Chapter 18 / Attack

Ace's POV

It's been three days since Y/N has gone to attend to her family business and so far I have survived. Hanging around with Lou isn't actually that bad. It's like Y/N had told me.

"Lou might seem hard and boring on the outside, but she can be the most fun and sweet person if you get to know her."

I would have never thought that that fairy had a sense of humour. But here I was having sore muscles from laughing all of yesterday.

Today however the fairy had locked herself away in the library and I was once again left alone to entertain myself. Lou had really done her best to keep me busy the past few days and I could say that she had succeeded. I hadn't thought about the elves at all. Although my thoughts did travel to Y/N from time to time I had pretty much forgotten about what Lou had told me about her family relations.

I spend the day training and hunting in the forest however the boredom still set in. I twirled my fingers around my necklace. Y/N had given it to me for my birthday. It looked just like my previous one that had been ripped apart in the war. It was a silent reminder of the past and current connection I had to the outside world.

>Time sure flies by here.<

It had been a year since I had awoken from my coma and started my training. I currently sat in my favourite spot, the crown of the tallest tree on the island. It was the only spot from where I could always see the blue sea.

I missed them. My brother, my crew, Pops...

A tear ran down my cheek that I angrily wiped away. It had been three years since the war and still the wounds and loss felt as raw as ever.

>I wonder when I will see them again.

I have become stronger. Maybe it's time for me to go?<

I let myself fall beck against the tree trunk and looked up to the sky.

"Hey tell me Ace of the future. If I go now is it the right decision?"

I closed my eyes and a picture of the funny and sweet elf materialised in my mind.

>I wonder what she's up to. Lou is great but I really miss her.<

I sat up straight. If I missed that woman after a mere few days, what would happen if I left now? I wouldn't see her in years or maybe ever again.

>No way. I don't want that. We're friends.<

I pouted while looking back out to the sea.

Then I saw it.

"Lou! Lou, come quick!"

I raced through the woods back to the kitchen where Lou was just plating our lunch.

"Goodness, Ace. What happened?"

I gasped for air reporting what I had seen.

"A ship. There is a ship on our white sea. It's headed towards our island."

The fairy paled at my words letting go of the spoon she had been holding in her hand. It crashed through the ground letting an eerie sound echo through the room.

Then she jumped into action. Never had I seen Lou with such determination on her face.

"Follow me Ace!" Lou soared out of the room, the house and landed in the beautiful garden surrounding it. As soon as I had left the building she lifted her arms and began to glow.

"Rewind!"

My mouth fell open as I observed what happened next. Slowly but surely the entire residence unbuild it self and the thick forests of the island spread over the space the huge complex of living and research facilities had once stood.

"Come!"

Lou wasn't done yet. She pulled me along through the thick green surrounding us.

"What-? Where are we going?"

"You'll see!"

Lou continued to lead me through the forest. She was far more fast and agile than me, making it extremely hard to keep up with the tiny fairy twisting and turning through the trees, bushes and branches that stood in our path.

Then finally she halted. We stood in a clearing and once again I stood with my mouth agape.

Before us a huge lake sparkled in the sun.

>How come I have never noticed this lake while exploring? I thought I had seen every inch of the island by now.<

From somewhere high-up the volcano water crashed as a raging waterfall into the lake creating ripples that reached us at it's far end.

I wanted to ask Lou what the h*ll was going on. However before I could even begin to digest the scenery she pulled me forward.

"Wait, into the water?!"

That was all I could shout before I felt water crash around me. Immediately a current caught ahold of me, trying to pull me into to the depths of this mysterious body of water. Fighting it with all my might, I barely reached the surface before water could fill my lungs. Panicky I looked around to see Lou emerge right next to me.

Startled I stared at my pal.

>How the hell did she fight that current?<

I had to use all my strength and still only barely managed to escape the current. Lou on the other hand was tiny. How was someone the size of my hand so much stronger than me? I had been fully prepared to have to dive after her in a desperate rescue attempt. But here she was next to me not even having broken out in a sweat. In fact she seemed more annoyed about being wet than the fact that we nearly drowned. Or should I say the fact that I nearly drowned?

"Sh*t!" Lou spat out water rowing her arms to keep afloat.

"Why did someone have to come when Y/N isn't here."

>What difference would Y/N make when we are stuck in a current?< Once again I wanted to throw a world of questions at the fairy but even I could tell that this was not the time.

Desperate to get out of the annoying liquid, Lou climbed onto my shoulder, making herself comfortable.

"Swim there!" She pointed towards the waterfall.

"Wait are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

I gritted my teeth and fought against the currents slowly inching closer towards the waterfall. Then the waterfall's brutal force hit us. Within seconds we were pulled beneath the water, descending far to quickly to fight it.

I closed my eyes accepting that this was my doom when I felt someone tug on my arm.

Lou was pulling me farther towards the mountain. I gathered my strength following her right into another current.

>We are screwed. I'm sorry Luffy I won't be able to keep my promise.<

Everything went black.

Y/N's POV

"Here we go then." I took a deep breath and knocked on the door of my parents house.

>5,4,3,2-<

"Hello?" The door opened to reveal my tired looking father.

"Hello Bapa."

"Ah, Y/N. How nice that you have come to visit us." My father looked exhausted his eyes sunken in and gaze unsteady.

"You should rest more Bapa."

My father looked away a sad expression in his eyes. It pained me to see him like this. As a child he had always been someone to make me laugh, to give me hope. He was the one who taught me how to use my talent of music and ultimately the one who gave me the courage to leave Shantital.

Now he was only a ghost of himself.

"Is it that bad?"

"Don't worry I have made sure to never leave her alone."

>You should care more about yourself you know.< That is what I wanted to say but I knew it wouldn't change anything. It was the curse of being an elf after all.

"Can I see her?"

"Sure." Bapa stepped back from the door letting me enter. I walked through the halls of what once had been my childhood home. It had lost all it's feeling. Dust was beginning to cover everything in thick layers, the once sparkling clean windows wouldn't let much more then some eerie faded light inside. The house my clean freak of a mother once reigned had lost all it's former glow.

Bapa opened the door to the master bedroom and as I looked inside my heart broke even more.

My mother and I hadn't always been on the best terms. However the shell of a person that was sitting on the master bed did the person who raised me no justice.

>Mama- Why did you have to let it get so bad?<

My mother's hatred and shame over our fishman heritage didn't only extend to me. She hated noone more than herself. When Bapa and Mama met he made her forget this hatred, she was doing good. But then they moved to Shantital. Mama's worry over the judgment of the other elves was so great her self-hatred came back stronger than ever before. It shattered our family and destroyed her. I knew most of the elves had long begun to count the days until she would kill herself however up until now Bapa had stopped her.

Even though the person he once knew was long gone he still loved her. He couldn't shatter the bond connecting him to her. Even if there was only an empty shell left.

We had tried everything. She wasn't coming back.

"Hello Mama. I brought you some flowers. Waterlilies, I know you love their smell."

I embraced the fragile figure Infront of me and held the flowers under her nose. Smelling their sent she grabbed them and for one second I thought the smile I hadn't seen in years would reappear however her expression remained stoic.

"I know you don't want to hear it but the sea looks as beautiful as ever. Breathtaking corals colour the ocean floor around this island. They remind me of Nana. She once told me that you used to shine when you swam. I wish you would show me sometime. You are beautiful Mama, even though you grow a tail when you touch water. It's a gift. I know many don't see it. I didn't either before I went on my travels. Please Mama, why don't you leave this island. Bapa misses you. We all miss you."

I searched the face of the broken woman in front of for any sign she had heard me. But she stayed as stoic as ever, like a doll. A shell that had lost the will to live.

"Hey, Mama. Life washed a boy into my life. Sometimes he reminds me of you. People thought he was a monster, he seems happy and hyped wherever he goes, but sometimes when he believes no one sees he lets his sadness bubble to the surface. He is talented and smart. A man full of potential, I think you would've liked him."

>I'm sorry I can't save you.<

I turned to Bapa who stood outside of the room letting me have some private time with Mama.

"I'm sorry Bapa."

"It's fine Breeze." I froze as I heard him use my childhood nickname.

>"Bapa, why do you call me Breeze? All my friends fathers call them by their names. They say it's weird."

"Because you have the spirit of the sea."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"The fresh sea breeze reminds me of when I first met Mama. She was full of energy and a thirst for adventure. The first thing she did in the morning was open the windows and breathe in the fresh air saying that the sweet breeze of the sea was what gave her her energy. 'Cant you smell it? It's filled with life and adventure.' That is what she always told me.

You remind me of it. A little ball of energy filled with life and adventure."<

I didn't understand what he ment at that time. But now I knew what Mama ment when she talked about the breeze of the sea.

>The essence of life, huh?<

I smiled.

"Please stay strong Bapa. You know you can always call me and I will be here as soon as I can."

Bapa smiled. It was are sight I had missed dearly.

"Come on, get going. You have a life to live.

Oh and breeze..."

"Yeah?"

"This is Mama's choice. You children have no fault in it."

"Neither do you Bapa."

Taking a deep breath I left my childhood home, my face towards the see, not turning back. Just like back then.

Seeing the glittering sea spread out before my eyes a gentle smile returned to my face.

>Time to go home.<

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