Hey everyone! Thanks so much for being patient. If it wasn't a writers block, it was some other drama that required my attention. This summer has officially earned an F in terms of productivity. But never fear! I'm getting back into the swing of things. So, drumroll please, NEW CHAPTER!!!! WHOOT!!!! ...I'm done now... I'm gonna go sleep or something... yeah...
weixuan18 - Well of course they'll win! Luffy's pretty much indestructable! But that doesn't mean there won't be sacrifices... oooohhhhh... But Raven is definatly a piece of work, even from my authoress stand point. And sadly, I can't wait to write more of her sadisticness!!! Glad I could keep you amused! Exams are a terrible, terrible thing...
Sanji-luver - Tantalizing? That is so awesome!!!! My story just got called tantalizing!!! Oh, you rock!!!!
Critias - Yis, it was quite bloody wasn't it? But I still love Raven's character. For some reason f-ing insane people appeal to me right now. Probably makes me feel more sane! Well, at the (terrible) rate I update, you'll get to read it before you die. You might be old and gray, but you'll be able to read it! Mihawk's purpose will soon be revealed!!!! Hahahahahaha!!! Ohs noes!!! The pointy stick of DOOM!!!
antyem13 - Don't worry. All will be revealed!!! It's my job after all... yis, many plot twists in this story. But Zolo is very definatly drool worthy! Drooling fangirls of Zolo UNITE!!!!!
Yumi - Thanks! I'm getting such a positive response from the fluff!!! Whoot! Yes, computers suck. So much for technology of the future, huh? Can't very well build a future on something that keeps crapping out every hour or so!
cutie-kitty100 - Thanks! Yeah, I was so ticked about all that. Now I have it back, but I just can't come up with what to write next. XX Isn't it wonderful how my life works? But anywho, glad you like it!
Volume-5 - Thanks a bunch! I'm glad it's playing out well. There's so much to cover so it will all make sense in the end... I hope. Yeah, mindless fluff is always good. Glad you like it!
Don'tCallMeShort! - Updated, updated!!! And a virtual sugar rush? Since we can't really give each other sweets, we pretend we can by giving each other the right to a sugar rush. Therefor, we pretend to give each other sugar, and show our appreciation for each other. Yay for social interaction via the internet!
darkheart1992 - Thanks! Here's your update!
nautikitti - Quite the change of pace wasn't it? But it's just a warm up for what's to come... dun dun dun... I'm so evil... and weird...
edwardcullensluv - Thanks! I'm glad to hear it flows! Sometimes I wonder if I spend too much time in the details of things, but you just brightened my day! I send you love and a new chapter!
Songorita - Here you go!
Reviewers will be loved forever and given a virtual sugar rush in the sweet form of their wishes. They also have my love... yes, I just said you have my love... (hearts all reviewers)
Chapter 19
Fire in the Sky
Aly's POV
I sat straight up with a yell, practically throwing the blanket that had been over me across the room. I looked around wildly, sighing as I recognized familiar surroundings. I was still on the Going Merry. I wasn't at home. It had all been a dream… But I wasn't in the cabin.
Luffy was snoring next to me, hat on his stomach as he muttered something about meat. Ussop lay in his hammock on the other side of Luffy. I could see him clutching his slingshot, occasionally waving it around as he told tales to his dreams. Chopper was on my other side, twitching his nose every so often as he swung gently with the rocking motion of the ship. One other hammock was empty, which I could only guess belonged to Sanji. That meant I must be in his…
Twisting around, I almost fell out of the hammock, but saw the swordsman snoring away on the couch. He had one arm over his eyes, the other hanging off the couch near his three swords, which had been leaned near his head. He was just tall enough that his feet were propped up on the arm of the couch, mostly because he didn't have a pillow, so he was scooched down enough to have his head on the cushions. All in all, it was such a cute image that I couldn't help but to smile.
Taking the pillow from the hammock, I managed to get my feet on the floor without a sound. Creeping over to Zolo, I poked him gently.
"Zolo." I whispered. "Hey Zolo."
He didn't even stir. Grinning, I lifted his head up and slipped the pillow underneath. Silently creeping to the door, I opened it up with only a slight creak. I was halfway out without incident.
"Sanji! I want meat!!!" Luffy yelled, in his sleep no less. He then proceeded to begin chewing on his pillow.
"Don't worry! I will defeat the sea monster, for I am the brave Captain Ussop!!!" The marksman announced, striking a pose even in his sleep.
"AHHH!!!! SEA MONSTER!!!!" Chopper yelled, thrashing around in his hammock until he fell out of it. The doctor fell on the floor, then curled up there.
In moments, there was silence again. And the swordsman had slept through it all. Trying hard not to explode laughing, I shut the door and went up on deck. Only then did I start hysterically laughing.
"What's so funny?" A familiar voice inquired. I looked up to the crow's nest to see Nami, apparently on watch.
"The boys." I said, still chuckling. "How they ever get any sleep is beyond me."
"Really?" Nami responded, leaning on the edge as I climbed up. "And why were you down there in the first place? Hm?"
"N-no reason really… I must have fallen asleep on deck last night, that's all." I said, hoping that she wouldn't notice the very slight blush that was making my ears turn bright red.
"Okay, come on, spill. What happened?" Nami said, nudging me with her elbow. She had that 'I found treasure' look on her face again…
"Nothing really. I was just on watch and Sanji brought me some dinner since I didn't have any, and then Zolo brought out a blanket, and then I must have fallen asleep…" I knew she wouldn't buy this, but it was worth a try.
"Uh-huh, and you magically appeared in the boy's cabin because?" Nami's grin only got wider as I tried to skirt around the answer.
"Well, I uh… kinda fell asleep on Zolo… I think…"
"Oh! And what were you doing all snuggled up against Zolo? Hmmm?"
"Um… well, we were kinda… um…. Making out….."
Nami squealed as I tried to check my flow of blood. If my circulation brought anymore to my head, I think it was going to explode.
"See, I told you that you liked him!" Nami said, giggling. "Anything else?"
"Nami, come on! We've been over that one already!" I exclaimed, glaring at her. She only winked.
"Just checking." She said, still grinning. "Well, your secret's safe with me. Until the rest of the crew catches on."
"And are you gonna tell them?" I asked, a bit on an edge on my voice.
"No no, don't worry, this is between us girls." The navigator said, treasure hunter grin gone in place of a small smile. I could tell she was being honest. "But the rest of them aren't dumb. Robin will defiantly notice. She doesn't miss anything. Ussop will catch on eventually. As for Chopper and Luffy, someone will probably have to announce it to them… And Sanji'll find out soon if he doesn't know already. "
The change in her voice when she said 'Sanji' didn't go unnoticed.
"So Nami, how goes your quest for the perfect man?" I asked, grinning with my 'Gotcha' look. I'll admit she did a great job hiding it.
"What?" she asked, looking at me confused.
"Oh come on, I'm not as blind as you must think. The way he dotes upon you, and you don't seem to mind? And you always go to him if you need help with something. Plus the look of death I got when I flirted with him that once or when he called me pretty…"
"Alright! Okay, I like Sanji…" she muttered, pouting a bit now that someone found out her secret. I simply grinned wider.
"So who else knows?" I asked. She sighed.
"I think Robin might. But other than you, no one else has picked up yet. They all think it's just Sanji being his usual self." Nami said with a sigh, resting her head in her hands as she stared out to sea. Although I don't think she was really looking.
"So when are you making you're move?" I asked, grin fading to a small smirk.
"I don't know. Probably…" Nami trailed off, blinking as she squinted at something on the horizon. "That's impossible… The sun is rising… again… and from the wrong direction…"
I whipped my eyes to the horizon. Dusty tinges of pink were beginning to show in the sky, straight in front of the ship. Which was odd, considering the sun was already rising to our left. I suddenly noticed how warm it was getting, and that the sea was getting a bit rougher.
"Oh shit! That's not the sun!!!" I yelled, scrambling down to the deck. "EVERYONE! ALL FREAKING HANDS ON DECK!!!! NOW!!!!!!!"
Within a minute of my yelling, Robin and Nami were next to me. Sanji came barreling out of the kitchen, while the rest of the boys exploded out on the deck.
"What's goin' on? I want breakfast." Luffy complained, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Everyone, get over here. I've got stuff to say and very little time to say it." I commanded. Everyone gathered around. "We're getting close the Second Barrier. That means there's a few ground rules I need to lay down. One, do not go into the ocean for any reason! I don't care if Luffy falls overboard again, if there's a reason to go in the water, I'll do it."
"Why-" Nami began, but I cut her off.
"Two, if you guys see anything, ANYTHING, out of the ordinary, you tell me right away. At this point I have no idea what might happen, so be on guard." Pausing, I looked around the ship. "It would be a good idea to furl as many sails as possible. The less flammable material flapping about, the better. Take down the flag, unless you want it to burn faster than Luffy trying to cook. And Nami, you should probably put a tarp or something over the trees. Last time I checked, they were prone to burst into flame."
Everyone scurried off to do what I had said. Sometimes I felt more like the captain than Luffy, but that was probably because this was my territory and they didn't feel like getting killed. I began to help bring in the sails, keeping a wary eye on the brightening horizon. In the middle of the chaos, I caught Zolo's eye. We held each other's gaze for a moment before he continued to secure the sails. I turned back to my job without much more thought on the matter. We both understood that surviving held a higher place than awkwardness.
The heat continued to increase, making us all shed some un-needed layers, much to Sanji's delight. I think Nami hit him at least three times, though not as hard as usual. Those two were so cute…
"Miss. Guest, what exactly are these barriers?" a voice asked me from behind. I turned to face Robin, who had an expression of mild curiosity.
"I didn't explain about them before, did I?" I said, rubbing the back of my head. "The Four Barriers are the island's defense. There's one of each element, representing that the gods are protecting us."
"And the First Barrier was that sandbar right?" Nami commented. I noticed that most of the crew had gathered around, finished with whatever preparations needed to be made.
"Right. The Second Barrier is one of fire, and the Third is one of air. The sea itself is the Fourth Barrier of water." I explained, holding up a finger for each one.
"COOL!!!" Luffy exclaimed, trademark insane grin on his face. "So that's why we can't go in the water!!"
"Ummm… yeah…." I said. I chose that moment to look at the horizon, and I felt my eyes grow wide. "SHIT!!!"
With that, we sailed straight into the Second Barrier. Tongues of flame were everywhere, dancing across the deck and flitting about the rigging. The panic finally began when one mosied up to inspect Usopp's foot.
Usopp screamed and began running around the deck. Nami, Chopper, and Luffy weren't far behind him, and soon all four of the idiots were running about screaming. The little fireballs seemed to cackle with delight and began chasing them, bouncing up and down as they did.
Sanji and Zolo immediately reacted with violence, which didn't work very well. Every time Sanji went to kick on, it jumped and landed on his shoe or leg, which made him kick at it again, which led to a very entertaining blur of leg and flame. Zolo whipped out a sword and began to slice the fire in half. Which works oh so well considering fire cannot be cut, especially disembodied fire with no apparent source of fuel. The fire was toying with him too, jumping up onto his sword and arm, which led to another entertaining show of steel, fire, and arm.
Robin and I were left standing where we originally were, attempting to analyze the situation.
Gods, my life just can't be simple…
"Miss. Guest?" Robin's voice invaded my thoughts. "Something strange is going on."
"Yes, I can see that. I don't think I could have missed the small balls of flame bouncing around and tormenting the crew." I replied sarcastically as I wiped sweat out of my eyes. The heat was getting unbearable.
"Well, obviously that is strange." Robin replied in a matter of fact tone. "But did you notice that is all they're doing? The ship isn't being burned, and neither is the crew. And if you don't believe me, look down."
I looked down so fast I almost gave myself whip lash. There was a ring of fireballs bouncing around me. A few were sitting on my flip flop adorned feet. One was even rubbing up against my bare ankle and doing something akin to purring.
Okay, NOW I was confused.
"Ummm… excuse me.." I said, kneeling down to their level. My necklace turned red. I could only guess how demonic my eyes looked. "What are you doing?"
The flames continued to bounce up and down, giving me a response I could only define as laughing. Scowling, I waved them away from me.
"Miss. Guest?"
"Yes, Robin?"
"If you have a plan, I suggest you act quickly."
"And why would you say…… oh……"
I stood up, gazing at the huge wall of fire directly in front of the ship. I looked at Robin, who's face was completely calm, looked at the firewall, looked at the crew, and then once again at the firewall.
"SHIT!!!!!!!!" I yelled, sprinting over to the bow of the ship. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!!!!!!"
I leapt onto the goat's head, quickly noting the space between the firewall and the ship. I had about five minutes before we went up in ashes. Continuing to exclaim explicatives, I returned to the deck and began pacing.
"Miss. Guest?"
"YES, ROBIN?!?!?! WHAT THE HELL IS IT?!?!?!?" I screamed, whirling around. She still had that infuriatingly serene look on her face, and took my shouting in stride.
"Perhaps you could use that power of yours. Surely you realize that all we're facing is a wall of fire in the middle of the ocean." Robin said evenly.
"…ALL WE HAVE TO FACE??? ARE YOU NUTS??? IT'S A WALL OF FIRE!!! WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO DO ABOUT THAT???"
Alright, so maybe I was getting a bit out of hand. But can you blame me? I had maybe four minutes to save everyone, no plan at all, and the only advice I've gotten is random pieces of obvious information. Yes! It was a wall of fire in the middle of the ocean!!! Being an Elemental doesn't make you invincible!!! I can burn just as easily as anyone else!!! I'm the only one on the damn ship who can survive in this ocean!! Everyone else would drown or die one way or another!!! GODDAMNIT!!!
"Well, water is the opposite element of fire." Robin informed me. "Am I wrong?"
I opened my mouth to tell her just how wrong she was when what she was saying suddenly sunk in. Of course!!! Just because we can go in it doesn't mean it couldn't be useful! Though I'd have to expend an insane amount of energy to make this work with such short notice… Now… to inform everyone else.
I turned to the screaming, swearing crew, and realized no matter how loud I was they weren't going to stop. So I took the only choice open to me. I ran toward Sanji and Zolo, who were closest. Coming up behind the cook, I swept the legs out from under him. He landed with an 'oof'. One hand came up to smack him on the head, while I used the other to tap Zolo on the shoulder. He whirled around, and I twisted the sword out of his grasp. Sheathing it, I gave him a solid shove and a whack over the head. Two down, four to go.
Sprinting over to the four running idiots, I waited for one to run by. Nami happened to be the unlucky victim. Grabbing her arm, I used her momentum to spin her in a circle. Soon she was going faster than she could run and tripped. I reversed the direction so she wouldn't fall on her face, and let go of her arm.
Chopper ran by me, screaming his fool head off. I went to grab him, but he was too quick. Suddenly, he was lifted off the deck by a pair of arms so he was running in mid air… Arms… that were growing… out of the deck… I looked around to see Robin smiling at me. Deciding not to question, I moved on.
Luffy was running about in circles and Usopp was making laps around the edge of the deck. Grabbing the back of Luffy's shirt, I swung him around and straight into Usopp. The two collided, recoiled, then fell on top of each other quite dazed. Before anything could get more out of hand, I began yelling.
"STOP ACTING LIKE IDIOTS AND LISTEN!!!" I screamed. "Everyone with Devil Fruit powers, buddy up with someone who doesn't and hang the hell on or else you're dead!!! And for the love of the gods, STOP SCREAMING!!!!"
"But Aly, you're screaming." Luffy supplied helpfully, dusting himself off as he stood.
"Why yes, Luffy, I am." I replied, smiling and mentally holding myself by back from punching my captain in the face. "But please to what I say, and do it rather quickly, because we have about thirty seconds before burning to death."
With that I strode to the front of the ship and attached myself to the rigging, leaving the idiots to panic and the somewhat calmer ones to take charge. Unfortunately, Luffy wasn't done asking questions.
"Hey Aly! What's that?" Luffy yelled, pointing to the giant wall of fire now towering above us. Zolo scowled as he grabbed the back of his captain's shirt and dragged him to a more secure location than the middle of the deck. "And has your necklace been blue the whole time?"
"That Luffy, is a giant wall of fire." I responded evenly. I tilted my head to the side and grinned insanely at the crew. They clung onto whatever they could find more dearly. "And yes, my necklace has been blue the whole time because that is what's going to save us."
I pointed to the giant tidal wave that was rising behind us, even taller than the fire. There was just enough time to savor the priceless looks on their faces before immeasurable amounts of water crashed down upon us.