I'm sorry for takin' so long with updates. I have heeeeaps of half written chapters but I just can't seem to get them finished off nicely.
But I'd like to thank everybody who's reviewed any of my stories, and say thanks to those who didn't give up on me actually updatin' (I like to tell myself that there are so of ya, lol). Anyhow, here's the long awaited next chapter!
Mae
Ushio.
This name echoed through his head, bouncing off the walls of his mind to be sent hurtling back from where they'd come.
He found his lips moving to form the unfamiliar name, unconsciously speaking the name aloud as more of a question than a statement.
The boy in question turned to him with a look of expectant curiosity on his face. This went unnoticed by Sanji; after the realization of Usopp's fate and Ushio's timid introduction, his head had suddenly felt like it was stuffed with cotton wool, giving him the strange sensation of having suddenly shoved his head in a barrel of water.
His head slowly cleared, and with a start he was bought back to the present. After looking around himself idly he noticed a nearby food stall with decent enough looking food and, since the ship was in desperate need of a restock, he headed towards it.
Ushio hurried after him almost out of habit; a strange voice in his head was telling him that it would be unfortunate to let the blond out of his sight.
---
Luffy pouted as he came to a stop in a residential street that would have put 'Stepford Wives' to shame, his eager and curious gaze flicking every which way before he sighed in disappointment.
"We lost it!" He stated sadly as he turned towards his first mate. At the blank look on the other's face he thought to clarify. "The butterfly!"
Zoro repressed yet another groan, his eyes darting around hopefully for a pub of some kind even though deep down he knew it'd be very unlikely there would ever be such a wondrous establishment in a place like this.
---
"Are you hungry?" The blond had turned back to him, catching Ushio unaware and startling him from his daydreams.
He shook the last tails of his daydream from his mind as he looked up at the blond; the others had called him 'Sanji' hadn't they? He felt his eyes widen suddenly as he was pierced with the most focused, intense gaze he had ever seen.
It wasn't far, Ushio decided as he stared up into those mesmerizing blue eyes. It felt like the rest of the world had disappeared as his heart flew up onto his mouth; how was he supposed to fight eyes like that??
"Uh…huh?" Came his not-too intelligent reply as his mouth flopped open in a silent gasp.
The blond, Sanji, seemed to be just as lost in the moment as he was, and at the bottom of his vision Ushio vaguely identified a wistful smile forming on the other male's face.
"Hungry." An oddly soft voice clarified for Ushio's befuddled mind "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"
Something to eat? Now that sounded like a wonderful idea, Ushio decided (with eager agreement from his stomach), especially if that meant he'd get to spend more time with that cute blond!
Wait, had he just thought that??
---
Was this kid okay? Sanji wondered to himself; the boy seemed to be spacing out quite a lot. Sanji frowned in concern, reaching a hand out to gently shake the Usopp look-a-like.
After receiving no response he took the other teen's hand, leading him through the crowd and back towards the ship with the newly purchased food supplies tucked neatly under his other arm.
---
Zoro sighed with immense relief as he stumbled down the path.
Thanks to another brightly colored and more obliging butterfly (at least in Zoro's grateful opinion) he and Luffy had been lead away from the unsettling 'clone' neighborhood and back towards the dock.
The Merry Go had never looked to wonderful as it did at that moment.
---
Nami smiled in satisfaction as she bounced the jingling bag of coins in her hand.
Today had been quite a good haul, and she'd even managed to successfully pickpocket a couple of wealthy looking folks.
"Hey Zoro!" She called out cheerfully as she approached two of her newly returned crewmates.
"That's her!!" A loud voice suddenly yelled from behind them, and Nami turned swiftly. Her heart leapt into her throat before rational thought returned just as quickly and she raced up the gang plank, leaving a bewildered Zoro and Luffy staring at her, each other, and then back to her in confusion.
"We have to leave. Now!" She stated forcefully, quickly turning on Sanji as the puzzled blond wandered out of the kitchen to investigate the noise.
"Sanji, ready the sails, Usopp, untie the boat." Sanji and Ushio hurried off (Ushio being pointed in the right direction by Sanji) quickly, the latter of the two not daring to point out that Nami had called him by the wrong name.
"You two," Nami's attention was now focused on Zoro and Luffy (the actual captain of the ship) "hurry up and get on the ship!" She hissed frantically, leaning over the side of the ship and dragging her wayward crewmates on board. She managed to knock some sense into Zoro and the gangplank was raised just as the angry mob of 'slightly less wealthy' villagers stormed the dock.
The wind had worked in their favor and the Merry Go was quickly blown back towards the endless ocean and away from what had joined a growing list of islands they could never return to.
"Phew, that was a close one!" Nami stated as she slumped against the side of the ship in relief, a peaceful smile adorning her lips as her eyes stared lazily into the now calm water.
"Uh…I don't mean to spoil the moment…" A hesitant voice started, and as one the entire crew could feel a different kind of worry and panic arise as they turned towards the anxious face of what appeared to be their newest crewmember. Great, now they could each add kidnapping to their list of crimes!
"Uh…so, how do I get home?" Ushio stammered slowly, a lost expression clearly visible on his tanned face before he looked up at the blond framed face he knew best.
Sanji gulped at the lost, helpless expression directed at him. He was the one who'd bought the kid onto the ship in the first place.
What was he supposed to do now?