident that she'll pass this second round with flying colors.
"Now then ladies and gentlemen I'm sure you all enjoyed that round of the pageant. I certainly did. Now then with the Puzzle round up next there's a twist! If the contestant can't answer the riddle within ten seconds or guesses the wrong answer they will be eliminated from the pageant and the ones that answer the riddles correctly then they move onto the talent round." The announcer paused hearing the whispers of the twist in the rules of the puzzle round. He only smiled and switched the mic to his other hand. "Now then the ladies have another five minutes to slip into some more comfortable clothing in the meanwhile enjoy the momentary break." And he steps off the stage and took his break.
In the back Aria was just happy to be out of those revealing clothes. She may have looked pretty but she never really felt comfortable in them. She sighed as she slipped into something more comfortable. She slipped on a sports bra and slips a blue tank top and white plaid flannel shirt, a pair of Capri jeans with a black belt, and finally some brown hiking boots.
"There. Much more comfortable." She muttered and she looks into the mirror and begins wiping off some of the make up. The backstage manager then calls out the five minute warning and some of the women were scrambling to get ready while Aria herself took her time having no worries at all.
Back on stage...
The announcer walked up onto the stage with a smile and the spotlight shining down on him. "Now then. I hope everyone was able to settle down from the first round. I know I did." The audience chuckled at the joke. "Let's get ready to begin! Now a recap on the rules. Each contestant will have one chance to answer one riddle and if they can't answer within the 10 second time limit they are out of the pageant. Those that do answer correctly will move onto the final round. Everybody got that?" He asked the audience and they cheered a bit showing they got it. "Good! Now let us begin!" He states and over the course of fifteen minutes more then half of the contestants were eliminated from the pageant. More walked off sad they didn't win but others threw a raging fit and some of the guards had to drag the contestants off the stage. Up next was Robin to which the straw hats cheered for proudly.
"Now then miss Robin are you ready for your riddle?" He asked her to which she smiled in reply, "I certainly am." She answered to which the man grinned and switched his cards up for the mystery of it all.
"Here is your riddle: If you want me, you'll have to share me, but if you share me, I will be gone. What am I?" He asked her and the timer started ticking down.
"Hmmm..." she placed her hand on her chin in thought.
"Miss Robin you have five seconds left." He told her.
Robin then smiled behind her hand and turned to the announcer. "I believe the answer is, a secret." The bells went off signaling her answer was correct. The crowed cheer for her as she waves to them.
"GO ROBIN-CWHAN!" Sanji cheers from the crowed along the rest of her Nakama.
"Correct Miss Robin! Your moving on to the talent round. Congratulations!" She nods in thanks and left the stage. The red curtains close behind her signaling for the next contestant to get into place. "Our next contestant is the lovely Miss Nami!" Nami grins as the curtains open up the stage for her. The crowed cheers as she walks to the announcer.
"GO NAMI-SWAN!" Sanji screams. She watches her crew and rolls her eyes but gives them a thumbs up. I got this.
"Now then let's give Miss Nami her riddle! Ma'am you'll have 10 seconds to answer the riddle. You don't have an answer when time is up your out of the pageant. Let's begin. Your riddle: I am part of the water cycle. I am the reason puddles disappear. I am water droplets going back into the air. What am I?" He finished the riddle and the timer began. Nami smiles brightly knowing exactly what the answer to the riddle was. She swats her hair back and turns to the curtains as if she already got it right.
"That's easy! I am evaporation." She replies and the bell went off signaling she got the answer right. "Correct! Miss Nami moves onto the final round!" The crowd cheers while Nami heads backstage with the curtains falling behind her. Aria was nervously fiddling with her dress while waiting for her turn to go on stage. She was extremely nervous and not having her tail and ears out made it harder to deal with the nervousness. I can do this!
"Come on Ari. You can make it through this. You can do it. You can do it." She kept talking to herself until the announcer called her name out and she took a deep breath and walked out on stage with a small smile and quickly spots her sister sitting on this blue haired man's shoulder. Her smile falls as she realizes her sister may be leaving soon. If she chooses to go with the pirate crew she won't stop her from being happy. She turned her attention back to the host who was smiling at her.
"Evening Miss Jones. You enjoying the pageant?" He asked her. Aria breathes deeply and puts her smile back on and ignores the pain in her stomach. "I am enjoying myself quite a bit." She replied quietly letting a light blush dust her cheeks expressing her happiness to being in the pageant even though all these people don't know who she is right now. "Good! Now you know the rules correct?" She nods understanding the rules since she's heard it so much with the previous contestants before her. "Alrighty with 10 seconds on the clock here is your riddle. What costs nothing but is very hard to find and can easily be lost? You time starts now."
Aria has to think hard on this riddle. She knows she's heard it before but she just can't seem to put her tongue on it. "Five seconds Miss Jones." The announcer says in the mike. Aria eyes land on the pirate crew and the way they smile at each other. The answer comes to her but it was something she may never have. "That's it! The answer is True Friendship!" She quickly answered and the bell rings signaling her answer was correct. "Correct! You Miss Jones are moving up to the final round with our other four contestants!" He announced and she released a sigh of relief and exits the stage. "Now we'll be taking a half hour break to let the contestants get ready for the talent competition. Until then enjoy the festival!" He told them and leaves the stage in a cloud of smoke.
In the back Aria was already getting ready for her act in the only talent she has. Painting. She was going to paint and let her mind go. For a moment she will feel free like every time she paints. That's all she wants. To get rid of the chains that hold her down on the island and be free.
Back out in the audience Ray was a little ways from the small pirate crew she was hanging around with to have some time to think to herself. It's fun to be around them and she finds herself getting a little attached. As the times ticks by she can't help but feel her chest get tighter and a rock growing in her stomach as her sister's turn coming up. She knows exactly what she will do. Her sister was going to paint and she only hopes she paints something that won't let the people recognize her. Most of the island knew of her talent for painting and she just prayed to whatever deity or god that was listening to her prayer that they will grant her this one wish. Don't let her sister be recognize.
Hands cover her eyes bringing her back from her thoughts and the voice calms her down a bit. "Guess who?" She smiled and pulled away from the hand covering her eyes and turned around. "Daddy!" Ray hugged him and he hugged back. This is exactly what she needs right now. His warmth loosens the tightness in her chest and with her familly nearby she knows that they will protect her. They will protect Aria. Her mother came up behind Ken smiling at the scene.
"Hey there little lamb." Ken greeting his youngest daughter. "How's our little fox doing in the pageant?" Sora quietly asked her youngest making sure that the townspeople wouldn't hear their conversation. "She's doing great! She's in the finals!" Ray visibly brightened talking about her sister making it so far into the pageant but the unknown so scary.
"Then let's hope and pray to the island guardian that no one will figure it out." Sora hopes and she knew how important this was to her eldest. If things go to shit she'll have to go full mother bear on the town should they lay a finger on her daughter's head.
Finally the break was over and the host was back on stage in a new puff of smoke.
"Welcome ladies and gentleman to the last of our competition! Talent show! We have some beautiful ladies here today so let's give them a round of applause." The announcer screams and the crowed cheers.
Back stage Aria was wearing a paint stained apron and had an easel and canvas ready for her to paint. Robin was waiting by her side giving Aria some comfort before she went up to perform.
She sat quietly listening and even catching a glimpse at Nami's talent. She used this pole to create a thunder cloud and the lightning struck some of the audience making their hair fizz and puff out. Aria lets out a small giggle watching people try to put their hair back into place. Nami waved to the audience as she walk off the stage and finally it was her turn. She grabbed her materials and set them up behind the closed curtain. "And our final contestant Miss Jones!" The curtains pulled away with her standing up and smiling with a bow before sitting down. Aria takes a deep breath and her eyes go red like her fox so she can paint. No one can see her eyes so no one has to know. At first when she made the first paint stroke it seemed like she will paint something boring but once the outline was done her speed picked up. By the time she was halfway done with her painting the audience was in awe at how quickly she was finishing as no one paints that fast and do so well! Finally she was done and stepped back admiring her piece before stepping beside it to show the crowed her art piece but forgetting to turn her eyes back to normal. They were in awe and admired the painting of the island guardian with three earring on its left ear, a black bandana around it's arm, and three swords laying against her hip. No one really knows why these particular items were added but the people thought their guardian looks more bad ass.
"Hey doesn't the earring and swords look familiar?" Sora wondered out load and Ray glanced over at the group of people she was hanging out with. She can't help but noticed Zoro's swords were same ones her sister had just painted. I wonder what he means to sis?
Antonio the man who had given Aria her scar on her sholder was watching the pageant in the front row to support his sister who unfortunately lost in the second round had just noticed Miss Jones eyes. They looked awfully familiar and he just couldn't place where he's seen them. "Hey Miss Jones! What's up with your eyes?" He called out making the front rows of the audience try and look at Miss Jones eyes. She had a slight panicked look on her face as she tries to think of something to explain why her eyes are red. She felt her wig be pulled off and by the host too. Her brown hair was released from the confinement's of her wig and she was fully expose to the town.
"It's her! It's the fox demon!" Antonio shouted and most of the crowd screamed and scuttled away from the stage hoping to not be within range of her encase she attacked them. But the braver ones stayed where they were and started throwing food and other random items. Aria was trying to make herself smaller. She shrinks away from the hatred and insults that were litterly thrown at her. The straw hat crew finally sees the true hatred amongst this village come to light. How all the stories they heard was showing it's ugly head. What's worse is she wasn't even defending herself and took the brunt of the damage from the food that was thrown at her. Antonio didn't have any more items to throw at the demon on stage but he did fined a nice sized rock to throw at her. He waits for her to uncover her face and... THUMP! CRACK!
Aria was trying to protect herself the best she could on the stage. She noticed that fewer items were making it to the stage and she slowly peeked out to noticed half of the audience was gone and the rest were either glaring at her or trying to find more stuff to throw at her. When she lowered her arms a little more hoping to spot her sister out in the audience and then she was hit in the face with a decent sized sharp rock that nearly took her eye out and pain erupts from her brow. Her head started to feel dizzy... she stumbled and tripped over her own feet to only fall on her ass. One arm supported her self to sit up and the other was clutching her eyebrow where the rock hit her. She pulled her hand away and noticed quite a bit of blood was on her hand and still pouring out of the wound above her brow. Was this her blood? She looked down at the audience and notice it was Antonio boasted about being the one to throw the rock at her... and finally she snapped. She snapped from all the insults, the feeling of being isolated from her home, and finally the pain of being alone for so long snaps her just like that time she watched her uncle die.
Fire erupted around her with a snap. Small wave of heat was sent outwards from her body. The closest ones to the stage were blown onto their backs and they could FEEL the angered aura and see the red orange flames surrounding the Mitsu girl like a protective cocoon. Her ears return and one of her tails pops out, her nails elongate, black whisker marks appear on her cheeks, and finally her eyes stayed the same as they did when she was painting.
"You wanted a demon?" She asked and lifts her head slowly to reveal her eyes once more and she had a scary grin on her face looking out at the audience. "Well now looks like you've got your wish." She giggled a bit before jumping off the stage and up into the sky. "Here comes your death wish cause now, your facing me!" She said looking down at the crowd.
To be continued...