Blame by Faith&Fantasy
The kindness on this sight astounds me. You all are such kind people, I never imagined all support I would be given here. Thank you to you all, I am forever grateful!
Here's the next chapter. A bit longer of a wait for this one, and I apologize because it isn't super long either. I'm just trying to break up the action of the story evenly.
This is an AU. The characters and their backstories up to a point are the same. Of course, this does not
- OOC
- no pairings
- rated T for violence (will change to M if requested)
- warnings: abuse and violence, mild swearing
Summary:
Sabo's death hit Ace and Luffy hard. Confused and suffering, Ace looks for someone to take his grief and frustration out on. Someone to take the blame.
Disclaimer: I own only the storyline. All characters, references to characters, settings, etc. belong to Oda.
Please enjoy!
Chapter 6 : Betrayal
"Stab the body and it heals, but injure the heart and the wound lasts a lifetime" ~ Mineko Iwasaki
The sun shimmered lightly as Luffy continued his trudge back to the fort. Spring was finally here. It was almost as if the whole universe had refused to keep turning when Sabo died; the weather had stayed could and dreary for a long time.
Luffy shook the sad thoughts away, instead thinking of what his spring would hold for him. Lots of training, he guessed. Gramps will be visiting again soon. Luffy shivered at the thought of his aggressively exuberant grandfather. The man always had time off in the early spring, and used to visit Luffy for a week or so for some quality marine training.
I wonder what Dadan will tell Gramps. Luffy fingered the bandages around his head. Ace never wrapped his injuries so thoroughly, but Luffy figured this was from lack of experience. Luffy had no idea where the cut came from. He didn't think he had hit his head while training, but he supposed it was possible. A light smile graced the young boy's face. Even though she was just an old lady, Dadan wasn't as mean as she came across. She was actually an okay person.
For a bandit.
Licking the turkey-leg bone, Luffy watched as small, colorful birds flitted amidst the tree tops. The bright little creatures made Luffy think of Makino. The kind, young woman loved birds.
Flashback
"What's that one called?"
A young woman wearing a pink blouse and a jean skirt turned to the child. Pushing a strand of green hair behind her yellow bandana, she placed the dish she was washing down on the counter and walked towards the boy. Wiping her hands on her skirt, she looked out the window the young boy had his face plastered against, his messy raven hair splayed across the glass.
A small, yellow bird with brown-tipped wings tittered excitedly at the birdbath located outside the window. The bird fluttered its wings, sending water into the air as each droplet sparkled in the mid-day sunlight.
Smiling, the woman glanced down at the child, who looked back up at her with eager eyes. "A yellow warbler." she answered her voice soft like cotton.
"Wow." The young boy awed, turning back to the happy bird. "Is it a girl birdie or a boy birdie?"
"A girl. See how her back has that almost greenish-grey color? It helps the momma bird hide in her nest so predators don't find her or her babies."
"Predators like Mr. Whiskers?" the boy asked, innocent nut-brown eyes wide.
Blinking, the woman looked down at the fat brown tabby who was contentedly sprawled out in a sunbeam on the wooden floor. As though he heard his name, the cat twitched his tail, nose wriggling slightly.
"Yes, just like Mr. Whiskers. But I don't think this little bird has to worry about Mr. Whiskers today." the young woman laughed softly, ruffling the boys dark locks affectionately.
End Flashback
Luffy blinked. He had learned many bird names from Makino, but he honestly couldn't remember most of them. Maybe next time I see her I can ask.
Luffy wondered when Makino would visit again. Part of him still wished he lived with the kind woman. Life had been so easy: Shanks would visit, he could play all day long and never have to worry about being hungry, and the townsfolk always took such good care of him.
Luffy shook his head. No. It was better to leave. If he hadn't, he would've never met Ace. Or Sabo. His brothers would've lived their lives without ever knowing him and he would've never known them. The two older boys probably never would've built the fort! If Ace and Sabo had never met him, then...
"You took him away! It's all your fault! ALL YOUR FAULT!"
Luffy froze, shocked. What was that? A memory? But from when? It sounded like Ace's voice...
Startled, the boy rubbed his face a little violently. He was just imagining things. He always got like this when he was hungry.
Finally reaching the fort, the young boy scrabbled up the rope ladder, quick as a ship rat. Expertly dodging hidden traps and alarms, Luffy made it to the top, turkey bone clenched tightly between his teeth.
The smell of roasted meats wafted from the fort. Eager, Luffy burst into the room, mouth dribbling with drool.
Ace stood off to the side, something shiny gripped in his hands. A flash a green glass caught Luffy's eye.
Dark spots crowding his vision. Burning, searing pain racing up and down his throat as he struggled to breathe. Obsidian eyes glinting with madness looked down on him as something green and shiny came hurdling towards him, glinting in the moonlight.
Then darkness.
"...uffy? Luffy?"
Blinking, Luffy was startled from his memories. But that never happened... He looked over at Ace. His brother was looking at him strangely, hands at his hips, empty. Nothing green or shiny between his dirty, calloused fingers.
Weird.. Luffy brushed it off, and smiled at his older brother. "Dadan fixed me up, Ace! Look!" He pointed to the bandage wrapped around his head.
Ace scowled. "You didn't need a bandage. Are you really that weak?"
Luffy paused. "W-well, she insisted. Said I had a nasty bump on my head. I don't remember hitting my head though..." Luffy trailed off, uncertain.
Ace's eyes flashed, but Luffy didn't notice. "I see." The boy turned away.
A loud grumble brought Luffy back from his thoughts. Looking down, his small stomach protested loudly at the smell of food. Grinning, Luffy hopped over to Ace. "So where's the meat? I'm hungry~" Luffy whined loudly.
Ace looked down at his little brother, his face set in a scowl. "What's that" He asked, pointing down at the turkey bone grasped Luffy's left hand.
Caught off guard by the sudden change in topic, Luffy looked down, smiling softly at the bone. "Dadan gave me a turkey leg to eat before I came here. Can you believe that? Dadan NEVER gives us food!"
Ace violently wrenched the bone from the smaller boy's grasp. Luffy let out a small cry of surprise as he was roughly grabbed by the collar of his shirt.
"You only eat when I say you can, you hear me?"
Before he knew what was happening, Luffy was whacked violently across the cheek with the small bone, the force of the hit causing his head to whip sharped to the side.
Dazed, Luffy look up at Ace's blank face. He gingerly touched the quickly forming bruise on his cheek, his mind scrambling to process what had just happened.
Ace released Luffy's collar, causing the boy to stumble but not fall. Lufy backed away from his brother, wary of the older's movements. "A-Ace?"
Ace ignored him, turning to the opposite wall. A few crude shelves made from scraps were attached to the wood. The shelves held various containers for fruits and such they collected from the forest. Luffy watched as Ace rummaged among the containers, looking for something. He picked up a piece of paper that Luffy didn't recognize. Pausing, the older looking at the paper silently for a moment before violently shoving it back behind more of the containers.
Finding what he was looking for, Ace grabbed a small, red container, and turned back to the smaller boy.
Luffy couldn't stop himself from flinching when Ace held the container out to him, lid open. Looking down, he saw the container was filled with bright, red shiny berries. Confused, Luffy looked back up at his older brother.
"There's no meat left. There wasn't enough. You can eat some of these instead."
Luffy looked back at the berries. No meat? It had been a whole bear, hadn't it? Luffy didn't question and reached for a small handful of berries. The berries looked sweet and juicy, and his throat was still sore from this morning.
"Thanks, Ace." Luffy flashed his brother a wary smile, still in shock from the rough hit.
Ace's face remained blank as he watched Luffy quickly gobble the red berries. He turned and placed the container back on the shelf, watching the younger stiffly out of the corner of his eye.
Luffy licked the juices off of his hand. The red juices had splattered everywhere. His shirt and shorts were stained a light pink in some places. Laughing, he wiped his hands on his pants, smearing more of the crimson liquid onto them. Somewhere in the back of his mind he remembered Dadan yelling about getting his clothes dirty, but he ignored it.
"What are we doing now, Ace? Maybe we can-"
Luffy stopped short. Something didn't feel right. His tummy gurgled strangely. Sudden waves of dizziness came over the small boy. What's happening?
"A-ace?" Luffy called out uncertainly. His brother turned to him, but Luffy couldn't make out his face.
"Ugh...I don't feel.." Luffy cut off, a huge wave of nausea crashing over him. The small boy stumbled blindly, his vision blurring.
A rough hand pushed steadily on his shoulder, leading him to what appeared to be the door. The hand shoved him to his knees right as his stomach did a flip. Luffy retched violently, throwing up the little bit of food he had eaten that day over the side of the fort. Coughing and sputtering, the small boy shook as his body rejected the food he loved so much. Even when he stomach was empty, he body still shook until nothing but bile came out.
The retches subsided, and Luffy led out a choked sob as his stomach burned and tears flowed unwilling down his cheeks. Red liquid dribbled from his mouth. Turning his head slightly, Luffy noticed Ace leaning against the door frame, arms crossed and eyes shadowed.
"Only eat when I say you can. Disobey me, and there will be consequences. Understood?"
Luffy nodded meekly, his stomach tying itself in knots. Ace turned away, not glancing back as he walked bak into the fort.
Luffy sat back, placing his head between his knees. His stomach felt better, but now his head ached and his throat burned even more. The turkey leg had been the most food he had eaten in weeks, and now it was gone.
Luffy looked up at the treetops around him. The sun was beginning to set, turning the forest a beautiful shade of gold. Spring was here, and the forest looked more alive than ever.
Then why do I feel so dead inside?
***There wasn't a thing to put in a line break, so this will have to do. I'll change it if it gets fixed. Gomen.***
It was well past midnight, but Ace didn't feel like sleeping. The soft snores of Luffy told him that the younger boy was fast asleep. Luffy was a deep sleeper, and wouldn't hear Ace moving about.
Ace stood against the window, watching the moon shimmer between the leaves. He was out of sake, and all the pain-relieving herbs they had stored were gone.
Ace growled, gripping the wood of the window and causing it to splinter. Nothing was working. He tried drowning his grief in alcohol. Even taking the herbs that numbed every sensation in his body did nothing to numb his mind. Nor his aching heart.
A tiny whimper brought Ace from his thoughts. The dark boy looked over to where his younger brother was sleeping. The small boy groaned and tossed, most likely having a nightmare. Ace couldn't stop the sly grin that split his face at the sound of Luffy's distress...until the cries grew louder as they continued. Now they were getting annoying.
Ace stalked over to the child. He glared down at Luffy. This small boy was the cause of all his pain and suffering. Angry, he gave a sharp kick to his brother's side, hoping to shut him up.
Luffy let out another tiny cry, his face contorting in pain as he bent into himself, still deep in the clutches of his dream. .
Why don't I just get rid of him now? It could be over quickly and then I wouldn't have to deal with this brat anymore. He deserves to die. He's a murderer!
His movements stiff, Ace reached over and grabbed a nearby cushion. The pillow was old and dirty and smelled like wet dog. They had picked it up at gray terminal and it was far from soft, but it was better than nothing. Gripping the small pillow, Ace shoved the plush onto the smaller's face, effectively covering the younger's eyes, nose, and mouth.
Air cut off, the younger started to struggle, muffled cries sounding from beneath the fabric. Tiny limbs flailed frantically, and Ace had to duck to not be hit.
Ace grinned maniacally as the movements slowed before stopping all together, the small body going limp.
Ace.
Ace jolted. What was that? He let go of the pillow in surprise, the plush square falling from the small boy's face. Luffy gasped, eyes fluttering before completely blacking out. Shallow breaths left the boy, and Ace watched as color returned to the younger's face.
What had been that voice? It sounded like...
Ace shook his head. He was just imagining things now. Getting up, he shakily made his way over to the corer, grabbing a blanket along the way. Curling up, he made himself a nest just like last night. What had said his name? Was he going crazy? Had he... But Luffy... Wha...?
Ace shivered, the blissful feeling he felt a moment ago dissipated by an unnerving chill running down his spine.
It was 're getting yourself worked up over nothing. Stop it and just go to sleep.
In the background he heard Luffy's labored breathing.
Blocking out all thoughts, Ace fell into a fitful sleep.
Sabo...
There you have it! Things are getting more intense for sure.
Footnotes:
- The chapter title "Betrayal" ties into a few things. I actually thought of it as how Luffy is feeling towards food right now, since food kinda betrayed him by making him throw up (which was rather gross to write, may I say. I actually based it from a few weeks ago when I ate some bad turkey and threw up and afterwards wrote down how it felt since I knew I would be needing it in this story, hahaha). So my thought was "I bet Luffy is feeling betrayed by food right now. Hey, that's a perfect title!". But I realize it could be other things. While it COULD be how he's feeling towards Ace, he still is under the illusion that Ace is the coolest big brother ever and would never hurt him, even though that illusion is slipping fast. Another is how Luffy feels about Makino, Garp, and the townsfolk. Garp DID leave him in the forest, and the townsfolk didn't really do anything to stop it. But Luffy is pretty much over that now, but still kinda ties in. Lastly, is could be a little bit of a foreshadow to how Sabo would feel towards Ace if he knew what was happening. He DID send that letter...
- More birds! I picked a yellow warbler this time because I know that they are also coastal birds. I felt in a yellow kick today.
- I'll be honest. Makino's character USED to really annoy me. I don't know why, because she really is such a kind woman. I'm sorry if that makes you mad at me! BUT as I read more and more of One Piece, she grew on me. Her kindness used to annoy me, but now i admire her strength. Especially after the Marineford arc. So I do like her more than I used to when I first read One Piece. Dadan is still more of a favorite mother-figure for me though. Even though she isn't a very good one haha XD
- Spring is here! Do you know what that means? Guess!
- I think Luffy is finally starting to see that things are not as they were before Sabo's death. Luffy really just wants to please Ace and make his brother proud. We'll just have to see how long it takes until he completely notices that Ace is not the same Ace as before.
- I cannot believe Ace just tried to suffocate Luffy. LIKE WHY? That's it, he's gone off the deep end.
- So now Ace is hallucinating? Hearing voices? You'll just have to wait and see!
Wow, that was a lot of footnotes. Sorry about that.
In other news, the first chapter of my new fic "Rim of Heaven" was recently posted! I urge you to check that one out too, especially if you like brotherly!AceLu and fantasy. The inspiration for the book came from the youth book "Dragon Rider" by Cornelia Funke. In case your a fan of that book; it was one of my favorites as a child. Don't worry, right now "Blame" is my priority, especially since I have it all planned out already and ROH is still in the works a bit. But yeah, go check it out if you can! :D
To my Reviewers!
Satan-chan - I'm glad that you like that I make you sad! *I wonder if I should be concerned my reader's well being* Hahaha, just kidding! It seems most people seem to be HAPPY when I make them SAD, which seems a bit strange to me, but I admit I am the same exact way, so i must be okay. Look how I turned out! *eye twitch*. Hahaha, in all seriousness, thanks for your review! A very smart reader you are, understanding my metaphors! Yes, you are 100% correct about the caterpillar. The full extent to that foreshadowing hasn't happened yet, but keep it in mind. It's coming soon! :) thanks for your review, it made me so happy! I hope you liked this chapter.
LovelyMinx17 - Your reviews always make me smile. You always give compliments, and I have to admit, I feel a little starstruck when I see them since you're such an awesome writer *marvels in awe* So thank you for reading my little 'ol story. I'm just as excited, if not more, when you update as well. Yay for happiness! Luffy didn't get any food. In fact, he got negative food (I'm going to make that a thing) oh no! Thanks for reading an your review. I hope you liked this chapter! :)
lany-chan - Cool, I'm glad you think most of the characters are pretty canon. I have a tendency to really change characters when I write, which I don't necessarily want to do all the time. Expecially for this fic. Because the idea was to see if you change just one characters reaction to an even (Sabo's "death"), how does it affect the other characters. I know it'll be far from perfect, but I'll do my best! For you! Because you were so sweet and reviewed for me. If you happened to read the footnotes (which are long and wordy so I don't really expect people to read them anyway haha), you may have saw that I wrote I loved when Dadan was motherly. If I was in her position, I would be annoyed at the boys too! But deep down I know she really does see them as adoptive sons. It's hard, because in the anime/manga, they just skip all the years spent with her (which is fine because that's like 10 years and would take waaaaaaaay too long to do), but when you think about it, 10 years is a LONG time. So I'm sure she grew attached to the boys. Especially since she knew Ace since he was an infant! Sorry for the ramble, but I really like talking to you guys. Especially since I know you're all so kind enough to read it! :D Thank you, and please review again! If you want that is. :]
Guest (who reviewed on August 18) - I'm glad you find it incredible! I think YOU are incredible for taking the time to review! :D
Nanoko-chan - awww, I love that you love this fanfiction! ^^ Your English is fine. Much better than my French would be for sure! I only speak English and a little Español. *now I'm going to go cry at how uncultured I am*. I am honored to have a frenchie read this story (I'm honored to have anyone read my story really). It means so much to me! I hope my English is understandable, I know I talk weird even though I SPEAK English... thanks for your review! :3
Guest (who reviewed on August 23) - woah, now I have TWO guests reviewing? So cool! I hope this doesn't confuse you. I did the other guest first because I try to do them in the order someone reviews (I hope you aren't mad at me) YOU are the super duper nice guest who keeps writing all these kind things in all your reviews and I don't deserve all your kind words and you make me blush and squeal cause they make me so happy. *gasps for breath*. So you're like really, really sweet! hehe. I hope you weren't tearing up too bad! It makes me sad to think that I make my readers cry, but it's what y'all want *internal dilemma*. And I look forward to YOUR reviews very much, so it's only fair I give a good reply! I write how I think, so that's why they are so...strange I suppose. ^.^ Don't worry, I don't find you weird or off topic or rambley. Just super kind. Aw, I'm sure you're a better writer than you give yourself credit for. Your reviews are so awesome, so you must be! Your flattering compliments, I just don't know what to do! I hope I write as good as you say; you guys deserve to read well written things. I've got a lot to grow as a writer, and my grammar is horrendous, but you give me the motivation to do my best! I'm starting school again in a few...hours...crap. So your review cheered me up! The clean bathroom thing is based off of how my grandma used to be. Apparently, my grandpa used to read and drink beer in the bathroom since it was the only place he could get away from my dad and his five older brothers. My grandma HATED it because he would leave bottles in there and they would spill and break so she banned him from having alcohol in the bathroom, hahaha. Wow, this reply has REALLY gotten out of control. Oh well, you deserve it. I hope you liked this chapter! No Dadan, sadly. But a little Makino maybe? If you like? Let me know, I hope you'll review again! Really, they help so much.
So the author note seems to be as long as the actual story. That was really rude of me, I'm sorry. I just get so excited when you guys read. It makes my rainy days sunny!
Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts and drop a review. They really help me write better. That's all for now, I hope you'll keep reading!
Respectively yours,
F&F