Chapter Seven: The Fire That Protects

"Man is the only creature that dares to light a fire and live with it. The reason? Because he alone has learned to put it out."
~Henry Jackson Vandyke, Jr.

"Stay up here, Faye." And then, I was alone yet again. I could hear the yells of more orders on this ship (which I had yet to learn the name of) and the Marines' own orders. But there was one word that each captain said that made me realize that I could die here and now.

"FIRE!"

There was a blast of cannons, and my body vibrated with the echo. Our ship wasn't hit, the marines' was.

I clutched the maroon sheet even closer to me, trying to disappear against the wooden platform. My heart's beat was with rhythm of the yells and sounds of cannons. We weren't hit, but I could still hear the splashes of the cannon balls when they hit the water and rocked the boat.

And then it was quiet. It was almost as bad as back at the shop, so eerie. It was as if it was waiting to be cut by a hot, thick sword.

I leaned over the edge of the crow's nest, looking down at the deck. The crew was on the forecastle part of the ship (the front) while Ace was standing all by himself on the quarterdeck (the back of the ship). What the hell was he doing?

Sure, Ace was strong, I guess; he was able to get a good-sized crew to follow him, but that doesn't mean he's invincible!

I opened my mouth to yell at Ace, telling him how stupid he was and to get his ass back up here, but the words were lost when a large column of fire shot from his out-stretched fist. My green eyes stared off, watching the wisps of orange, red, and yellow speed faster and faster to the marines. It was stopped though, to my utter amazement, by a white cloud of smoke that matched it in size.

My mouth hung open; I was too surprised to knock some sense into myself. That was… beyond amazing. How did he do that? Was he not human? Did he have magical powers or something?

…had he eaten a Devil's Fruit?

"Oi, Miss Faye!" I was pulled away from my thoughts and I looked away from the watery battlefield. Hank was directly under the crow's nest staring up at me. "What are you doing up there?! No, wait, never mind, it's good that you're up there. Just stay there and don't come down until I or the Captain says so!"

I already knew that. Actually, my natural instinct told me to stay up here, but I wasn't going to be that easy to keep a hold on. I disappeared away from the edge and tightened the knots around my waist and chest. It was now or never…

A loose rope hung only a few feet away from the crow's nest. Either I jump to reach it and swung down to the deck, jump to be death, or stayed here like a coward. I wasn't going to be a coward, and I had already cheated death many times, I might as well push my luck now.

"AHH!!" Not very bad-ass sounding is it?

I screamed as I jumped for the rope, now figuring out that part of the sheet was caught on a floorboard. With one hand holding tightly onto the rope and the other half holding the sheet and half holding the rope, I swung around the crow's nest until it suddenly came to a break-neck stop. I screamed again, this time louder, when I flew over the heads of the crew and into the dark waters of the sea.

Of course, I didn't hit the waters, but I wasn't exactly saved by anybody I wanted to be.

A cloud of white smoke surrounded me, holding me as if it were metal clasps. I couldn't move, and I was pissed about this because the sheet was slipping and now ripped from where it had been caught.

Life just didn't want to be on my side.

"FAYE!"

I could barely hear Ace over the roar of the waves and the shouts of the Marines.

When I was placed back on solid ground, I stumbled back and hit the railing of the ship. I stared, suddenly scared to be in front of a lot of marines. Especially when I had nothing on under this sheet.

"I knew you looked familiar, almost like your father… should have known it was you, Callaghan Fayette."

The sound of my real name made me instantly turn from the scared, defenseless girl into one that could kill with just a look.

"How do you know my father?"

The man chuckled, obviously amused by something. I was angered, no; I was beyond pissed off actually. No one had the right to call me by that name. No one.

"Who doesn't know Vice-Admiral Callaghan Vian?" True, who doesn't? "The infamous pirate captain who turned against his own men and became a Marine… he is, after all, in the history books."

I growled, not caring anymore about the sheet. If it was ripped, it was ripped.

"What do you want? Does my father want to bring me back to "home" and make me into a pretty, little Marine like my brother?" My voice was sickly sweet, but my eyes betrayed everything. "Well too, damn bad. I don't want to go to that Hell hole."

He smirked smugly, "I'm not after you, you just happened to run into the wrong pirate at the wrong time. " And then he added, "Seems I killed two birds with one stone."

But that smirk soon disappeared until it turned completely upside down and into a frown.

"Not today, Smoker!" Something, or should I say someone, grabbed me by my waist, and I was lifted back up into the air. This was getting quite annoying, the part of being slung around in the air.

"Letting a pirate fight your battles, Callaghan?!"

I growled, pissed off yet again. "Ace, let me go."

"Uh, Faye, if you haven't noticed, we are currently swinging between two ships, and I for one can't swim because I am basically can anchor. I don't think you want to be stuck in water when no one can save you."

Oh, so I was a weakling now, eh?

"I said, LET ME GO!" And, well, I was let go, but I hit a very hard, wooden deck instead of the water I wanted to welcome with open arms. Damn, he got me good on that one.

"Hank, full speed ahead!" I pulled my face from off the filthy deck and watched as yet another large column of fire sprouted from Ace's arm. I was silenced, much to my internal frustration, by that mere thing alone, slowly watching as the fire spread all the way up his arm and then disappearing into the bright sky to hit the other ship. It was stopped again, but I didn't really notice it.

"Benji, get Faye outta here!"

I was pulled to my feet, my eyes still watching the occupied Ace.

"Come on, Miss Faye. We gotta obey the Captain's orders."

My head slowly turned away from Ace, not wanting to look away from the amazing scene, and too the lightly tanned face of a boy not but a year or two younger than me. I could only nod and let myself be dragged away and into the captain's quarters. The boy, Benji, sat me down on the bed and collected my clothes from the floor. They were placed beside me, not exactly neatly but they weren't wrinkled, and I listened to the sounds of the outside fight.

I closed my eyes, slowly taking in everything that was happening.

I wasn't in Loguetown anymore, Mia was dead, I was in a ripped sheet on a ship full of men that could easily overpower me if they wanted, and I had a ship full of Marines not far behind that crew of men that wanted to capture me (and Ace, oh, they definitely wanted Ace) and take me back to my father. Then again, maybe my father didn't want me.

I had to do something. I wasn't just going to sit here and wait for the "okay" to come out. No, I'm not that kind of girl. Sure, I can't fight worth a shit, but I still have my own talents.

Damn it! What was I going to do?

"Miss Faye?" I pulled away from my thoughts and looked at the boy. "It's really quiet out there…" It wasn't until Benji pointed it out that I noticed it too. It had indeed gotten quiet out there. I stood up from the bed and began walking to the door.

"Miss Faye! No don't-"

I opened the door and came face to face with a tired, yet pissed looking pirate captain. I never thought I would ever see that look on his face. It wasn't…Ace. Sure, I barely knew the guy, but by the way he acted within the small amount of time that I knew him I could figure out that he wasn't the kind to get angry quickly.

"We'll be docking in about two hours. Get ready."

I blinked. Huh?

"But what about the-"

"We lost them. Like I said, get ready to get off."

Whoa, wait, what was with the sudden mood swing?

"Benji, get back to work."

"Yes sir!" the little cabin-boy saluted his captain and ran off to do what needed to be done.

"See ya in a few." Ace left and I was alone again.

And I was very confused.

First he tells me t not do anything stupid (indirectly) and then saves my ass. Next, he's putting a cabin-boy on guard to be my babysitter, and then he's telling me that I have to leave (again, indirectly)?

Oh yeah, I was really confused.

But I had more things to worry about; one of those being the fact of actually getting out of this sheet. I locked the door, making sure no one came in while I changed, and pulled on the familiar black pants, white blouse, green sash and purple coat. I had never liked revealing clothing, something that Mia and I clashed at.

I cringed. Damn, the thought of Mia still hurts…well, why wouldn't it?

Shaking my head and trying to get rid of my thoughts, I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder. The night had gone by faster than I expected. I could already see the first rays of the sun coming off the horizon.

I rubbed at my tired eyes. Now I wanted to get some sleep. Of course, things like this always happen.

The deck was bustling, everyone now up from the fight that went on. It was hard to believe that I was so close to getting caught by the Marines.

I knew I should have stayed in North Blue. I knew I should have just stayed with mom and learned to be a quiet, obedient wife like her. I knew I should have never followed my dream of traveling and actually becoming a seamstress.

But then again, none of these great things would have happened.

I didn't see Ace again until after the Spade pirates, I had finally learned their name, docked on the small island. They had to leave quickly, though. Marines were still after them. Ha, I find this sort of funny. Ace of the Spade pirates; reminded me of the card, actually.

Ace didn't say anything when I finally walked off the ship with my bag slung over my shoulder. He gave a wave and one of his grins, but it wasn't one of those real grins.

And after that, months passed by like seconds.

A/N: Guys… I think I've lost my "spunk" for the story (a reason why this chapter is so short). I have so many ideas I want to get out, but I just can't seem to find the want to actually write stuff… BUT, as my New Year's resolution, I promise to finish this story.

Also, on a different note, I think I'm going to lose a few readers because of this chapter… Yes, I made Faye's brother and dad in the marines, get over it. Yes, her real name is "Fayette" but she goes by Faye. Now on a similar not to chapters, the next one will hopefully be out before or by the weekend. I have to look over some things and do a bit more research, but I'm thinking I can actually go with my plotline. Of course, I have no idea how I'm actually going to end the whole thing because of it's going on with the manga. (And I'm really pissed with that because I want to know if Ace dies or not, damn it!)

Also, go read A Fairy's Tale of Memoirs and Maps if you haven't already. It's little drabbles and things that I think of. MAJOR warning though, there are spoilers for future chapters in there.

Another thing I want to point out before wrapping this up. Since starting this story on the 21st of December I have gotten 34 reviews, 17 favs, 16 alerts, and close to 1,500 views. Do you know how FUCKING ELATED that makes me? EVERYONE GETS BROWNIE POINTS! (Expect you Eli. You just get to have a quiet night to you and your stupid TV, you horrible story-baby's daddy. :P)

-Bri.