A New Light at the End of the Tunnel
Chosen Characters: Straw Hat Pirates
Fic Type: Mostly fluff with a hint of angst
Appropriate Warnings: Blood, gore, implied character death
Nightmares were a rarity for Luffy.
It made sense, considering the life he was leading. He was a pirate captain. He was on his journey to becoming king of the pirates with all of his friends and the best part was he’s gotten his share of the best meat ever. With a life like this, Luffy’s never had many nightmares. Most of them just consisted of him not being able to reach the delectable meat before he woke up (which, granted, was a true horror).
That was until two years ago. That was when the true nightmares began.
For the most part, they always end up the same, with a few variety in between. He was there, in Marine HQ, the scaffold where Ace stood unnaturally high against the dark clouds. Sometimes he’d be by himself, and other times, there would be the screaming pirates and marines all around him.
But without fail, he’d always be looking for the most important person. The one he ran straight through hell to get to. The one that he needed to find. The panic would start to creep up his spine, his heart beating harder and harder. Sometimes his vision would twirl around, faster and faster, like his head was a spin top, with no end in sight.
And then, like a beacon of light, Ace would be standing there, fire surrounding him, chasing away the darkness.
Luffy laughed, glee warming him up as the doubt retreated. “Ace!” he cried, throwing his arms up and out. “There you are!”
Ace turned back to him, with a grin as bright as the light around him. “You never could stop yourself from getting into trouble, could you, Luffy?”
Luffy giggled. “That’s no fun, Ace!”
There was always something wrong, though. Something whispering in Luffy’s ear, words that he couldn’t quite grasp in tones that slicked down the side of his neck like tar. His stomach would roll, in ways different than when he was hungry. He’d push it aside, forcing the grin to stay on his face. Everything’s fine. Ace is here and he’s going to be fine. That thought would be his barrier, but nothing seemed to stop the icy fingers from crawling up his back.
He ignored it. “Let’s go, Ace!” Luffy cheered, his fists in the air as an unspoken defiance against the people who tried to take his big brother away from him. “I’ve come to save you!”
That’s when the silence would hit him at full force. Regardless of whether he had been by himself before or only now was didn’t matter. He’d only realize it until that moment. His shoulders would tense, like waiting for an enemy to appear just before him. Would it be Aokiji? Or maybe Smokey was waiting for another chance?
His eyes snapped to his sides and then behind him. His senses went on full alert. Until the bright red would catch his attention. Head whirling back around, no matter how many times he’d beg for it to be different, the results would always be the same.
The whole in Ace’s chest was large, blood steadily pouring out and splattering onto the ground. A trickle of the red would drip down from Ace’s mouth to his chin. Luffy’s heart stopped, every muscle in his body frozen, despite how he desperately wished to run towards Ace. “You… were always… so reckless…” Ace was struggling to breathe.
His legs wouldn’t listen. Had Aokiji frozen him like last time? He couldn’t tell. His eyes wouldn’t tear away from the sight before him. “A-Ace…” Luffy gasped. “No. Ace.” He strained his muscles, but something was holding him back, unseen hands grasping at his ankles to keep him in one spot.
Ace’s eyes lifted up to his. “Sorry, Luffy…” Tears were already streaming down his face, mixing with the blood, turning the bright color dull. “This is it for me.”
A gust of wind and Ace would disappear. His fire was gone and Luffy was back in darkness again. Luffy screamed, but nothing could pierce through it. He didn’t care and continued to yell. He kept at it until his lungs burned. The darkness was suffocating him, and he couldn’t find his way out. He lashed out but there wasn’t any air. He couldn’t make sense of it anymore.
Luffy’s eyes snapped open and he practically threw himself off his bunk. He crashed onto the floor. He gasped for breath, trying to make sense of where he was. I’m on my ship, some part of him insisted. I’m on the ship.
The silence in the quarters encouraged him to scream, but he fought it as he scrambled up and towards the exit. Throwing open the door, he paused just before leaving and scrubbed his tears away. Then, he stepped out and onto the deck. The light blinded him for a second, and he couldn’t breathe.
His eyes adjusted quickly.
The sun was starting to set. The darkness was closing in from above his head and his heart was thrumming so painfully in his chest. “Oi, shit captain!” Luffy caught Sanji standing over the railing, chewing on his cigarette. “Geez, I called you like a million times. It’s not like you to miss dinner.”
Luffy was already running across the deck, but the smile on his face was frayed at the edges as the darkness crept along his back. His muscles were tense and he wished more than anything that he could fight this off like any of the other men that he’s faced before.
But you fought hard at Marineford and that did nothing to help Ace.
His shoulders tightened, trying to ignore the whispers. “Yosh!” He forced the word out, but it was stale at the back of his tongue. Luffy was always genuine with his emotions and this was as wrong to him as anything else. He didn’t like lying, but he also didn’t like these emotions. He wanted them gone, and he desperately hoped that this would quiet them.
He threw himself into the dinning room, ignoring Sanji’s angry yelling about not breaking anything. The light in the room made his sight go bright for a second and his head ached and pounded for a minute.
His crew was sitting at the table. They all turned towards him when he entered. “Ah, Captain,” Robin greeted softly. She smiled over at him. “I was worried that you had died in your sleep when you didn’t come for food.”
“ROBIN!” Usopp smacked his hands on the table, leaning forwards towards her. “How many times do I have to tell you to stop saying such creepy things!”
Luffy walked over to the empty spot and sat himself down. His shoulders started to relax.
“Don’t you worry, Luffy!” He turned to see Chopper staring up at him earnestly. “I’ll always make sure you’re healthy.”
Franky stepped in. “Luffy’s never going to worry about that, bro!” Franky yelled boisterously. “Not when we got such a SUPER doctor on our crew!” Franky stood up just to throw his arms together in his famous pose.
Chopper gasped, and without missing a beat, started wiggling around in his chair. “Don’t think for one second that I’m flattered, you stupid human!” Chopper said with a giggle. “Compliments don’t work on me like that!”
“Pretty sure they’re working just fine…” Usopp muttered.
“Here Luffy,” Zoro forced a mug of ale into his hands. “Maybe you finally just’ve grown enough in the two years that you’ve got a taste for alcohol finally!” The grin on Zoro’s face was vicious.
“Yeah right!” Nami came in and smacked Zoro hard in the head. His face hit the table with the force. “Like that’ll ever happen with Luffy!” She snatched the mug right out of Luffy’s hands. “How many times do I have to tell you, idiot?” Nami growled, waving the cup around wildly. “If Luffy is this much of an idiot, then we do not need to find out how what he is like if he ever got drunk!”
“Why you…” Zoro’s head snapped up, and even with a sizable egg now blooming on his head, he was still terrifying as he grasped onto his swords. Not that Nami even flinched. She gave his glare back to him tenfold.
“Oi!” Zoro’s natural fighting instincts protected him from Sanji’s kick. “If you even think of using one of those ugly swords on my beautiful Nami, I’ll kick your ass so hard you’ll need a new wanted poster.”
“At least mine came out good the first time!” Zoro threw back, hitting Sanji right where it hurt.
Sanji gave an inhuman roar and Zoro responded instantly. They were already kicking and slicing before anyone could stop them.
“Ugh…” Nami dropped herself back down onto her chair and rolled her eyes. Everyone knew it was useless to try and break them up. “What morons…”
The whispers were getting farther away.
Robin giggled. “Seems like some things never do change.”
“Or ever will…” Usopp was happy to lend Nami some company in the pity party.
“Yohohohoho!” Brook slid in with a joyous laugh. “Now, now, everyone! Why don’t I play us a song that will help those ears be just as full as our stomachs!”
“That sounds like a SUPER idea!” Franky cheered.
Chopper clapped. “Oh yes, please Brook!”
Nami put her head in her hand. “Well, at least the nice music will drown them out a bit…” she muttered.
“But first...” Brook appeared next to Nami. She raised an eyebrow. “May I see your panties, Nami?”
Nami didn’t even hesitate. “NO WAY IN HELL!” She swung a leg out and sent Brook flying across the room. He slammed into the other side. Nami flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Seems like this crew is full of idiots…” Nami grumbled.
Robin laughed. Usopp shook his head. “You’d think he’d get it after a while.”
Nami rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s clearly never going to happen.”
“Sanji!” Nami called to him from where he was still battling it out with Zoro. “Ignore him and serve dinner already! Before the glutton decides to eat it all off the stove.” There was no question who she was referring to.
“Of course, Nami-swan~!” Sanji immediately abandoned Zoro to twirl his way back over to dinner with hearts bursting from his very pores.
Zoro scoffed and sheathed his swords. “Erocook…” he muttered, even as he walked back over to the table.
What’s gone maybe gone, but you still have something left in this world to treasure, don’t you?
Luffy’s world brightened again. The grin that stretched from his lips this time around was as pure and as genuine as it ever was before. Everybody noticed. “What’s with that look, Luffy?” Usopp asked, leaning forward to catch his eye. “What’s got you so happy?”
“What else?” Nami scoffed. “Sanji’s about to serve dinner.”
“The captain does love his food,” Robin cooed. “Let’s hope he doesn’t eat so much he explodes.”
“Robin!” Usopped snapped.
His throat was no longer closed and his words came out easy this time. “I love my crew!” he yelled out from the bottom of his heart. He threw his hands up and out, the joy behind his words warming him to his very bones. “I’ve got the best crew in the entire world!”
There was a pause. Everyone shocked at such an outburst, but then, they all turned bright red. “Don’t think this will work against me~!” Chopper laughed and started wiggling again.
Nami pressed a hand to her burning cheeks, trying to play it off. “Well of course you do, I mean, I’m the best you’re ever going to get!”
Brook laughed. “Oh dear me, I’m blushing as red as a cherry.” He paused for effect. “I mean, I would be if I had any skin! Yohohohoho~!”
“Aw shucks, Luffy, you’re making us blush.” Franky grinned and smacked Luffy on the back. “But you’re right about that! We’ve got a SUPER crew!”
Robin and Zoro just smiled, as they settled themselves in for the meal.
“Alright,” Sanji called as he walked over with arms full of delicious food. “Bon appetit!” Luffy was more than happy to dig in.
Yes, he would sometimes have nightmares. Sometimes the darkness would get a little too much for Luffy to handle. But, no matter where it happened or when, he knew one thing for certain. His crew would always be there to remind him of one thing.
That, no matter what, there would always be a light at the end of his darkness.
