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Chapter 14: Do Not Fallow

Time was quick, a little too quick in the city as Sanji wandered endlessly, the moon was out...or was it always out?...bah, it doesn't matter, he needed to find the two who abandoned him and beg for forgiveness. After all, it was all his fault that he snapped like a bottle cap and broke the bottle itself. Again, he chided himself, then sat on a bench and leaned against the cold wall, breathing deeply. He stared up at the sky and to his surprise, he saw three, large forms jump from roof top to rooftop like stones skipping on water with great ease. Sanji started to get up, but one of them turned its head and glared at him, but then it turned its tail and continued on.

He watched them go out of his sight and began pursuing them, jumping on crates then climbing onto the rooftop. Easily, he spotted them, fleeing in a frantic pace, he went after in a dead sprint, jumping over the rafters and beams and obstacles that were in his path. By the time Sanji got close enough, he quietly hid behind some barrels and peeked at the edge to see Trace and Luna panting slightly, Spirit sat beside them. Luna and Trace were whispering to one another, she stopped in her speaking and strode over to the barrels, Sanji crouched down as she scanned the area, not noticing him. When she left, Sanji sighed, however, Luna kicked the barrels to see him. She glared at him, grabbing the collar of his robes then shaking him violently.

"Come to complain again, have you?"

"No-" she lightly slapped him with her free hand.

"Don't talk, don't utter, don't even mouth anything! I'm going to save you life, but don't fallow me." Sajii growled in anger from the base of his throat until Luna suddenly switched to demon point and used her tail to fling him off the roof. He fell to the ground and she cried out sharply into the night,"GUARDS! IT'S THE PROTECTOR!" In seconds, a hundred guards surrounded Sanji as he got up from the dirt, all pointing swords him. He looked up at th roof to see that the three was gone. Now he began to understand: she wandered around him, waiting for the perfect time to sell him out. Traitor. Betraying slut. Blood money bitch. Those words and other flowed in his mind as he was dragged away, Luna watched and listened in a safe distance away, Trace darkly said,"We could've used another tactic-"

"No, I won't use any other-"

"We come into the world kicking and screaming, we cannot help ourselves when we have feelings for others; it what makes us bond together as humans. You know better than this, kid." Trace took out a cigarette and lit it, she stayed quiet and raced off. Trace switched to beast point and fallowed suit with Spirit trailing behind. "Tell me, Spirit, was that intentional? Did she do that on purpose to the boy?" Spirit was silent for the first minute before finally speaking,"I wish to say no, but yes. My predictions three years ago were false, after all...we aren't perfect."

(Anywhere)

A long corridor with mirrors hung on the wall seemed to fell like a void of endless years of torture. Nami, still dressed in the same clothes, was in shackles against the wall, her legs were to weak to support her body. She was half asleep when the guards came in, their heavy boots made loud thuds from a distance as the dragged Sanji into the sam room as hers. He was awake, but remained quiet, staring down at hte floor, they shackled him next to Nami. Now fully awake, the guards murmured,"Persist ant bastards. Hurry up, Horus-sama said there were three more roaming around the damn city."

When they left, Nami slowly asked,"Sanji-kun, what happened, where's Luna-" Like a twig snapping, Sanji started shouting at her,"Don't say that name to me again! That sloppy slut sold me out to these damn bitches , now I'm stuck here with you! I could care less if she dies, fuck her! In fact, this whole adventure to this island is so fucked up...." he trailed off when Ketsuki and Shuzan appeared, he started smiling. "H-hey, guys, thought you were..." yet again, he trailed off, but then started laughing under his breath like a mad man, Nami stared at him like he was some sort of freak.

"I think he's having an emotional breakdown." Nami explained to Ketsuki, who unshackled the both of them, she fell to her kees and Sanji assisted her, his laughter subsided and he had that serious mood.

"Well of course he is!" Shuzan said. "Okami-chan just, they got into a fight, it was really fucked up, I mean, yeah-"

"Can you explain better-"

"I'll put this in easier terms for you, Nami-swan....I would care less if she die." he started opening a door and went through the threshold, but Shuzan grabbed Sanji's collar and pulled him back. "What gives?"

"Do you know why you and Luna were put as partners for this task?" Shuzan asked, the chef glared at him. "Because Luna can see things you can't. When you had traversed through the city, ever noticed how empty the streets were?"

"Yeah-"

"There are demons who prefer to stay in plain sight, yet they're unseen. Being part beast, she's the only one who can see such things...maybe that is why she sold you out ot us..,she just wanted to keep you safe....oi, what's with the face you got on, boy?"

"I'm going to save you life, but don't fallow me.That was a direct quote to me from her mouth, Shuzan! How do you know-" Shuzan suddenly slapped Sanji across the face and scolded him,"At times like these, we can not know, only suspect. Suspect that she had more rational reasons to do this to you than the ones you're thinking in that golden head of yours. Apologize to her and then thank her, for you're in her dept-"

"Dept?!" Sanji scoffed. "What dept? Throwing me in the slammer-" Ketsuki took Sanji by the neck and snarled into his face as the chef was pressed against the wall,"I'm having just about enough of your attitude, boy. Either be the gentleman you once were or be a heretic! You are in more danger than her, so think of yourself for once!" Sanji remained quiet and was eventually released, rubbing his throat as the others took lead, he got up and prepared to speak, but Nami held up her hand to silence him,"Sanji-kun, I've heard enough of all this, let's just go back home..."

"N-nami-san, that was the whole point of coming here...I came for you-"

"And leave Becky and Reese? Sanji, their Luna's brother and sister, we can't just leave them here! And Horus....that man wants to kill you! I've seen him throw your bounty posters to the lions, it's not pretty! He's got this creepy power, and if he finds you, he'll kill you instantly." she snapped her fingers to emphasize her point. "That's why you and Luna were put together by Yume, remember what Shuzan said? She can sense things you can't see and pin point it easily!"

"So Horus travels through mirrors, big deal-"

"Why are you acting like this? I thought you were the tactician of the crew, be smart and think clearly of what Luna can do. Remember Blueno? Usopp told how you and him couldn't even touch him, it's going to be like that when you're up against Horus-"

"Psh, you just gave me a point on how the girl wouldn't be any help-"

"Boy." Shuzan suddenly murmured. "Do not be so arrogant, it could kill you as a hawk would do of a duck. That trick you did with Yume and Akumu worked as a charm, leading Horus to think a wrong thought, who came up with it again?"

"Me-"

"Yes, you, but it required Luna too, after all, it was a switch of faces."

(Anyplace)

"Madam, do give me hte proper answer. Why did you let the boy be captured?" Sprit asked, they rested in an inn. She layed on her bed with her arms eagle spread, there was a cigarette in her mouth and a flume of smoke emitted from her mouth with a large exhale.

"How 'bout you read my mind?" she grumbled, Trace slept soudly in th bed next to hers, his robes were off and his boots sat at the foot.

"It'll be satisfying if you told me by words, not telepathy. Ruins the fun, no?"

"The business is not your to tend to, now go to bed." she slowly closed her eyes and the fox bit his lip, thinking,"You fools...the both of you."

The crack of dawn came, waking first Luna, who did a long good stretch and opened the window. The sad district was even gloomy in the daytime, she creeped out the window and jumped on the roof while switching to beast point. Spirit woke up and looked out the window, a silver dot was seen a mile away, a growl erupted from his throat,"That bitch...Master Trace! Get up!"

(Anyday)

Neck leaning over to the left, Luffy's stomach grumbled as they rode walked into the city on horseback. Chehero gave an unnecessary yawn,"Yume-san, can't we take a break? We've been. . .r-riding. . .all over-" she turned her head to see a blond man smoking on a bench. "Oi, I think it's Sanji." he looked up, then got up and strode away from the group. Yume and Akumu swiftly got off their horses to confront him.

"Sanji, my friend-oh dear lord!" Akumu nearly shouted, the others got off their horses and ran over to see that Sanji was in the same state they had found him in the Phoenix Fountain. Hair disheveled, robes torn, dry blood stained his skin, eyes that were not his own showed those of an angered beast. "W-what happened?"

"YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED? I'LL TELL YA!-"

"First of all, mate..." Richie started, he had his hand on Sanji's shoulder. "We aren't deaf. Second of all, don't yell."

"Fine, Luna sold me out to the Marines. Then Shuzan and Ketsuki appeared to help me and Nami escape, so we end up outside in the middle district. A few minutes later, Luna comes, shoots me and Nami off the roof with some arrows then sells me out to the Marines, again, and now I lost Nami! Luna Moonstone is nothing but a traitor to me and you guys. I mean, look at me! Look-at-me!" Sanji said the last three words louder and flung his arms out to present himself. "I even wonder why I even loved her!" Matt had his arms folded, but watched something silver fly out of Sanji's pocket; he picked up to find out that it was a ring. "Her last words to me were, don't fallow me-"

"Hey, fucked-cook..." Matt caught everyone's attention, he held out the golden ring. "I believe this doesn't fit you..." There was a moment's pause. "You were going to marry Luna, weren't you?"

"No, not anymore. Keep it, it's use is no more for me. Luffy, Yume, weren't you going to assault the palace from behind? I still hadn't gotten the keys-"

"You WHAT? BAKA! And what have you been doing, quarreling like an old married couple?!" Yume shouted in his face, he have a sigh of frustration. "Time is short and we do not have that much of it left, I cannot deal with this. Do not fallow us until you had finished your given task..." the two princes and the crew hitched their black steeds and raced out of the city gates, leaving Sanji in the dust. This was the second time he has been ditched with the same instructions: "Do not fallow me."

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