Returning Home

"Oi...", the man came into my blurry vision, as the dust and smoke settled on my face, "Did you just grow...skin?"

Now that I was seeing him clearer than before, he looked familiar, although I'm sure I'd never met the man before.

"Seraph, that's some regeneration you got."

"Can you...", I was almost surprised to hear my own voice, "Can you tell me who you are? How do you know me and...what are you doing here?"

"Huh? Lose your bolts?", he sighed, "Well, I'll be damned. Just get up for now, you look plenty healthy."

I cradled Nasty's remains in my arms and sat up. He was like a deflated balloon. I lay him down on a nearby rock and stood up.

"Hey Deli! Aren't you done there, dammit?!", he hollered to the lady who had arrived with him.

"Shut up, this piece of crack needs a piece of my brain!"

I looked over at her.

She was holding Prophet by his head, raising him above the ground. She was rather humongous herself, Prophet flailed like a ragdoll in her hand.

"Lucy...", I murmured. I had to admit, I couldn't imagine someone could stand up to Lucy. Who were these people anyway?

"He tell you anything, Seraph?", the guy asked.

"Huh? He...do you mean Prophet? Do you know him too?"

He sighed.

"Oi, Deli! Hurry up, we're leaving!", he called her again.

"Keep it down, I'm putting 'em to sleep", she replied, looking annoyed and somewhat exhausted.

"What is she doing to him?"

"Seizing his mind, only way to stop whatever's inside him from killing him", the guy answered.

I was utterly confused and worried for whatever might befall Prophet in hands of these strangers. Soon we were "on our way back". I didn't know where these guys had come from but it seemed we were returning to that place. Before we left, I saw the castle that belonged to Lucifer. It was still standing like before, Lucy had protected it from her attack.

As we walked away, a portion of it crumbled away and fell, raising smoke. I looked at Nasty who was now too small and distant.

"Keep up", the guy said and I had to turn away and follow him.

Pretty soon we were standing in front of a huge door. The lady was carrying Prophet on her back, he was unconscious for now. I looked at him and then back at the guy that was leading us.

"Come on, you go first", he said to me as he proceeded to knock at the enormous door.

The door emitted huge gusts of smoke and began creaking open. It had barely opened when I was pushed inside.

*************

"Is he awake yet? We should hurry back. Not much time now."

"Yeah, I know but he's out cold. Dunno how many centuries it must have been for him. We can be a little patient, can't we?"

"Wish I could say the same about Proph, the lad's not gonna wait."

"A'right, well what can I say he..."

I felt so light, as if I was floating. The gentle ray of light seeping into my vision refreshed my entire soul. What was this? Heaven? It had to be. I had never felt this good before.

"Seraph", yeah that's my name, and who was calling me?, "Lad's awake."

I opened my eyes. Two faces came into vision, the same ones I'd seen earlier. Chopper and Deli.

"Gr...Aaaaaaaaaarhgh!!!!", an agonizing pain overcame me and I grabbed my head, almost rolling off the bed.

"Oi!!!", it was Deli that grabbed me and set me up straight.

For how long did I bear that unbelievable pain? But then, it disappeared suddenly, as quickly as it had appeared. I was left there gasping for breath with a trail of saliva running down my chin.

"Oi", Chopper called me.

I looked up at him, horrorstricken.

"Chopper...san", I uttered.

"Right", he smirked, "What do you remember?"

"E-everything. All of it...Lady and everyone else and Lucy..."

"Good", he said, "Now get up and get ready, we're leaving."

"Ah, but what's the hurry?", Benoit barged in. Now that I looked about, it was that same cathedral where I had stayed with Prophet before going down.

"Valentine", Chopper clearly found him annoying, though he wasn't able to realize that, "We're short on some damn time."

"I understand the urgency but please, you must at least stay until they've recovered completely."

"Look, mate, we don't have time for your rich guy traditions, let us off already."

"Don't mind this mutt here, Mr. Valentine", Deli stepped in, "We'll stay for dinner. But I'm afraid we must depart first thing in the morning. I hope that suits you well too."

"Yes, of course, My Lady. Let me get the preparations underway."

With that the nuisance was gone.

"Oi, ya sure about this? That pompous bastard's-"

"Sure as can be!"

"What if he recognizes you?"

"No way! He's just a fake after all. He barely ever met me during that time. And I'm sure I've changed into something unrecognizable entirely."

Chopper sighed before sitting down in one of the tiny wooden chairs. Deli sat at the foot of my stone bed.

"And yer okay with him?", Chopper asked in a low voice.

She remained silent for a while. I watched her closely.

"I figured the Big Vs woulda gotten themselves a replacement. Maximus...Maxime...something Maxy...I think. That was this guy's name. Some cousin...bet he's got it good now. How is it that you ended up knowing him anyway?"

"That's a story for 'nother time."

"Whatever you say."

Silence pursued for a while.

"Hey Seraph", Deli spoke to me, "Are you feeling neglected?"

"Uh...not particularly."

"We'll ask you what happened down there later. You sure took your sweet time in there though", she said.

"How long were you guys in there?", I asked.

"Well, it took us 'round five minutes to find you guys. Valentine says we jumped in and then straight out with ya. You guys were in there for around six hours ya know", Chopper answered.

I was astonished to hear it had been so little time.

"How did you guys find us?", I asked, wondering how they had found us so fast.

"Well, ya know, its surprising that despite all that time you took in there, you were so close to the gate. What were you even doing?", Chopper asked.

I was dumbfounded. There really was nothing I could have said then.

"Can we go back down?"

"Nope, soon as Prophet left the place, it stopped regenerating. By now...it's all gone. You were cold for some five hours. But you can catch up on that sleep later. Let's go out for now."

The three of us soon headed out.