Memory Trap
Chapter Two: Lamy's Ice Cream

A/N: Thanks for your reviews! So far it's pretty tied on whether or not it'll be a LawLu story. (Take note that if it does become a LawLu thing, the actual pairing/scenes won't come until after all the memories are finished). Though, thinking about it, it may just turn out to be a no-pairing story. We'll see. And my friend – the one who guilt-tripped me into uploading this – saw that I put "Slight AU" and noticed how Law doesn't like to be touched, so he wants me to make it a small rape!fic. But because he's not the only one reading this, I am going to ask you guys if you want that to happen or not. It wouldn't bother me either way. Just let me know before chapter three/four, if possible. And who it should be who "rapes" Law. (My friend says it should be either Doffy or World Government soldiers when Law's trying to escape Frevance… Or both.) So yeah. Let me know. Please.

Mayday, mayday; the ship is slowly sinking
They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling

The crew blinked at the little person before them, some even rubbing their eyes to make sure they were, in fact, looking at a young Trafalgar Law. He still wore his fluffy, spotted hat, and the darkness under his eyes was still there though it was nowhere near as prominent as it was nowadays. "He's smiling," Nami commented. She hadn't seen the surgeon smile once. Smirk, yes, but a smile? No way. He also wore a long-sleeved, button-up shirt and spotted black shorts.

"I don't like this," Zoro muttered darkly.

"I have to agree," Robin answered. "It was different when it was just us. We do not know Law very well, nor does he intend to join our crew. Invading his memories like this…"

"I never thought Honbee would come after us again." The little reindeer's eyes landed on Law once more. "She said…that Law's memories were as bad as ours." He remembered how each person, when their worst memories were played, reacted, and how the whole crew seemed to avoid each other for a while. Some of the memories he witnessed… He wished he could forget them.

Like the memory of Marineford, how he witnessed so many people die in agonizing ways. How Ace gave his life for the sake of Luffy, how horrible of a death he suffered to make sure his younger brother would live.

How Robin's entire island was destroyed, going up in flames as she screamed for her mother. How she had rowed away from Ohara, watching her home burn while trying to laugh like Saul taught her to.

How Brook sang with his crew mates one last time; playing until he was down to a quartet, then a trio, and then a solo. How painful it was to know that he failed at protecting his crew and yet he was still allowed to live after they all passed away.

Memories that personal, so full of feeling, they were haunting. They weren't meant to be seen, they were better left in the past. And if Law's memories were anything like those… "I…I don't want to see them!"

"None of us do, Chopper," Nami softly answered, kneeling down next to the doctor and placing a gentle hand on his back. "But we don't have much of a choice right now." The little doctor gave a nod, biting his lip and focusing his attention on the memory they were in.

The watched with slight curiosity as the small boy began to walk down the street, and they looked at the city he lived in. Robin took note of how all the buildings were white and beautiful looking. It looked familiar to her, like she'd seen photos of it before long ago. Law walked over to small store that had tables and an awning outside and entered it, heading to the counter where an middle-aged woman stood wearing an apron. "Well, good morning, Law."

"Good morning, Ms. Tizako," he answered.

"What can I get for you today?"

"Lamy's favorite," the small boy answered, passing her enough money to cover whatever it was he was buying. Sanji looked over the place. It had several tables set up inside and while it felt quite homely, it also held an air of nobility in a way. This was a very rich city, but at the same time it felt comforting and relaxing. It was a good combination, he found, and hoped to maybe visit the city if they ever came across it.

"Who's Lamy?" Usopp asked, earning several shrugs from the others.

"Maybe it's friend of his," Franky answered. "Either way, I guess we're going to find out eventually." When the woman came back to the counter, she held a single scoop of ice cream on a cone.

"There you go. Tell Lamy I said hello, okay?" Law gave a nod as he took the ice cream from her and hurried out of the building, being careful not to drop the sugary desert. While the Straw Hats kept up, they couldn't help but stare in awe at the city's beauty and architecture.

"This really is a beautiful place," Chopper said, his eyes wide as they took in all the details.

"That's an understatement." The city was magical looking; the white of buildings almost whiter than fresh snow. They passed by a section where some grass and trees grew, and Brook couldn't help but stare at the sight.

"The trees and grass are also white," he noted.

"I feel like I'm living in a fairy tale or something," Luffy smiled, remembering how Makino would sneak over to Dadan's and read them a story or two of magical places and creatures. He almost expected to see elves or unicorns run by.

They followed Law until they came across a large building within a gated area. On the front, a sign read HOSPITAL. The small child ran in without a moment's hesitation, and ran all the way up to the top floor. The crew couldn't help but notice that quite a few of the room had been occupied, and they quietly wondered why. Law opened one of the doors and barged in, his smile growing as his eyes scanned the room for a certain someone.

"Lamy, here's your ice…" Law's voice trailed off, his eyes landing on a little girl lying in a bed. Parts of her cheeks were as white as the trees and buildings were outside. A look of pain was set on her young face. The ice cream fell from Law's hand as tears started to prick at his eyes. The two adults who stood by the girl's bedside noticed Law standing there. The woman with light-colored hair was holding the girl's hand and motioned for Law to come over, but the boy seemed frozen where he stood.

"What's wrong with her face?" Usopp quietly asked. "It almost looks like white bruises." And, finally, Robin remembered just where she had seen photos of a city made of white.

"Oh no," she whispered quietly, horror apparent in her eyes. The crew gave her worried looks. "This is the city Frevance…!"

"Huh?" Luffy tilted his head to the side. "What's Frevance?"

"They used to call it the city of white," she answered.

"So then what's on the girl's face?"

"It's a sickness called Amber Lead Disease," she answered again. "It's incurable."

"What?" Their eyes went back to the girl on the bed.

"Years ago, a certain type of lead was discovered beneath the kingdom of Frevance. It was called Amber Lead. It was determined that the mineral was the source of the beautiful nature of the land. Using the Amber Lead, the citizens made utensils, paints, sweets, makeup, and even weapons. People from across the world flocked to purchase the high-quality goods, and the mineral birthed Frevance bottomless wealth."

"Wow, so all that white outside is from the Amber Lead, huh?"

"It's beautiful. I can see why so many people wanted to buy the mineral and tools," Franky commented. It wasn't everyday you saw something so magical, and in such large quantities, no less.

"So what happened? What's this Amber Lead Disease?"

"About a hundred years before the industry began, the World Government studied the geology of the region and determined the true nature of the mineral. It's poison. It has little effect on anyone or anything while it remains underground. But once it's been dug and handled, it begins to eat away at the human body."

"No way," Nami breathed, eyes wide with disbelief. "So then…"

"Yes," Robin nodded, grimly. "Blinded by the limitless fortune at their fingertips, the Government and the Royal Family kept the truth a secret. The people of Frevance continued to mine the mineral, unwary of it's deadly nature."

"That's the World Government and Celestial Dragons for you," Sanji grit out. How could they be so cruel as to let innocent humans suffer for something as worthless as money?

"The thing is, the poison is present in trace amounts. For example, if a single child was to have the lead begin to build up in his body, the children of that child would have shortened life spans. Those children would grow up and have their own children, whose life spans would be even further shortened. Until eventually a generation, much like Law's, would die before they could even become of age. By the time the people of Frevance learned of the toxicity of Amber Lead, it was far too late. Senior citizens and children alike…as a result of the offset in life spans, every generation broke out in illness around the same time. Their skin and hair would turn white, and their entire bodies would begin to ache."

"That's horrible…" Chopper couldn't imagine such a thing happening, to have so many sick people to look after and not have a single cure. The thought was almost too much. And all because the Royal Family wanted money? "Is that why…Law could dismiss those people on the ship so easily? Because he had to witness something like this?"

"It's a possibility," Zoro answered, his eyes still on Law. The young child had finally moved from his spot and was now standing with the two adults. The older male, they noticed, had dark blue hair exactly like Law. It wasn't hard to tell that it was the surgeon's father.

"L-Lamy?" Law looked up at the two adults with questioning eyes. "You're going to save her. Right, father?"

"I'm going to try my hardest, Law," the man replied, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.

"B-Brother…?" Law attention immediately went to the small girl on the bed, and he grabbed her hand tightly as her eyes slowly began to open.

"It's me, Lamy," he instantly said, pulling a small smile onto his face. He didn't want his sister to see just how worried he was for her. He knew, eventually, the Amber Lead disease would kick in and begin to take affect on his sister. But he hadn't imagined it to happen so soon. He thought of something to say that could possibly make her smile. "I'm sorry, I dropped your ice cream. Do you want me to get you another one?"

"No, that's fine," she answered, giving a small smile as well. "I'm just glad you're here."

"I'll always be by your side." Law squeezed her hand. "I'll always be there for you." The memory began to fade and twist, until it dissipated into a thin mist.

"I don't want to see this," Chopper whispered. "I don't want to see this."

"Just when you thought the Celestial Dragons couldn't get any worse." Franky felt like punching one of them right now, feeling a little jealous that Luffy had the chance to do so once.

"But if everyone began to show symptoms at the same time, and the disease is indeed incurable, how did Law-san get rid of it?"

"Maybe he found a cure?"

"We'll just have to wait and see."

Zoro sent a glance over to Robin, noticing how quiet she had gotten. Her eyes were hard and her brow was pinched in the slightest. She knew something, knew what was about to happen.

And whatever it was, it was not going to be pretty.

A/N: So yeah. I thought it would be considered a bad memory when Law discovered that his little sister was starting to fall victim to the disease. And thought it would help if Law made a promise to his sister of how he'll always be there for her. Did I do okay? I hope so. The Straw Hats are always kind of hard to write, especially Franky and Brook. Plus writing a memory fic is a liiitle harder than I thought it would be. If I wrote someone wrong, let me know please! DX

Your shy ice elemental,
~»roo the psycho«