Yes! All my chapters finally came back!!! (dances for joy) Once again, I am so sorry about all this. What was I thinking, not to let my readers know? (slaps self on forehead) But regardless of how horrible I am at updating, I have over 100 reviews!!! I didn't even think I'd get this many on my first story! Thanks everyone! Anyways, got to go. Enjoy, and don't forget to review! I love everyone who reads and reviews!!!!

Oh right. If you don't remember who Marie is, go read chapter 7, Recent History and Deadly Dreams, again. Or at least the part where Aly babbles about how crappy her life is.

Also, those who don't like violence, you might not like this chapter. Warnings of blood, gore, and general cruelty. Thank you, that is all.

ChainofDream - Yes, it has finally begun! Took long enough didn't it? Glad you like it.

weixuan18 - Thanks! I'm so glad everyone liked the fluff. I was afraid I had done really bad on it.

firefistACE888888 - Thanks for the review!

Critias - Yay! Yet another person who likes my story! I love you!

Sanji-luver - Thanks!

Aksha-chan91 - Yeah, Sanji's nice. At first I was going to make it like Aly liked Sanji better and have the whole thing blow up, but it came out the way it is!

the ness-ness - Once again, yay! People liked the fluff!

Saemi - Yeah, no problem. I'll fiddle with it. It should be fixed before I put up the next chapter. Thanks for pointing that out!

antyem13 - Pick up your jaw. That hurts after a while! First One Piece fanfic huh? I'm honored. And yes indeed, Zolo is HOT! If you loko back at some of the earlier reviews, that's all we talk about.

Chapter 18

Dark before Dawn

Raven's POV

She sat looking up at the stars, their light reflecting in her eyes. The fountain behind her gently spilled water into the pool below. She sat on the stone edge, her long brown hair just barely brushing the liquid. A sudden, joyless smile suddenly graced her lips, her eyes taking on the heartless hue they always had.

Finally, her time had come. After years of fruitless searching, careful planning, and cold blooded murder, everything was coming together.

Her hand reached absently to her neck, fondling the stone resting on her collar bone. Ever since she had discovered the true meaning behind it, all life around her had perished, unless tolerated for her cause. Another sudden smile appeared, a strange madness radiating from her in waves.

Truly, death was the only thing that gave her joy. Seeing the fear in their eyes just before they slumped to the floor. The surprise etched into their face before the pain took hold. The dark, crimson blood that adorned her features after a successful kill, as it coated her hands and slid down her throat like liquid life.

Stretching her frame slightly, she returned her gaze to earth as another approached from the shadows.

Her pawn was indeed an interesting specimen. Driven for revenge at the tender age of 18, just a mere year younger than her. Black hair that hid passionate brown eyes behind a veil of bangs, her pawn was indeed interesting. Even so, it was this girl that had gotten her here, that had been the first to know of her legacy and home.

"Is she coming?" the girl asked. She noted that the ever present sword was tied at her side.

"Indeed. She passed the first barrier this afternoon." She answered, casting an eye over her pawn. "Are you still so bent on revenge Marie? Such passion could be directed at more becoming things other than the thought of another's death."

"We've been over this. I got you here, and now I get my revenge. And you do whatever the hell it is you wanted to do." Marie answered, fingering the hilt of her sword. "Alondra ruined my life with her freakish little powers. I have every right to pay her back in full for that."

"Of course. Of course. I wasn't denying that you did." She waved her hand in the air, as if to brush away the doubts in Marie's mind.

"Have you been watching her?" Marie questioned.

"What else is there to do?" she questioned, dipping a finger into the fountain pool.

She began to trace lazy patterns in the water. The liquid stopped spraying into the cool night air. As the last few drips descended into the water, the spot where her finger was turned black. Slowly, the darkness spread to every corner until the whole fountain was black and motionless. Removing her finger, she waved her hand over the water and an image sprang forth. Marie bent over it eagerly. She also glanced down to the water.

A girl with long brown hair appeared, asleep and leaning against a man with bright green hair. Near them, dishes were stacked and scattered. A blond man came up to the pair, a cigarette lighting up his face. With a smirk, the blond spoke, provoking a scowl from the green haired one. A few words were exchanged before the blond gathered the dishes and walked away, disappearing into the ship. The remaining man gathered the sleeping girl into his arms and stood. He cast a glance at the cabin door before going into the ship, leaving the image focused on an abandon piece of deck.

With another wave of her hand, the water cleared and the fountain began again. The purple glow from the obsidian pendent on her necklace faded. She watched as Marie looked up at her, suspicion clear in her eyes.

"I still can't believe how much you look like her. Are you hiding something Raven?"

Raven chuckled as she resumed her stargazing, one hand on her pendent.

"We've been over this Marie. I am hiding nothing other than what I do not know for certain. We both have a similar need, and that is to see the corpse of Aly sprawled at our feet. Surely that is enough for us to work together? She now has a crew, so it is our best interests to stay together. Wouldn't you agree?" Raven spoke softly, but her voice commanded the attention of her listeners.

A quiet rustle came from behind Raven, and a boy emerged, a knife dripping in blood in his hand. He moved slowly, making sure he made no noise. Raven smiled suddenly. Both of their backs were to the boy, so he surely felt that he was safe.

How very untrue.

"And what do we have here?" Raven said, her necklace glowing again. "A rodent that survived? Oh dear, I must be getting sloppy."

The boy yelped as the air around him darkened and plucked him from the ground. He struggled as he was brought towards the two girls. Marie whirled around, sword half drawn as her eyes swept over the intruder.

The boy had red hair that was now dark from matted blood. His piercing green eyes shone with hatred as he glared at them, his thrashing became weaker.

Raven's smile got wider when she saw the ruby of an armband glinting in the moonlight. Suddenly it began to glow, and his progress through the air slowed. Marie's face contorted into a snarl.

"Filthy Elemental." The swords girl marched up to him. "I thought I got every last one of you."

"Now now Marie." Raven said, still drawing the boy close. "I'm sure he has a good reason to be watching us instead of running as far away as he could to save his own worthless hide."

"Shut up! You… you monsters!" The boy suddenly spat, the glow from his ruby dying out. His head turned as Marie's hand connected with his face.

"Watch who you call monster, filth. You and your 'people', if they have any right to the title, are the monsters. All of you. And I'll finish what I started."

In one fluid movement, Marie drew her sword and tried to swing at him, only to find her blade stopped by the dark air. She spun around, livid.

"Don't stop what's rightfully mine!" she screamed the other girl. Raven simply smiled.

"But he interests me. Allow me a moment." Raven responded, taking Marie's snort and sheathing of the sword as a yes.

With a wave of her hand, the boy floated so he was hovering right in front of her. Reaching up, she turned his face this way and that, only to have him jerk it out of her grasp. He had spirit. She liked that. Standing, she circled him, ending up mere inches from his face. Eyes taking in every detail, she determined him to be about her age of 19.

"And who might you be, my brave boy?" she asked quietly. He raised his head, tossing it defiantly.

"Liam." He responded without hesitation. "If you're going to kill me, get it over with before I get my arm free."

Raven watched, amused, as he attempted to pull his arm free, the knife still firmly in his gasp. With one swift movement, she had tugged the blade from him. Turning it over in her hands, she smiled up at him.

"Wonderful quality. Who's was it? Your father's perhaps? A family heirloom?" Her smile suddenly took on a maddened look. "Well, it really doesn't matter. It can be used the same way."

Raven's pleasure grew at the gasp from Liam as she plunged the knife into his abdomen. Twisting it ever so slightly, she received a scream that pierced the night and sent shivers down her spine. Liam shuddered and coughed, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Pulling him down to her level, his feet rested on the ground, his body still supported by the dark air. Noting Marie had disappeared sometime during the performance, she leaned close to the boy.

Her tongue darted out, licking the blood trailing down to his chin. Eventually reaching his mouth, she closed hers over his. Twisting the knife a bit more, she backed away and smiled at him, licking off the bit of blood on her face before moving to her hands. The dark air disappeared, leaving Liam to fall to the ground. Raven watched with a predatory look, cleaning her hands of blood with her tongue. Liam grasped the knife and pulled it out with a sickening squelch. Gasping, he curled into a ball, trying to stanch the flow of life pooling below him. Finished with her fun, Raven bent down close to him.

"I just missed anything vital." She informed him. "You will live long enough to see your precious Aly again, and to tell her all about what you have seen and what has happened. Shortly after that, you will die. But don't worry. Elementals have an afterlife, right? So you'll have a wonderful seat as I tear dear Alondra apart."

With this said, Raven stood and walked through the silent town. She took a moment to read the sign above a door. Timothy Shinto. Sword smith. She pushed the door open and entered. Swords and katanas hanging proudly on the walls, gleaming in the faint light of the room. Taking down one fine example, she unsheathed the katana and walked into the next room.

She gazed unfeelingly at the man tied to the metal ring on the wall. Dirty blond hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, leaving his weathered face and aged blue eyes clear for the viewing. Raven crouched down in front of him, katana tip slipping under his chin. She lifted his head so she could see his face, finding his blue eyes blazing with hatred. Her ever present smile grew at this display.

"Hello again. Still haven't given up I see." She commented.

"We should have killed you the moment you were born." Shinto spat, glaring. "The whole damn island was too soft with you. At least your sister turned out half decent."

Raven's eyes flashed, then settled back into the normal emotionless deep blue. Standing, she cut the ropes with one swing. Turning her back, she moved to leave the room.

"I was going to let you live for a little while longer, but you've managed to provoke me into deciding otherwise." She said, back still to him. "I will be waiting outside. You may decide the way you will die. With or without honor."

Raven spotted Marie as she left the workshop. Smile returning, she moved towards her pawn.

"Do you need something Marie?" she asked pleasantly.

"You left the filth alive." Marie responded coldly.

"Simply just another blow to dear Aly." Raven's smile widened. "His name was Liam. I found out that he means a great deal to Alondra, even so far as a fiancée. Seeing him dying without any way to prevent it will weaken her beyond anything we could have hoped."

"Isn't that what we did all this work for?" Marie questioned, fingering her sword as she stared over Raven's shoulder.

"Indeed it is. If she doesn't break before we show ourselves, it certainly will be a good fight. I'm looking forward to seeing her face crumple with the realization that she was too late, too weak, too helpless to stop us. After slaying her crew, she should have little resistance left, if any. Then it will be mere child's play."

"Raven."

She turned to find Shinto outside his shop, a sword in his hand. Suddenly, Raven began to laugh. It was a chilling sound, not happy or glad in the least. Just cold amusement.

"So you decided to fight, did you? That's wonderful. I was so hoping you would." Raven said, moving to him. He shifted into a fighting stance, the stiffness in his limbs suggesting he hadn't used swordplay in ages.

"Whatever happens tonight, Aly will stop you. Both of you. She has more strength than anyone has ever given her credit for. Only one person has ever truly known that power but it's too late for her now. Aly will stop you. She'll take revenge for us all." Shinto announced, grip on the blade tightening.

"If you have such confidence in her, why don't you have confidence in me? After all, I was so hoping you would approve." Raven said, still smiling.

"You're no kin of mine! You never were!" Shinto yelled. "You haven't been since the day you were born and sent as far away from here as possible! You're nothing like Aly!"

Raven chuckled. If only the fool knew how wrong he was…

"Fool. You should know. I'm much stronger than dear Aly. And soon, she'll meet the same fate as you."

With a wild yell, Shinto charged forward. Raven stayed put, smiling as she stared at the ground, Shinto bearing down on her in seconds. A movement no eye could follow, and she was behind him. Without a sound, he collapsed on the ground, blood pooling underneath him. Blood dripped off the end of the katana as Raven looked up at the fading moon. Dawn was coming very soon.

"Soon Alondra, you will know of me. You will know I'm the strongest Elemental. You will know that it will be at my hand the world will suffer because of the pain it has caused me. And you will meet your demise at my hand." Raven spoke quietly. "Soon."

"Raven."

"What?"

"Look."

Looking down towards the dock, she saw a small ship dock. It was a tiny affair, the corners lit up with candles. Raven's smile returned.

"It seems Hawk Eye has returned." She turned to Marie. "Keep him busy, away from the village. At least until shortly before Aly arrives."

"Oh right. What am I supposed to do against the greatest swordsman in the world?" Marie asked, slightly scared. She hadn't known just how great the odds were stacked against her until now.

Smile slipping for a moment, Raven sighed, seemingly good naturedly.

"Fine. Must I do everything myself?" she waved her hand and a dark cloud suddenly obscured the dock from view. "There. He won't be able to leave only a few hours before dear Alondra gets here."

Raven looked out towards the ocean.

Soon.