Hey guys, I'm back with a new chapter, hope you like it. I'm not that good at writing metaphors and that kind of things.
I'm fixing my objective to at least one chapter a week, or more. I honestly don't know.
I should say I'm proud of how this story is going, it feels great to know you guys like it. I'm still figuring it out. Please be patient.
Disclaimer: One Piece does not belong to me. I am NOT Oda. Duh.
CHAPTER 3: Hope against the darkness
She could feel it.
It kept her from waking up.
The pain.
People were talking around her. She could hear them.
She knew that person didn't she?
The pain.
A woman, she kept coming back. Calling her.
A man, occasionally speaking to her.
Didn't she know these people?
More pain.
Her chest felt so hollow.
She couldn't hear them anymore.
How long since she escaped?
She couldn't wake up.
It wouldn't let her.
The knowledge, that he was dead by her fault.
The pain, the pain!
Luffy.
Why did this happen? She just wanted to be free!
She could see his face.
His smile.
Luffy.
He was shot.
She could see it.
His eyes widening. The blood.
He was dead.
Luffy!
His smile.
…Mugiwara-ya.
Who was this?
This voice. She knew that person.
Who was he?
…he was very important to you, wasn't he?
He was the last person she loved.
Her friends were all gone.
He was gone.
I'm so sorry.
The pain!
They've all abandoned her!
…he's not dead yet.
What?
Oh, the pain.
The hope.
Who was this voice?
There is still hope.
Hope?
He was alive.
Yes, hope.
You should wake up, Mugiwara-ya.
Hope. It was shining bright against the darkness.
Shining through the pain.
He wasn't dead. It wasn't her fault.
Wake up and smile.
She was free. Free from the pain.
Ace!
"THEY WON'T LET US IN! IMMA DESTROY THEM!"
"Calm down."
"I WANT TO SEE HER!"
"Nami-san, please."
"LET ME GO, IDIOT! I WANNA GET IN! I'LL MMMFFF..."
"Zoro-san, take her home. I'll wait here in case they accept."
The green-haired man scowled. He was holding the furious orange-haired woman in a tight grip, his hand over her mouth to silence her.
"I want to see her too."
"You need to get Nami-san out. She's too... overexcited."
"Tch. Fine. I'm coming back later." Zoro dragged Nami towards the car parked down the road. Nami got his hand off her face.
"MAKINO-SAN, YOU TRAITOR! LEAVING ME WITH THIS BRUTE! I WANT TO SEE LUFFY!"
The small woman wearing a bandanna just giggled. "Zoro-san, treat a woman carefully, will you? Be a gentleman, Luffy wouldn't want you to be violent."
A vein popped in Zoro's forehead as he went into the car. "Luffy never cared about violence! And Nami hardly counts as a woman!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"
Makino giggled even more as the two started fighting.
"I hope Luffy is awake," she smiled fondly.
Penguin came running back in, surprised and afraid.
"Penguin! Go away!"
He didn't. He stayed, gaping at the scene in front of him. The, until recently, comatose teenager gripping his best friend's arm like her life depended on it, and said best friend trying to calm her down while having such low EQ he could make the most patient of people run away crying.
"Get lost, Peng! I'm alright!" Law sent him such a murderous glare it was hard not to back down. "Don't let anyone come in. I have to calm the girl down, it's dangerous."
"Of course. Don't you want Bepo to come later? As a psychologist."
"I know, dude. Later, maybe. Now shoo."
Penguin started to leave, when a weak voice rang out.
"You... I remember..."
The teenager's eyes were wide open in confusion.
He was alive, he was alive.
He's alive.
The words chanted in her head as she was finally, truly awake. The black veil keeping her, protecting her from the world was lifted. She was conscious. Conscious of the light. Conscious that she was holding something. Conscious of the people talking — no, arguing. They sounded angry. She didn't like it when others were angry. She liked peace, happiness.
Luffy opened her eyes, squinting in the bright light. She was in a... hospital? Looking around her, she realised the thing she was holding was someone's wrist. It embarrassed her to see she was holding so tight the hand was nearly white.
Her eyes trailed up to the person's face, a sharp tanned face surrounded by messy black hair with sideburns and a goatee, his steel grey eyes and gold earrings. Standing in front of him was another man with a black cap, turning to the door, but her attention was on the first one. She knew him. She remembered him from that night. The same face staring down at her worriedly, the same tattooed hand gently holding her shoulder. The same person who saved them, whose hand she was ripping off now.
"Oh god, she's awake!"
Luffy hadn't realised she had spoken out loud.
"Penguin," her savior growled dangerously, "go back to your work."
The man named Penguin — such a funny name, Luffy almost giggled — shuddered under the menacing glare and ran out of the room. The other one turned to stare at her. She blushed and let go of his arm, muttering an apology. Reading people was one of her talents, and his eyes were so deep, they spoke of so many emotions, so many memories hidden to protect him. He had loved, had laughed, had lost, had suffered. He was filled with so much hatred, but he had such a kind heart anyway... It was overwhelming, like jumping in an ocean of thoughts and getting swallowed by the waves of the memories and the emotions they brought. It was heavy. How he resisted it, she didn't know.
"Hey, Mugiwara-ya."
Luffy looked up, surprised. Mugiwara-ya? He was the person who broke through her despair? That voice...
"It's okay. Don't go in another coma, all right? Makino-ya is still waiting outside. She'll be coming in once we make sure everything's good." He was typing something on one of the room's computer.
"M-Mugiwara-ya?"
He shrugged and smiled. "The hat," he simply said.
"Where are we? Am I still in the New World?" Luffy asked.
"Yeah, you are. We're in Punk Hazard. The Hearts Hospital."
"Oh... Who are you?"
"Head surgeon Trafalgar Law."
"I'm Luffy. Nice to meet you, Torao!" She giggled. Torao frowned at the nickname but didn't say anything.
He came over and sat down on a nearby chair, crossing his long legs. "So, Mugiwara-ya, mind telling me how and why I found you on the road during a stormy night with that man on your shoulders? Speaking of him, he's safe, don't worry."
"Thanks." Relief flooded her at the simple words. He's safe. "You saved us. They wouldn't follow with civilians seeing them."
"They?"
Luffy looked away. "It's a secret. And... If I told you, you wouldn't be safe anymore. I don't want anyone to die because of me."
"A protector, huh? You seem a bit too young for that."
She flushed. "I'm nineteen! It's just... People die protecting me, and I don't want that. I want to protect them."
"You don't look nineteen."
"Thanks, I guess? But that's not the point!"
Torao sighed. "I understand, Mugiwara-ya. I do. I try to protect everyone too. But, as your doctor, don't you think I earned the right to know?" He looked at her pleadingly with those deep, steel grey eyes of his that left her breathless.
He understood. He had suffered too. Luffy felt he had lived a childhood more difficult than hers. His grief remained in his sharp eyes, in his sad voice, she could feel the despair hiding inside him, waiting to take control, waiting forever for weakness that wasn't coming. This man was strong. She knew it. She wanted to get him rid of this melancholy that was eating at his heart. Luffy wanted him to smile. Smile the bright, honest smile she knew he was capable of. She could be his friend, maybe? She trusted Torao. "I know. You saved me, I trust you. There's a city not far from here, I think you know it. I was captured and made a slave for two years. The man I was carrying... He's the person I care about most in the world; my brother, Ace. He freed me. That's why we were running: he had his men after us, to recapture me."
"Ace, huh... But who is he? Who's the person who chased you?"
"He's a terrible person. Posing as a saviour, loved by his people, hiding the darkness of his city, hiding behind one of the greatest criminal of the New World. His name is —"
"Lawwwwww! I heard the girl was awake!" Bepo suddenly barged in, not a care in the world about what Law was about to find out, though he had his vague idea already.
"Oh!" Luffy looked at the young man who just entered. He was slightly chubby, with shining wide black eyes and short fluffy white hair. "Torao, who's that? He's so cute~"
"That's Bepo."
"Mmh," she replied happily. Bepo was bright red and muttered "Sorry." Luffy giggled. "You're funny. Why are you saying you're sorry? And you're so red!" Bepo just apologised again.
"Bepo is sensitive about his appearance. Bepo, out. I didn't ask for you here."
"There's a girl with flowers asking to see the girl. Penguin and Shachi are flirting with her."
"You should tell them to stop," Luffy said matter-of-factly. "If it's Makino, it won't work. She already has a boyfriend." She knew who Penguin was, but not Shachi. Whoever these people are, though, Makino only loved one man like that. She'd already rejected Ace when he had a crush on her, many years ago, and Ace was very popular with girls, even back then.
Torao sighed. "Bepo. I'll call in case she turns out to be mad, now out." Once Bepo walked out, he turned to Luffy. "Now, you were saying something important?"
Makino patiently endured every attempt the two weirdos did at flirting with her. If she were Nami-san, they would both be dead, she though with a smile. It was lucky she wasn't here, seeing how beautiful she was.
The cute chubby young man shuffled out of Luffy's room. "She's awake. Discussing something with Doctor Law, he told me to get out and wait. And she tell me that you guys," he turned to his weirdo friends, "should stop flirting, because it won't work. Just passing on the message."
"Mmh, she's right. I'm glad she's awake. I hope she's well." Makino giggled as the weirdos pouted and sulked next to her. "I wonder if Ace-kun is all right too."
Zoro is such a brute, you don't treat women like that do you? Really!
I want to say thank you to the few people who reviewed, followed and/or favorited my story, I'm really glad you appreciate my work.
Kadek8785: Yes, if you love Ace, I shouldn't let him die, should I? Of course I shouldn't, that would be soooo cruel.
Watching the rain fall: OH, thank you, I'm so glad you like it. Here's the chapter you were waiting for! I agree, I feel sorry for Luffy. But hey, if Ace is alive, everything is alright, isn't it?
Malu143: I'm so sorryyyyyy! I won't! He'll stay alive, life is too beautiful! And thank you so much, I'm really happy you enjoy my story. Lawlu is my favourite ship, I just added Ace in it for more interest. Of course, Luffy loves Ace so much, it looks like they're a couple, so I included him.
I'm sure you can guess who the mysterious terrible man is, and where did Luffy come from that night. Try! You can keep it to yourself or answer in a review. You're free to do whatever you want.
And don't forget to review.
See you!
Next chapter:
The Straw Hats