Light, Life, Beauty, And the Absence of All
Thump…
Yasopp and Zoro stood outside of the door staring at it, there previous fight abandoned at the sounds. They were both seemingly frozen. Listening intently for any sound at all. But nothing came. And that worried Zoro. Alot. He started biting his nails something he rarely did and he started to pray.
Zoro's nerves were drawn taught, ready to snap or flux into action.
"Call it" a faint voice started "Time is-"
Zoro didn't listen to the rest instead opting to bash through the door, breaking the lock and fling the door on its hinges in a path colliding with a machine. He stared at the pale body of Sanji. For a moment he couldn't think, he couldn't see even, or hear of feel, his whole world just went black for a few moments. And when he came back he heard the door shutting behind him softly. His body began to shake. He tried not to lash out. But his restraints were being chopped off by the second and his emotions were taking over.
"No" he said out loudly
"Don't you be dead you bastard!" he shouted half walking towards the bed, half walking away from it, afraid to touch it.
"Not again…" Zoro weakly wept out. Slowly moving towards the bed.
"Please" Zoro slowly reached out his hand towards the blonds
"Don't be dead" he slowly let his hand touch the cool hand of the blonds and quickly his hand recoiled, fresh tears stingy his eyes and rolling down his cheeks.
Zoro turned away and collapsed on the ground sobbing into his arm trying not to make sound, somehow hoping that Sanji was just asleep. And he didn't want to wake him. Seconds turned to minutes. And slowly Zoro composed himself enough to draw up a chair and sit next Sanji. Zoro grabbed Sanji still cool hand and put it in his own.
Quickness was the word that floated in Zoro's mind. The speed of life. "You are born into this world falling, falling into the dark pit and nothingness. A mere segment of light being the road to this pit. And that light is life… life, love, loss,… hatred, happiness and despair. Good, bad, gray and all. And then you are dropped into the pit, left with nothing, nothing but your mind. Imagination. Memories… and wishes." Zoro chuckled to himself, Sanji would probably call him a idiot, seaweed brained monkey or something. He doesn't know how, but he knows that's Sanji's style. "And while you're in the light, you can't rely on time, sight, or sounds to know you love someone. You just feel it. …I felt it Sanji, I know I'm being fast, but who cares if I am fast know, we are out of time… I wanted… I wanted you, Chopper, a house, love, and all that romance and shit, I wanted you to have it. To share it with our boys. But what do we get instead? Not even a chance. How about one for the road?" Zoro leaned over slowly, his tears falling in various places along the bed and Sanji. He slowly brought his lips to the blondes, and touched them. No force, just hovering. His eyes closed he waited for a reaction that was not to come. And soon he leaned away. Looking at the form. It looked peaceful. Zoro let his hand wander to the side of Sanji's face, caressing his cheek. It felt… warm. "Sanji?"
A twitch
"Sanji, oh my god, doctor!"
Another Twitch
"he is moving!"
A moaned escaped Sanji's lips as one eye opened slowly
"oh my god Sanji, you're alive, doctor he is looking at me!" Zoro shouted, then the door opened and the doctor came in.
…
"I wanted you to have it. To share it with our boys. But what do we get instead? Not even a chance. How about one for the road?"
Yasopp and the doctor listened to the faint words in silence. The doctor turned and looked up at Yasopp. "Beautiful."
"What?" Yasopp asked
The doctor smiled a sad smile "I find most of life's beautify shows right at these moments. A 'I love you' that doesn't even need to say those words. Its true love. A man that can do that. I tip my hat to him."
"Doctor!"
They both turned to the door.
"he is moving!"
They looked at each other confused then to the door
"oh my god he is looking at me doctor!"
The doctor quickly sprung into action throwing the door open and running in, however Yasopp simply just looked in, then turned to the door down the hall. Where the kids were and started walking. The truth needed to be told.
…
"What a weird form of justice" Shanks said with a calm voice. His eyes not leaving Akainu.
"How's your neck?" Mihawk asked staring with piercing eyes at Ace.
"Fuck off" Ace spat back, his nerves primed and mind focused
"Enough talk" Akainu cocked his gun and pointed it at Shanks
"fine fine, let's get started" Shanks said, a pit falling in him.
Quickly he lunged backwards kicking Ace to the left of him and blocking Mihawk's sword, then kicking off of Mihawk quickly and cutting Akainu's gun in half, dodging the punch that came, ducking under Mihawk's Sword and shoulder ramming Mihawk into the door, turning to late as he saw Akainu's fist coming towards him, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Ace lunge and tackle Akainu to the ground. Shanks jumped back From Mihawk and quickly tried to think of an escape for Ace as he saw Ace was starting to lose the brawl, all this time while keeping equal ground in his sword fight with Mihawk. Within moments he had a idea, Sweeping at Mihawk with his leg, causing the man to jump back he sheathed his sword and turned the steel door wheel with one hand he heard a half click before he felt something stab through his stomach.
"Shanks!" Ace cried looking up briefly in that moment Akainu kick him across the room.
The blade left his body, and as it was about to return he dropped to the ground the sword hitting the wheel at a angle, clicking the last half of the lock undone.
"Focus dammit Ace!" Shanks shouted jumping up drawing his sword back out and spitting some blood onto the ground.
Ace looking to shanks then to Akainu's approaching form simply nodded and charged at Akainu
"Sloppy work" Mihawk said simply
"Indeed" Shanks smiled back, causing Mihawk to flinch "Gotcha" Shanks lunged left, out running the blade by millimeters and kicked Akainu in the back stopping him from Stabbing Ace, who in returned punched Mihawk's oncoming blade, saving them both from being sliced in half. Again Sparks flew off the blade.
"Run" Shanks said tripping Mihawk as he spun out of his position, clearing a Way for Ace
Ace quickly bolted and threw his weight against the door, opening it slowly; soon Shanks joined him pressing the door. They both parried off Mihawk's next Attack and ran up the stairs and out of the bar.
"Well that could have gone better" Shanks said smiling and running next to Ace, Shanks felt some pain rise up in his stomach and wrapped his hand around it, covering the wound.
"So much for talki-" Ace started
*Boom*
Shanks looked over in over as Ace's body fell to the ground tumbling on it from the momentum. He slowed himself to an abrupt stop as Ace stopped moving.
"Fuck Ace, get up" he quickly moved to the boy's body and rolled him over. Looking back at the bar he saw Akainu lowering a large rifle and smirking. He looked back down, this time at Aces chest, and saw, right at heart level. A hole.
Blood ran like rivers and Ace stared to howl in pain.
"Shh, Ace, quiet" Shanks lulled covering the wound with a tore off bit of his pants.
"Shanks- Shanks im d-dyi-" Ace coughed up blood as tears stained his cheeks.
"Stop it" Shanks cast a glance upward towards the bar and saw Akainu walking back in, yet Mihawk stood outside of it. Watching. "You're going to be fine. I've lived through way worse"
Shanks put all of his medical knowledge to use right then, knowing in the back of his mind that it didn't help enough.
"I *cough* I'm not you though" Ace coughed some more, but he was getting weaker. His voice showed it.
"No you're stronger, got more will then I do. Just focus on breathing Ace. Think of Luffy and fight."
"O-okay" Ace said quieting down and breathing.
Shanks stopped the bleeding, tearing off his shirt and wrapping it around the wound to keep it from bleeding again. "See, the bleeding has stopped I just have to get you back to my medic, and you'll be fine." Shanks said, mapping a route in his head.
"Ye-yeah?" Ace said, still focused on breathing, his head feeling heavier.
"Yup" Shanks said hoisting Ace up and wrapping his one arm around him in a supporting matter. "You just got to walk a little bit, say over to that car, can you do that?"
Ace didn't answer and instead, with the Help of Shanks started to walk. Very painfully and slowly.
"Just a little bit further" Shanks coaxed getting closer. Hoping the adrenaline was enough for Ace to still walk the rest of the way. Shanks was about to lay Ace down when he heard another round of gun fire ring out. Before he knew it the body next to him was tugged forward, out of his grip and onto the floor. Shanks watched in horror as Ace's head connected with the ground bouncing a little, before settling… then blood slowly seeped itself into a halo around the head.
Shanks through his gaze backwards to see Mihawk, holding a smoking pistol and looking at him.
"Not gold" Mihawk said as he turned away and soon disappeared
Shanks snapped back and dropped down and shook the body, turning the head slightly just enough to see the hole left by the bullet as it left Ace's head. Right in between the eyes. Shanks took in the face for a few moments. Eyes open and glossed. And a gaping mouth dripping with blood. Paling skin with unfitting freckles contrasting the deathly color. Not every death was calm. Not even for loved ones. Shanks quickly moved to pick up the body, but his phone buzzed with a text message. Quickly fliiping it out he read the it,
From: Ben
Subject: lost
"Hotel is lost. Falling out to secondary position. Come home soon."
…
Yasopp walked away from the room as the doctor entered and walked to the room with the kids. He knocked then walked in. he saw Usopp on the bed with a snoring Chopper next to him, Usopp looked up from the T.V. at the end of the bed and looked at the new comer.
"Oh, hi" Usopp started unsure of what to do.
"Hi" Yasopp replied walking farther into the room settling by the window, with shut blinds. "So I think we need to talk."
Usopp looked confused, and undid himself from the sleeping boy, slowly making his way out of bed "Did we do something bad?"
Yasoop faced the window "No no, it's just, I don't know how to start" he put his fingers on a blind and pulled them down looking down at the empty street. Taking in the two lanes, and the cars parked on either side. "Well, not everything you have been told in your life has been true. And I think you should know the truth."
"What do you mean? Wheres my dad?"
Yasopp turned to Usopp his fingers still on the blinds. He was prepared to say 'right here' but a glimmer caught his eye from outside the window, looking quickly he saw the glare from glass. But not just any glass.
"Duck!" he shouted as he tackled Usopp to the ground and a bullet shattered the glass and the T.V.
"What the fuck are you doing get off!" Usopp squirmed
Yasopp propped himself up on one arm and dragged out his walkie talkie with his other hand and pressed the button "Ben, come in, Tsunami, repeat we got a Tsunami!"
…
Ben looked to his walki talkie as he heard Tsunami crackle through. Quickly he jumped behind the couch his was sitting in and motioned for Luffy to do the same as he /with amazing speed/ drew his rifle out
"Luffy! cover!" he shouted
Luffy quickly did so "What does Tsunami mean?" Luffy asked confused and caught the Pistol Ben tossed him
"Code word for Navy raids" Ben answered putting out his cigarette just as the front doors of the hotel were blown open.
…
TBC
What!? Two chapters in two days? I must be insane! Lol well actually im graduating highschool soon (Woot woot!) so I got all kinds of motivated, and I didn't want to guys hanging too long on that cliff chapter. So here is the partial resolution… hate me in forms of reviews! Lol
Hope you enjoy!