Chapter 10 - Dreams and Memories

A few days prior to Rayleigh's arrival

It was so cold…

That was the first sensation that she could gain a grasp on. Her fingers trembled and her shoulders shivered in an effort to keep her warm, but it didn't seem to have much of an effect.

Darkness…

That was the second thing she was able to get a grasp on. She was surrounded by inky blackness, one that was so dark and seemingly endless, she was unable to see even the nose at the end of her face. She could feel the ground…possibly? She was standing–no, sitting on it, and in that way, she could tell up from down. And yet, even for that, she couldn't quite be sure if even that was true.

Everything around her felt unsure, disconnected, up in the air—as if she walking in a haze but that haze covered everything, not simply her sense of sight.

It was by instinct that she realized she wasn't alone. That 6th sense you got when could feel someone else was near you even if you couldn't see or hear them. It was an instinct that was born out of self-preservation, a way the body could tell if a potential danger was nearby like a deer could sense it was being watched by a hunter…

But it was also an instinct born out of the human need for interaction…the rejection of isolation and the desire to connect to another sentient being in any capacity. The vital longing to not be alone…

She didn't fear this new presence. It wasn't there to harm.

In fact, she felt the impulse to cling to the other like one would cling to a solid rock in a storm.

"I need you to stay here, okay?" the other said. Its–his?–voice sounded like it was out of breath.

She didn't know why the voice needed her to stay, it wasn't like she could go anywhere. She didn't even know where "here" was.

"O-Okay…"

Hmm? Why did her voice sound so weak? And why was it so high? It was like that of a child…

The other—yep, definitely a "he", a prepubescent boy from the pitch and tone—seemed to be okay with it though, and simply continued, "I need to go find help, but I'll come back for you. I promise."

She trusted him implicitly. She knew that for a fact.

The sky was blue. The grass was green. She trusted this boy.

She seemed to nod back in return and waited for the presence of the boy to leave her. Instead, she was surprised to hear her weak child-like voice speak once again.

"L–

Whatever she was about to say was cut off by a violent coughing fit. Her throat seized and her chest felt like it was on fire!

At first, it was near impossible to control the constant hacks, but then she felt the boy's presence once again approach and there was a warmth of his touch on her back.

Casually rubbing circles on her back, the coughing began to thankfully subside. Once it was done, she tried again to say what she had been trying to say before, but it was a quiet hoarse whisper this time and she shortened her words.

"W-where i-is Mom and Dad?"

Wait…mom…? dad…? Her parents?

The boy paused. It was a heavy hitch that seemed to be full of hidden meanings and unspoken words. So she wasn't quite all that surprised when he said to her so quietly, "They….They can't be here right now, okay? But I promise I will stay by your side just as soon as I go and find help. Can you stay very quiet here and wait for me?"

She wasn't quite sure how much her younger child-self understood or was aware, though she could guess she was somewhat perceptive. However, her adult mind which was both interacting with this reality but also observing it from afar, could quite easily read between the lines of the boy's words.

The death of her parents felt heavy on her heart and she didn't quite know yet how to process such sudden pressing information. And by the time she was aware again of her surroundings, the boy was gone.

The darkness was once again empty and it was hard to judge the passage of time. No sounds could be heard nor anything to be seen, neither the boy's presence nor any other came to disturb the silent emptiness.

She wasn't sure how long she had waited there…when she first saw it.

A green cloudy haze seemed to creep along the ground she sat on. Its tendrils curled along the black space looming ever closer at a slow but steady pace.

The green cloud filled her with a sick sinister feeling, like a heralding of impending doom. She didn't know if it was color, or its sudden appearance, or the fact that despite being a gas it was heavy enough to stay close to the ground, but all she did know was that she did not like it.

She tried to get up and move away, only to find her body was too weak to move! Her muscles felt like she had run a marathon along the Red Line!

Even as she tried to push her limbs to move, the green gas was increasing in both amount and speed in its approach. Reaching out with her fingers, she moved to drag herself away, doing something, anything to get away!

The green shifted to oranges, yellows, and reds in the blink of an eye, and what was once absolute darkness transformed into blinding luminescence. She still was unable to see, but this time for the opposite reason, the brightness was too much for her eyes and she had to close them tight. But even with them sealed shut, she could still smell the telltale scent of smoke, the feel of the intense heat bearing down all around her, and hear the sharp snap and crackle of flames.

Wherever she was, the entire area had been set on fire!

She couldn't see.

She couldn't move.

She was going to die!

She felt tears fall down her cheeks, drying up almost as quickly as they fell. Where was he? Where was the boy? He had promised her!

Incendiary tongues tried to reach out and lap at her limbs and she wanted to scream from the mix of pain, fear, and panic. The pressure was suffocating and the heat was staggering that she couldn't stand it!

Someone help me!

Help me, please!

The very moment it seemed as if the fire would reach out and grab her, completely consuming every bit of her aching flesh, a dark presence appeared breaking through the flames and grabbing her entire body in its grip. Pulled out of the devouring blaze, she was able to breathe a sigh of relief. The sweat dropped from her face and she panted with exhaustion and the growing sense of respite and safety…

Only for it to all leave in the blink of an eye the moment she looked up.

All this time she had been blind; unable to see anything around her but colors and vague abstract shapes and sensations.

What she saw now was the first clear image so far….and it was truly something only nightmares were made of.

A huge disembodied bloodcurdling grin with gleaming white teeth with fangs, dripping black liquid from off their gleaming points, was creepily smiling down at her.

The grip on her no longer felt safe and her blood turned cold. She could only look up in frightful horror as the black soulless empty eyes that she hadn't noticed before, revealed themselves in the pitch-black void above the grin, looking over her.

Then the smile separated and the voice came forth and she couldn't hold back a scream at the chilling sound. It felt as if it resounded all around her and yet whispered within her own head.

"Well, well, well…what do we have here? A little chick without a nest that was left all alone?"

She wanted to vomit. She wanted to flee as far and as fast as she could even if it meant tearing her legs to pieces. Yet even as she desperately tried to break out of the grip around her form, she knew she couldn't get away.

She knew that voice.

She should have been left to the flames.

They would have been kinder…

"Come with me little eyas, I'll take care of you."

You're mine now.

Those were the words that hadn't been spoken aloud, but the ones that her adult mind heard all the same.

That name "Eyas" was one that she would despise until the day she died.

She was once again trapped, petrified, and could only once again wish for all this to end. Where was the one who had promised to return to her?

All she wished for was the return of the love and safety that she had once known. But the feel of a cold touch in a mocking mimicry of affection across her face banished all hope for that. She could only cry out for help once again.

Help me!

Someone! Anyone!

Please!

Don't leave me here with him…

Lily's eyes jerked open and she sat up quickly gasping for breath. Her dilated eyes darted around the room, trying to get a sense of where she was and how the heck she had gotten there. The cold sweat running down her body made her shiver. She looked to be in a simple bed in a small windowless wooden cabin lit with candles. Her clothing had been removed and she was only left in her shift and underwear. Lifting the covers of the bed closer to her, she felt the steady movement beneath her, clueing her in that she was on a ship of some kind.

'Lily?'

She jumped at the sudden sound, her eyes jerking to the side and to the shadows that existed there.

The darkness shifted and she flinched once again at its movement, only to calm and breathe a sigh of relief when the eyes of her best friend appeared, looking at her with concern.

'You're awake. Are you okay?'

She released another heavy breath as she quieted herself down, and placed a hand over her eyes, Lily felt her quickly beating heart gradually slow. As this occurred, everything about the current situation began to come back to her memory. She was currently on a ship in the company of a pirate emperor, a possible pirate emperor-to-be, and members of their crew, trying to heal a man who had had a hole punched through him by a fist made of magma from one of the Government's top mad dogs.

Yeah, that about summed it up.

Wait a minute…

"Ace!"

She jumped back up and looked at Schaden, "Scha! How is he? How long was I out? Give me a status report!"

The Cimmerian hovered close in his cloud form before shifting into his more humanoid form and sitting down on the bed across from her, taking her hand in his own semi-corporeal one.

'Calm down, Lily. He's fine. Or at least as you left him.'

She let out the air she had been inadvertently holding before leaning back against the pillows and headboard.

Schaden continued, 'You've been asleep for two days now. The Phoenix awoke yesterday and Red-Hair a few hours prior to that. They've been keeping an eye on Fire-Fist while you slept. They worried about the fact that you haven't been eating, but the girl nurse that Red-Hair's doctor brought with him, has been changing the IV on your arm at regular intervals.'

She looked over at her right arm which held a needle connected to a tube and a yellowish-looking bag. She didn't feel like she was going to drop from exhaustion anymore, though there was a bit of fatigue still sticking to her. It was probably the lack of solid food, though she couldn't count out the dream-turned-nightmare not also being a slight cause.

'I've checked in with HQ but wasn't able to get in contact with either the first or second in command, so I left a message with Koala. No one has gotten back to me yet. We are currently continuing to Sabody and then to the New World. This is our cabin. Red-Hair put you here after you passed out once we teleported to this ship. The human nurse helped me remove your old clothes and she brought new ones yesterday for you. The washing room isn't far from here, down the hall.'

She was glad about that. She had the grim from both the battlefield and the operating room still clinging to her and would be happy to be fresh again. She normally would have even dreamed of going to bed so filthy, but her body had left her no option. Maybe she could just change the sheets later?

She was interrupted from her thoughts by a squeeze of her hands.

'You have your status report, now tell me why you look as if you've seen a ghost. You haven't looked at me like that in years.'

Lily smiled at him wrily, "Ha-ha."

His eyes looked back at her understandingly before he simply came to the point. 'I still have nightmares too, Lil. It's okay to talk to me about it.'

Her smile gradually dropped before she looked down at the bed covers. It was a few moments of silence, with only the creaking of the timbers echoing within the chamber.

When she still kept silent, Schaden shifted back into a cloud before surrounding her in what his race would consider an embrace. 'It's okay. You're safe. He can't hurt you anymore, you know.'

She quickly closed her eyes in an attempt to shut out the tears before they had a chance to fall. She hugged Scha closer, burying her face in his smokey appendages, taking comfort in his constant presence.

"I know that here." She pointed to her head, "I just wish that I knew that here." She placed a hand on her chest. "Even after all this time…"

Schaden formed a part of himself into what could be considered fingers before running them through her hair in what he knew was a show of human comfort. 'It's okay to feel that way. I still avoid infirmaries simply because I can't help but be drawn back to those days too, and all I can think of is all the manipulation and the loneliness and the torture and the hatred I had for that man and everything he did to me and to you. But then I'm able to leave them and I realize I'm free now and I can go where I want and be what I want and that I'm not some puppet that has to dance to a tune or a dog that has to come when called!'

She smiled widely and turned to look at him, "Or a falcon that must return to the mew!"

He returned her smile affectionately, 'There's nothing to fear Lil. Not only are we stronger now, but we're also not alone anymore. We've got strong comrades and I'm pretty sure that you could probably conquer an army with all the people who now owe you favors on this boat.'

She hit him playfully "Oh stop it, Scha. You know I didn't do it for any of that."

He knew that, but it also wasn't like it wasn't true. The nature of his species allowed him to listen in and observe unnoticed by most. (He was pretty sure Red-Hair and Phoenix could notice him, but they didn't seem to mind his lurking.) He could see that they all seemed to have taken a liking to Lily and they all had very strong potential to be allies to them in the future.

But beyond that, he was happy that he was able to lift Lily's spirits once again and get her mind off that man.

"Man"...

Devil was more like it.

He couldn't even bring himself to say the creature's name anymore, as if somehow that would summon him beyond the grave.

For now, he and Lily just had to live one day at a time gradually dealing with the trauma of their past, reminding each other that they were no longer under another's control.

Lily took a deep breath, letting her body fully relax and forget before continuing, deciding that it did indeed help her to feel better. "It's been a while since the last one. But I-I don't think this was simply a nightmare, Scha. It was different than the others."

He tilted his head in interest.'How so?'

She examined her Cyto fruit powers, feeling that they had been sufficiently replenished by the long rest. "I don't know if it was because I've never overused my powers to this extent before and it had some effect on my psyche or my brain, but I…I think it was a memory this time. From before…"

The purple eyes widened in surprise, 'A memory? You think you're somehow getting your memories back?'

"No, not completely, just snippets. I've gotten senses, feeling of familiarity or nostalgia before, even voices that I sometimes hear in my head. But this was the first time I feel like I got a full scene!" She looked at him with breathless wonderment.

He swirled around her and sat on the footboard of the bed. 'Well? Are you gonna leave me in suspense?'

She laughed self-consciously, "Well, there's not that much to it…."

'Will you just tell me?'

She swiped a hand at his face, not surprised that it went right through it. "Okay! So, in my dream, I was somewhere dark. I'm not sure if it was just the nature of the place itself or just the dream, but I know I was pretty young."

'Younger than when I met you?'

She nodded, "I think so."

Lily had already been at the Facility for an indeterminate amount of time before she had met Schaden. He estimated it was around 2 years from what he heard others say. When he first met her, he guessed she was about the age of a human eight-year-old.

"I think I was hiding somewhere…or someone was hiding me. I was pretty sick and weak at the time, my body felt like I could barely move and I was coughing a lot."

He glanced over her snow-white skin and hair, 'That makes a bit of sense of what can already figure from your history…'

She nodded. "But I wasn't alone. There was a boy with me! He sounded older than me, and from the way, he talked…the way he sounded…I-I think he was my brother, Scha."

His eyes widened. They had figured she had had family and had figured that considering her age when she had probably been captured by the Facility, the voices she had heard had probably been close family or friends considering their impact on her young psyche. However, to get an actual confirmation like this was quite the breakthrough.

She continued. "He didn't actually say it of course, but the way he sounded and the things he said…the way I inherently knew that I could trust him. He asked me to stay put and that he was going to go get help. I remember asking him about mom and dad, as if they were both of ours. And while he told me they could be there, I knew that he was trying to not say that they were actually dead."

Schaden's eyes saddened a bit at that. They had figured that. In fact, considering what they did have to work with, it would be a miracle if any of her family had lived through the massacres of her homeland.

She shrugged flippantly, "I mean, we already guessed that, but it's nice to know that they didn't give me away or anything or that they hadn't bothered to look for me, or–"

A shadowy digit touches her lips stopping her from going on. Schaden looked closely at her, not fooled by her casual attitude. 'I'm sorry, Lily…'

She took a deep breath to center herself once again, her eyes once again feeling full as he took his finger away. "A-Anyway the boy, my brother, said he was going to go get help and promised to come back for me. But he never did. Time passed and I think there was some kind of poison attack of some kind. Considering I saw green gas in my dream, it was probably Chlorinax gas."

Chlorinax was a chemical weapon that was supposedly banned by the world government, at least on paper, though it was completely fine to use it against unaligned nations, poor lands, rebellious countries, or any places that were supposed to "go away".

'You think your brother was caught up in the gas attack?'

The thought brought a sharp pain to her chest almost to the point that she had to gasp. It was different than the idea of her parents dying, which had felt more like a dull ache—as if her soul had already known and understood that long ago. But the thought of her brother being lost felt like a dagger was digging a fresh wound in her chest. And even though it was possibly the more probable scenario, and she couldn't quite understand why she was having this type of visceral reaction to a person she had in her mind–never met, she shook her head in the negative.

"I-I don't think so. I don't know why, but I don't think he would have died to something like that."

Scha didn't respond to that, only giving her a concerned look before letting her continue.

"I struggle to get away from the gas and then somehow a fire happens and I'm trapped."

'How do you get away?'

A dark look came over her, and her eyes became heavily shadowed. "I don't. He finds me."

Schaden once again embraces his best friend and partner and also once again curses the man whose shadow continues to plague them even after being free of him for 6 years now.

At least they had an idea now as to how the demon had gotten his hands on Lily, and they knew where it had all approximately taken place. They were a few more pieces to add to the shattered puzzle that was Lily's mind.

The Next Day

The individual cells of cartilage looped themselves together one to another, building on top of each other. Lily casually watched each section build, happy that she no longer had to rush the process and also could give it her full attention. Now that Ace was being supported by other means, she didn't have to constantly keep an iron grip on all of his other systems.

Marco was once again working with her, acting to work on muscle repair as it began to attach both under and over the closing ribs.

As they worked, he asked conversationally, "So, I've been meaning to ask this, but what are we doing about infection?"

She responded casually, "I've been periodically clearing his body of invading pathogens since I began. When I was out for those two days, it had built up astronomically and he had the beginning of fever, but it takes me but a split second to destroy them all."

He raised an eyebrow at that, "So you can handle any form of sickness? That's rather convenient."

She shook her head, "Not quite everything. I can't control things that don't have cells, like toxins or poisons. And viruses are very tricky, I can only handle them once they've actually begun their infection. I can control the cells being affected by these things, but unless the main issue is removed, it can quickly become a lost cause."

He nodded in understanding before asking a few small things about the different techniques she used and putting out different suggestions of his own on how he had handled such things. She would ask him a few things about his own powers and he would answer in kind.

The talk was casual and light and so Lily was caught off guard by his next inquiry.

"I have two questions for you, and you can choose whether or not to answer them." He asked while looking down at his work.

His manner of speech now that he had rested and was relatively back to normal, had taken on this passive drawl that reminded her of a steady river. Not fast nor slow, unhurried, steadfast on its course, and calm under pressure. She could easily see how his tone was something that would soothe others who looked to him in his position as leader.

She raised a brow at the sudden caveat but acquiesced. "Go ahead."

"Are you from the lost city of Flevance by any chance?"

Lily should have expected it. Especially from someone as well connected and well-traveled as someone of Marco's stature and experience. Especially considering his medical eye and the fact that she didn't bother hiding her true appearance at all on the ship since there was no point as everyone had already seen her without it. However, somehow, the question did still catch her off guard and she slipped in her control, her power and sight leaving her.

Her colorless eyes looked up at him sharply and while he gave no evidence of having noticed the change in her and was continuing on with the operation as before, she knew that such casualness was deceptive.

She examined him carefully. She had not felt a threat from the Phoenix since their initial meeting and even felt a rather amiable camaraderie forming between them. And even now, she still felt no danger from the man nor any malevolence coming from his inquiry. It also made sense that he would have connected the dots. He probably wasn't even the only one. Shanks, or at least Hongo, had probably also wondered similar thoughts.

Reactivating her power she delved back into the work in front of her while deciding to answer the question with the truth.

"I'm not a hundred percent positive, but it is most likely."

Marco paused for a second at that before continuing. "You're not sure?"

She shook her head, "I have no memories of my life prior to around 7 or 8 years old, and by that time, I had been…taken, from my home. So I have no idea where I was from originally."

Marco's eyes took on a softness before he spoke again, "Your accent is slight, but hails from the North Blue. And your body shows all the symptoms of an extremely advanced case of White Amber Lead poisoning, minus the extreme fatigue, crippling pain, and respiratory issues of course. That condition is unique to only those who were native to the White City."

Lily smiled and felt any remaining tension leave her at both the fact that the pirate seemed to respect her privacy about her past, and that he also knew the truth about the White Lead toxin and probably about the tragedy of its past.

She nodded at his deduction, "I've been affected by White Lead for as far back as I remember, and the symptoms are just as you say. The only reason I'm alive right now is because of my devil fruit."

He arched a puzzled eye at her at that. "I thought you couldn't use your fruit on yourself?"

"Well yes, I can't use it on myself as I'm doing now. But I can use it to change cells on the surface to disguise my appearance, but the shift is only skin-deep. I don't even have to go into full-on power to do it."

She stopped for a second to activate the skin on her arm, causing it to become a healthy tanned color. She also changed some of her hair back to her usual auburn and one of her eyes to a golden brown as well.

Marco's eyes widened in awe at the skill. "That's rather convenient. Especially with the stigma White Lead still carries. Though it's mostly been forgotten these days."

She nodded, "It's why I hide it most of the time, to avoid the stares and questions and possible panic. The only reason I wasn't like that when you saw me is that I need constant low-level energy to maintain it, and I need everything to do an operation like this."

The blond looked back down at the man that was never very much alive on their operating table and gave a brief warm smile under his mask that reached his eyes. "Thank you again, for all that you've done so far."

She blushed before waving the gratitude away, "You've thanked me already, It's something I decided to do on my own so…"

"Thank you again anyway."

Her cheeks continued to warm, and she purposefully cleared her throat before letting her body return back to its natural state and staring back at collagen and muscle fibers that were continuing to build under her watch.

"Well, as to how I was able to live? When I first ate the Cyto-Cyto fruit, it basically put all my current physical conditions in stasis. It was the first and last time it was able to work on my entire body. All the ravages of the poisons in me and in my genes are put on hold basically. I can no longer die from it and I no longer feel the internal symptoms of it. As long as I have the fruit, other than my outward appearance, I am a normal human adult."

Well, that was a nice bonus to such fruit. He was happy that she was able to get to it when she did. Yet, from the picture he was building from the informational clues he'd been given, it probably wasn't under the best circumstances. Though he wondered, "What about sea water or seastone?"

She smiled disparagingly, "Both will, of course, stop me from using my abilities, but it will also stop the fruit's effect on my body and I begin to once again slowly die. If I'm not removed from the water or the seastone soon, I'll probably be dead in a few hours."

He nodded, his face once again adopting that stalwart placid look, "Good to know. No letting you near the water at any time. Got it."

A familiar voice sounded way more high-spirited than should be allowed, interrupted them from the door. "Don't worry you two, if either of you falls into the water, I'll be sure to rescue the both of you before you even realize you're wet!"

Lily turned in the direction of the redhead's voice, "Good day, Shanks."

Marco wasn't nearly as polite. "No one needs or wants your help, Scarlet."

"Fine, I'll let you drown, bird. Leave Lily to me then." The captain smirked at the blond, whose eyes narrowed.

"Don't even think about it, ya drunk."

Shanks raised a finger to that. "Okay, first, I've been stone sober since we started this whole thing. A shock, I know. And two, a Davy Back fight is still on the table, Fledgling. Just sayin'."

"Screw you."

Lily wasn't quite sure what was going on between the two captains or what it had to do with her, but since it seemed it seemed to be more or less playful banter, she simply smiled. "What can we do for you, Captain? I don't think we need you at quite this moment."

Red-Hair shrugged before placing a tray on a table and taking a seat on one of the cots in the corner. "Hongo wants to make sure you guys eat today. I brought some drinks down for you as well. And before you ask, it's some electrolyte energy concoction that Juice made."

The two thanked him for it, though they would probably wait until they finished their own particular goals before taking up the refreshment. Shanks also pulled up a couple of transponder snails from his pocket and placed them on the table.

"We got a couple of white transponder snails so you can have one so you can finally call your crew, Marco. From what I've heard, they're getting a bit antsy."

The Phoenix looked over at the objects on the table and the gift they represented, he then looked back at the man, the appreciation evident in his voice. "Thanks, Shanks."

The man casually shrugged off the gratitude, "No problem. We needed them anyway."

He then turned and looked seriously over at Lily and even though she couldn't see him, she could feel the weight of their gaze. "I have two questions of my own for you, missy."

Marco rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh and Lily smirked letting the annoyance roll off her back. "First, eavesdropping much, Captain? Were you just lurking outside the door? And two, haven't we at least gotten to 'Miss Doctor' at this point?"

The man shrugged, "My ship, my rules. I'm still a pirate, Missy Miss Doctor Lily. I do what I want."

She sighed. "Ask your questions, Captain. I will decide whether or not I will answer them."

He looked over at her seriously, "First, if you've lost your memories, then how do you know your name? Did you create it yourself?"

Lily was thrown by the query, it not being one she would have expected from the man. Marco also hadn't considered it, but names hadn't seemed all that important to him.

She shook her head, "No, I don't know my original name, but I also didn't quite come up with my current name either."

Taking a breath, she decided that it wasn't that big of an issue to show either of the men one of her few treasures. She let her power dwindle slightly, letting the cells move on autopilot, the back of her mind guiding them, before taking a step away from the Commander and waving Shanks over, and moving closer to Marco's side.

"I have nothing left from my previous life except this."

Considering the age she was when she ate her devil fruit and the progress of her condition at the time, she and Schaden were pretty sure the mark was from prior to her arrival at the Facility. She had felt it confirmed by her dream from earlier. She had needed a new name after the Revolutionaries had rescued them, and the name had felt like it fit, so she took it.

She pushed her hair back on the right side of her head and pulled the shell of her ear back to show them what was behind it.

Marco pausing in what he was doing, look over at the area curiously.

He could see what was a scar that looked like a clean cut that had been sutured shut. It was pretty faded with time, and in fact, one could barely see it, thanks to the black tattoo that lay on top of it.

It was simple and faded with time, but what was written was still quite evident.

Aqua et Lilium

"'W-Water Lily'?" Shanks glanced closely at the strange text, trying to make it out and dusting off what little Latin he knew.

Both Marco and Lily shook their heads. The male corrected him, "No, it's 'Water and Lily'."

"I'm not sure how I got it or why I would have a tattoo at such a young age, but the name seemed right and so I took it as my own."

Shanks stepped away and let the two doctors go back to their original positions. "If you're 'Lily', then who's 'Water'? Is it Schaden?"

She shook her head, "I've had the tattoo since before meeting Scha. I have no idea, what the 'Water' part means."

Lily had thought about it for years but still was no closer to the answer. Normally such a tattoo would suggest a sweetheart or a lover, but considering her age at the time, that was both unlikely and rather sickening. It could be just possible that both names were hers, but that didn't feel quite right either. The confirmation of a possible brother in her life gave her a bit of pause, but she had nothing yet to substantiate that at the moment.

The redhead thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Okay, on to my second question—"

Marco interrupted him, "Didn't you just ask your second question?"

"Shut up, ya flaming chicken." he retorted without missing a breath. "My second question is, how much do you want to know?"

She blinked in confusion, her brow furrowing, "I don't understand."

She could feel the seriousness of his voice even without seeing it on his face. "How much do you really want to know about your past? Digging up the past can be dangerous, and not just in the physical sense. I'm sure that considering who you work for, you have a pretty good idea as to the true tragedy that really happened at Flevance. And worse, it's a horror that the World Government would never want to come to light. If you come from there, which I'm pretty sure you do, then you have to consider all the ramifications of not only looking into this but of also what you might find about yourself."

Lily stopped before looking over in the man's direction, her eyes narrowing, "What do you know about 'who I work for'?"

"That they're most likely the same people who rescued you from whoever 'took' you away from your home."

Marco must have seen the ever-darkening look on her face because it was he who cleared his throat. "Uh-hum, we've known what you were since we met you. And no, it's not something you've done or anything! You just have to remember that we've been sailing these seas all our lives and we've seen quite a bit. We're smart enough to put the dots together. There's only so many groups that you could possibly be a part of, and the Revolutionaries just makes the most sense considering your decisions and your presence as an undercover marine during the war."

Lily grimaced at this, annoyed that she had been made so easily during her first undercover mission. But then again, their reasoning was sound and it wasn't like she was trying to pretend to be something she wasn't so it was probably far easier to figure her out, especially to people who were way too observant and knew what to look for.

Feeling a little more liberated now, she considered Shanks' question. "I don't fear the World Government. I know fully all too well what they are capable of. I mean, one only has to look down to see what kind of travesties they have done."

She indicated the ravaged body of Commander Ace who they had already spent so much time, sweat, and energy pulling from the maws of death.

"As for the emotional burden the knowledge might cause, I accept it and continue on. Because I-I don't think I'll ever be complete until I find out the truth of who I am and who I was."

And she meant this with all her heart. Damn these men for getting her to talk somehow! It wasn't as if she had made a choice to leave her past behind. Instead, it had been stolen from her. Her commanding officer, the R.A.'s Chief of Staff, Sabo had been really one of the only ones who had actively understood. He, also an amnesiac, could understand the feeling of missing something in his life. But even unlike him, Lily had been made to forget, a deliberate action by one whose cruelty knew no bounds.

Every so often she could hear voices or feel sensations. Someone holding her safe and warm, or a song someone sings. The things she almost recalls. As if they are far away and long ago, glowing dimly as an ember. Things her heart used to know and that it yearns to remember…

She leveled a serious look at the man who was responsible for digging up so much emotional upheaval so suddenly. "Now, I have a question for you. Why are you asking these questions, Shanks?"

The room was silent other than the steady beeps of the medical equipment as she listened to him approach her. Though she jumped at the feel of his hand on the top of her head and his tall frame bending down to her level, probably looking her straight in the eyes. "Because you're my friend, and because I want to know what I have to work with in order to help you find out the truth about the life that was stolen from you."

Her eyes were wide while Marco who was quite aware of how the redhead thought and worked, simply observed the young girl's reaction.

"W-What are you talking about?" she asked quietly.

He shrugged nonpulsed, "Exactly what I said. I'm going to guess that you've exhausted both your and the Revs' resources in trying to figure this mystery out and you've hit a dead end. I have my own sources in the North Blue, the Whitebeards too." Marco nodded confirming this. "I can even get you to the ruins of Flevance itself if necessary. I'm thinking between all of us, we can find out what really happened to you."

She was quiet, not able to quite assimilate what this man, a titan of the seas, that she had just met only a few days ago—by swordpoint no less—was offering to her.

"But, why, why would you do that?"

He ruffled her hair affectionately, "I'm a man of my word, missy. I told you I would get you what you needed and I also told you that you had my gratitude. That wasn't simply limited to the here and now, ya know? You seem to need this closure in your life, and if I have the ability to help you find it, I'll do what I can."

Marco spoke up, "Shanks and I rarely agree on anything, but here, I stand by him wholeheartedly. Your life was taken from you at a young age, and I have some experience with others who have been where you are. If we can help you find the missing pieces of your life Lily, then all you have to do is ask."

Lily's hand tightened into a fist before moving away and towards the far wall. Neither man interrupted her, nor followed her, knowing that she needed a bit of space after so much all at once. After a minute or two when she didn't say anything more, Shanks walked over to the door. "If you're interested Lily, let me or Marco know. I won't force anything. Take as long as you need. The choice is yours."

As he was about to leave, he heard a quiet, ardent, and tearfully sincere, "Thank you." whispered back.

Elsewhere, Another Time, Another Place

.

.

.

He didn't know how much time had passed, or even if it had passed at all as he listened to the woman and the man speak and sing to him.

Sometimes they would say nothing, rather just enjoyed the intimacy of the moment. It didn't seem to matter that he still for some reason couldn't speak to them. In fact, they seemed to know this, but that didn't stop them from smothering him with their own tender and loving presence.

New sensations came over him every so often, and he felt more and more tethered with each passing moment. Tethered to what, he wasn't quite so sure, but he was beginning to have his suspicions.

The more his body changed, the most solid and aware he felt. And by the same token, the fainter and less tangible the woman and the man got.

They seemed to know this too, though they said nothing about it.

The woman continued to hold him close, humming or singing to him, sometimes telling him stories as both he and the man listened. Sometimes the man would tell tall tales instead or crack wild jokes that would make him laugh so much on the inside.

He wished he could have met both of them long ago. The sound of their voices and the melody of their laughter made his heart (which he could now feel beating strongly inside his chest) feel light and practically soar with a freedom he didn't think he had ever known before.

After an indeterminate amount of time had passed in this way, he began to be aware of another presence that was tarrying just slightly out of the range of the three of them. Wondering what it was, he decided to focus on it with curiosity.

The man noticed his change in attention and he could feel his affectionate smile before turning to call to the mysterious waiting presence.

'Come on, I know you at least want to check on him.'

The being moved closer and he felt a sense of nostalgia and familiarity to the air the new figure gave off.

And then he spoke…

'Gurarara, you sure? I've had my time with him. It's your turn, it's only fair in the time he has left here.'

And his world splintered…

He knew that voice.

He knew that laugh.

For the first time since he'd been on this plane, his mind cleared for a moment and he was able to remember who was, and all the subtle hints began to become crystal.

The mother who was singing to him and caressing his face.

The father who had filled his heart with laughter.

And the dad whose voice and spirit he knew as well as his own.

He knew why he was here in this place, even if this place he would never fully understand. He remembered what he had done that had led him to be in this place, wherever it was.

He knew why his mother was here.

He knew why his…his…why Roger was here.

But Pops…why was he here?

He still couldn't see or speak, but at this point, he sorely wished that he could. That he could ask why? Why? WHY?!

His parents seemed to notice his agitation and tried to once again soothe him. But Pops' steady, worried presence–one that was now very much like theirs and no longer like his–only made him feel even more tangled and confused.

Because if Pops was here and felt like his parents, then that would mean…

That would mean…

No.

No!

Present Day, on the Renata

Shanks shook his head at the observant eyes of his old teacher and smiled as he thought about how the seas had somehow tossed the two of them together again. He was in the middle of approaching the silver-haired man, hand extended, when it happened.

BRAYNGGGGG!

A shrill alarm rang through the ship and almost instantly, any smile became a look of concern and apprehension. Schaden immediately teleported away back to Lily's side. Marco was already heading to the hold, and Hongo was making his way down from the crow's nest.

Before either could move very far, a large wave of wild Supreme King haki cascaded over everyone, followed by a large boom that shook the ship and a huge outburst of flames erupting from the side of the ship!

FOOSH!

The alarms continued to blare loudly. The Red-Hair pirate captain immediately switched to leadership mode.

"Juice, you take over the helm, put us at a full stop, and anchor us."

The blond man was already on the move, "Aye-aye, Captain."

"Hongo go with Marco to the infirmary, check on Lily and get an idea of what's going on!"

"Already on it, Captain", the man was following the Phoenix who had already headed below.

"Snake! Get to the side of the ship and find out the damage. Seal the breach as best you can."

The large navigator had often operated as a secondary shipwright on the Red Force and so was already heading to the stores to get supplies and materials. "Got it!"

Even as he was issuing orders, the redhead had been stalking across the deck towards the hold where the sickbay lay, a troubled look having come upon his face. He looked over at Rayleigh from the corner of his eyes, who was watching everything with a clouded ambiguous demeanor.

"There's some warm clothes and food in the galley, old man. You're not of an age where you need to take chances with illness."

Ray only arched an eyebrow back at him, choosing to ignore the concern disguised as snide teasing.

Shanks looked away under the other's quiet inquiring gaze.

"I'll explain later." He answered the man's unspoken question resolutely before hurriedly disappearing below.

A/N: Another cliffhanger!

I know, but it worked better this way.

There are also humongous, gigantic reveals about Lily in this chapter and who she is, along with everything else she's going through with her memories. If you're still not sure, you might want to go back and reread Chapter 7.

All questions and comments are welcome! See you next time!😉