Tally Mai-chan: It's the big 1-0 chapter! Some five or four(?) chapters left. All depends on how much I change the story from here to then. It's pegged down for the most part. My dear OC's and Kid will be pushed to their limits. And will Kid have sex with a man? Only I know!
Also... I really didn't want to do this but I had too. Two (and a half) more cannon crew members make an official appearance in this chapter and I gave them names (I hate to name unnamed cannon people) so I hope they're acceptable. Bet (g)Oda didn't think they'd be so popular? Bet he'll use the names fan's gave them already.
One, last note of importance. (this just keeps getting longer)This whole mini-arc thing that I'm going into is similar-sorta-kinda-maybe-alike to the Thriller Bark saga , and I didn't notice until over half the chapter was written. So yes, it's alike(sorta if you squint your eyes) but I'm trying to keep it as original as humanly possible at this time.
Sorry for talking so much. ENJOY THE CHAPTER!
Chapter 10: Can't seem to Catch a break.
The roaring tiger branded onto her arm glowed. Kat sunk down into the hull of the ship where no one went unless necessary. The tiger, more than halfway outlined, glowed purple, casting mystical light into the dark hold. She noticed it's quick progression and foolishly denied it for days.
The light shimmered, and faded away. She released her breath, not aware of holding it. What did it mean? On the solstice the tattoo would fully outline and the curse would do some terrible thing, right? That's what she and Becky worked so hard to figure out. The solstice wasn't for another three months, so how?
The wood groaned under the stress of the ocean. The hull creaking as if in pain. Kat bit back a whimper and quickly floated up and out, through the deck. She did a 360, making sure the coast was clear. No perverted man in sight.
She floated a foot above the deck, the island tempting her. The ship was moored in a shallow bay on the other side of the island, a giant slab of rugged rock with hardy shrubs scattered across it. Birds were the island's only inhabitants and proved an easy meal for the hungry Kid Pirates.
She had actively participated in the crew's below deck discussions, eavesdropping from under neath the table. The ship was wrecked, and wouldn't hold up in long ocean travel. Especially with the unpredictable weather of the the open ocean in the Grand Line. Their food and water were on limited supply. Even with the birds on the island for fast food, the prospect of scurvy wasn't far from everyone's minds. Water would have to be gathered from any rain they get.
She hung out on deck, watching the flag curl in the breeze. It's been a day since they first landed. Everyone out catching birds for dinner. The lack of male presence was a miracle. Ever since she lost her pants they had turned into wolves. Sure, before they just ignored her, now it was non-stop sexual harassment. Boarder-line intolerable as it was, it wasn't so terrible as the treatment given to her by-
"Hey panty girl, where'd you disappear to?"
Kat soared over the side of the ship, attempting getting away before he could catch her, but he was faster. She cleared the side, and he snatched her by the ankle. Flopping against the side of the ship she swore every word she knew, even adding a few new one's she learned courtesy of Kid.
He grinned down at her, deciding what he was going to do now that he got her. There were so many tempting things.
"Let me go you son ova bitch!" She wailed, pulling at his fingers.
"I just wanted so see your pretty face." He said, hulling her up and over the edge, causally dropping her on deck. Kat swore, giving Kid a dark, vengeful glare.
"I don't want to see your ugly mug." She sassed.
"That hurts." Kid said, leaning on the rail of the ship. "You shouldn't hurt a pirate. You never know what they might do." He advanced upon her and she skirted to the side, floating up into the sails. Kid watching her go with pseudo pain.
"What are you guys going to do." She asked seriously. He and everyone else were in deep trouble and he's acting like it's any other day. Did he even have a plan? "Without the log post you're basicly crippled on the Gran Line."
"I don't need to hear that from you." Kid's growled, his good mood fouled. He sat down against the mast, looking up at the sky. "Shit. I didn't come this far just to- As soon as the others get back were setting sail."
"What? That's crazy!" Kat dropped halfway down the mast. "I didn't save you so you could go kill yourself again!"
Kid was furious. "I didn't become a pirate so I could die on some shitty rock! I didn't sail across the Grand Line to stop halfway. The log post is gone. So what. It won't stop me."
Kat felt the uncontainable rage pouring out of him. His eyes so murderous, she didn't want to challenge him. Not when he was like that. He looked away from her, focusing on the island. She took her chance, and slipped up into the crow's nest to hide. She had forgotten how scary Kid could be. How awful it felt to have someone angry at you.
Crazy. They were all crazy. Kat watched from the crows nest as the pirates prepared the ship for the open sea, rigging the sails and doing last minute repairs to the ship. She was sure Killer would say something about this crazy plan but no, the first mate agreed.
An exasperated sigh escaped her. It's not like she was worried, well okay, she was. Only because her life was bound to Kid's. Only because.
The ship groaned as the wind filled the sails and pulled steadily away from shore. She could see the patches on the side of hull, like scabs over open wounds. The ship was important to Kid, she could tell by the way he did most of the repairs himself. She was tempted to ask but afraid that Kid was still angry at her.
Thus ensued the boredom of the open sea. The rock island has disappeared behind the horizon and vast blue ocean spread out before her. Nothing for miles, and miles, and miles, but blue, deep, endless ocean.
Killer climbed into the crows nest, acknowledging her with a glance. "What are you up here for." The man questioned, sitting on the edge of the nest.
"Hiding." Kat said, forfeiting pride.
"Heh, so it was you who pissed Kid off."
If she couldn't talk to Kid then maybe Killer could give her some info. "Why didn't you question him, sailing without a log post. He would have listened to you."
Killer was amiable with his response. "It is the captain that decides where the ship sails. The crew makes it happen. That is the rule of the sea."
"I didn't know you were such a deep person." Kat teased, finding herself relaxing a little. "but I guess I makes sense."
"You guess?"
"It's logical... How did you guys get this ship?"
Killer considered her for a second. The wind picked up, and dark clouds gathered above them. A stormed brewed over them.
"Luck. It's Kid's first ship as a captain and it's important to us."
"That doesn't tell me much." Kat was disappointed by Killer's explanation but wouldn't disclose any more details.
The storm passed in minutes, but their trouble was far from over. In it's place came a blizzard, sweeping the deck of the ship with a coat of snow. The waters churned and ice formed on the sails and rope.
"Shit!" Killer hissed, holding onto the edge of the nest.
The ship tottered on it's side, the waves knocking it back and forth. A sharp snap cut through the air. Shortly followed by more snaps. Kat couldn't figure out what it was until someone shouted.
"The ropes are breaking! All the ropes are breaking!"
The rigging of the ship fell apart, half the main sail lose and whipping through the air. Killer ducked down as the sail flew up and wrapped around the crows nest. Killer pulled out his scythes to cut his way through when that was it. No more wind, no more violent ocean waves. Nothing.
The ocean was still all too quickly. Warm sunlight shone down on them, melting the accumulated snow on the deck. Killer collapsed inside the nest, muttering to himself. Kat decided to give him some space, a very dark aura hung about him. She floated to the side of the ship. Already the carefully patch work on the ship was failing.
Kid leaned over the rail, assessing the damage. "Shit. It's not going to hold." He caught sight of her her. "What are you doing."
"Same as you." Kat floated up, making sure to stay out of his reach. "Another storm could be the end of the ship."
Kid glared at her, "Thanks for pointing out the obvious."
Killer and a few others worked on the main sail, unfurling it from the top of the crows nest and replacing all the rope. Everything was fixed and ready in a few hours. She went back to the crows nest and found Eddie there, taking his turn
When Kat first came on the ship she recognized some of the crew from what she read in the manga or saw in the anime. Eddie, the voodoo doll one with blue hair and Komori the holy crap he's tall guy. Seriously, he's tall! He was twice her height and looked so damn gloomy all the time. He made her want to buy him ice cream or something, or a balloon.
"Killer couldn't handle it huh?" She said casually. Eddie was silent. She figured as much, he wasn't much of a talker. "Whatever."
"You should get some pants."
A vein throbbed on Kat's forehead. Of course the one thing he says to her has to be perverted. "Oh jeez, I didn't notice. It's just that I go around in my underwear all the time."
"It doesn't look proper."
"So you're calling me a slut."
"Ah... yes."
Kat face palmed.
The day had passed by too slowly for Kat's liking. She found some entertainment by the crew taking their turn in the crows nest. When not fighting or being perverted discussing men, deep, deep, really deep down they were okay people. Diamonds in the rough if you will.
She enjoyed it until the captain took his turn as look out.
"I heard you were hiding up here. I thought you'd be under my bed or something."
"That's my back up."
Kid shrugged his fur coat tighter against his body, telling Kat it was a cold night. Stars shimmered quietly in the dark night sky. Back home it was never dark enough to see starts this clearly. There was always so much light pollution no matter where you went.
"Your mark glowing?" Kid asked, turning his arm to her. His mark faintly glowing through the white bandages wrapped around his right arm.
"It did this morning." He was still angry with her, she could tell by the way he looked at her.
An awkward silence filled the space between them. The crows nest was small, with just enough room for two people to fit inside of with relative comfort. Kat wanted to run away. She couldn't deal with confrontation. It was too hard, she never said the right things and, and.
No! Okay, so if she runs off what happens next? She just keeps running until Kid just forgets about it? She doubted that would happen. Dammit, it was time to face up. If she wanted any chance of convincing Kid to have sex with a man then she needed to be on his good side. Becky would agree if she was here.
"I- I'm sorry. It wasn't my place to speak against you. I guess I was being selfish. I was being selfish before too, when I cursed you. Gah, why am I being all emotional and crap. I'm really sorry okay!"
Dammit. Tears were welling up in her eyes. She blinked them back, hiding her face in her arms. Death was preferable to Kid seeing her cry again. She didn't want him to be mad at her, it was unbearable.
"Shut up." Kid tensed across from her, pressing his chin into his palm. "You sound stupid."
Kat did a double take. At first glance Kid looked even more pissed off but there was something... Was he, no. There was no way. Could he? Could he be... embarrassed? No way, she studied him carefully. His face turned away from her, looking like he was pouting. He was. She had to point it out. Had to. Ah but what if he got mad at her again. No, it wouldn't be worth it.
He was embarrassed by her apology. There was no other explanation. The big bad pirate, pouting because he was embarrassed. She made sure to hide her smug face. A giggle escaped her.
"What's your problem." Kid snapped, his mouth twitching. God, he was embarrassed. She just couldn't say it enough.
Eustass Kid was embarrassed!
"Well! What's so funny!" He demanded grabbing the front of her tank top.
"I was just thinking how funny Killer would look with pink hair."
"Phhffft-Hahaha!" Kid released her, breaking into near hysterical laughter. "God, he'd look like a gay faggot."
"See!" She laughed, her reputation as the queen of liars still intact. "It's so... hey, look at that." Before the ship was a mass of white looming eerily in the distance. A wall of fog or mist extending from the ocean to sky.
The opaque fog, luminous in the bleak night, welcomed the ship. With nether a creak or groan the ship voyaged through, an alien in a white world. The mist swept across the ship, painting it white. The hull, deck and even the sails, painted away. Sitting there in the crows nest left Kat with a lonely feeling. Like she and Kid were the only two people in the whole world.
"It's pretty." She breathed.
"It's freezing. What's the deal with this fog, it's like it's day or something." He wrapped his fur coat tighter. Droplets of mist collecting on his coat and his face and hair. The cold mist swirled in silence. The ship suddenly jolted to the left, colliding into massive black blotch. The blotch, twice the size of the ship, quivered, a pointed serpentine head rushing through the mist towards them.
Kat hardly had the air to scream when a scaly head as long as her body cut through the mist and snapped it's wide jaws around her. The beast pulled back, disappointed to find nothing between it's jaws. It's large silted, yellow eyes locked with hers.
She knew what it was thinking. It was thinking she was food but it couldn't eat her. It could see her but it can't eat her. Finn-like ears flopped lazily against the side of it's head. A black tongue darted out between it's lips, trying to taste her.
The sea snake lost interest in her, vanishing into the fog.
"Hehe, shit! I thought that thing was going to go after me when it figured it couldn't eat you." Kid chuckled.
"This mist is dangerous... we couldn't see a thing that size until it was right upon us." It made her shiver at the thought.
"This couldn't be..." Kid leaned forward, staring into the mist. "The never ending mist. Oi! Wake up!" Kid shouted as he jumped over the edge of the crows nest, swallowed by the msit. She followed him down, watching as the crew came up deck, Killer in the lead.
"What's going on?" Kat asked Kid.
Kid ignored her. "Hey Killer, what you make of this mist."
Killer glanced around them, in their bubble of clear air,the side rails, and bow of the ship just visible. "Is it morning already?"
"No, it was dark when we sailed into this fog, for ten minutes maybe."
Killer nodded. "It can't be the Florian Triangle, that's the stretch of ocean just before Fishman Island, our first step to reaching the New World. So it has to be... the Udodelig Skodde. A gargantuan cloud that never moves. There are myths of a floating country said to wonder aimlessly in the cloud."
"A floating country?" Kat said excitedly. The Grand Line was so awesome. What if it was like Sky Island? A place that everyone thought didn't exist but was always there. It sounded thrilling, like a a real adventure.
"Though no one who ever found this 'country' ever lived to tell about it. From what I've heard it's a country of demons."
Kat blanched. "D-d-d-d-demons? You didn't just say demons did you?"
"Ha! A country of demons, seems like my kind of place." Kid grinned. "No one has found it huh, it's settled then. We're going to find this demon country and maybe shake hands with the devil himself!"
"Hey, we can't get excited." Killer shouted over the cheers of the crew. Kid gave an annoyed snarl. "The ship is damaged. Another big storm could sink us."
"Eh, but if we go the next island then we might not be able find this place again." Komori spoke up.
"Eh but if this is a cloud then we shouldn't have to worry about storms." The guy with a mohawk pointed out.
"It's Master Kid's call." Eddie added, the rest of the crew nodding in agreement. Killer said something like that earlier didn't he? Kat thought. It was the crews job to take the captain where he wanted to go.
Kid grinned, as if he was waiting for them to question him. "Are you saying you don't want to? You want to get the ship fixed, to have security? There is no 'safe' choice in the Grand Line. And there's no security. Go after what's right before you. Right now Demon Island is in out sights, because if we don't have the nerve to chase after what we want then we have no place on this ocean!
Killer shook his head, "Hot headed, but heh, well put Kid."
"Captain! Boss!" The crew shouted, pumping their fists into the air.
Kat watched the crew celebrate, stupefied. She never would have taken Kid as the motivational speaker type. Then again, to be a captain you had to have some charisma, or no one would follow you. She turned away from the boisterous group, staring into the mist. For a second, she thought she heard... no. It was impossible.
Kat floated out into the mist, listening hard. After a few moments she gave up when she heard it again. She wasn't hearing things. "Guys be quiet! There's something out there!"
"What?" Was the collective response of the group.
She floated back to the ship, "If you'd listen for a moment then you'd hear it!"
Everyone quieted down, straining their ears to heard this strange sound. Killer heard it first.
"Is that... singing?" He questioned, everyone nodding their heads when they heard it too.
Kat listened again. It was a low, vague sound like a mass singing in church. The sound rose and died away like the rumble of a wave splashing against the shore.
Kid took the wheel of the ship, "It's coming from other there," He pointed to the left of the ship, turning the wheel. "I think, we found our island."
"Demons." Kat dropped through the air, stopping halfway through the deck. "demons..." She repeated, her face losing more and more color.
"We're not moving Boss!" Komori shouted from the rail of the ship. The mist grew thicker, no one could see further than a foot in front of their own faces. There was a 'oompf!' as two people collided on deck.
Kid rushed the railing, looking down over the side. "Shit! Are we stuck on something?"
"Sea Kings!" Eddie shouted from the bow of the ship.
Chaos erupted. Kat cowered against the back of the lower deck. The head of an aqua green sea serpent lashed through the air, snapping at a human shadow in the mist. For several minutes they fought against the serpents, winning nothing but injuries.
"They're retreating!" Killer shouted above her for the upper deck.
"Shit, this mist is making it impossible to do anything." Kid joined him.
"Why are they retreating?" Killer questioned.
Kid shrugged his worry off. "Who cares, they're gone."
"I think we're still stuck." Komori run up to the upper deck. "We can't see what, Guy thinks we're stuck on a sand bar."
"Hey girl." Kid shouted to her. "Go and see what we're stuck on."
"I have a name." Kat snapped.
"Kitty, right?" Kid smirked.
"It's Kathline! Kat for short but only Becky can call me that!"
"Yeah, whatever kitty, go and see what we're stuck on."
"I hope you go bald." Kat cursed, pointing at him.
She sunk right through the ship, dropping through the very bottom into the water. Stumbling through the darkness she floated into open ocean. The ship was caught on what looked like a big, twisted rock. But that couldn't be right, the rock was twisted like a coil spring. Glancing down the side of the ship the top of the rock stood straight out at a 90 degree angle, bobbing up and down, two long fins on either side.
It wasn't a rock. It was a sea king! She glanced around anxious. Just how big was this thing, the ocean looked deep here, maybe half a mile or so. Murky ocean water hid the rest of the creature and the ocean bottom from her. Against better judgment she floated down for a better look.
Twenty feet down she could see it's head. To put it's sheer size into perspective, the ship could easily fit in it's eye. It was the King of all sea kings. Kat scrambled up after first seeing and comprehending it's massive size. There was no way the ship could last in a fight against that thing!
Bubbles gushed out from two slit nostrils. Kat came back down, her curiosity clouding her judgment. Was it sleeping? Going as close as she dared she watched the king snake sleep. A fin ear twitched, she flinched. It was sleeping.
The ocean was clearer than the air above and she could see for miles around near the ocean surface. Many sea snakes twisted through the water, more interested in each other than the pirate ship invading their waters. She checked around where the ship was caught in the snake. The bow pressing into the side of the snake at the very top of it's coil. There was no way of simply pushing it down to get over it, their only option was to back straight out.
She cast a glance down, willing the snake into deeper slumber. Back on deck she explained everything she saw to Kid and the rest. They were less than thrilled.
"Shiiit!" Guy cried, tearing at his mohawk. "What are we going to do against a thing that size!"
"What about the oars?" Komori suggested.
"Theirs only four and all that splashing might attract unwanted attentino."
"It was sleeping?" Killer asked her. She nodded.
"Yeah, it's eyes were closed and bubbles were coming up out of it's nose."
He nodded. "And there were more of those snakes?"
"Yeah, like twenty or so."
The ship lurched back, knocking everyone over. Another jerk knocked the ship back thirty feet. Grim realization made Kat's heart skip a beat. She wasn't the only one to get what was going on.
"Is it waking up?" Kid swore under his breath, holding on to a rail for support. "Get ready to fight!"
The ship drifted back several feet. The water smooth as glass. A dreadful, tense silence filled the air as they waited for the serpent to come. Hazy mist swirled around them, cutting their already limited vision by half. The mist smothering all sounds.
Kat trembled in the mist, unable to see or hear anyone, and it scared her.
"Hey." She said, her voice no more than the weak whisper. "H-hey." She said again, a little stronger. "Where is-"
She floated through Eddie, startling him.
"Ah!... Kathline, it's just you." He sighed, visibly relaxing. "I can hardly see you."
She stumbled for the right words to explain herself. "I-I'm scared shitless right now. Please, please, please let me stay with you."
"Uh... okay..."
She could hug him. "Thank you soooooo much."
"This fog, mist, or whatever is odd."
She bobbed her head in agreement.
A gentle swish of water, so subtle that it almost went unnoticed.
"Did you hear that?" Eddie asked her. They were standing against the wall that separated the upper and low decks of the ship, only a few feet from the rail.
"Y-yeah. Is it those serpents again? Maybe you should back away from the rail."
"I agree." Eddie turned to put space between him and the rail when something scraped against the side of the ship. A black, human shape mass jumped over the rail, followed by three others. They took one look at Eddie and her floating half a foot off the ground.
Four in all they whispered to each other, pointing to Eddie then her.
"H-hey!" Eddie shouted, getting over the initial shock of the intruders. "What are you-"
The rushed him at once, grabbing him by the arms and legs and hulling him over the side of the ship. Kat screamed, unable to stop them as they took Eddie. She screamed for help, something, someone was kidnapping Eddie!
Others shouted to her through the mist, too wary to start running around in the fog. Kat leaped over the side of the ship, following the men down. They had pulled Eddie into a black mass resembling a boat, but it didn't look quite right. The bow was distorted, and the sail thin and long.
She paused in the air, looking from Eddie to the ship. They were already pulling away, riding the ocean current into the unknown haze.
"Kat..." She heard her name shouted, and glanced up. "Follow... them." The person shouted. Their voice too muffled and the mist too thick for her to tell who it was. Not wasting a second she followed after the ship from below the water.
The monster sea king slumbered peacefully under the Kid Pirate's ship. It's tail twitching. At least it was happy, taking a nice nap, she thought bitterly. Stupid snake.
She surfaced beside the ship at water level, Eddie leaning over the side face down.
"Hey, Eddie." She hissed, his eyes were closed and his arms appeared to be bound behind his back. "Eddie! Eddie!"
The mist cleared and a chorus of over a thousand voices sang. A island five, no ten times the size of Kid's ship loomed in the haze. The small vessel rowing up to it's side, vanishing.
Kat stood frozen above the water. Monsters of every kind glared at her. From bestial demons to winged monsters with long curved beaks. Creatures with claws, teeth and glowing red eyes. The chorus of deep ,solemn voices grew stronger, building to its climax.
Kat couldn't scream, she was too terrified to even utter a sound.
Demon Island.
Tally Mai-chan: If you think it's cool to NOT leave a review then you are WRONG. Fictional testing shows that on average, people who review on stories that certain authoress stay up till midnight writing gain a cool-ness factor of up to 300 percent!
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