Chapitre trois : Delulu is the solulu
Marion's hands were shaking, crumbling the paper. Her eyes were studying the poster, looking at it up and down again and again.
Then she laughed, a little one, dry and full of disbelief.
"There must be a child who is crying somewhere, losing his poster like that!" She said
In contrast, Lili kept quiet, looking over the poster with a whitening face. Since a young age, Lili read a lot of stories, devouring every type of storylines, each as unlikely as the other. As such, Lili learned one important point in her life. If there's facts, do not ignore them.*
"Marion… I don't think that it's a false one…", her shivering voice emphasized the fear on her face.
"Lili, Lili don't worry, murmured Marion when she saw the ghostly face of her friend, Of course we're not in One piece. Yes, the situation is a little strange… but we're still in our world! You will see, we will find a police station, we will say what happened and everything will go back to the norm" Babbled Marion, her voice strained.
A dry laugh escaped the blond, turning hysteric with despair.
"Marion, you can't ignore the fact that we fell in the sea when we were at more than 100 miles from it, that it's way too warm for the middle of winter, and that's there's a goddamnit poster of Buggy right here, the most realistic one that I ever saw by the way!", her breath became more and more irregular, her eyes moving everywhere around them.
Marion swore under her breath as she dropped the poster. It swirled in the air for an instant before crashing on the ground without a sound. She faced her friend before grabbing her shoulders.
"Lili, I understand how crazy it is but it's not possible. We couldn't have changed dimensions just like that" said Marion as she took her friend slowly on the ground.
Her friend shook her head without a word, her laugh lowering.
"So it's not possible to change dimension, but we totally can change location after falling in a fountain?", she looked at Marion, trying to make her understand.
" A sudden wormhole? The shock made us forget? I don't know more than you Lili !" Sighed Marion
Calmer, Lili sighed.
"Okay okay, let's say that we really lost our memories. Let's stay on this conclusion 'till we find someone. But be aware Marion, I'm not convinced at all-"
"Ladies?" Said a voice, interrupting them and startling them.
Beside them was a tall man, wearing a white uniform with blue stripes. Clean and well ironed. From the ground, they could see his ranks on his shoulder.
A Marine? Thought Marion with frowned brows.
"Ladies?" repeated the man, " What are you doing outside at this hour? On the ground?" He asked
" We" started Marion with a strangled voice. She glanced at Lili and squeezed her shoulder. "We're lost Sir, We don't really know what happened but we found ourselves on the seaside and we walked here and-and-"
Laying her hand on Marion's, Lili tried to calm herself, swallowing. She looked up at the Marine for a few seconds, searching for her words.
"S-Sir… W-We're lost and-", she stopped herself for a few moments, trying to gather her courage, though little of it she had, "-I think that we lost our memories. W-We weren't there from what we last remember…"
Marion gave her a sharp look full of questions. But she composed herself quickly.
" Yes, she nodded, I think we hit our head and-and-" Marion burst into a heavy sob.
"We-We must have drifted ashore, we-we woke up there. B-But we have no idea how we came to be in the sea, how long it had been since we-", Lili stammered, words flowing too quickly in her panic.
"Hey-hey! Easy there" said the marine. He lowered himself to their level. "It's alright, you're in good hands here. Come with me and I will take you to the station. You will rest a little and after we will see okay ? Everything is gonna be alright" he said with a soothing voice.
Trembling, Lili took Marion's hand and got up with difficulty, helping her friend at the same time. Marion was still crying. The Marine smiled at them, trying to soothe them, and pointed to the right.
"Let's go, the station is five minutes away. It's not far you will see." He started to walk, looking back at them to be sure they were coming.
The two girls arrived quickly at the station, so huge and so alike to the one they had seen on their screen back home. The man waved at his colleagues, and, in a whisper, explained the situation. Then, he took them into the station, opening a door with care.
"Take a rest here for a moment, I'll come back to talk about all of this, okay? Do you want a drink? Coffee, tea? Or a hot chocolate?", with a soothing voice, he directed them to a table with three chairs.
Marion followed them without a word. She stopped crying some time ago but her face was not empty. Looking at her friend, the blond inhaled and nodded at the Marine
"T-Two hot chocolate, please…", she steered Marion at one of the chair to sit, and looked at the Marine, "T-Thank you, Sir…"
The officer nodded once and left the room, most certainly to get their hot chocolate, and to leave the two girls alone. When he came back, Lili was still trying to comfort Marion, whispering "it'll be okay" and "we'll get through this". He put the mugs on the table, and let Lili swallow some of the beverage before clearing his throat. Her focus shifted toward him straight away.
"I understand that everything that happened is really difficult, but I have to ask you some questions. We'll be able to help you better like this. Are you ready, or do you wish to wait a little ?" He turned the page of his paper block, and then he looked calmly at them.
"... No, I-I'd like to do this now…", she took a breath, and kept her hands around the mug to warm herself. The officer nodded at that.
"Good, so, before everything I will need to know your names"
"L-Lili, and my friend's name is Marion…"
"Friends? Not sisters?"
"F-Friends, we-we have no family anymore…", she dropped her gaze with mourning. The lie was bitter on her tongue. She took a mouthful of hot chocolate.
"You said to me that you think you have lost your memories. What do you mean by that? And what is the last thing you remember?"
The blond inhaled, and stayed silent for a few seconds.
"I… With Marion we were walking in the street… W-We were on a little outing together, an-and when we tried to cross the road, a-a covered wagon nearly drove over us. W-We escaped as best as we could but I hit my head, a-and then I lost consciousness an-and when I wole up we were on this beach…", she bit on her lips after this monologue.
The marine wrote the information with care. He seemed to think a little bit about them.
" A loss of memories is the logical conclusion yes…. Could you tell me about the name of your island?"
She swallowed and clenched her hands around the hot chocolate. The mug was lukewarm, the beverage colder.
"I…", the fear squeezed her stomach, tears gathering at her eyelashes, "I don't remember… I-I don't remember anymore!", tears flowed on her cheeks and she closed her eyes as hard as she could while lowering her head. "I don't know what I'm doing here.."
"Lady, don't worry. We will find a solution. I won't ask you more questions today, ok? It was a long day after all."
She stayed quiet a few seconds and reopened her eyes.
"Sir… What are we going to do if we can't go back home…?"her voice was weak, frightened by the answer.
Calmly, the Marine looked at them and smiled.
"Don't think too much about it, if it happens, the Marine will help you to find a house. Come with me, for now you need to rest" he got up and waited for them before exiting the room.
They were again in the station corridor. They walked quietly and he took them to another room. A bedroom.
" You can rest here. Someone will come to give you food tomorrow and then we will resume where we left today, ok?"
Weakly, Lili nodded and watched the soldier leave the room.
The two girls sat on the bed in a long silence. No words were exchanged for a long time. Then, Marion raised her head and looked at Lili with wide terrified eyes.
"We are in One piece aren't we? She asked with a rough voice. She already knew the answer. But maybe she hoped for a denial from her friend, maybe a laugh telling her she was clearly dreaming. Juste something, something to deny the reality.
Yet, Lili didn't do any of that. She faced her, her eyes red and as afraid as before.
"We're in One Piece", her voice was wavering, breaking at the end.
One month later.
In a small bar, a wooden door opened wide, letting Lili step out. In her hands, a empty wicker basket.
"Marion!", screamed Lili, "I'm going to do some shopping!", she looked at the lively street and waved at a shopkeeper passing by.
"Okayyy! See you soon!" Answered Marion. She cleaned again the bar table with care, looking at the blue sky outside.
A month had already gone by since their arrival on this island, and they were finally getting used to life here. The villagers as well.
"Everything's alright my dear?", asked a old woman with a wide smile. She was the manager of the bar, a old lady with salt-and-peppers hair, with an endless kindness. And too much grandchildren.
"Yes, of course! Lili is shopping for tonight!" Answered Marion with a little laugh. She put back the wet rag in the bucket before throwing out the water.
"Wait wait!" Said the manager, "Come here" she asked, waving her hand. Marion approached quickly. The old lady took her hand and put a bill in it.
"Here, go have fun with Lili today"
"Oh no! I can't accept!" said Marion, trying to give back the bill in the old woman's hand.
"Of course you can! Take your afternoon with Lili and buy yourself a little something! For your good work! Shoo! Shoo!"
"Thanks" whispered Marion
The old lady sweetly smiled at her, which Marion answered cheerfully with a kiss on the cheek. Thank goodness she had been here, it was her who gave them a job and a roof one month ago, after the Marine took them to the village. Marion had no idea what would have become of them otherwise, stuck in this world all alone.
She waved at the door, saying goodbye.
"See you tonight!" Exclaimed Marion. She quickly went through the village street, her feet slapping against the pavement. If she remembered correctly, Lili told her she needed lemon. So she should be right….
Here! Marion quickened her pace when she saw the blond hair of her friend, who was currently looking at the different type of lemon.
"Lili! Shouted Marion when she took her friend by the shoulders, Bouh!"
The blond started with a little scream, turning around with panic.
"Marion! What the fuck!", she kept her hands on her chest, trying to calm her too fast heartbeat. "Don't ever do that again, you hear me?!", she pouted.
"I swear," said Marion with crossed finger hidden behind her back. "Look! The owner gave me some money to have fun! You're coming?" She asked, showing her the bill in her hand.
The blond's eyes widened at the sight, her eyes going from Marion to the bill briskly.
"I-Is it really alright? T-To give us this money like this-"
"She didn't want it back at all, so yes. What do you want to buy?"
"Ah wait!", she looked at the seller and gave him the bills for the lemons, putting them in the basket. Finally, she turned back toward Marion. "Let's find something that we can get for the two of us, she gave it for this after all!"
" You know me Lili, I want something I can eat. It's not so pricey… Didn't you want a new lipstick for some time? We should have enough no?"
Lili looked around at the shops, thinking deeply.
"That would be good if we had enough for this yes… I'd like to take some eyeshadows too at one point! We'll need to look at the price!"
" We can look now! The owner gave us our afternoon!"
"Oh, that's so nice! We'll need to work really well tonight to thank her!"
"I only hope it's not another one of her schemes to match me with one of her grandsons… I think it's the fourth she has presented to me this week! How many grandsons does she have? Is everyone on this Island a member of her family?" grumbled Marion.
Empathic, Lili patted her shoulder while laughing.
"I do hope for you that she doesn't have five children otherwise the number of grandchildren might be higher than what you'd like!"singing, she walked in the street while looking around, trying to find a shop which might sell some make-up.
"God no! It would be a nightmare!"
Suddenly, the blond stopped abruptly, her eyes wide open and her mouth parted from surprise.
"Lili," called Marion when she saw her friend wasn't at her side, "you're ok?"
Ignoring her friend like in a trance, Lili walked over the wall of a building and took a poster in her shaking hands.
"...Marion", with a weak and broken voice, she called her friend.
"Yes? What is it?" Asked Marion, joining her
Turning around, she showed her the poster.
With a stretched hand, flames surrounding him and a smirk on his lips, the poster of Portgas D. Ace was between the hands of Lili, held with great gentleness. Her eyes, previously full of shock, were overtaken with a glimmer of hope and determination.
"Marion. Ace is still alive."
Notes :
Marion : * We didn't mean it but it was a clear reference to what Sherlock Holmes said : "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth" !
Lili: We do love Sherlock Holmes if you didn't understa
nd!
Lili: Marion there's a mistake!
Marion: Where?
Lili: I underlined it!
Marion: So, Where my name is written?
Lili: No no, I added your name for pure pleasure
Marion: Oh okay, so where?
Lili: *Facepalm*