[ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕠]
𝕾𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖈𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖎𝖙 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖔𝖘. 𝖂𝖊 𝖈𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖎𝖙 𝕱𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖑𝖞.
Some call it Chaos. We call it Family.
X
After Shanks left, Garp visited in a few days and with him a pregnant woman. She went by the name Portgas D. Rouge, and she was one of the gentlest and kindest people, and that said much when Luna was raised by Makino.
At the moment, Luna was too young to know the story, only to hear it not even a year later. When Rouge came to Dawn Island, she didn't look to be pregnant, even though she was already eight months pregnant, but even after the ninth month passed by, she didn't give birth. It was after another eleven months that she did, and that Gol D. Ann was born. But with the new life brought to Luna to join her family, she lost another life when Rouge passed away after naming her baby.
In the year that Luna got to know Rouge, that due to her young age, being only 18 when she came, she was like an older sister. And Rouge always told Luna tales regarding her lover, but never mentioning his name. With each tale, Luna just fell in love more with the idea of being free. When Luna brought the straw-hat given to her by Shanks, (which she hid from her grandpa when he was here from fear that he will take it away from her, trying to dissuade her from being a pirate) Rouge cried.
Luna may have panicked a little... Alright a lot, but that's because her Rouge-nee-chan is always calm and smiling! She never cried before! It was after a few moments of panicking and trying to apologize for whatever she did to make Rouge cry that she was told that the hat reminded her of her late lover. Luna was set to keep the hat from Rouge's sight on fear of making the pregnant woman cry again, but Rouge had just made the little girl promise to wear it, that she loved to see Luna wear the hat, she loved to see that someone who resembled her love alive. Luna didn't understand then, but it made Rouge happy, so Luna always wore it when with Rouge, only removing it the few times that Garp came to check on his granddaughter and Rouge, who seemed to be considering her like a daughter at this point.
And when there was a month left for Ann, Rouge told Luna who the father of her baby is, asking her to take care of the baby that she will not be able to be a mother too. That day Luna broke down crying, because Rouge just looked so, so sad, but accepting of her fate. This made it even more heartbreaking to Luna, but all she did was nod while tears streamed down her face. That last month Luna, alongside Makino who found out that Rouge might not make it, spent by Rouge's side.
Then the day has come.
"Roger wished to name the baby Ace if a boy and Ann if a girl..." Rouge whispered, hugging the bundle in her arms, "Welcome to this world... Gol D. Ann."
Rouge looked up from her baby, to the people in her room, consisting of Luna, Makino, Garp and the village's doctor. "Come here, Luna. Don't you want to meet your younger sister?" Rouge called out, gesturing for the young girl join her side.
Without hesitation, Luna moved forwards and sat at Rouge's side and looked down at the sleeping baby. "Why does she look weird and so small?" Luna asked.
The adults in the room laughed the innocent question. "It's just how they are at the beginning. When Ann grows up, she's going to be like you, Luna." The doctor said, starting to clean up and pack away his equipment.
Luna pouted, "But I don't want her to grow up! I'm her big sister! If she grows up, how will I protect her?"
Rouge and Makino smiled softly at the young girl. "You will still be her big sister, even after she grows up, and you will still be able to protect her, no matter how old she is."
Luna nodded, seemingly understanding, "okay! Then I'll always protect Ann-chan! Even when all grown up and old like grandmas and grandpas!"
"How sweet of you," Makino said, coming over to kiss Luna's hair and looking over at Ann.
Garp just stared at the view, engrained this scene into his mind. He will never forget this memory, no matter what.
Rouge shifted slightly, "Do you want to carry her, Luna?"
The question made Luna nod her head vigorously, "Yeah!"
Rouge moved slowly to lay down the small girl into Luna's arms. Makino took a few steps back in order to snap a few pictures of the scene. Garp had tears leaking from his eyes at seeing his two granddaughters together.
Luna stared with awe at the small bundle in her arms, eyes wide with admiration shinning clear. Ann was laying Luna's lap, with Rouge hugging Luna from with arms holding Ann on the young girl's lap behind to keep the baby girl from falling off. Luna lifted a finger to poke Ann's cheek, making her twitch, and open her eyes slowly. Luna cooed at Ann, "You are my baby sister, Ann."
Ann was looking up the face above her, Luna turning to Rouge, "Can she see me?"
Rouge shook her head, "Not yet honey, give her a few weeks." Luna nodded her head and turned her gaze back to Ann.
Garp moved over, and sat at the seat beside Rouge's bed. Makino still taking pictures, before the doctor approached her. "How about you take a seat with them and I'll take a few pictures of you five together."
Makino smiled gratefully, "Thank you." The doctor shook his head, "No need to thank me."
Makino did as said and went to sit with the people she consider a family. Luna shifts to that she's on Rouge's lap with Ann still on hers. With Makino and Garp on each side of Rouge, the doctor snaps a few pictures of the happy family.
Once done, Luna moves to get off Rouge, but only to be hugged tightly by one of her older sister figures. Luna glanced up at Rouge to see how pale she was going, but still had a smile on her face. Luna felt dread, not liking where this might be going.
"Honey," Rouge whispers, voice lower, weaker, and barely audible. "Promise me, to take care of Ann and anyone important to you... Promise to fulfill your dream."
Luna's throat tightens, but she nodded, holding tightly into Ann as her eyes grew wet. Makino and Garp watched with apprehension, knowing what might be coming. They both were openly crying.
Rouge laughed softly at the reactions of her found family. "Come on, no need to be sad. Today is a joyous day."
"Of-of course," Garp let out a wet chuckle, "We have Ann joining our family now."
Rouge smiled, eyes dimming by the moment, "Yes, she has..." Leaning forwards to lay two final kisses on each of Luna's and Ann's foreheads. "So... Thank you... For accepting both of us into your family."
The last sentence was barely out, too low, but heard in the quiet room. Then Luna followed with a wet, "Her voice is gone."
Cries filled the room.
The saddest yet one of the happiest days. It was bittersweet for Luna, but she promised her big sister that she will take care of Ann, and that was a promise she will fulfill no matter what.
Luna was seven years old when Ann was born and she started to wear the Straw-hat in front of her grandfather, informing him of her dream to become the future pirate king. Garp may have disagreed with her dream, but Rouge was the second person who made her promise to fulfill her promise, and she will do it. As one of the last wishes of her kind older sister. That was also when she found out that Rouge has kept journals, regarding her life, of how she had grown up, her home island, her meeting with Roger, his execution, when she moved to Dawn Island, and her time with Luna. The journals came with two letters, one for Luna, and the other for Ann for when she grew up. The letters explained everything, from why she moved to Dawn Island to why she gave birth to Ann after twenty months. She read how Roger turned himself in, due to not having time to live from his illness, but how he had wished to meet his child. Luna promised herself then, she's going to tell all of Roger's stories to Ann growing up, she needs to let her know, that she had two loving parents that wished dearly to be with their daughter, but the world didn't allow them to be a happy family. She's going to make sure that Ann will have her happy family.
When Luna started wearing the straw-hat, Garp had dumped her and Ann in the hands of Dadan and her bandits. Things didn't start well between Luna and the bandits, due to Luna hating bandits and the bandits not knowing how to handle two children.
Makino would trek up the mountain to Luna the first week to teach the young girl how to take care of Ann. Garp had told Makino not to see Luna, wanting her to let go of the idea of become a pirate. Makino had disagreed; she is not leaving her adoptive little sisters alone with bandits. She wanted to take back the girls with her; she didn't want to make Luna; a child take care of another. Luna was only a child and that responsibility should not be on her. But Garp had not allowed her too. So, all she could do is to ensure that the girls are taken of properly and has all the necessities they require.
Makino taught Dadan and Luna how to make milk bottles, change diapers and how to wash Ann up. Ann was generally a quiet baby, Makino once commented. Only to for Ann to start crying when Luna left the room. Seems like the baby is attached to Luna, and only cried with her when she was hungry or in need of a diaper change, so over time, the bandits just got accustomed to that, and were thankful that Ann didn't cry every night, and of she did Luna was there to calm her down.
With the first week done, Makino would make sure to call at least daily to check on the kids.
And this continues on for a couple of years, until Ann turned four and wanted to start exploring the forest. Now a normal older sibling would have said no, knowing that a child exploring a forest is dangerous. But Luna is no normal person and had agreed.
Dadan did not agree, she warned the rubber girl that it will be dangerous with no adult, which lead to Luna exclaiming that she has grown up, being eleven years old at that point.
Despite all the warnings, the two girls went to explore. And they went too deep, and found Gray Terminal. And they met a girl of the same age as Ann who became their sister. And her name was Sabrina.