Morning, ya'll and welcome, ladies and gents!
I hope that you are enjoying the story so far :D This chapter was a real blast to write! I have taken XxFire-PhoenixxX's suggestion and included Chameleone in the story. He is not a part of my bigger plot, he is just there to help Ace develop his character.
I updated his fast because of the amazing reviews that I got! Thank you so much Savage Kill, ZabuzasGirl, XxFire-PhoenixxX and Wren :D
I would also like to thank Wicken25 for the alert and fav :)
Now, I present to you:
Chapter 14: Spectrum – Florence + The Machine (I am in LOVE with her voice)
Ran opened the door to the old garage, ignoring the clang of metal against metal as she let it fly open. Shrimp was close behind her, cringing at the sound. They were each carrying a few bags of Arcadian goods, along with some of Ran's in progress projects. The pilot went to her glider and pulled off the protective black cover. She frowned at the machine.
"Your doing, I suppose?" She asked Shrimp, glaring. Her cousin smiled sheepishly.
"You are planning to go undetected, aren't you?" Ran shook her head, smiling and opened the storage. The Sparrow was white. It had a cover of white powder-like substance. However, when she touched it, it stayed on the metal, not rubbing off onto her skin. She could fly undetected in the clouds this way. Ran smiled tossing her belongings into the storage. She noticed something on the bottom and rummaged for it. Her pouches and keys! Ran grinned and attached them to her waist. This was great! She still had her keys, Eternal Poses and various gadgets that she stored there. In joy, Ran rubbed her cheek against the pouch holding her precious chopsticks. Shrimp laughed in the background.
"You still need a helmet, cuz." He pointed out. Ran nodded, putting the rest of her things into the storage. She slammed it shut and looked to the metal stairs. There lay a connecting helmet, seemingly completely innocent.
"I've got one right here, love." Ran laughed at Shrimp's shocked face. That's right, her cousin was still oblivious to her core connecting experiments. Still smiling, the pilot picked up the helmet and flipped it around in her hands. She had done some modifications on the thing, removing the outdated cord system and replacing it with a wireless. She looked for the can of white powder that Shrimp had used on the Sparrow and quickly rubbed some on the helmet. Ran turned, only to see her cousin pulling the glider onto a pair of spare wheels. They left the garage in silence, the only sound the creaking of the wheels against the clouds and rocks. Once they got to the edge of the Fifth Level, and the island itself, Ran looked into the abyss. She could only see clouds, but she knew, 10000 meters was no joke. She smiled to herself and rubbed her arms, the new suit strangely snug on her body. Her heart was already beating like an insane drum.
Shrimp hugged her tightly, and Ran was afraid that he would start crying. The pilot hugged him back and then pushed him away.
"I'll be back soon. I promise." She caressed his cheek gently.
"Not soon enough, cuz." He hugged her once again. "Maybe next time, we'll meet on the Blue Sea?" He smirked cockily and let the girl go. She laughed at his implication and shook her head.
"As long as they don't find out that you are researching golems, they won't send you away, idiot." She pulled the Sparrow to the edge. "Be careful, Jinhai." Ran was trembling by now, scared out of her mind. The pilot secured her makeshift helmet onto her head and checked her pouches. Next, Ran pushed the Sparrow off the cliff and jumped after it, like she had done many times. She grabbed the bars easily and let her mind focus on the distant sound of the chirping bird. She heard Shrimp yelling somewhere in the background, but the screams vanished from her ears.
Ran was freefalling, and it felt so good. She was weightless, her legs on the glider trembling with fear. Yet, there was a grin on her face. She was horribly terrified, but she was elated, too. She was finally flying. She was finally free of the ground, and able to embrace the skies.
With a whoop of joy, Ran raised her hands in the air, holding onto the glider with only her legs. Suddenly, the wings that had been tucked in spread to their magnificent length, showing the beautiful mechanisms inside. Ran landed in a crouch on the metal back of the Sparrow and leaned, hands still in the air, making the glider go back upwards. She saw Shrimp doing a happy dance, which looked ridiculous, as he was huge, and she waved at him. The wind was loud in her ears along with a distant song of the Sparrow and she angled the glider away from Arcadia, not turning to look back at her home island.
~~~~pb~~~~
They docked at the Winter Island called Coria without many problems. Thatch and Ace had spent quite a bit of their time convincing Marco to allow them to sell the stuff from the lowest level. In the end, the phoenix had caved and told them that if the stuff wasn't needed, they could sell it. This caused the prank war between the two to stop for a while, in order to get the things from the Ninth Circle ready for trade. That allowed the crew to take a breather, as the two were busy with something else besides tormenting Marco or each other.
Seriously, making pineapple jokes and pranks was already old. However, Thatch and Ace considered it a classic and the first mate considered it the eighth sin. Then again, seeing Ace or Thatch fly overboard was very amusing. The raven was willing to bet that there was at least one active pool on the number of dips that he would daily take. He wasn't against it, he just wanted a percentage in it. He didn't enjoy the feeling of being a hammer in the sea.
"We could've gotten more for that lamp." Thatch complained as he and Ace walked, slipping slightly on the snow. Their pockets were clanking happily with money. They had sold quite a bit of their 'treasure' by now. The antique lamp was the last piece that they had taken with them to trade today. Now, without any more furniture, and with pockets full of money, the two were headed somewhere for a drink. Or ten. Ace was looking forward to the food, too.
"I don't think that that guy is insane enough to rip off a Whitebeard pirate." Ace grinned, pointing at his back. Even though it was freezing outside, the Logia was going shirtless, showing his Pops' mark proudly. Thatch, on the other hand, was wearing layers of clothing, attempting to keep warm. Needless to say, the two attracted a lot of attention.
"True. Then again, there are some really stupid people in this world." Thatch mused, slipping once more. "There was this guy, once, who tried to kill Pops, you know. Many times." Ace laughed and chucked some snow at the Commander. Thatch evaded quickly, which caused him to lose his footing and land on his ass.
"Ouch." The pompadour complained. "Help me up." Thatch struggled in his many layers to get up. Ace laughed but lent him a hand, only to get pulled to the ground himself. They ended up wrestling in the middle of the street in the snow pile.
"Gijigijigiji~" A distinct laughter sounded near them. The two looked up, only to see their crewmate, Chameleone. Thatch frowned and struggled to get up, accepting Ace's help this time. "You look like you're having fun." The flamboyant man stated. Thatch gave him a grin.
"We were just heading for drinks. Want to come with?" The pompadour asked, pointing at the nearby inn. Chameleone nodded and the pirates walked together. Ace stayed silent while the other two chatted about recent bounty raises. He wasn't sure what to think about their crewmate. He didn't really interact with Chameleone a lot. Sure, it was hard not to notice the flamboyant man, but that didn't mean that they talked. The usual 'good morning' and 'good evening' was a given, but not a lot besides that. Truth be told, Ace was a bit uncomfortable around Chameleone, which was a rare feeling to get among the Whitebeard Pirates. He brushed it off though, hoping that he was just being paranoid.
~~~~pb~~~~
Ran flew through the clouds, watching the dust paint slowly fade with the wet air. She was aware of the constant singing of the Sparrow. The bird was enjoying their flight. Ran adjusted her position and took out her Eternal Pose for Septimo. She put it on the tip of her glider and then changed her course slightly.
She had been flying for a while. She knew that she had some food and water, but she was considering landing at least once before Septimo. The new design for the Sparrow made the bird even faster. She had been surprised at how easily she did turns and twists, and how fast she gained speed while simply gliding on a current. It was beautiful. A trip that would've taken her two or three days, was now possible in a little over one.
Ran moved once again, and the vessel left the clouds. She saw the blue expanse below and she felt a pang of nostalgia in her stomach. Suddenly, she was racing towards the water, head first. Her heart drummed heavily as the glider leveled out at the last possible moment, and did a couple of turns leaving one wing in the water and her almost laying on the holding bar. She giggled and dipped one gloved hand into the warm, salty water. The scent of the sea was comforting. The song of the Sparrow was getting louder and louder in her head. She hadn't even adjusted her position for that trick. The bird had read her mind.
Ran moved and made her glider fly normally once again. She looked at the Eternal Pose and adjusted the course once more. Then, the young pilot caught a current upwards and shot away from the waves and into the skies.
~~~~pb~~~~
Ace wasn't sure how he ended up in this position. On his ass, in the middle of the street, not being able to muster any strength to get up. He could hear his brothers placing bets around him. He raised his head a bit, only to see a smirking Marco.
"Get up, yoi." The Commander ordered. It wasn't supposed to go like this. He had been training Haki with Leo. He was supposed to be able to use it properly now. Apparently not. Sure, when calm on deck, with only his blonde friend present, who was like a distress blanket, let's be honest, Leo never got mad, Ace could use both types of Haki. However, when in the middle of the fight, he lacked the concentration to switch between the two, or to even focus on one. He frowned and relaxed, giving up on his current fight. He had learned his lesson this time. Do not show a pineapple with a drawn on face to Marco and say 'yoi'. Especially not if you are planning to challenge him to a fight later. Not like he won't repeat his mistake. Ace was one of those people that had to do something ten to twelve times for it to sink in. At least these kind of things anyways.
"Here." Marco's hand appeared in front of him and the first mate pulled him up. Ace swayed slightly and the Commander threw one of the raven's arms around his own shoulders, supporting his weight. "Let's get you back to the ship. You should sleep it off, yoi." The first mate walked, almost dragging the raven with him, as the crowd in the street dispersed, exchanging money and re-entering the inn.
The walk was short, and the Commander was surprisingly steady on his feet in the snow. However, Ace wasn't really noticing any of that. He was trapped in his own mind, beating himself up.
"Don't cry, yoi." He hadn't realized that he had been crying until Marco pointed it out. "You'll get better at it, yoi. I sucked in the beginning, too." Ace didn't respond. He had learned that most of the stronger pirates of the crew could use Haki. Naturally, every Commander used it, too. Heck, doc used Haki. And he, a notorious pirate, couldn't. He used to be a famous rookie, a great Captain, and now he was one of the weaker members of the crew. If it came down to it, he would be the one being protected, and not the one doing the protecting. He couldn't bear the thought of being unable to protect those important to him. And the Whitebeard Pirates were important to him.
"Don't focus so much on it, yoi." Ace raised his head slightly, listening to Marco's advice. "I think that you are forcing it. Just let it come naturally, yoi. Let it become like breathing or eating to you." The raven snorted and the first mate poked his ribs in retaliation. "You are too impatient. It's like learning how to use a Devil Fruit. It takes time, yoi."
"How long did it take you?" Ace retaliated. They were on the deck now, and the raven pulled away from Marco slightly, walking on his own. The first mate didn't leave him, though. They went below deck and towards the crew's sleeping quarters.
"A couple of years to fully master it, yoi." The Commander answered. Ace looked at him in shock. He had expected to hear that Marco had learned Haki in a matter of months, considering how hard the phoenix had been pushing him. "I could use it in daily activities by the end of the first couple of weeks of learning it, though. You have potential, Ace. Trust me, yoi." With those words, the Commander stayed at the entrance of the sleeping quarters and watched the raven settle into his hammock. The young pirate was out like a light and Marco left, smiling to himself. They did well with recruiting Ace.
"Gijigijigiji~" The first mate turned to find Chameleone following him. The flamboyant man was smiling at Marco. "Interesting kid, isn't he?" The Commander nodded, heading back towards the deck. Chameleone followed. "If he trains, he could even become a Commander, don't you think?"
"He certainly has the potential, yoi." Marco confirmed. The two walked back towards the deck together in silence. Marco noticed the looks that Chameleone chanced at him, but he ignored them. He was waiting for the man to speak. Chameleone was a fairly new member of the crew. Not as new as Ace, but still new. The phoenix was a cautious man, no matter how much he trusted his Captain's instincts.
"How interesting." Chameleone remarked as they exited onto the deck. "Have a good day." With that he left the phoenix alone on the deck. Marco stood there for a second, going over their conversation in his head. It left a bad taste in his mouth. There was one thing about Marco, he always trusted his instincts.
~~~~pb~~~~
Ran flew throughout the night, making only a couple of stops. It started raining heavily. The Sparrow was safe, though, with a couple of protective layers against the rust. Her new suit, even though it was tight and snug, was warm. It had an inner heat regulating system, allowing her to stay warm in the cold rain. The weather was fit for a funeral. Everything was gray and sad somehow. Ran wiped the drops from her face once again, wishing that her mother hadn't taken her goggles away. Her skin was prickling in the cold. She could barely feel her cheeks. Ran squinted in the heavy downpour, finally spotting the island in the distance.
She changed her position and flew down. She could see the small yellow lights now. Landing in this weather was going to be a pain. The pilot flipped over, to the bottom of the glider, using the bars to secure her path. She let her feet dangle freely, holding herself in the air only by her arms. This way she had less control over the glider, but more over the landing. Ran swayed, adjusting the direction of the glider a bit more. She was comforted by the warm song of the Sparrow in her head. It was like a light in the gray rain, warming her up from the inside.
"Slow down for me, would you?" She cooed to the Sparrow, her voice getting lost in the pouring rain. The reaction of her bird was instantaneous. The wings moved, the gears spinning, letting off steam as they positioned themselves against the wind. The body of the Sparrow rose, nose up, slowing down. Ran closed one eye, the other squinting and she felt her feet hit the mud. The pilot ran forward, trying to stop. The weight of the glider on her back was comforting, but heavy. She wriggled out from under the machine and took off her helmet. The absence of the song in her head was strange, but she opened the storage and placed the helmet in there. Ran took the key gear out of the Sparrow and left for the town. She needed an Eternal Pose and some food. She was even considering getting a room for the night.
~~~~pb~~~~
Kacha!
"This is the Sparrow, checking in. I have safely landed on Septimo." Ran said into the Den Den Mushi, a small smile on her face. She had just showered with warm water and settled into the hotel room. She felt much better. The Sparrow was safely stored away, a waterproof cover secured over it. Regardless of the crappy weather, Ran had had a good day.
"Ranmao! Thank the Gods!" Elder Pinjao spoke from the other side of the line. "I was worried, lassie."
"I'm alright. The Sparrow is in top condition as far as I can tell, too. Have you heard anything from your acquaintance?" The pilot pushed her long hair out of her face, annoyed at the length. The strands were getting bothersome. She considered cutting it.
"Not directly, but I did talk to her companions. I'm afraid that she isn't well, Ranmao." The Elder sighed. "She's hurt. Their pursuers have caught up to them." Ran frowned at the calm in his voice.
"I'll leave right away." She stood, preparing to get dressed. The pilot rubbed sleep from her eyes. It would have to wait. A life was at stake.
"No, no, it's alright. Get some shuteye, lassie. They have managed to get out of Varosh and are now partially safe. A few hours won't make a difference, and you sound like you need them." The elder reassured her. Ran sat back down, relaxing.
"Do you know their exact location? And could you give me their names?" The pilot enquired. She wasn't accustomed to transporting people. Elder Pinjao had never asked her to do a job so strange and secretive. However, he was a longtime customer. She trusted the man. However, the whole 'no names' thing was starting to irritate her.
"They are in the old lighthouse, on the north side of the island. As for names…" The Elder gave a sigh. "I'm not entirely sure what she calls herself these days. I suppose that she will answer to Sita." He cleared his throat. "Just state your name and that I sent you and you should be fine, lassie." He finished. The pilot nodded to herself, making a mental note.
"I understand." Ran said. "I will get some rest now. The next time I contact you will be after I extract your acquaintance from Octavo."
"Take care." The Elder greeted and the line went silent.
Kacha!
Ran put her Den Den Mushi back into her pouch and got up. She didn't have any clothes here, so she picked up a hotel bathrobe. Nothing she could do about it. It would be alright for one night sleepwear. And in the matter of minutes, the pilot was out like a light.
~~~~pb~~~~
Ace woke up when he hit the floor. Hard. He sat up and shook his head, trying to figure out what was going on. His hammock swayed innocently above him. He had been out for a while. Maybe Haki exhaustion would cure his narcolepsy? The raven was about to stand up when the Moby Dick shook again. Ace flew up and towards the small, round window. He peered outside, only to see a ship docking onto the Moby Dick from the sea. Small, dark figures were tossing ladders and climbing onto the whale's deck. Ace frowned and ran towards the door.
He hadn't heard anything about a docking. Rakuyo couldn't be back yet. Besides, they didn't own a boat that looked like that. He didn't light any lanterns in the hallway, he merely followed the walls. By now, he knew the ship well enough to find his way around in the dark.
If this was an attack, why hadn't the look-out called for help? Seriously, you don't just ignore a fricking galleon, no matter who you are. This train of thought led Ace to believe that the guard was either drunk or hurt. Not liking the latter, he sped up, careful to be as quiet as possible.
The door to the deck creaked as Ace pushed it open and the raven cringed. He crouched down, listening to the quickly multiplying, hushed voices.
"Hurry up!"
"Quickly! While they aren't on board!"
"Capture anyone you can! They are all worth millions!"
Ace's frown deepened. He crept forward in the crouching position, trying to get a better look at the flag and identify the crew. He surveyed the red galloping skeleton horse, but it didn't ring a bell. The young pirate hid behind some crates, thanking Thatch for his absolute lack of organization. The Commander was absolutely horrible at putting things in their proper places. So, whenever his division was in charge of the supplies, there were barrels and crates on the deck, unsorted.
Ace next heard clanking from the front of the ship. He would recognize that sound anywhere. Those idiotic pirates were taking their gold! That is the point when Ace snapped. He wasn't going to just sit by and let this happen. He was going to stop them. That gold wasn't just for their adventures, it was also to support all of the Whitebeard territories. So, Ace being Ace, jumped out of his hiding place with a war cry.
"It's Fire Fist!"
"He's alone!"
"Get him!"
That was one thing that he didn't expect. The crowd of pirates dropped the treasure and ran towards him, some of them bare-handed. Ace ducked the first couple of attacks, and evaded another couple. He got shot, not like it did anything, and smirked at their shocked faces. Obviously, they didn't know why he was nicknamed Fire Fist.
"Higan!" He gave the pirates fire bullets, in response to their lead ones. They scattered around, trying to avoid the fire and rolling around the deck to put it out. Ace grinned and stepped forward. This would be a perfect time to practice his Haki. The raven focused on his arm, keeping his cool. He watched the familiar blackness spread across it, enveloping the whole fist in the end. He flexed his hand, satisfied. Ace turned to the pirates and allowed the smirk on his face to widen. Most of the crew took a couple of steps back.
"Let's party."
~~~~pb~~~~
Apparently, Ace had been a bit too arrogant, as usual. His control of Haki wasn't as good as he had assumed. He blamed it on the ridiculous amount of pirates who were trying to grab him alive. It was a right pain in the butt. Someone swung at him with a war cry. The sword came towards him quickly. Ace didn't perceive it as a threat until he saw the blade glint in a blue light and evaded it closely.
"Good call, Fire Fist!" The pirate swung at him again, the slashes getting faster and more precise. Another pirate shot at him from the side. Ace ducked, just in case that they were laced with kairoseki. He hated the person who found a way to lace things with kairoseki so much right now. Girlish screams came from below deck and one of the pirates came out dragging Penny with him.
"Look what I found, Captain." He addressed the one fighting Ace. "Sweet, right?" The raven didn't listen to the Captain's answer, he evaded the distracted man's sword and ran towards the still screaming girl and her captor. He would be damned before he would let anyone harm Penny right in front of him. The pirate raised his knife to the girl's neck and she stilled, her eyes going dead.
"Stay right there, Fire Fist." The captor yelled. "Or she dies." Ace froze, his eyes darting from one enemy pirate to another. He could take them. No problem. If only Penny wasn't a hostage. Where the heck were Marco and Thatch when you needed them? He would be delighted for Leo to just pop up, like he usually does, right about now.
"Load the cargo." The man with the kairoseki sword ordered and everyone except Ace, the Captain and Penny and her captor moved. Ace tried to calm down, taking deep breaths. Haki. Focus on Haki. He knew this ship by heart. He could visualize it easily. Now, all he needed to do was use his Haki to pinpoint locations.
Suddenly, everything around him went gray. Everyone was moving slowly. Maybe he was moving insanely fast. He could hear his own heart beating wildly in his chest. And then it was like small bubbles of paint exploded in the gray. A soft yellow. Penny. Each member of the enemy crew. Someone in the crow's nest. It was a strange, swirly color that he couldn't identify. A brilliant jade in the medical wing. Doc. Ace took a deep breath, his heart slowing back down to normal. He opened his eyes, full of determination.
"Stop!" He yelled out, not moving a muscle. A wave built up from inside of him, washing over the deck, taking the gray and the different colors with it. Everything was back to normal. Everyone was moving fast again. The enemy pirates were falling to the ground, unconscious. Penny slid to the ground, laying still on the deck planks, eyes open and empty. Ace stood, like stone, for a second and then ran to the small cook.
"Penny. Penny!" Ace yelled, picking her up gently. "Talk to me, Penelope!" He brushed her strawberry blonde hair back with affection, his hand shaking. "Penelope! I need some help over here!" He yelled out, hoping that someone, anyone, would hear him. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't equipped to deal with this. He didn't know what was wrong with her.
~~~~pb~~~~
Jade was working in her office late. Thatch had come to ask her to join them at the inn, but she had declined. She needed to catch up on her work. All the plants that she had gathered were sorted. She made at least fifty little bundles and hung them up to dry.
Doc went over her books, looking for different ways to use the raw ingredients that she already had. Nodding to herself she ground some of the raw plants to make goo. It was great for wounds and cuts this way. Doc added some water and honey, making it a thick paste. It would sting, but it would be effective.
She sat down, mixing the paste in the bowl. Jade sighed, relaxing in her chair. She wanted a smoke. Maybe a drink, too. Then again, a game of poker would do, also. She stood up. After she finished, she would go and join the rest of the crew, doc promised herself. The Moby Dick shook. She grabbed the counter to steady herself and frowned. What the hell were they doing up there? The ship shook once more. Jade shook her head. Destructive idiots. She was glad that she had a fixed position. She didn't like hammering planks.
Doc transferred the paste from the bowl into a small jar. She secured a lid on top and labeled it. Next, she put it away in the cupboard. She smiled at her collection of medicine jars. It was perfectly organized and beautiful. She remembered when Thatch used to come down to the medical wing and mess up the order of the jars. He quickly learned that he shouldn't do that. Quickly and painfully.
Suddenly, a wave washed over her. Doc gasped and slammed the cupboard closed. Haoshoku Haki. And not one that she was familiar with. Jade dropped everything and ran out of her office. She couldn't remember the last time that she had gone to the deck so fast. Doc slammed the cracked door open, ignoring the creak that sounded through the cold night air.
"Penelope! I need some help over here!" Jade heard Ace yelling from the front of the ship. She ran once more, the heels of her boots clacking on the planks. She surveyed the situation on deck, putting the pieces together as she went. The cowboy did well. She deemed, focusing on the collapsed girl. She kneeled next to the two, trying to inspect the cook for wounds. Ace was holding her too close. He seemed terrified.
"Cowboy, let me take a look at her. I can help." He wasn't responding to her gentle tone. She shivered in the icy air. Doc placed a tentative hand on the Logia's shoulder, bringing him back to reality.
"Doc?" Ace asked, as if seeing her for the first time. His eyes cleared quickly. "Can you help her?" He asked, voice quiet. He sounded so small. So vulnerable.
"Let's get her into the medical wing." Ace nodded and picked up the small girl. Doc led him towards her office, ignoring the knocked out pirates on deck. That Haki wave had been powerful. Marco had definitely felt that. Doc didn't doubt that he would be back on the Moby Dick soon. Now, she needed to help this small girl.
~~~~pb~~~~
A flamboyant figure sat in the crow's nest, watching the whole scene on the deck. He smirked, licking his lips.
"Potential, eh?" He leaned back more comfortably in his seat. "Delicious." Chameleone smirked.
~~~~pb~~~~
Ran squinted through the rain. She flew above the lighthouse on the northern side of Octavo. The rain was still horribly pouring, and Ran wasn't looking forward to another landing in the mud. She dipped one wing on the inside of the circle and gradually slowed down. She flipped over the Sparrow's head and caught the bottom bars. From there, she maneuvered the glider with a gentle command.
"Slow down for me, Sparrow." Ran murmured. "Let's land, love." With those words, Ran waited for the wings to adjust their position before her feet finally touched the muddy ground. Ran flinched at the nasty feeling of the mud in her boots. She wasn't a girly girl. She didn't value her boots as something very important. But, damn, the feeling of mud and water in her footwear was bloody nasty. The full weight of the glider landed on her back as they came to a stop. She slid from under the Sparrow and left in in the rain, walking across the small expanse towards the lighthouse.
Ran looked through the rain at the old building. It seemed ready to fall apart. She took off her helmet and walked further towards the rotting door. The comforting song in her head vanished along with the warmth that it brought. She felt alone, in the pouring rain, the only sound the crashing drops. Loneliness was a part of her life, though. She could handle it.
Ran pushed the old door open, the downpour drowning out the sound of the old mechanism creaking. The inside was dusty, full of cobwebs, but dry. Ran shook out her hair and re-adjusted it into a bun. She coughed slightly at the stale air. The young pilot stepped further into the room, closing the door behind her. She adjusted the helmet on her hip. The sound of rain got muffled by the old walls of the lighthouse. The drops that fell from her person were as loud as ceremonial drums. Something cold pressed against Ran's neck.
"Who the hell are you?"
That's all folks!
Sita is the name of Rama's wife in the Hindu epic Ramayana. She is also the Avatar of Lakshmi.
Onto the reviews:
ZabuzasGirl: You read insanely fast! Hope you enjoyed :D
Savage Kill: Yep. Zodiacs all around :D You must wait and see, my friend. Soon, insanity and mess is about to ensue! I will be eviiiiil~
Hope you liked the chapter :3
XxFire-PhoenixxX: I haven't seen the Premier Show, which is horrible, thus I am winging it with his character. I was in a bit of a dilemma, cause I needed someone to help Ace develop further, but didn't want to add unnecessary OCs. Chameleone fits perfectly :)
I hope you enjoyed :3
Wren: Thanks! I have actually never worked with a beta. I had a friend do my spellcheck for a couple of things, but she is too busy to help me out all the time :(
I'm a bit of an OC maniac though… Some people are very much against OCs, and in the case of One Piece, the current timeline, I am against many OCs. Seriously, Oda has a ton of characters! However, I chose to write about Ace's timeline first, especially because there aren't a lot of known characters. And even those that are known, well, they don't appear much, so I can't go too OOC.
I'm trying to develop both Ace and Ran, side by side. I thought a lot about that thing you said last time. How Ace and Ran go through similar things, but while apart? I figured that at some point, they would both have to learn about Haki. I mean, they are both sailing the New World, right? Ace and Ran are actually not overly compatible. She wasn't 'made' for him, like many of the OCs. I figured that some experiences, like that for example, would help them bond.
I completely understand the 'skip the bold' thing, shhhhh I do it too xD But, I am soooo happy that my story is one of those 'skip the bold' and 'read until dawn' stories! Thank you so much!