Chapter Fourteen: The Meeting of Day and Night

"If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried."
- Susan Ohanian

When I got to the deck, I knew one thing for sure after taking in the sight…

The Spade Pirates were getting their asses handed to them.

Not only was it embarrassing to think that I had been with these wimps for the past two months, but it was also painful to watch them be outnumbered like they were. Was three to one even fair for pirates? Probably, but still.

I ducked behind a barrel; like hell was I going to go out there and fight a bunch of men that could snap me like a twig. I tried to get a glance at what was going on as I tried to figure out how I would join the fight. It seemed that wasn't working out so well. With bodies clashing and flying this way and that, I was already busy with trying to stay hidden. Who know how ruthless these pirates were!

"Faye!" My head snapped around to facing a very tired looking Benji. "What the hell are you doing out here? The middle of battle is not a place for a woman to be!" I scoffed at that, but could understand fully what he meant. I couldn't fight worth a shit and I knew it. "You need to either go hide back in Cap'n's quarters or below deck in the kitchens." The young boy hissed at me, pressing himself closer and closer to me, trying his best not to give our position away.

"Haven't you figured it out by now? I'm pretty stupid when it comes to backing out." I hissed right back at him, just noticing how close we were exactly. Holy shit he is not going to—

He did.

At first I didn't really taken in the information properly, so I had to wait a few seconds before trying again. That's when it became clear.

I pushed Benji away with one hand, using the other to wipe my mouth. Gross. I had just been kissed by a little kid. Of course, when I pushed him, I pushed him into full sight of the battle, which then made a charge of Whitebeard Pirates come our way. Before Benji could even let out the first, and only, syllable of 'run', I was leaping out from behind the barrels and sprinting off to grab onto a rope that would, I pray to whatever god is out there, get me to safety. Let's just hope that me swinging up onto the giant whale-shaped boat is the safety part.

Hank was fighting against one of the many men that was scattered across the deck, and Ratch was swinging on ropes, going over many heads and firing his pistol. I looked around, not knowing what to do exactly. A shadow loomed over me.

I spun around quickly, my coat flapping in the cold air. This man was tall, or at least he was taller than me. His hair may have added on a few inches, but he was still very intimidating. His head tilted, his arms were crossed over his chest, and he had a look as if trying to remember something.

"I don't think I've seen you around here before, what division are you in? How long have you been a part of the crew?"

My throat tightened. What was I supposed to say? I was never a good liar when it came to saving my life.

"Uh…" I took a deep breath, and just let something pop out. "Third division, sir. I've been under the commander's orders for a month now." And then I tried to compromise with Karma. I'd let Ace have the bed if I got out of this alive. The man tapped his chin, but nodded after a moment. A great relief over came me.

"Hm, Jozu-san never said anything about a new recruit… but he is the kind of man to keep these kinds of things to himself…" He scratched his head, chuckling to himself about something and then waving me away. "Go on, I'd like to see what you can do."

And then that sudden nervousness came back. He wanted me to fight against the Spades? Well, it was for a good cause – so I didn't get caught – but something would definitely give me away. Especially if the man asked this "Jozu" person about me being in his division. Oh sea god, help me please.

I instantly scouted the deck for something that I could possibly "fight" and "beat". Hank was my only option. He was currently running towards me with this look of confusion and fear since he was being chased. I pulled one of the hidden daggers from my slash and flicked it at him meaning to miss and hit the mast right beside his head. He didn't look too happy, but with a simply wink and another toss of a dagger, he understood what I meant – somehow.

The men chasing after Hank stopped and watched. I took a running start, and Hank charged back, but I knew he didn't have much force behind it. We both went tumbling to the deck, hands and arms sticking out as we "fought". Many stopped their own struggle to watch. We looked like idiots, I knew we did.

"What the hell do you think you're doing up here, Faye?" Hank whispered as we rolled back and forth.

"Well it was either sit there in that corner and rot until someone came found me, or I get out and come fight!"

"Well why the hell are you fighting me?"

"Because, you're the only one I could find from the crew!"

I pushed him away and jumped up onto my feet. Hank took his precious time getting up, but with me trying my best to not get caught I had to take drastic measures.

"Sorry Hank," I muttered, and kicked my leg forward. He was on the ground, withering in pain with his legs clamped together as tight as he could get them, with his hands protecting his groin. Sorry Hank, but I had too.

And then a large shadow enveloped the deck. I looked up, to find a large blue-fire bird soaring above the ship before landing on the upper deck and slowly transforming back into a man.

That face.

"Great job, newbie! How's it feel fighting your first, first mate?" I gulped slightly, knowing Hank was going to kill me once he could walk again. I wouldn't blame him to tell you the truth.

The man that had once been the phoenix stepped down onto the main deck, and many of the Whitebeard Pirates took an advantage to pummel the distracted Spades. His face became clearer and clearer with each step he took to get closer. I knew that face – but it wasn't him.

My father was more than likely at some Marine base going over paperwork and signing orders off of a massacre for some innocent village. I knew of no family on my father's side.

But that face…

(I had gotten all of my looks from my mother; my brother had gotten all his looks from my father. But our eyes were vice versa. I had my father's eyes, Jyrik had my mother's.)

His eyes showed a flash of recognition as he stopped only a few feet in front of the man behind me and myself. He eyed me for a minute before turning to his fellow crewmate.

"Eh, Thatch, who's this?" Thatch, as I now know his name as, chuckled and slapped a hand on my back.

"This, my dear Marco, is Jozu's new recruit. Her name's… uh, well, I don't know her name. Never caught it…." Both of their eyes were on me.

"Rize," I said, randomly coming up with some name – I think that was one of the top drinkers one time in Loguetown.

"Yeah, Rize. Nice name." Thatch slapped my back again, and I jerked forward when he hit the (more than likely) infected tattoo on my shoulder blade. I don't think I've wanted to scream more in my life than anything before. Thatch noticed, and so did this 'Marco' fellow. (The name sounded really familiar too…)

"Something wrong?" Marco raised one of his droopy eyebrows to cease at the middle of his forehead.

"Sore spot, tattoo," I barely choked out, holding in the tears. Damn that really had hurt. Marco raised a brow, and Thatch shrugged. The two crewmates had a silent conversation before both ganged up on me.

"Can I see it? Might be infected so we gotta get one of the ladies to clean it. Can't be too bad if you're a new recruit – you must have just gotten it." Oh how wrong this man was. I've had it for a month, and the whole month I've been practically dying from it. But I couldn't let him see it. From what I had just caught, the Whitebeard crew obviously had tattoos. And the tattoo I was talking about isn't the same one their talking about.

"Nah, it's cool. Not hurting anymore." And I swear to the sea god, the guy Thatch put his hand over the spot again – on fucking purpose. I doubled over, and before I knew it, my coat was yanked off. My bright red back was free to anyone to see. Marco and Thatch were quiet for a moment before I was pulled up straight again and something was placed over my head.

For once in my life, I knew what it was like to have the day meet the night. It was a sack, and I knew this because it smelt like potatoes. They had fucking put a sack over my head. What was this? The mafia?

I was picked up and put over someone's shoulder since I fought against them from pushing me somewhere. After going down what I had a feeling about were stairs, and many opened doors later, I was sat down in a chair and the sack was taken off. I was in a small room with the only light coming from the window on the wall behind me. Thatch and Marco stood in front of me, and a large tan man that I had a feeling about was "Jozu".

"Seems we have ourselves a stowaway, eh." Marco mused to himself as he took a step closer. I pushed myself farther back in the chair, only to jerk forward from the sore spot on my back.

"I'm not telling you anything!" I yelled, but Thatch only chuckled and Marco rolled his eyes. The large man behind them shook his head and walked out what I presumed to be the door. I was alone in a small room with two men. Someone help me.

"You Emery women were always stubborn. I don't know how my brother was able to put up with any of you."

I glared at him, hearing the word 'Emery' for the third or fourth time in the past two months. It was getting on my nerves because I had no idea who these 'Emery' people were.

"What the hell are you talking about? Who's your brother? Why am I here?"

Marco was quiet for a moment before a small smirk pulled at his lips.

"You hate the color yellow because you're afraid of bees." My eyes widened. How did he know that?

"'Roar, I'm the big, bad phoenix that has come to steal away the pretty princess and eat her toys.'" More surprise, bigger eyes.

"And your favorite color is green because you hated the color of snow and loved spring time no matter how short of a time it spent on the island." When it hit me, it hit me hard.

"UNCLE COCO!" You just have to love family.

A/N: Not as long as the others, but it is a chapter none the less. (Can any of you say FINALLY?) Do you know how long I've been waiting to get to this part of the story? Oh the love is in the air~! But not for long… oh how I do love a moody-Ace and his ways. /giggles evilly.

Review and make me happy? :D