Devilish

Reminders

6 years ago – Thriller Bark.

Leila, aged 15 was a troubled girl. At this age, she was especially sensitive to those around her and her own confusing emotions. She was beginning to lose sight of her goal; to leave this place and survive for as long as possible. Over the many years that she had lived in Thriller Bark, it was hard to keep the same drive to freedom when those around her were the closest she had to family. She still remembered her time in cells and almost every week she would gain an additional scar or bruise. However, she was beginning to forget about her happy childhood... the violence became all she knew.

There were many times she would laugh happily, enjoy the company of her crewmates and think 'hey, this isn't so bad!' but then the nightmares would come. The times of her in a cell; her father's dead face staring back at her in her dreams. Of course, she could never fully forget. Thus, she was internally conflicted. She felt like she had played the part of the red princess for far too long – she wasn't sure who her true self was anymore.

She stood in the training hall with various knights at her disposal. Xander patrolled around her in circular motions, like a predator observing its prey. Small devil horns were sprouted from her head along with her swishing tail.

"Since you've been so well behaved recently..." Xander spoke slowly, observing the teenagers face with intense heat. "You can pick today – what would you like to train?"

Leila shifted uncomfortably in the middle of the hall. She could feel his gaze on her back, digging into her like sharp daggers. It was a training day, a day she despised. Ever since she acquired her devil fruit she would be forced to train and control the sins to the best of her abilities. It was safe to say, she was hopeless at it. She could summon them pretty much at will – but controlling them was a whole different story. She felt like she had no direction. She was being trained like a soldier – a weapon only useful for war.

"You took too long" Xander tutted as his eyes grew dark. Leila's eyes widened in fear, she had been in her thoughts for too long. She looked at Xander with subtle pleading and he grinned maliciously. " Wrath".

Leila shuddered and her breathing quickly increased. She knew better than to argue, she had no choice at this point. She turned her attention back forward in her stance and swallowed the lump in her throat. Things weren't so bad recently – she was carrying out her tasks as asked and overly performed greatly. But it was never enough for Xander – he wished for her to control all the sins, despite the strain it put on her young body.

"Leila, now" He commanded her, his irritation growing. She felt her hands shake but nodded. She knew what she had to do – what emotions she had to channel to bring this on with ease. Her mind flittered to her scars, her father, the cells, the dresses, the commanding and overbearing Xander Brady. The anger within her easily surfaced – bubbling and rising to the top. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes once more which were now a ruby red. Xander moved in front of her and whistled in appreciation.

"Good" He nodded curtly, adjusting his collar as the hot air seemed dense and compact around him. It was bearable, still. "Not enough though, you're not going to be able to control anyone with weak surroundings like that"

Leila felt incredibly irked, her sanity barely holding on. When she was under this wrathful form, it was incredibly hard to keep her own personality intact. She could feel the sins of the devil crawling down her back and it was so easy to snap. Alas, she knew if she did not try harder she would face the consequences. She let out a slow breath through her nose and concentrated on the man in front of her – the tall, sharp faced man cloaked in red.