Night and Day

A Post-Piracy Sanji Side Story

By Aoikami Sarah

Chapter Nine - Going Home

Harmony noticed Sanji emerge and follow her childhood friend Labena like a puppy. She tried hard not to pout, but Hare finally caught on. "You're in love with him, aren't you?" he asked with a soft smile.

Harmony didn't try hide it. "Yes."

"Is he always like that?"

"Yes."

He sighed. "Want me to beat him up?" Harmony boggled. She stared at Hare for a beat before laughing. "I would!"

She made a face. "He's very strong, Hare-kun. I really wouldn't advise you think about it." Her grandmother sashayed toward them and seated herself on the ground. "I hope Sanji didn't bother you too much, Obaachan."

The village elder grinned. "Not at all. He's a fine young man."

"You mean…?" Harmony sat up straighter and clenched her fists.

"He has passed my test. I approve of him." Hare deflated. Harmony launched herself at Dama and hugged her tightly. Dama laughed and hugged her granddaughter back. "Now, let us feast!"

The celebratory feast lasted all afternoon and well into the night. Hare rolled his eyes as he noticed his mother had passed out and his father who wasn't in much better shape was having a hard time trying to carry her back to their hut. He approached Harmony who was once again watching Sanji as he hit on Labena, Mari and Rebecca. Her face was partially in shadow, the other half lit by the flickering light of a large bonfire that separated her from her chef.

"Harmony-chan?" Hare asked. "Are you going to be alright?"

She turned to him and smiled. "Yes. He's always like this. I'm used to it."

"That's not right!"

"That's the way it is. I love him. I can't help it. And I know he loves me."

"That's a hell of a way to show it," Hare grumbled.

Harmony stood and brushed dirt from her dress. "When he came back to me, he kissed me. I knew then that he was the one. My heart soared. All I could do was sing. Do you know what that feels like, Hare?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

She smiled wider and began to sing. Slowly, the crowd around the bonfire quieted and Harmony's voice got louder. "…At all! Not at all. And I know by your smile it's you. Don't care for me, don't cry, let's say goodbye, Adieu. It's time to say goodbye, I know that in time it will just fade away, it's time to say goodbye."

There was a moment of silence before Dama lead a round of applause. Hare wiped a tear from his eye. Harmony caught Sanji's eye and gave him a sad smile before excusing herself to go to bed.

.x.

On the last night of their week-long stay on Sofserv Harmony, Sanji and Dama sat around an oil lamp in the darkness of her livingroom and played dominos. It was a good way to waste time before sleep and still be social, but soon the tiles were forgotten and they conversed about Sanji's past with the Strawhat pirates. When he had finished his tale of adventure Dama nodded and sighed. She said that it was about time she revealed the truth to her granddaughter and the room fell silent.

"Your father was a pirate, Harmony."

She relaxed her shoulders. "Yes, I know," she answered. "He told me himself before he went away." Without having to be asked, Harmony told Dama the story of what happened to Richard Sairen. "When he took me away from here, I didn't understand why we had to go. I didn't want to leave but I didn't want to be without my father. We only got as far as Largo before whoever was chasing him caught up to us. He hid me in the hold of a ship we had stowed away in. It was still anchored. He told me to look after Vincento and he would protect me."

"Ah," Dama said. "The music box?"

Harmony nodded. "He's on the ship right now and very upset with me for having left him there all week."

Sanji stared dumbly at the two women. "Wait, what? The box talks to you?"

Harmony made a face. "Sort of. It's not words I hear, just ideas. Thoughts. Feelings. It's hard to explain."

"You never used to be able to hear it," Dama pointed out.

"No. When Father left me there in the dark and the quiet I was terrified. Then Vincento spoke to me, he comforted me. I knew then that my father must be dead." She pursed her lips then took a deep breath. "I don't really remember what happened next, but Lily Marlene took me out of the hold and back to her hotel room and made me her protégé." Harmony stretched her arms behind her back as sleep started to creep in. "I should have asked Robin-neechan more about Vincento. I think she knows a lot more about it than I do."

Sanji choked on the coffee he was drinking. He put the mug down and his brow arched with sorrow. "Ojousama," he said quietly. "I'm so sorry. I thought you knew…"

Her face blanched. "What…?"

"Robin is…" he started. "We couldn't rescue her. I'm sorry. I thought it was probably front page news alongside Luffy's execution, I figured you must have known…"

Harmony's mouth opened but no sound came out. She shook her head slightly. "It can't be…" she whispered.

Sanji closed his eyes and she got up and ran into the room she had been sleeping in. Dama lit a pipe and handed Sanji the lighter. Slowly, he took it, lit his own smoke and let out a deep breath.

"This Robin was a friend of hers?" Dama asked.

"They were close for having only known each other for two weeks."

"And she's dead."

"I'm sure of it."

Dama blew a cloud of pipe smoke at the oil lamp. It swirled as it hit the warmer air. "First her father, then the friend she told me about in Largo who she inadvertently killed with her Akuma no Mi ability now this. She's too young to have lost so many friends." She took another drag and hummed for a minute or so before speaking again. "Take care of her, Sanji-kun."

Sanji nodded in agreement. It would be a long ride home.

More to come…